What constitutes an epic ride for you?
#26
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Things change. I used to think my long century training rides and the centuries themselves were great rides. Of course, that was nearly 20 years ago -- I don't ride those distances anymore. About a month ago I rode one Sunday morning -- weather was perfect, I felt strong, no wind, and I was fast (for me). I think I only did about 20 miles that day but it sure was a ride that made me feel good about this hobby/sport/passion called bike riding.
Likes For davethelefty:
#27
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Oregon
Posts: 6,501
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1188 Post(s)
Liked 855 Times
in
442 Posts
My wife and I have bicycle toured close to 25,000 22,000 miles ( my wife corrected my arithmetic), a total of 2 years, in 11 countries during the last 12 years. Our longest ride was 3700 miles across the U.S. in 74 consecutive days. That was an epic ride for us. Another was a 3-month ride in Europe covering 3,000 miles: Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. We are planning on finishing our ride across Canada next summer, Toronto to Halifax. Actually we consider most our tours as "epic", but for different reasons. I think the mental challenge is also a component of epic rides. On one long tour we encountered 35 days of rain. Some tours are just a little more epic than others
This ride took us from Vancouver, BC to Whitefish, MT. We definitely considered this one "epic".
The ride over Logan Pass in Glacier National Park is consided "epic" by most folks.
This ride took us from Vancouver, BC to Whitefish, MT. We definitely considered this one "epic".
The ride over Logan Pass in Glacier National Park is consided "epic" by most folks.
Last edited by Doug64; 02-23-20 at 09:29 PM.
Likes For Doug64:
#28
In Real Life
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Down under down under
Posts: 52,152
Bikes: Lots
Mentioned: 141 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3203 Post(s)
Liked 599 Times
in
331 Posts
Epic = long, challenging & memorable.
__________________
Rowan
My fave photo threads on BF
Century A Month Facebook Group
Machka's Website
Photo Gallery
Rowan
My fave photo threads on BF
Century A Month Facebook Group
Machka's Website
Photo Gallery
#29
Me duelen las nalgas
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 13,513
Bikes: Centurion Ironman, Trek 5900, Univega Via Carisma, Globe Carmel
Mentioned: 199 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4560 Post(s)
Liked 2,804 Times
in
1,801 Posts
I'm into the classics, so an epic anything should involve grueling time and distance, along with a smattering of adventure, monsters, dark humor, mind altering substances and at least a possibility of seduction.
IOW, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas with bicycles.
IOW, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas with bicycles.
Likes For canklecat:
#30
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,592
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5234 Post(s)
Liked 3,609 Times
in
2,357 Posts
brings to mind a solo all day remote gravel/dirt ride. 1st tried it but only got halfway on a super hot day & had to bail into a cab (in the city at the 1/2 way turnaround) back to my car. but then a month later w a better bike & smarter prep (cooler day too) I was able to do the whole round trip
#31
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Los Alamitos, Calif.
Posts: 2,490
Bikes: Canyon Endurace
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1052 Post(s)
Liked 934 Times
in
543 Posts
When I bought my wife the first bike she had ever owned. We went to the park and road on the bike trail that was lined on the sides with soft grass so in case she felt she was going to crash she would just point towards the grass. I remember the smile on her face, I remember her first gentle crash and I remember her getting back up and pushing forward. We may have ridden a total of 1/2 mile. I will remember that ride until the day I die.
Likes For TakingMyTime:
#32
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Berkeley CA
Posts: 2,559
Bikes: 1981 Ron Cooper, 1974 Cinelli Speciale Corsa, 2000 Gary Fisher Sugar 1, 1986 Miyata 710, 1982 Raleigh "International"
Mentioned: 99 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 939 Post(s)
Liked 1,355 Times
in
501 Posts
That's it right there. However, it doesn't need to have all three of those ingredients to be epic, especially if there is a surplus of one or two of them. For example, my most epic ride has been the Markleeville Death Ride (130 miles, 16,000' of climbing, elevations over 8,000 feet and vast mountain vistas. On the other hand, another epic ride for me was a local trip over Mount Tamalpais to the Pacific Ocean beach town of Bolinas, where we ate at a community labor day BBQ, complete with live outdoor music, dancing, lots of kids running around, happy people, beautiful scenery, etc. Not that long and challenging, but epic. I think epic is a feeling more than anything else.
