Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Fifty Plus (50+)
Reload this Page >

What constitutes an epic ride for you?

Notices
Fifty Plus (50+) Share the victories, challenges, successes and special concerns of bicyclists 50 and older. Especially useful for those entering or reentering bicycling.

What constitutes an epic ride for you?

Old 02-28-20, 08:58 AM
  #51  
leob1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Middle of the road, NJ
Posts: 3,137
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 292 Post(s)
Liked 106 Times in 69 Posts
These days just getting outside to ride is an achievement.
leob1 is offline  
Old 02-29-20, 11:30 AM
  #52  
Doug64
Senior Member
 
Doug64's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Oregon
Posts: 6,485
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1182 Post(s)
Liked 830 Times in 433 Posts
I think an "epic" ride is a relative perception based on the experience of the individual, and the bar for what constitutes an epic ride gets higher as experience is gained. It looks like we have the opportunity for many epic rides as we inch the bar upward.

"extending beyond the usual or ordinary especially in size or scope" -- Merriam-Webster
Doug64 is offline  
Likes For Doug64:
Old 02-29-20, 12:12 PM
  #53  
Richard Cranium
Senior Member
 
Richard Cranium's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Rural Missouri - mostly central and southeastern
Posts: 3,009

Bikes: 2003 LeMond -various other junk bikes

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 78 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 43 Times in 34 Posts
epic adjective
ep·​ic | \ ˈe-pik
\Definition of epic (Entry 2 of 2)1 : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an epic an epic poem
2a : extending beyond the usual or ordinary especially in size or scope his genius was epic — The Times Literary Supplement (London)
b : heroic

I guess we all have different meanings for "epic" when it comes to riding. I think the one aspect of any ride we can all share - is that when a cyclists ventures his/her real measure of effort to complete a ride - a deeper appreciation, and satisfaction of the ride is experienced.

So anytime you put forth real effort - you have a measure of epic milestones.

Richard Cranium is offline  
Old 02-29-20, 12:59 PM
  #54  
Riveting
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Highlands Ranch, CO
Posts: 1,221

Bikes: '13 Diamondback Hybrid Commuter, '17 Spec Roubaix Di2, '17 Spec Camber 29'er, '19 CDale Topstone Gravel

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 590 Post(s)
Liked 445 Times in 260 Posts
Once upon a time, not that long ago in 2013, an epic ride was a flat 10 mile commute to work, then 40 miles with a group, then 70, then 100, then 200, then it was a 325 mile 24 hr solo ride, then it was a commute in 5 F, then a sub-5 hour century (never quite made that one, but 5:15 is close enough), then it was a century with 13,600' of total ascent, then I moved to CO and epic became sketchy technical MTB rides in mountainous solitude, then it was 6,500' of non-stop ascent to the top of Mt Evans from Idaho Springs, CO (3rd highest paved road in the world @ 14,131 ft.), then 2 years ago I got plagued with self inflicted patellar tendinopathy (doing epic sprint intervals and ignorantly riding through the pain), followed a year later with an epic diagnosis of Stage III Lung Cancer, which has metastasized to the spine and ribs. Now 6 months into my treatment, and with the knees healed a bit, an epic ride is 40 miles on the flats...again. Epic full circle. The moral of the story is to do epic $hit (whatever that means to YOU), while you can.

Last edited by Riveting; 03-01-20 at 07:23 AM.
Riveting is offline  
Likes For Riveting:
Old 03-25-20, 06:59 PM
  #55  
frizzen
Newbie
 
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Santa Rosa, California
Posts: 38

Bikes: 1955 Hercules Royal Prince Fixed Gear

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8 Post(s)
Liked 5 Times in 4 Posts
Most epic ride: White Mountain

Labor day weekend 1982, two friends and I rode our new mountain bikes to the top of White Mountain 14,250 feet. I say "rode", but we had to push and carry a bit at the top. The last few switchbacks still had several inches of snow. Riding above 12,000 feet was unpleasant, it was like being really shaky hungry all the time.

