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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@RobSandy
or he would have blown completely through lack of food. An intriguing balance played out in a parallel universe somewhere.
Speaking of amazing rides, is the v-site doing a Yates. For most of this morning, it was inaccessible. The last gasp attempts to hold the wheel before going out the back and missing the time cut?
Does DS @Teocalli have a Plan B for the VSP? Transferring leader status to the younger, brasher, confident but no less controversial team mate in the form or a Facebook VSP page?
@Teocalli
I’d been critical of Dumoulin for not having the balls to just go it alone but the nutrition point is a good one.
To have any chance he would have had to have held Froome’s wheel during the initial attack and had a team car with him all the way. Then he might have convinced Froome that 2nd wasn’t such a bad result but once the gap opened he could only hope Froome would falter.
@chris
Yeah I noticed that too this morning. OK Plan B is that I have a dormant web site http://www.tomichi.co.uk. If the V-site goes then I’ll post something there.
@chris
Well I am pretty sure that you can’t put that win down to salbutamol use.
@Teocalli
Checked that url. There’s a Tomichi bicycle shop in Colorado, but that isn’t you, is it?
As another Plan B, how about exchanging emailadresses so the NewVelominati starts off from a solid base once we need to seek refuge on some other interwebspace?
@KogaLover
No that’s not me but I do know of it in Gunnison. Tomichi is a watershed up in the mountains and in UTE Indian is (I believe) hot water. It used to be my company when I worked freelance. Teocalli is a mountain peak in the same area of the Rockies.
OK I’ll PM folk with my email. The UK regulars already have each others’ email.
The site somehow would not let me send a PM to a couple of you so please PM me if you don’t get a PM with my email.
@KogaLover
By the way, are you doing Eroica Limburg this year? All being well I’ll be there again in a few weeks.
Had a great weekend all round –
Did a load of cycling with my Velomini on Saturday, and managed a trip to a friend’s to take a pair of 2nd hand Fizik R4’s off his hands for a bargain price, which legend has it, once belonged to Luke Rowe.
Then on Sunday he was off with the Beavers so me and Mrs Sandy went out and did her first 100km ride, in glorious sunshine.
Then in the afternoon I stripped down my commuter and replaced the brakes, FD and associated cables and got it all working with almost no fuss. Felt very proud of myself.
And then G went and won the Dauphine. Superb.
@RobSandy
Soo good that I stuck with my heart on my picks.
Hmmm – just come across this just to make the RVV a bit more something or other ……. http://www.sport.be/retroronde/2018/en/
@Teocalli
I should have put my faith in G.
@Teocalli
Alex from Pave Cycling Classics rode it and posted some photos of it on his FB page.
@chris
Please tell me he walked up the climbs………
@Teocalli
Er, no, it doesn’t look like he did. It was a different route to the sportive it looks like Alex rode them. Unless he’s a very fast walker.
In fact he was considerably quicker than me up the climbs that were on both routes. Even the ones I rode up.
@chris
oooeerrr – Chapeau.
@RobSandy
Last Saturday was close to 30° Celsius and riding my bike and sweating it made the heat quite bearable. Happy.
I disassembled my bike and packed it in the travel bag, getting it ready for a flight to/ride in the UK, after watching videos on how to pack your bike for a flight. I had bought a travel-QR/skewer but it was too long for the rear axle. Was about to get a saw and take off 5mm when I saw a smaller ring in the package which read 130mm. Got me thinking. Then spotted the bolts and lo and behold I saw it fitted an Allen key and Bob’s my uncle. Happy! Lots of bubble wrap used too. Even made with Duplo a stand to rest the BB on so the bike does not rest on the big ring when travelling, even more happiness.
@KogaLover
It;’s been hot here too – me and the Mrs didn’t realise what a warm day it was on Sunday until we stopped for a coffee.
Where are you travelling to? If your bike is going it sounds like it might be an adventure.
The think about being retired is that I can get out riding on Monday. The thing about Monday’s is that all my normal cafes are shut after being open all weekend.
think = thing dumb auto correct.
@Teocalli
Doesn’t being retired mean you could go on Tuesday when they are open?
Or every day? I’d love to be retired. There’s loads of things I’d finally get around to doing.
@RobSandy
Yup – just stopped at a really great cafe for their cake and coffee before the last hill up to home!
It’s a charity ride from London to Folkestone, 130kms coming Friday.
We have a challenge with penalty donations on Wye hill. But i get to rate all against all the kit Rules and every fail means another 5 quid for charity.
@KogaLover
Sounds fun, we’ve had good weather over here recently. Hope you get some nice dry roads.
First rainy ride for ages. The work I’d done to improve my Nr.3 bike was a delight, and my legs were shining in the rain.
@RobSandy
Damp here too, I think I’ll stay in and replace the BB on #1
@Teocalli
I quite enjoyed being out in the wet, especially as I’d planned on it and got to use my newly refurbished rain bike. Brakes are so much better, and the FD function is a million percent more enjoyable. Minor chain scrape but I can’t figure out why – on the stand the chain is nowhere near the derailleur cage.
Are you replacing the BB for fun or does it really need doing?
My Nr.2 needs drive train refurbishments, and I think now I’ve spotted I can get the chainrings cheap from Rose Bikes online I might replace the whole lot, rather than doing chain and cassette and hoping it meshes with the old rings. I think they’ve done 6000km+ so wont hurt to replace it all.
@RobSandy
It’s a Praxis conversion for a press fit BB and the existing Praxis BB bearing seat is a bit worn on the ND side and giving a tiny bit of play for the bearing resulting in an irritating click at times. So putting in a new Praxis BB converter.