Scenes from the (epic) Death Ride:
Markleeville Death Ride
Markleeville Death Ride, heading to Carson Pass
Markleeville Death Ride, Ebbetts Pass
Markleeville Death Ride, heading down Monitor Pass (to turn around and ride back up again!)
Scenes from the (epic) Death Ride:
Markleeville Death Ride
Markleeville Death Ride, heading to Carson Pass
Markleeville Death Ride, Ebbetts Pass
Markleeville Death Ride, heading down Monitor Pass (to turn around and ride back up again!)
Likes For davester:
#33
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 5,790
Bikes: 2022 Salsa Beargrease Carbon Deore 11, 2020 Salsa Warbird GRX 600, 2020 Canyon Ultimate CF SLX disc 9.0 Di2, 2020 Catrike Eola, 2016 Masi cxgr, 2011, Felt F3 Ltd, 2010 Trek 2.1, 2009 KHS Flite 220
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4435 Post(s)
Liked 3,064 Times
in
1,894 Posts
It can be a lot of things. Distance, difficulty, beauty, fellowship, or in combination.
I ride centuries all the time. They usually aren't epic. Some are.
There are rides that give me a sense of elation that lasts for days or longer afterwards. One, last year, was a ride in Spain (near Ronda) that was indeed hard (80 miles, 10,000 ft of climbing), but the elation came from the unbelievable scenery along quiet roads, climbing (and descending) through cork forests through the mountains. Another, also last year, was the shear beauty of the Valley of Fire ride, outside of Las Vegas. It was only 70 miles and I didn't break any speed records, but man was it gorgeous to be riding through that tableau.
But others are performance-related. Last year on a ride with some very strong riders (most in their 20s and 30s), there was a called sprint (i.e., the ride leader says, "first one to the Stop Ahead sign....go!"). There was a hill that I got up first, but then realized that there was a long straight section of about half a mile yet to go to the stop sign. I hit it as hard as I could with whatever I had left from the climb, and held about 32 mph for a portion of the distance. A couple of the younger guys then blew by me, but I finished 3rd (among maybe a dozen contesting the sprint), even as I faded, not being able to hold that speed for the whole distance. The feeling of getting over that hill (about 75 miles into a century, btw) and having the strength to hold that speed even for a while.... for me, that was one of the highlights of my summer - epic.
I ride centuries all the time. They usually aren't epic. Some are.
There are rides that give me a sense of elation that lasts for days or longer afterwards. One, last year, was a ride in Spain (near Ronda) that was indeed hard (80 miles, 10,000 ft of climbing), but the elation came from the unbelievable scenery along quiet roads, climbing (and descending) through cork forests through the mountains. Another, also last year, was the shear beauty of the Valley of Fire ride, outside of Las Vegas. It was only 70 miles and I didn't break any speed records, but man was it gorgeous to be riding through that tableau.
But others are performance-related. Last year on a ride with some very strong riders (most in their 20s and 30s), there was a called sprint (i.e., the ride leader says, "first one to the Stop Ahead sign....go!"). There was a hill that I got up first, but then realized that there was a long straight section of about half a mile yet to go to the stop sign. I hit it as hard as I could with whatever I had left from the climb, and held about 32 mph for a portion of the distance. A couple of the younger guys then blew by me, but I finished 3rd (among maybe a dozen contesting the sprint), even as I faded, not being able to hold that speed for the whole distance. The feeling of getting over that hill (about 75 miles into a century, btw) and having the strength to hold that speed even for a while.... for me, that was one of the highlights of my summer - epic.
