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Your Favorite Road Cycling Event

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Your Favorite Road Cycling Event

Old 05-12-23, 07:21 PM
  #1  
Bassmanbob
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Your Favorite Road Cycling Event

Hey folks. I just finished my first double century a couple of weeks ago. It was the Sea-2-Key Double Century from Ormond Beach, FL to Cedar Key, FL. I'm now looking for a fun and scenic road cycling event anywhere in the continental USA. I live in Florida, and have done a number of nice rides here, but I'm looking for something to catch my interest elsewhere.

Besides the Florida rides, I've also done the GFNY in New York in 2018, 6 Gap in Georgia in 2021 and The Bourbon Country Burn in Kentucky in 2022. I was also going to do the Crater Lake Century, but it was permanently cancelled in 2020. I've heard about the Cheaha Challenge in AL and Triple Bypass in CO and am considering them in the future. Please let me know your favorite cycling events and where and when they are. They don't need to be century or more rides, but at least metric century rides. I'm looking for something pretty to ride that's fairly well organized. Thanks!
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Old 05-12-23, 07:52 PM
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https://www.ymcacva.org/storming-thunder-ridge
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Old 05-12-23, 09:54 PM
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Ragbrai
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Old 05-13-23, 01:26 AM
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tour le de own


go as far solo as I can, during a day that has fantastic weather & minimal vehicle traffic. Rarity.
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Old 05-13-23, 02:40 AM
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The Death Ride is pretty great, if you don’t mind some climbing.

The route is closed to vehicle traffic. Stay a few days and sample more of the high Sierra.
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Old 05-13-23, 03:22 AM
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
Ragbrai
Already, definitely planned for the second summer of my retirement, 2034. The first summer of retirement will be crossing the Trans America Bike Trail. I only get about two weeks of vacation each year compared to my wife's two months. I can't justify taking a full week to go by myself and ride my bike until I retire.
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Old 05-13-23, 03:39 AM
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Originally Posted by terrymorse
The Death Ride is pretty great, if you don’t mind some climbing.

The route is closed to vehicle traffic. Stay a few days and sample more of the high Sierra.
Intimidating, yet this might just be what I need to continue to lose the other 35 pounds I need to lose! This one is going on my short list!
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Old 05-13-23, 03:57 AM
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Any day with low wind and moderate temperatures is my favorite event.
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Old 05-13-23, 05:12 AM
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Tdf
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Old 05-13-23, 06:15 AM
  #10  
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Many years ago I did the Cycle Aross Maryland 5 day ride which was awesome, but doesn't exist any more.

My current favorite multiday ride is the Seattle to Portland 2 day event I did back in 2019.

My favorite 1 day event is the Six Pillars Century in Cambridge MD, which was last week but health issues kept me from riding in this year. Close behind and a much tougher ride is the Harrisburg PA Bicycle Club's Three Creek Century in September.

They are all my list because of combination of route and support, probably 70% route/30% support.

John P.
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Old 05-13-23, 08:46 AM
  #11  
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STP? (Seattle to Portland)


And there is this in VT in late June:

https://vermontgranfondo.com

And if you can deal with a mostly dirt route, this is a great event in MA:

https://www.franklinlandtrust.org/d2r2/

I went to high school in the start/finish town.

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Old 05-14-23, 09:32 PM
  #12  
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Tour de Blast is one of my favourite rides. Provided you like climbing and can hit the ride when the weather is decent. Otherwise the ride can be a little on the nasty and cold side.
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Old 05-16-23, 11:37 AM
  #13  
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Consider LoToJa if you have the means to travel to Utah in September. (Not this year--I think it's already too late.) It starts in Logan, Utah and ends in Jackson, Wyoming.

It is an epic 207 mile race over two big mountain passes and through lots of spectacular scenery. You can enter in the competitive or the sportive category. It is held regardless of weather, and in past years they've experienced rain, cold, and even snow. Getting with a friend or two so you can share a chase vehicle is recommended. Registration is a process. You first have to apply, usually in April. Then if you are selected you get locked in and pay your registration fee in May.

I have ridden it twice, but only on 2-man relay teams. It's on my bucket list to do this race solo someday. I don't have any excuses, as I live close enough to train on the actual course, and I have plenty of friends who enter it.

If you like long, scenic road events that are very well organized and very challenging but likewise rewarding, you'll be hard pressed to find a better one.

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Old 05-16-23, 01:01 PM
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My favorite road cycling event is : Paris- Brest-Paris.
https://rusa.org/pages/pbp
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Old 05-17-23, 12:05 AM
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Rosarito to Ensenada 50 mile ride.

