The Rides
The Ride. It is the cathedral of our sport, where we worship at the altar of the Man with the Hammer. It is the end to our means. Indeed, The Bike may be the central tool to our sport, but to turn the pedals is to experience the sensation of freedom, of flight. It is all for The Ride.
The world is overflowing with small, twisty roads that capture our collective imagination as cyclists. We spend our lifetimes searching out the best routes and rides; we pore over maps, we share with our fellow disciples, we talk to non-cycling locals all in pursuit of the Perfect Ride.
The Rides is devoted entirely to the best routes and rides around the world. Some are races or cyclosportives, others feature in the Classics and stages of The Great Races, while others still are little-known gems, discovered through careful meditation on The V. Be warned: these rides are not your average Sunday Afternoon spin; these rides are the best and most difficult rides in the word – they represent the rites of passage into La Vie Velominatus. It is to be taken for granted that these rides require loads of Rule #5, many of them Rule #10, and all of them are best enjoyed in Rule #9 conditions. They have been shared by you, the community. The Rides also features articles devoted to the greatest rides and providess a forum for sharing other rides for discussion.
If you’d like to submit a ride or an article about your own favorite ride, please feel free to send it to us and we’ll do our best to work with you to include it.
[rideitem status=”public” title=”Haleakala” distance=”56km” category=”Grimpeur” url=”http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/50412514″ location=”Paia, Maui, Hawaii, USA”]
Haleakala is simultaneously the longest paved continuous climb in the world as well as the shortest ascent from sea level to 10,000 feet in the world. Though not terribly steep, this is a long, grinding climb that will reduce a strong rider to a whimpering lump.
To put the effort in perspective, this climb is 60km long a an average of 6% with two pitches as steep as 17%. That translates to somewhere between 3 or more hours of nonstop climbing, usually in Maui’s direct heat and often into a whipping headwind that spins around into a headwind no matter which direction the switchbacks take you.
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[rideitem statuc=public title=”Liege-Bastogne-Liege” distance=”265″ category=”Rouleur” url=”http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/58053308/” location=”Liege, Belgium”]
Liege-Bastogne-Liege is not only La Doyenne, the oldest of the Classics, but also represents perhaps the most demanding course in cycling. The 280 km, 3000m vertical route starts with an easy ride out from Liege to Bastogne which lulls riders into a false sense of security; the hills are frequent, but none of them terribly demanding. Into Bastogne, and the story changes on the way back to Liege with 9 categorized climbs in the second half, including the fearsome Côte de la Redoute and the Côte de Saint-Nicolas.
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[rideitem status=public title=”Paris-Roubaix” category=”Hardman” distance=”265″ url=”http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/58052610/” location=”Compiégne, France” guideurl=”http://www.cyclingpave.cc/” guide=”Pavé Cycling Classics”]
L’enfur du Nord. The Hell of The North. The Queen of the Classics. This isn’t a ride over the stones from your local brick-paved roads. You think climbs are what make a ride tough? We’ve got news for you: this is the hardest ride on the planet and it boasts a maximum elevation of 55 meters. These are vicious, brutal stones; the kind that will stretch each kilometer to their full length, the kind of stones that you will feel long after the rattling of the bars has stopped. These stones will change you. Forever.
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[rideitem status=public title=”Mortirolo/Gavia Loop” category=”Grimpeur” distance=”115km” url=”http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/59027020/” location=”Bormio, Italy” contributor=”Joe”]
The Mortirolo is perhaps the most feared pass in Western Europe, and the Gavia the most storied. Given their proximity to each other, its a wonder why this isn’t the most talked-about ride in Italy. Maybe it is; its impossible to say without being Italian. The loop nature of this ride makes it feasible as a solo escapade, but any ride with the kind of stats this one bears – 3200 meters ascended in 115 kilometers including the viscously steep Mortirolo – is best enjoyed with a riding partner or support car.
