# What's the hardest 1 day ride in the USA?



## ejr13 (Dec 14, 2006)

Just curious what is considered the hardest point to point ride you can do in 1 day or less? Is there a Mt Ventoux of the US? etc...


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## godot (Feb 3, 2004)

lotoja? logan to jackson hole
if you want all climbing - mt evans in colorado
if you want 120 miles, lots of climbing and altitude - triple bypass

other thoughts -
Markleville (sp?) Death Ride


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

There are many double centuries that are tough. I have done the one day version of the Seattle to Portland three times (197-204 miles). Two of the rides were in nice weather, one was in epic conditions with wind, rain, and temps in the 40's. They weren't the hardest. The hardest one was The Assault on Mount Mitchell. It is 106 miles with 14K of total climbing. The conditions are always different. One year it was almost 100 degrees on the Blue Ridge Parkway and the next year I was wearing a trashbag for a jacket to protect me from sleet. 

Registration for the STP opens on January first, I plan on getting a low number.


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## wdnolan (Feb 24, 2007)

Check out the Furnace Creek 508!! I suppose it does not really apply as a one day race because it takes more than 24 hours to complete the 508 miles and 35K in elevation.

http://www.the508.com/index.html


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## seeborough (Feb 3, 2004)

*No Mt. Ventoux, but...*



ejr13 said:


> Just curious what is considered the hardest point to point ride you can do in 1 day or less? Is there a Mt Ventoux of the US? etc...


...the toughest I have ridden, including Mt. Mitchell or Bridge to Bridge: The Seyboro Cyclists' Summer Sizzler Mileage Marathon Double Century (just google 'Seyboro Cyclists'). The first hundred are fine, the second can be unbelievably brutal. Hot, humid and loooong. If you're in the area, ride it - I'll see you there.


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## M.J. (Jan 28, 2004)

the hotter n hell 100 in Wichita Falls, Texas has gotta be on the list not because of climbing or distance but simply because it's hot


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## ejr13 (Dec 14, 2006)

Great stuff. You guys are tough!

Other than weather and centuries are there specific obstacles that are famous? Brutal?


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*hard to say*



ejr13 said:


> Just curious what is considered the hardest point to point ride you can do in 1 day or less? Is there a Mt Ventoux of the US? etc...


Bicycle Magazine (ya, for whatever that's worth) found the Climb to Kaiser to be one of the 10 hardest one day rides; 13.5k climbing, from sea level to 9,300' and back, with extended 18% grades, and usually ends in 105 degree heat. I have done it 5 times, though, and would not deem it the hardest ride that could be done in 24 hours, as it takes only 10-15 hours. 

I would think that any 24 hour time trial would be harder, though, simply because of the time on the bike. A good example would be the Davis 12/24 race. It's about 120 miles of hills, then as far as you can keep going on flat ground.

The Central Coast Double and the Terrible Two, both in California, are pretty hard. Again, only about 12-15 hours, though.

The FC 508, as someone mentioned, can't be done in one day, unless you are on a relay team. That should not count for anything. It's a two day event.


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## alpka (Apr 4, 2006)

*s2s or cannonball*

Both are from Seattle to spokane, completely unsupported-only cost something like 15 to enter. I have not done either one, maybe some day, maybe not. One of them uses I-90 and the other uses Highway 2 which is a much more difficult route in terms of climbing.


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## lx93 (Jun 14, 2007)

alpka said:


> One of them uses I-90


As in, the police shut down a major interstate? Or the shoulder is wide & smooth enough that cyclists can use it?

Sorry if this sounds like a simple question, the closest I've ever been to the NW is being stationed in Monterey, CA.


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## RedRex (Oct 24, 2004)

the Death Ride? That is just a long training day! ;-)......

The Terrible Two double century, or

Devil Mountain Double Century, going for my ((((((shudder))))) third straight.


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## bigrider (Jun 27, 2002)

Assault on Mt. Mitchell
The Nightmare


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## treebound (Oct 16, 2003)

lx93 said:


> As in, the police shut down a major interstate? Or the shoulder is wide & smooth enough that cyclists can use it?
> 
> Sorry if this sounds like a simple question, the closest I've ever been to the NW is being stationed in Monterey, CA.


I'm pretty sure they ride the shoulders. Do some searching on the randonneur (sp?) sites, there is at least one rider in the Seattle area who does a lot of these longer rides who posts up some really good ride reports, but I lost the link a few years ago due to computer issues at the time. I grew up out there so sometimes I like to read the Seattle regional ride reports.


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## alpka (Apr 4, 2006)

Ya the shoulders are good on I-90. the scarier version is on Highway 2 since it is a 2 way highway with some very slim shoulders in many miles...