#34
What happened?
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Around here somewhere
Posts: 7,927
Bikes: 3 Rollfasts, 3 Schwinns, a Shelby and a Higgins Flightliner in a pear tree!
Mentioned: 57 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1835 Post(s)
Liked 292 Times
in
255 Posts
First ride on a bike I've been working to finish. First ride after repairs. Just getting out and coming home. Recovering from an illness and getting out of this house, beating stir craziness. When the roads clear and are safe.
Getting home with groceries.
SUMMERTIME.
Getting home with groceries.
SUMMERTIME.
__________________
I don't know nothing, and I memorized it in school and got this here paper I'm proud of to show it.
Likes For Rollfast:
#35
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: USA
Posts: 1,862
Bikes: 1996 Trek 970 ZX Single Track 2x11
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 626 Post(s)
Liked 581 Times
in
442 Posts
Have been on those routes (between Topaz, Angels Camp and South Lake Tahoe) many times. Never on a bike, though. Pass, on the "pass" route you describe. It was hard enough on the old Subaru, and some of the ascents made the car wheeze a bit. (Old Subaru.) Impressive, to tackle it on a bike. I hope you've never had to do it when the winds are "up," up there.
#36
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 39,643
Mentioned: 211 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18586 Post(s)
Liked 16,071 Times
in
7,544 Posts
Having spent nearly 4 months on the road cycling unsupported from Seattle, WA, to Nar Harbor, ME, to Philadelphia, PA, to Ocean City, NJ, and then back to Philadelphia, my epic standard is pretty high. Within that journey there were some epic days. The day that included the 27 or so mile climb up the N. Cascades Highway in a rain that turned to snow comes to mind. So does climbing Going to the Sun Road, which I have since done three more times.
Near the end of the trip I had to ride a few miles in the early bands of Hurricane Floyd and take shelter in a motel near the NY/PA border. That caused me to lose a day. I had plans to stay with a friend for the weekend before riding into Philly. To keep those plans, I ended riding 130+ miles the day after Floyd had passed. I had to walk through a swollen creek, dodge countless tree branches and even slide my bike under a downed tree. Maybe 5 miles from where I had planned to camp I drifted off the bike trail I was on and went into the bushes. I was so tired at that point I knew what was happening, but my mind could not tell my body to react in time. When I finally came to a stop I slapped myself in the face a few times to shock my senses. Made it to the campground only to find a ranger chaining the driveway to the park because the camping area, which was along a major river, was flooded. Ended up in a motel maybe another 11 miles further. In hindsight, I should have pulled off the trail and found a place to stealth camp. When I think about that day I know I could never repeat it.
Near the top of the North Cascades Highway
Near the end of the trip I had to ride a few miles in the early bands of Hurricane Floyd and take shelter in a motel near the NY/PA border. That caused me to lose a day. I had plans to stay with a friend for the weekend before riding into Philly. To keep those plans, I ended riding 130+ miles the day after Floyd had passed. I had to walk through a swollen creek, dodge countless tree branches and even slide my bike under a downed tree. Maybe 5 miles from where I had planned to camp I drifted off the bike trail I was on and went into the bushes. I was so tired at that point I knew what was happening, but my mind could not tell my body to react in time. When I finally came to a stop I slapped myself in the face a few times to shock my senses. Made it to the campground only to find a ranger chaining the driveway to the park because the camping area, which was along a major river, was flooded. Ended up in a motel maybe another 11 miles further. In hindsight, I should have pulled off the trail and found a place to stealth camp. When I think about that day I know I could never repeat it.
Near the top of the North Cascades Highway
Likes For indyfabz:
#38
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: 961' 42.28° N, 83.78° W (A2)
Posts: 2,344
Bikes: Mongoose Selous, Trek DS
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 941 Post(s)
Liked 319 Times
in
189 Posts
Competed and uneventful makes each ride epic for me.