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[rideitem status=public title=”200 on 100″ category=”Grimpeur” distance=”330km” url=”http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/58052808/” location=”Vernon, VT” contributor=”cdelinks” contributorurl=”http://cyclowhat.com”]
“Dumptruck of Awesome” has become the catch-phrase associated with this brutally hard, yet strikingly beautiful 330 kilometer (200 mile) ride down Vermont Route 100. This ride was made popular during the summer of 2011 when Ted King, Tim Johnson, and a local amateur cyclist, Ryan Kelly, documented this ride on film. The ride starts on the Canadian border and finishes on the Massachusetts border. With over 2500 meters of climbing on this 330 kilometer ride, you will need to pack a few lunches to get through this one. Do this ride in the Fall, and the foliage might be beautiful enough to distract you from the horrible pain you will most certainly suffer.
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[rideitem status=”public” title=”De Ronde Van West Portlandia” distance=”76km” category=”Grimpeur” url=”http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/15276210″ location=”Portland, Oregon, USA”]
A ride that officially “never happens” each spring, this 76 km route charts a course through Portland’s West Hills, paying homage to the European Spring Classics. Approximately 1,800 meters of paved and unpaved climbs are spread throughout the course, with several sections reaching grades of over 20%. More information can be found at Ronde PDX.
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[rideitem status=public title=”Seattle Master Urban Ride” category=”Rouleur” distance=”130km” url=http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/57732282 location=”Seattle, Washington, USA”]
This is perhaps the most challenging urban route in Seattle, hitting three of the big hills that define Seattle’s topography. The route starts and ends on Phinney Ridge, but hits the climbs of Interlaken and Alder Street/Lake Dell Drive on its way to Mercer Island, before coming back to hit Queen Anne and Magnolia, weaving its way up each of these hills as many times as possible via the steepest route available before the finale to the north via Golden Gardens, Blue Ridge Drive, and Carkeek Park. Panoramic views of the Cascades, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, The Olympic Penninsula and Puget Sound makes this a standout Urban ride.
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I got to meet the British cycling great Barry Hoban this weekend.
http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/barry-hoban-british-legends-57470
He was the speaker at our club awards do and I was fortunate enough to enjoy a good chat with him before the meal too.
The bits of his talk which I think will resonate most here were his answers to a few of our questions:
Q – what about pro racing today would you change?
A – Take away the race radios. Modern pros don’t think or read a race, they just do what they are told.
Q – Your last TdF was Bernard Hinault’s first (and he won it). Did you know then what he would go onto achieve?
A – Those of us that raced in France knew about him before that Tour. Guillmard had kept him under wraps but we all knew he was something special. He admits know he was a bit of a bastard in his younger days but he’s a complete gentleman now.
Q – Which modern racer do you admire most?
A – (Immediately) PETER SAGAN! He’s the only pro cyclist like we were back then – an all rounder who races with panache and on instinct.
This photo is a goodie, this is Barry winning Ghent Wevelgem in 1974. Yes, that’s the Prophet in 2nd. And this picture crops out the 3rd place finisher, RdV.
@RobSandy
Wow! Thanks for sharing! What a great opportunity! Love his answers and agree 100%.
As for the 74 Gent-Wevelgen, not only did Hoban beat Merckx and RdV, Freddy Maertens was 6th, Walter Plankaert was 7th, and Walter Godefroot was 8th. That’s basically the cream of the crop of Belgian cycling at the time.
@wiscot
Yeah, it was great. If I’d had more time with him I’d have asked him more about what it was like to race against Anquetil, Merckx and Hinault. But he told a good story anyway.
Here’s me getting an ‘official’ presentation of my Welsh Champions jersey (and the club men’s track champion trophy which is a total joke as there are loads of better track riders than me in the club) from the man himself.
Just read this article and I have to say I reluctantly agree.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/opinion-chris-froome-should-withdraw-himself-from-racing/
I think Froome either has to sort this issue out one way or another before the start of the season or exclude himself from racing in the meantime.
