Suggestions for an epic ride?

Pross

I'm looking to do a ride next summer to raise money for Welsh children's cancer charity Latch as a thank you for the support they gave us when my daughter was ill. I originally intended to do something this year and ride from Chepstow to Holyhead in two days and this was the main reason I started riding again after 14 years. However, a combination of a lack of leave and wanting to do something a bit more eye catching has led to me postponing this.

I was looking at riding the Pyrenees from the Atlantic to the Med, probably over 5 days (it seems to be about 600km). If I do this it will be completely unsupported, fly with my bike to Biarritz and then back from Perpignan or Barcelona staying in hostels or whatever passes as a B&B in that area. However, we were thinking of a family holiday camping in northern Italy next summer and it may be a better option to then take 4 or 5 days out of that holiday to do a circuit through the Dolomites / Alps.

Can you wise people a) give me any tips you feel may help with the Pyrenean option such as routes, places to stay, which passes are a must, best way to fly with a bike (will need to carry bike bag throughout the trip etc.) and b) suggestions for a centre for a holiday near the Italian lakes and possible circular route from there of about 500 to 600km and some major passes.

All the costs for the ride will be covered by me but I hope to raise a lot for Latch so need to make it a decent challenge.

guilliano

Have a look at my charity ride thread in the C+ office section if you want a truly epic ride

downfader

Aint the 1000 mile US ride coming up? The so-called "Death race" or summit. :twisted:

Seriously though! Good luck what ever you decide to do. 8)

guilliano

Race Across America is a good option....... from LA to NY. It works out at well over 3000 miles and as it's a race you go through a lot of hardships, including lack of sleep

downfader

guilliano wrote:

Race Across America is a good option....... from LA to NY. It works out at well over 3000 miles and as it's a race you go through a lot of hardships, including lack of sleep

Thats the one!! 3000? seriously..? Man I got that one wrong, then.

Saw a documentary on it (ITV4) and it looked epic, lots of mountain roads, open country air too. Lots of guys dropping like flies,a real hardman race. 8)

guilliano

There are categories in it too.... you can race as a team or solo, supported or unsupported (why you would do that I will never know!). One of the guys from Rage Against The Machine competed as part of a team last year. They got a rollicking for turning up late on surfboards for the sign in.

Pross

Would love to do the Race Across America but with 25 days leave and a family that expect me to spend most of that on holiday with them it's out of the question. 5 or 6 days is the most I can do for now (to include a weekend).

Is that thread the one from the northern to southernmost parts of Europe? Again, would be a great challenge but too much time

guilliano

That's the one Pross. I'm dying to do it, but so far have found naff all support

Crapaud

Pross wrote:

Would love to do the Race Across America but with 25 days leave and a family that expect me to spend most of that on holiday with them it's out of the question. 5 or 6 days is the most I can do for now (to include a weekend). ...

Could you not ask your work if you can take 2 years hols at once? It means a whole year without any time off, though. That's what I did when I cycled across Canada: 7 weeks hols and 6 unpaid.

If you can fit an SR series in this year you could do Paris - Brest - Paris next year. It's only 1400 km though.

guilliano

Would work support you by paying you to do a charity ride of that magnitude?

Pross

Nah, they're a small company and over worked thanks to recent cut backs. They will probably sponsor me a decent bit though. A mate did Oregon to San Diego down the Pacific Coast Highway last October, would have loved to go with him but it wouldn't be fair to leave the family for 3 weeks so Pyrenees or Alps it is!

mroli

Bit OT, but some ideas for adventures.

What about Ireland end to end?

There is the North Sea cycle route too, have always fanced that.

3 capital cities - London/Cardiff/Edinburgh

Or in France you could do 6 Tour De France stages in the pyrenees/alps

Tour of the Low Countries taking in Luxembourg City/Brussels and Amsterdam (with detours into France and Germany.

3 peaks challenge - cycling between Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon and climbing them?

I've always wanted to do JOGLE. Start on Sat....

Splottboy

In '94 for Quest Cancer Research we did, Pacific N.West.
BC, Alberta, Montana, Idaho, Washington State.

Rode 1,000 km and drove about 3,000km in 3 weeks.