Last edited by bobwysiwyg; 02-25-20 at 01:20 PM.
#39
Quidam Bike Super Hero
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Stone Mountain, GA (Metro Atlanta, East)
Posts: 1,135
Bikes: 1995 Trek 800 Sport, aka, "CamelTrek"
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 331 Post(s)
Liked 415 Times
in
282 Posts
Any ride without adverse car drivers! Love to just feel the wheels rolling along
#40
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 39,643
Mentioned: 211 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18586 Post(s)
Liked 16,071 Times
in
7,544 Posts
#41
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: northern michigan
Posts: 13,319
Bikes: '77 Colnago Super, '76 Fuji The Finest, '88 Cannondale Criterium, '86 Trek 760, '87 Miyata 712
Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 660 Post(s)
Liked 601 Times
in
314 Posts
Epic, for me it’s that ride I trained for and conquered it. The Century was that. I’d rather have an epic summer. I train outside in the snow on a heavy bike so I can get out there in the early spring and bypass reconditioning and go straight to training. An epic summer has many PR’s on the strava routes I routinely ride. Each of those PR’s are epic.
#42
Old Fart In Training
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 2,268
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 22 Times
in
16 Posts
Frog Mountain Is kinda cool looking.
My 'epic' is simple,
Out of the house before dawn,
At the trail head by first light, Full pack of food and water,
Not a single human sighting at all, all day
Back at the trail head about an hour before dark,
I like that hour lee way, but I do carry a very bright light that will give me three solid hours on full power,
Just Incase I get a flat on the way back or want to stop for no particular reason.
My 'epic' is simple,
Out of the house before dawn,
At the trail head by first light, Full pack of food and water,
Not a single human sighting at all, all day
Back at the trail head about an hour before dark,
I like that hour lee way, but I do carry a very bright light that will give me three solid hours on full power,
Just Incase I get a flat on the way back or want to stop for no particular reason.
#43
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Oregon
Posts: 6,501
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1188 Post(s)
Liked 855 Times
in
442 Posts
RE: Logan Pass
Great B&W photos. What time of year?
I beleive in a previous thread you said you came over from Waterton to Glacier. IMO the ride up Chief Mountain to the border was more difficult than Logan Pass. I think you also mentioned Chief Mountain. For me it was a "pre epic, epic"
Great B&W photos. What time of year?
I beleive in a previous thread you said you came over from Waterton to Glacier. IMO the ride up Chief Mountain to the border was more difficult than Logan Pass. I think you also mentioned Chief Mountain. For me it was a "pre epic, epic"
Last edited by Doug64; 02-26-20 at 07:06 PM.
#44
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 39,643
Mentioned: 211 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18586 Post(s)
Liked 16,071 Times
in
7,544 Posts
RE: Logan Pass
Great B&W photos. What time of year?
I beleive in a previous thread you said you came over from Waterton to Glacier. IMO the ride up Chief Mountain to the border was more difficult than Logan Pass. I think you also mentioned Chief Mountain. For me it was a "pre epic, epic"
Great B&W photos. What time of year?
I beleive in a previous thread you said you came over from Waterton to Glacier. IMO the ride up Chief Mountain to the border was more difficult than Logan Pass. I think you also mentioned Chief Mountain. For me it was a "pre epic, epic"
The other photo was June 22nd. Rode up and back down the west slope. The west slope was open to bikes all the way, but the car closure was at Avalanche Campground. The host at Sprague Creek, where I was staying, said there was no way the pass would open to cars that day. Took my dear sweet time climbing. Somewhere before the Loop, I thought I heard an engine down below. Figured it was a maintenance vehicle. A couple of minutes later two rangers pulled along side and informed that the pass was now open to cars and thus I had to be up by 11 a.m. Made it by about 10:30.