Discuss.
@RobSandy
I agree 100%.
@RobSandy
I’d have to agree with you. He can’t hide behind “innocent until proven guilty” as the onus is on him to prove his innocence with an AAF.
The honourable thing would be to stand down until it’s been resolved one way or another. To carry on, especially without having made any comment or announcement about when he intends to address the issue, comes across as sticking his head in the sand.
@chris
Agree. This isn’t just going to go away, and racing with it hanging over everything isn’t fair on everyone else involved. Noting that without the leak we’d know nothing about this process.
I have 2 other thoughts –
1. Why is it Froome who is under so much pressure when surely it is the doctor who advised him on dosage who should be being hauled over the coals? I’m sure this is probably happening behind the scenes.
2. My view is that he is probably still innocent of ‘doping’ in the sense of using drugs to gain a performance enhancement. Salbutamol doesn’t work like that, it restores lung function to a healthy level, not beyond. But if there’s a rule and you break it, you’ve got to face the consequences.
I’m pretty sad about all of this as I genuinely like Froome.
@RobSandy
Agree here too. The fact is, Froome’s salbutamol level was above the allowable limit. Remember the percentage of clenbuterol Contador tested positive for – absolutely miniscule. Froome was double the limit. I’m not trying to compare apples and oranges, but a positive is a positive and for Froome (and Sky) to retain whatever credibility they have left, and in my opinion, that’s very little, I think Froome needs to be suspended.
@RobSandy
My understanding of doping is that it has always been the riders responsibility to ensure that anything taken is a legal substance or taken in legal amounts. “I was only doing what I was told” doesn’t stack up as a defence.
The doctor advising might well get hauled over the coals if it turns out that his advice was negligently incorrect but unlikely if it comes down to simple over use by Froome. Given that it’s Froome’s responsibility to ensure he is legal, any action against the doctor would have to be by Froome rather than the anti-doping authorities using the “but for” test – but for the the negligent advice of the doctor Froome wouldn’t be banned and losing millions.
Innocent of doping, possibly, but guilty of the same sort of arrogant naivety that Sky seem to have been afflicted by recently.
The issue is quite likely that if he withdraws himself then it would have little point as it would probably be unlikely that that would be considered as part of a ban should there be one. The system is at issue here in that it is clearly way too slow.
The system should be (if it is not) that the athlete has x days to explain themselves otherwise they take the ruling that would be judged.
I agree with this: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/guimard-team-sky-dont-care-about-the-disastrous-image-they-are-presenting-of-cycling/?utm_content=bufferfff5b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
@Rick
somewhat surprisingly, Virenque makes some sense, here.
@Cary
But then, to play Devil’s Advocate, assuming for the sake of argument that Froome KNOWS exactly what dose he took on the day in question and KNOWS he never exceeded the limit for intake – as far as he’s concerned he has done nothing wrong at all, so why should his racing suffer by a self-imposed or even a team-imposed suspension?
And also, as Brailsford pointed out this week, in ‘normal’ circumstances a finding of this kind would be confidential between the testing agence, rider and team and without the leak the public would know nothing of this and the rider would be allowed to continue racing and training as normal.
All in all, it’s a shitty situation and I don’t know what the answer is.
@RobSandy
I can’t help thinking that if he KNOWS and Sky/Brailsford KNOWS, as in properly KNOWING with the ability demonstrate it, what he took and that he never exceeded the limit for intake, they would have told us all about it by now rather. Instead they’ve opted for radio silence.
Whether we would have believed it is a different issue; after all this is the organisation that championed winning through the identification of marginal gains through scientific means yet they didn’t maintain any medical records of who’d been given what, hadn’t got round to backing up their laptops and had no idea of what they’d sent a staff member to another country to deliver.
Weaselly words about Foome only being in the spotlight don’t work either. The news is out and good risk/disaster management is based on working to the facts and events as they’re known and an anticipation of what might or will happen.