@Teocalli
All my bikes are producing irritating noises at the moment. Can’f figure out the chain scrape. One thought I had is that it happens when I’m pedalling hard, but not softpedalling. And it seems to be happening across the gears, so I’m not sure it’s caused by lateral movement of the chainring – could it be vertical movement, so when the chainring is being pushed lower or higher by flex in the BB on each pedal stroke, then it touches the derailleur?
If that’s the case I need to move the FD slightly lower. Or higher.
Trouble is, it’s working perfectly right now and I don’t want to mess that up!
@RobSandy
You should have 1-2mm clearance of the FD cage as it crosses the outer chainring.
I hope you don’t have that much flex in the BB that it induces that much flex at the chairing!!
Do you have any lateral play in the cranks when it is static?
The only other thing that springs to mind is that the indexing/cable tension is not quite right on the FD.
Note also that you will get chain scrape when you get towards a crossed chain. Campag has a micro shift on the FD lever to trim that out.
Those are the things that spring to mind without seeing it.
or the limit screws are not set correctly on the FD allowing the FD to go to far or not far enough……..
@Teocalli
I think I’ve got the limit screws in the right place now. Took a bit of fiddling.
And the cable tension seems spot on.
Only thing I can think is the height – butit is around 1-2mm as it came with a little plastic thing to help line it up.
I’m sure I’ll figure it out.
And the frame/BB/cranks do flex a lot on that bike.
@RobSandy
oooerrr…..
Though my old Alu Bianchi flexed noticeably when I had it locked in the turbo.
Cue Scottie from Star Trek……..
@Teocalli
It’s not a high spec frame, cheapie alu, designed for a city-hybrid sort of bike. I’m misusing it.
An item on my wish list is a replacement frame for that bike. But it’d have to be compatible with a standard square taper BB, have clearance for at leas 32mm tyres and fit caliper brakes.
Thinking about it, if the height is wrong it can only be because the derailleur is mounted slightly too low – unless the chain scrape is at an inobvious place.
I bought it because the one I had shifted very badly indeed (and sometimes didn’t) so now I’ve fitted one and the shifting is perfect I’m disinclined to mess with it too much.
@RobSandy
I doubt that scrape is related to FD height if it is there or thereabouts.
@Teocalli
Maybe I’ll check the limit screw again – move it in a little and see if it still scrapes (and still works!)
@RobSandy
A guide is that with the chain in big dog and smallest cog (highest gear) then you should be able to get a thin card (business card) between the outside of the chain and the outer plate of the FD. Conversely in small dog and biggest cog there should be the same between the inside if the chain and the inner plate of the FD.
@Teocalli
Sorted. Carefully adjusted the limit screw before I left work and had a scrape-free ride home.
The limit screw, she is a subtle and a mysterious mistress…
@RobSandy
Good news. She be fickle too.
This seriously impressive. And quite beautiful.
https://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/articles/view/349
@RobSandy
Impressive indeed and a great write up. Chapeau doesn’t really cut it.
The logistics behind it are also quite astounding – a team Sky like fueling strategy over 800 miles!
This is the Strava file for the ride. I just can’t get my head round riding that far at that speed – riding alone I can go for an hour or so at 20 mph and only over relatively flat terrain. Keeping that up for 43 hours doesn’t compute.
@RobSandy
Thanks for sharing. What a ride and what a write up. Chapeau and kudos to Michael.
And there’s always, always more water in spiteful Scottish skies . . .
@wiscot
I’ve thought about doing it in 5 days. I think that’s hard enough. Maybe leave it as a long term goal, go for it when I’ve got a bit more time and still have plenty of fitness. Perhaps when I stop racing.
@RobSandy
I’ve always thought that five days would be a pretty sensible target, approx 170 miles a day gives you a bit of recovery time each day. Four days would be pushing it.
I quite fancy doing this before I leave Qatar, it isn’t quite as far and the time limit is five days.
No camper vans or support cars though. The overnight options are limited to convenient bushes, bus shelters or hotels/guesthouses.
Strade Bianche from last weekend, though as it was in France maybe it was Vin Blanc being through a vineyard. From Anjou Velo Vintage.
@Teocalli
Noice pitcher! Expected you to do the Eroica in Limburg again? I had a Rule #11 violation last weekend; though still in Limburg and back in the Netherlands for the weekend, I had to attend an important family gathering with my godfather celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary. He cannot walk long distances anymore, but still can ride his (e)bike, bless him.
@wiscot
Thought this might tickle you – I was just idly browsing through a Facebook TT ‘buy and sell’ page, and the name Ian Cammish popped up (guy called Derek Roe is ill and is selling basically a brand-new bike).
I followed the name and found that our own @Chris is a FB friend of the man, and when I found Ian’s own website I saw a picture of one of my teammates smashing a 25 mile PB pn one of the tri-spoke wheels Ian sells.
Small world.
Oh, and if you find Ian’s FB pages there are LOADS of classic UK TT images on there. Worth a look.
My little velonipper pinned on a number for the first time on the weekend, riding his club ‘dirt crit’ race day (basically CX on a bone-dry course). Very proud moment.
We had a long conversation before his race about whether it was better to be ‘aero’ or ‘Euro’, and decided that ‘aero’ was better for racing, so he zipped his jersey up.
I raced in the Dad’s race, came 2nd to a guy on a CX bike. I’m not bitter about it though.
@RobSandy
Chapeau to the little fellow. A great day but what’s going on with that front axle? Stunt pegs or some sort of Roman charioteers scythe type contraction for taking out the competition? Maybe he should have been helping his dad out!