Wife and I make a mini vacation out of it. Leave for 5 days for tacos, beer, bike riding and more food.

Last edited by malcala622; 06-02-23 at 01:48 PM.
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Old 05-18-23, 07:31 PM
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Originally Posted by Andrey
My favorite road cycling event is : Paris- Brest-Paris.
https://rusa.org/pages/pbp
This and the Trans America Bike Race would be my two dreams, but the amount of training required would result in divorce. But PBP would be great.
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Old 05-18-23, 07:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Broctoon
Consider LoToJa if you have the means to travel to Utah in September. (Not this year--I think it's already too late.) It starts in Logan, Utah and ends in Jackson, Wyoming.

It is an epic 207 mile race over two big mountain passes and through lots of spectacular scenery. You can enter in the competitive or the sportive category. It is held regardless of weather, and in past years they've experienced rain, cold, and even snow. Getting with a friend or two so you can share a chase vehicle is recommended. Registration is a process. You first have to apply, usually in April. Then if you are selected you get locked in and pay your registration fee in May.

I have ridden it twice, but only on 2-man relay teams. It's on my bucket list to do this race solo someday. I don't have any excuses, as I live close enough to train on the actual course, and I have plenty of friends who enter it.

If you like long, scenic road events that are very well organized and very challenging but likewise rewarding, you'll be hard pressed to find a better one.
That looks pretty cool!
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Old 05-18-23, 07:54 PM
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Originally Posted by jpescatore
My current favorite multiday ride is the Seattle to Portland 2 day event I did back in 2019.
My wife grew up in Centralia, which is the mid-point where the two-day riders all stop for the night. Since she refused to spend the night in "Hellsville," I did the one-day option -- 203 miles.
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Old 05-19-23, 04:02 PM
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Assault on Mt. Mitchell | The Assaults

Too late for this year (ride is Monday and sold out, I believe) but there's always 2024.
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Old 05-22-23, 06:31 AM
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On the first day, my original plan was to stop in Centralia, we had a hotel room booked north of there as Centralia rooms were gone by the time I tried to book. Reach Centralia, had an orange creamsicle, felt so good I texted my wife that I would keep going. I made it to Winlock at about mile 120 and it was only about 2pm. I probably could have made it to Kelso if we had booked a room there, I'd do that next time. Doing it in one day was not really in my wheelhouse!

Originally Posted by Koyote
My wife grew up in Centralia, which is the mid-point where the two-day riders all stop for the night. Since she refused to spend the night in "Hellsville," I did the one-day option -- 203 miles.
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Old 05-23-23, 12:19 PM
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For a multi day event the Ride Across Portugal is fantastic. Challenging riding, good roads, great scenery, low traffic , very high level of support. https://rideacrossportugal.com/

Closer to home Hot Doggot in Madison County NC, just north of Asheville. I think it may be the best Gran Fond type ride in the Southeast, that no one’s ever heard of. Beautiful roads. Challenging climbs, and great support. While it’s essentially a Gran Fonda, as a timed event, they don’t call it one, and thus is much cheaper.

https://hotdoggett100.org
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Old 05-25-23, 08:31 PM
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Awe crud. I was going to sign up for the ride across Portugal event this year but never got around to it. Now reading your review I am kicking myself. Oh well. There is always next year I suppose.
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Old 06-13-23, 06:24 PM
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Originally Posted by Koyote
My wife grew up in Centralia, which is the mid-point where the two-day riders all stop for the night. Since she refused to spend the night in "Hellsville," I did the one-day option -- 203 miles.
I'm seriously considering this ride for 2024, but is "Hellsville" the descriptor for the quality of the town or the fact that her family is there?
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Old 06-13-23, 07:10 PM
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STP's OK, but nothing spectacular. Somewhat ordinary scenery. IMO the only fun way to do it is as a one-day. That's more interesting.

In Washington, RAMROD (Ride Around Mt. Rainier in One Day, 154 miles, 9500') is a spectacular ride. Downside is that it's limited to 800 riders so there's a lottery now. It used to be it was less popular and you only had to sign up. Oh well. It's too late to sign up for this year, but keep it in mind for next year. I've ridden it many times, really fun, well supported.
RAMROD
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Old 06-13-23, 07:49 PM
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Originally Posted by Bassmanbob
I'm seriously considering this ride for 2024, but is "Hellsville" the descriptor for the quality of the town or the fact that her family is there?
Both, according to her.
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