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Hardest Ride

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  • January 2, 2016 at 9:34 pm #25197
    MrLeffe

    just thought I’d start this as its a new year ……what is the single hardest ride you’ve ever ridden ?? 

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  • January 7, 2016 at 8:43 pm #864417
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    MrLeffe

    arfa wrote:

    arfa wrote:
    Interesting question and the replies back up my feeling that conditions on the ride have more of an influence that just basic distance and elevation. I went through three years of strava data and based on suffer score (heart rate exertion) my toughest ride by a country mile was an off road London to Brighton ride in heavy rain through thick mud, a distance of 70 miles and only 2000 feet of elevation but I remember how unrelentingly hard it was trying to keep wheels turning through mud. For comparison, a day on Ventoux, a 24 hour dash to Paris and a couple of ride London 100’s didn’t come close, although the ride London 86 (one curtailed by bad weather) was my toughest road ride.

     

    ive done many types of endurance sport, and I’ve always said that off road riding is by far the hardest of them all…. its hurts everything and is mentally wearing too, especially racing….times it by ten when there’s mud!

    January 7, 2016 at 8:35 pm #864415
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    MrLeffe

    arfa wrote:

    arfa wrote:
    Interesting question and the replies back up my feeling that conditions on the ride have more of an influence that just basic distance and elevation. I went through three years of strava data and based on suffer score (heart rate exertion) my toughest ride by a country mile was an off road London to Brighton ride in heavy rain through thick mud, a distance of 70 miles and only 2000 feet of elevation but I remember how unrelentingly hard it was trying to keep wheels turning through mud. For comparison, a day on Ventoux, a 24 hour dash to Paris and a couple of ride London 100’s didn’t come close, although the ride London 86 (one curtailed by bad weather) was my toughest road ride.

     

    yes my hardest ride was far from longest or hilliest, also depends on you feel the on the day , some short rides can feel strangely tough if you’re not into it. Sometimes it’s a state of mind.

    January 7, 2016 at 11:21 am #864413
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    KidVelo

    Visited Madeira, Portugal did

    Visited Madeira, Portugal did a meer 28 mile ride to highest point accessable by road, however 6500ft of climbing, no respite not even one of those little flat sections of about 200yrds you get on a climb. Max gradient was 29%, hardest thing I’ve ever done and the descent back down was fantastic. Overall a 28 mile ride that felt like a 280 mile once I got back! 

    http://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_4221753.html 

    January 7, 2016 at 11:08 am #864411
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    the_bald_man

    The Col du Lauteret.  I

    The Col du Lauteret.  I started in 28 degrees heat in the valley at Bourg d’Oisans – at the top of the pass by the Galibier turn it was -2 and sleeting.  I did the final 5kms into a bitterly cold head wind with rain coming from all directions.  My face was bleeding at the top from the hail.

    The chips in the cafe at the top were good though! 

    January 6, 2016 at 9:54 am #864409
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    peted76

    The UBER200, start and finish

    The UBER200, start and finish in the Midlands, there and back for me was 138miles and 10,000ft of climbing, with the infamous Bushcombe Lane about two thirds of the way round – http://veloviewer.com/segment/745156 *shudders* I was buggered for about three days afterwards.

    They’ve made it slightly easier this year, not surprising as 20% of people on the tough route didn’t finish it last year  – https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/140119/The-UBER-200

    January 6, 2016 at 9:07 am #864407
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    dafyddp

    I did my first Audax last

    I did my first Audax last year, 135 miles from Litchfield to Castleton and back and didn’t bother topping up with food when I should have done (around mile 90) and gradually got slower and slower. Because of inexperience, I guess, I didn’t realise what was wrong until I stopped at mile 125 and got a few chunks of choclate down me.

    January 6, 2016 at 8:43 am #864405
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    CarbonBreaker

    It was Liege-Bastogne-Liege

    It was Liege-Bastogne-Liege Sportive in ’14, until last summer, but is now the Tour du Mont Blanc:

    http://www.strava.com/activities/353264047

    As far a single days go, multi day, is another matter.

    January 6, 2016 at 8:03 am #864403
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    turboprannet

    I did the Ronde Van

    I did the Ronde Van Vlaanderen in 2014 which, on paper, should have been the toughest. However in training for that I did the Lionheart sportive. I don’t think I’ve had a tougher day on a bike really – crap weather, no flat roads, seemed to drag on and on. Was in bits at the end! Would definitely do RVV again, don’t think I’d do the Lionheart again in a hurry. 