Froome may well be innocent but if he is he’s going to end up being damned by the manner in which it’s being handled.
@chris
Agree.
And if it turns out they were gaming the system by somehow using injected Salbutamol as a performance enhancer or something like that then fuck them all.
There’s also the possibility that Froome knows he didn’t exceed the limit but cannot demonstrate it. So where does that leave them? Still fucked, sadly.
@RobSandy
I’ve always been a bit of a Team Sky fan and I don’t think that’s the case and I certainly don’t think it’ll be proven even if it was. I’m leaning towards getting the dosing wrong. But yes, if it is a deliberate attepmt to enhance performance rather than stablise a medical condition, fuck them all.
@RobSandy
I’m going to Paris for the first time next month. I’m only going to be allowed to visit one bike shop while I’m there (boss/wife’s rule)
Is there a shop that fills you with the mystery and history and love of cycling?
@chris
@MangoDave
I
@MangoDave
I botched the editing for my post. My comments begin with “Since we’re back…
Repost:
Former Team Sky doctor lifts the lid on team’s medical practices and grey areas
http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/former-team-sky-doctor-lifts-the-lid-on-teams-medical-practices-and-grey-areas/
Is anyone shocked by this?
@Rick
if you read that article closely it really doesn’t say much – the headline is very sensational.
Regarding the IV recup it was standard practice up to 2011 when it was banned by the UCI, at which point Sky stopped doing it.
And the fact that he states he would have given Froome the stronger asthma medication (the one Wiggins is in trouble for using) and got a TUE doesn’t make me think he’s whiter than white anyway.
Fair enough but the lost medical records seem like a smoking gun.
@Rick
Not really, the lost records add to the bad smell; saying you can’t prove you didn’t do it is about as useful as saying “I’ve never failed a test”.
The only smoking gun would be a medical record (or other evidence) of the event.
@chris
Oh I think the whole thing is pretty fishy and I think Sky’s moral high ground has been well and truly eroded; even if they haven’t cheated outright at some point, they have certainly bent and pushed the rules and they have certainly not been as transparent as they should have been.
But that particular article adds nothing and proves nothing but it’s no accident that Cycling News are keeping it at the top of their site with such an inflammatory headline. It’s clickbait.
Me and the Mrs have a theory that the insane training Froome was doing in SA was an attempt to replicate the depletion levels caused by a Grand Tour in order to prefer for some lab tests.
@RobSandy
I agree entirely.
I’ve no idea whether they cheated, just done everything in their power to get as close to the moral line as possible without having put a toenail over it or are just naively arrogant in thinking that we’ll accept them at their word whilst they continue to douse us in opaque BS.
I’m not even sure that I’d care anymore if wasn’t for my son wanting to race at as high a level as he can.
As much as I’ve admired him in the past, and possibly still do for what he achieved with Sky from the outset, I think Brailsford has to go.
@RobSandy
The Cycling Podcast mentioned the same theory ref Froome then updated in the next episode to say that Froome hadn’t done a test and that allegedly is his normal level of training! I’m with you and your Mrs.
#1 fettled and 27mm tyres fitted ready for Strade Bianche at the weekend. Fingers crossed but the forecast is a bit better than it was a few days ago…………wonder whether @Buck Rogers entered………
@Teocalli
Good luck, I’m sure you’ll have fun.
If you think the weather might be getting to bad, think of this…
@Teocalli
Awesome. Need some photos from the event. This site needs a captain. It’s like the Black Pearl sans Johnny Depp.
@fignons barber
Well, there was Cap’n Frank and his trusty crew, but the latter, bar Brett, have gone and the fact that the spring Belgian races have begun without a peep from Frank tells you how connected he is. I’m amazed the site is still live.
@wiscot
It’s like a ghost ship, floating aimlessly at sea. still seaworthy and not taking on water. Just need to scrub off the seagull shit, and good to go.
@fignons barber
And someone has burned all the rum.