Trip of a lifetime.

tailwindhome

http://www.racearoundireland.com/

Same idea as RAAM but *only* 2100km

Joe Barr won it last year

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_s ... 399888.stm

Inspirational stuff but he looks fecked by the end though

EDIT re reading your OP you and Joe have a lot in common, he was raising money for NI Cancer Fund for Children as his son had cancer

Wheelspinner

Try this for size...

http://www.sportcommunication.info/letourdumontblanc/index.php?langue=2

Only take you one day of holiday, but will feel like you have ridden for a week! I reckon this redefines "epic"...

Pross

Wheelspinner wrote:

Try this for size...

http://www.sportcommunication.info/letourdumontblanc/index.php?langue=2

Only take you one day of holiday, but will feel like you have ridden for a week! I reckon this redefines "epic"...

Now that I fancy. 330km is just over 200 miles so I guess it would take about 18 hours if going fairly well :shock:

Wheelspinner

Pross wrote:

Wheelspinner wrote:

Try this for size...

http://www.sportcommunication.info/letourdumontblanc/index.php?langue=2

Only take you one day of holiday, but will feel like you have ridden for a week! I reckon this redefines "epic"...

Now that I fancy. 330km is just over 200 miles so I guess it would take about 18 hours if going fairly well :shock:

I reckon if you finished this in 18 hours, it would be worth a bonus donation from your sponsors!

Frankly, I think finishing this at all is worthy of serious admiration.

Cleat Eastwood

check out the maratona dolomites.

It does what it says on the tin a marathon ride over and across the dolomites.

Good thing about italy is the italians, they're very nice people who alwaya take their holidays in august, so most places up till august should still have places.

I've got friends who live in the north, some so far north theyre in trieste and the roads and people are built for cycling, happy and safe riding and I hope you raise a hatful of cash. good luck old bean.

Crapaud

Epic on that scale would mean the Raid Pyrénéen:

[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_Pyr%C3%A9n%C3%A9en]Wiki[/url] wrote:

... A 710km route completed in under 100 hours for randonneurs or a 790km route completed in under 10 days for cycle-tourists qualifies riders for a medallion. ...

Cyclo-Club Béarnais

English version pdf

mrushton

Pross wrote:

Wheelspinner wrote:

Try this for size...

http://www.sportcommunication.info/letourdumontblanc/index.php?langue=2

Only take you one day of holiday, but will feel like you have ridden for a week! I reckon this redefines "epic"...

Now that I fancy. 330km is just over 200 miles so I guess it would take about 18 hours if going fairly well :shock:

It's 200 miles of either going up or down. A great ride in good weather but I wouldn't fancy it in the rain. A good challenge tho'

ex-pat scot

Look at the Audax UK site, and the "permanent" routes.

There are all sorts, from 200km up to truly epic rides (eg diagonal rides across Europe!)

I've done the Pyrenees Atlantic -> Med like you say: I got the ferry to Santander, but met up with some guys who flew into Biarritz with the bike.

daviesee

Couldn't help bu tthink of this..............

http://www.marmot-tours.co.uk/pdf/raid_ ... nerary.pdf

A definate challenge but you will be supported and won't be lonely.

Pross

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I'm going to have a good think about that Mont Blanc monster. Looking at the information the finish closes at 11.30pm with the ride starting at 5am so maximum of 18.5 hours to get around - not sure I'd fancy the descents in the dark though :shock:

Will have a look at a few of the others at the weekend when I've got a bit of time

Pross

OK, I've had a thought and tempted as I am by the Mont Blanc ride I was put off by all the possible rules (especially as I couldn't read them!) and the worry that I may be late at one of the checkpoints and stopped from finishing. Multi day and point to point rides make the logistics more of an issue so I have come up with a route that will give me a good challenge (though probably not epic in comparison to some of the options) and I can fit it in with a family holiday we were thinking of so I'll have some flexibility.

My route is going to be just over 200km and will be as follows:-

Start in Ponte di Legano and go straight up the Gavia (17.3km at 7.9% average), down the other side to Bormio and up the Stelvio (21.5km at 7.1%) before descending the Umbrial in Switzerland. Then I'll circle around back into Italy and back over the Stelvio from Prato (24.3km at 7.4%) then on to the Mortirolo from Grosio (12.4km at 10.5% :shock: ) before finishing back in Ponte di Legano.

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/detail/18357524/

A bit shorter than the Mont Blanc ride but still over 20,000 feet of climbing so should be quite a challenge for a 14 stone, middle aged has been!

Cleat Eastwood

Wuss.