I also did "The Death Ride" a couple of times. 1st time: Ebbets, Dagget, & Monitor passes (back when they did the original route). 2nd time Ebbets, Carson, & Luther passes.
frizzen is offline  
Old 03-25-20, 08:56 PM
  #56  
woodcraft
Senior Member
 
woodcraft's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Nor Cal
Posts: 6,016
Mentioned: 17 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1814 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 923 Times in 569 Posts
My most epic:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/5835194
woodcraft is offline  
Old 03-26-20, 02:06 PM
  #57  
zacster
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Brooklyn NY
Posts: 7,702

Bikes: Kuota Kredo/Chorus, Trek 7000 commuter, Trek 8000 MTB and a few others

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 22 Post(s)
Liked 456 Times in 358 Posts
I've done a few over the years:

Seattle to Portland, first hundred miles in 4:15. Next hundred, well it was a struggle.
Mt. Haleakala, still epic even if I didn't make it to the top. I'd never climbed more than 3000' on a ride, never mind 10000. I made 6000. I was in the Rockies this past summer at around 10000' and I had difficulty catching my breath, so it may have been an issue had I gone further anyway.
Fjords in Norway, on a rented hybrid. It wasn't the distance or climbing, it was just spectacularly beautiful.
The Great Brooklyn Loop. Really, 50 miles in my home borough without doubling back anywhere, and about 50% on trails without NYC traffic. The best part is it requires no planning, just hop on the bike and go, and I'll be home by 🍺:30

Last edited by zacster; 03-26-20 at 02:12 PM.
zacster is online now  
Old 03-26-20, 04:20 PM
  #58  
dicktill
Full Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 215
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 17 Post(s)
Liked 17 Times in 12 Posts
Originally Posted by woodcraft
WOW! How many days did it take?
dicktill is offline  
Old 03-30-20, 11:19 AM
  #59  
Koyote
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,768
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6882 Post(s)
Liked 10,875 Times in 4,639 Posts
According to that "rule of thumb" that a person's max heart rate will be about 220-age, my own max HR would be 163. Last year, I did a couple gravel races (>4 hrs each) in which my HR averaged 163+.

Those were pretty epic, at least for me.

zacster , I had the same experience on Seattle-to-Portland. Got to Centralia (100 miles) in <5 hours, and took about 6:10 to cover the next 100 miles to Portland -- and only did the second half that fast because a very kind man pulled me for the last 30 miles.
Koyote is offline  
Old 04-01-20, 10:12 AM
  #60  
woodcraft
Senior Member
 
woodcraft's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Nor Cal
Posts: 6,016
Mentioned: 17 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1814 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 923 Times in 569 Posts
Originally Posted by dicktill
WOW! How many days did it take?

It was about 3 months. I was 19 at the time.
woodcraft is offline  
Old 04-01-20, 11:50 AM
  #61  
bikeme
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Sunny so. cal.
Posts: 904
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 136 Post(s)
Liked 57 Times in 31 Posts
I thought I had that defined as must travel far, must be long, lots of elevation, fast pace, PRs, etc. I had that view turned upside down a couple months back on local roads when I ran into a friend from cycling circles at the start of a solo ride. We'd never ridden together before. He asked if I wanted some company and I said sure! We went with my route but we made spontaneous changes during the ride down to the coast, even throwing in a big climb. We stayed out longer than expected and raced the setting sun along the bay's calm water to get home before dark. One of my most memorable rides ever.
bikeme is offline  
Likes For bikeme:
Old 04-01-20, 05:04 PM
  #62  
fastcarbon
Full Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: SoCal
Posts: 325

Bikes: SL6 S Works Tarmac, 7 series Trek Madone, Saris Hammer Smart Trainer, Eddie Merckx, Ciocc, Trek 5900, DeRosa, Peugot, Diverge Gravel

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 38 Post(s)
Liked 55 Times in 32 Posts
What Constitutes an Epic Ride

Any ride in the Eastern Sierra with multi mile climbs.
fastcarbon is offline  
Likes For fastcarbon:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.