I did do St. Mary to Waterton in '99. The ACA map actually warned us about the difficulty of that segment. We ended up eating out that evening because everyone was too tired to deal with shopping and cooking. Went the opposite direction in '09. Not only did the hills take their toll, when we got down to U.S. 89 the GF and I had a stiff headwind all the way to St. Mary. The pass was also still closed that year when we arrived on June 21st. In order to have a chance of riding some of the west slope the GF and I did a near century by riding to East Glacier and then over Marias Pass to the west entrance to the park. Talk about epic. First was the 6 mile climb out of St. Mary on U.S. 89. Then more ups and downs brining you to Looking Glass Hill. The depressing reality was that when we got to East Glacier we still had almost 58 miles to go. When we got to the park I sped ahead to secure a campsite at Sprague Creek. Gave the GF directions. I got there, dropped my gear and headed off to the lodge to buy firewood. GF arrived and circled the campground looking for me because she was too tired to recognize the gear I had dropped in plain sight. A couple of guys who had passed us in their car finally told her that I was running an errand. She then went to use the restroom and could not figure out why there were urinals in the women's room then realized her mistake. But it all worked out. Rode up to the closure point the next day. Ranger was stationed there and said the rest of the road was supposed to open in a while. We waited and it did.
#45
Senior Member
Any day that reminds me of the simple childish joy of riding my bike.
Marc
Marc
#46
Mother Nature's Son
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Sussex County, Delaware
Posts: 3,146
Bikes: 2014 Orbea Avant MD30, 2004 Airborne Zeppelin TI, 2003 Lemond Poprad, 2001 Lemond Tourmalet, 2014? Soma Smoothie
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 865 Post(s)
Liked 1,462 Times
in
832 Posts
Getting in the saddle, turning the cranks and spinning the wheels. That's epic!
#47
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 190
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 54 Post(s)
Liked 175 Times
in
79 Posts
As for a runner up, it would probably have taken place on a crisp fall day in the same year about an hour drive from where I worked in Kanananskis Village. Two cooking buddies of mine scraped enough cash together to charter a helo to fly us and our MTBs up to Palliser Pass located near the southern tip of Banff National Park. We left early in the morning and finally made it safely back to the trailhead at the stroke of midnight unhurt but caked in mud, out of food and water, with no lighting, a broken bike chain and our tails between our legs after getting lost ¾ of the way down. Back then we were young and too foolish to realize that we were way out of our elements. Nonetheless, we were blessed to have each other there for moral support.
The bikes were a mess halfway into the trip and we had to stop every so often to scrape off the mud. Mine was the Tech Nova Pro at the far left of the photo. The Kuwahara (center) snapped its chain just past the midway mark of the trip down the pass.
#48
In the wind
#49
In the wind
As for epic rides. I've had a few, some long, some steep, and a few that were fast.
I think the common element is that I was in good form when I did the ride so they didn't become sufferfests before I finished.
A couple of years ago, I had an epic summer. My regular riding buddy took off to ride across Canada so I set my own schedule and concentrated on riding centuries every weekend. It took me a while to work up to it, but by mid-July I was in the groove. Up at 4:30 and out the door at sunrise. Back by noon for lunch and a cold beer.
I think the common element is that I was in good form when I did the ride so they didn't become sufferfests before I finished.
A couple of years ago, I had an epic summer. My regular riding buddy took off to ride across Canada so I set my own schedule and concentrated on riding centuries every weekend. It took me a while to work up to it, but by mid-July I was in the groove. Up at 4:30 and out the door at sunrise. Back by noon for lunch and a cold beer.
#50
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Berkeley CA
Posts: 2,559
Bikes: 1981 Ron Cooper, 1974 Cinelli Speciale Corsa, 2000 Gary Fisher Sugar 1, 1986 Miyata 710, 1982 Raleigh "International"
Mentioned: 99 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 939 Post(s)
Liked 1,355 Times
in
501 Posts
Holy Moly, Batstar! My definition of epic ride must now include a helicopter ride (and preferably not the medevac kind).