    January 6, 2016 at 7:22 am #864401
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    CXR94Di2

    Honeymoon, ha bet you were
    Honeymoon, ha bet you were good for nothing 🙂 not pleased new bride

    January 5, 2016 at 9:07 pm #864399
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    Shades

    A French Pyranees MTB ride in

    A French Pyranees MTB ride in June 2011.  Headed out towards, what the French OS map said, were MTB trails.  After numerous backtracking and about 50% walking we made it onto some forest gravel road switchbacks, after which the single track started again.  A farmer had obviously been moving livestock so at one point we were ankle deep in mud and slurry.  Turning back really wasn’t an option as we were beyond half way.  Got some decent riding over a plateau and then the longest downhill in christendom, which actually became quite tiring and boring, even on a full suss MTB.  We’d totally underclubbed it on food and water and still had 4 miles of road to do in blazing afternoon sun.  Thought it would be easy but it was utter misery and slightly uphill.  Arrived back at the campsite and rode straight into the nearby mountain river to cool off.  I’ll never trust a French OS map again ref MTB trails!  Oh, forgot to mention that I was on honeymoon!

    January 5, 2016 at 2:11 pm #864397
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    Sharpie

    Single ride…. Not sure the

    Single ride…. Not sure the 2015 TCR counts as a single ride, but the last 48 hours into Istanbul on 20 minutes sleep,  with two car incidents and a dog bite thrown in was a toughie. 

    January 5, 2016 at 1:59 pm #864395
    0
    Marauder
    Simontuck wrote:
    ‘Technically’ it would be the Cav sportive last year. That’s the most climbing I’ve done in a day and I’m a weak climber.

    Surprised there was any climbing at all on this sportive seeing as it is Cav’s yes

    January 5, 2016 at 1:11 pm #864393
    0
    DaveE128

    I rode the route of the

    I rode the route of the Wiggle/UKCE “The Long One” sportive. 200km and plenty of hills. I had to take a short break on most of the last few hills – legs were shot, probably due to steep hills earlier in the ride pushing me into the red too much.  Or maybe I just didn’t eat enough. I only finally committed to do it with a few weeks to go though, so my training prep wasn’t great.

    This year I’m doing the BHF South Downs Way in a day ride. I expect this to be the hardest I’ve ever done. I’ve ridden 37 miles of the SDW and enjoyed it but 100 miles is altogether different… Some of the hills have gradients upwards of 25%! I’d like to be fit enough not to have to walk any of it but I’ve got a lot of training to do to make that possible and not enough training time available. 🙁

    January 5, 2016 at 12:58 pm #864391
    0
    Daveyraveygravey

    arfa wrote:

    arfa wrote:
    Interesting question and the replies back up my feeling that conditions on the ride have more of an influence that just basic distance and elevation. I went through three years of strava data and based on suffer score (heart rate exertion) my toughest ride by a country mile was an off road London to Brighton ride in heavy rain through thick mud, a distance of 70 miles and only 2000 feet of elevation but I remember how unrelentingly hard it was trying to keep wheels turning through mud. For comparison, a day on Ventoux, a 24 hour dash to Paris and a couple of ride London 100’s didn’t come close, although the ride London 86 (one curtailed by bad weather) was my toughest road ride.

     

    I think my memory is playing tricks on me, but I didn’t remember RideLondon 86 as being that hard; but it is my 3rd highest Strava suffer score.  I did manage it at 33 km/h average which for me is cracking along!

    No2 was the Dartmoor Classic this year, suffer score of 485.  I remember the start wasn’t too bad but there was a long drag up to the first feed station near the prison into the wind, and that wiped me out.  I also had a horrendous crash about 25 miles from the end which shredded my knees, possibly affected the rest of my performance.

    No1 was Everesting Boxhill last year, 27 hours, 310 km, 67 repeats, suffer score of 703.  It pissed it down from about 10 til just after lunch, and it was the kind of late May day where you never really warm up again, which for another 19 hours isn’t great!

    Toughest off road was the South Downs Way in a day, but that was 5 years ago and I don’t seem to have a record of that.  I rode up each of the 10 climbs, but no 9 saw me stop for a rest half way up.  13.5 hours…

    January 5, 2016 at 12:46 pm #864389
    0
    CXR94Di2

    Yes I remember the London
    Yes I remember the London Prudential 86! Thank goodness it was warm or it could of been a disaster for many more.

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