@wiscot
Well, I wouldn’t say I’m still around, I hardly visit and I can’t get into the back end of the site to post articles. No word from Frank despite 100s of emails from Gianni and myself. We don’t know where he is or what he’s doing. Probably in the Caymans living off our kit and book money…
@Brett
Sorry to hear that. I got the impression that you, Gianni, and Frank went way back and that the current state of affairs is a sad, sad thing. It’s one thing to gyp your mates in private, it’s another to do it globally.
On a happier note, it was mid 50s here in SE Wisconsin yesterday. Bailed from work early. Cap under the helmet, gilet over long sleeved jersey and knicks. Oh to feel warm air on my face was pure bliss. My new year’s resolution to cut our sugary shit is still holding strong and I actually felt great – considering it’s still only February. It was truly one of those “thank Merckx I’m a cyclist” afternoons. After all, only three weeks ago I was fat biking on Lake Winnebago on snow and ice in wind chills that were likely close to zero. And we have 3″ of sloppy snow scheduled for tomorrow. Enjoy it while you can was never truer!
@Brett
Leaving aside you and Gianni getting stiffed (although that is somewhat amusing anyway), I don’t mind the idea of Velominati finishing in a Trainspotting kind of way, with Frank slinking out the door with a bag of cash. Cut to him walking down the street removing his clothes to reveal a Yellow Jacket of Authority.
Rides off into the distance on a recumbent, like Keyser Soze.
My only regret is that I will never get to beat the living shit out of Minion.
Ah balls – weather cancelled all EasyJet flights to Italy today and tomorrow. Can’t find any other flights without paying a fortune so Strade Bianche trip is off.
@Teocalli
That’s totally rubbish – the timing of these things is often a complete shitter.
We almost missed our trip to NZ a few years ago when there was loads of snow in the UK.
On the flip side, when we flew out for out honeymoon we got one of the last flights before the Icelandic volcano erupted and one of the first flights back after the dust had eased off. Didn’t affect us but the cabin crew had been stuck in St Lucia for 10 days. They looked devastated about that when we saw them on the flight back!
@RobSandy
Yeah seems that today’s flights to Pisa cancelled and tomorrow is fully booked. Maybe other people looked and changed before we checked. Can’t get to Rome or Florence tomorrow at a reasonable price – I guess it’s more Roller Time………
First world problems! I guess there are folk out there in considerably more grief at the moment.
@Marcus
So of the Keepers, who’s Sick Boy, Spud and Begbie?
Anyone else in the UK cycle to work this morning?
@RobSandy
No, but having just been sent home from the office I’m tempted to go for a spin; want to try out my new “deep winter” base layer.
@RobSandy
Yeah – I’ve got some work to do on one of the bikes and I may take the Rollers through the conservatory to the garage later………
Seriously though I don’t know whether we have our usually local weather here up on our hill but I would not want to be outside on a bike this morning.
@Teocalli
It seems this bike can do anything.
@RobSandy
It’s obviously got that vital nut that you fit on top of the saddle………..
Adds to the pain of being stuck at home after my flight was cancelled on Thursday…….
https://www.facebook.com/GFStradeBiancheTrek/videos/1929060627118518/
Ok, so Strade Bianche isn’t a Monument, but damn, that was a classic classic on Saturday. Bad weather, great course and some awesome riding and I couldn’t have been happier with the result. Great to see Benoot get his first big win (acyually, first pro win period!). Great to see Bardet giving a one day race 100% and van Aert? Amazing effort – especially on the last climb. All the big guys marked the hell out of each other and I care not a jot.
Hopefully, this sets the stage for a great Monuments season!
Oh, and one more thing from the weekend. If all the new stuff about Sky is true, strip Wiggins and Brailsford of their knighthoods.
@wiscot
Seconded
@wiscot
I’m not sure anything new has come out, it appears to me that the Gov Report has stated a bunch of known conjecture as pretty much misconstrued fact with zero proof and if it had been anyone else publishing it they’d probably get sued.