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## JP (Feb 8, 2005)

treebound said:


> there is at least one rider in the Seattle area who does a lot of these longer rides who posts up some really good ride reports, but I lost the link a few years ago due to computer issues at the time. I grew up out there so sometimes I like to read the Seattle regional ride reports.


Here is a link to the Seattle International Randonneurs site. Good links from here. 

http://www.seattlerandonneur.org/


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## treebound (Oct 16, 2003)

JP said:


> Here is a link to the Seattle International Randonneurs site. Good links from here.
> 
> http://www.seattlerandonneur.org/


Hey, thanks for that link, appreciate it.

Might be dangerous though, might "force" me to get a new bike.


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## ru1-2cycle (Jan 7, 2006)

*Toughest 1 day ride.*



ejr13 said:


> Just curious what is considered the hardest point to point ride you can do in 1 day or less? Is there a Mt Ventoux of the US? etc...


I rode solo from Santa Teresa, NM, to Columbus, NM, for a total of 146 miles.
I had to battle the tough cross or head winds and the reckless semi drivers...
I had X4 frusions for breakfast, left at 0640 and returned home by 1410hrs.
I stopped in Columbus for 20 minutes for refueling on 1 liter Gatorade
and 1 liter of water and 8 oz. Mocha cold coffee.
and had X3 voiding breaks, about 3-4 minutes each.
I was greeted along the way by a couple of coyotes and the sharp 
singing of white tail falcons.I got to Columbus (73 miles) in 3hr 20 minutes.
My total net riding time was 7 hrs and 10 minutes.
On my return I was a bit stiff in my low back and my abs felt tight, as if
I had done 100 sit ups, perhaps due to my improvised aero TT position
to help with the average speed of 21.75 MPH.
That is the best I have ever done. Not even when I was in my 20's.
Now @ 48, it seems like long distance and hard solo road cycling
is like second nature for me, It takes a lot of commitment to persist
and do well when you ride solo. ru1-2cycle


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## cpark (Oct 13, 2004)

bigbill said:


> There are many double centuries that are tough. I have done the one day version of the Seattle to Portland three times (197-204 miles). Two of the rides were in nice weather, one was in epic conditions with wind, rain, and temps in the 40's. They weren't the hardest. The hardest one was The Assault on Mount Mitchell. It is 106 miles with 14K of total climbing. The conditions are always different. One year it was almost 100 degrees on the Blue Ridge Parkway and the next year I was wearing a trashbag for a jacket to protect me from sleet.
> 
> Registration for the STP opens on January first, I plan on getting a low number.


I'm with you on this. Assault on Mt. Mitchell is the hardest one I've ridden.
All that climbing coming at the end of the ride makes this one really bites....


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## ispoke (Feb 28, 2005)

*not long, but tough climbs*



ejr13 said:


> ...Is there a Mt Ventoux of the US?...


We rode Ventoux - it's not that tough. Climbs in the French Alps, and Ventoux also, really aren't any harder than the average canyon climb in coastal SoCal.

A few years ago we were talking about how hard the TdF climbs in the Pyrenees looked. So we did this ride in the Santa Monica Mountains in the same spirit. We parked at Saddle Peak off Mulholland and had some fun yo-yo'ing down then up a bunch of steep canyon roads:

Mileage = 54
Cumulative elevation gain ~9300' measured on a GPS
Ride duration = 5 1/2 hrs.
Climbs: Piuma road, Las Flores, La Tuna, Fernwood, Stunt Road from Mulholland

In retrospect we could've added a sixth (unique) climb that would've put the total climbing above 10,500' in under 70 miles. And that still leaves plenty of time to stop at Malibu Seafood on PCH for some fish tacos and a limeade in the afternoon breeze...


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## nepbug (Jun 6, 2006)

Following the San Juan Skyway down in Durango (Durango Death Ride) is a pretty tough ride, 228 miles, not sure on elevation gain, but it is all at elevation.
http://www.durangotelegraph.com/04-07-01/second1.htm

There's the Trans-Iowa as well, 300+ miles, but in flat Iowa. Might need to bust out the cross bike though, it's all on dirt roads
http://transiowa.blogspot.com/


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## teoteoteo (Sep 8, 2002)

ispoke said:


> We rode Ventoux - it's not that tough. Climbs in the French Alps, and Ventoux also, really aren't any harder than the average canyon climb in coastal SoCal.
> ...


Interesting, I've never heard Ventoux called not tough. There are 3 routes up and generally the route from Sault is the most tame, but coming up from Bedoin or Maulcene even on a good weather day is hard. On a bad weather day it can get downright nightmarish, particularly in terms of the swirling wind once you're out of the trees. Things certainly improved after they re-surfaced it ('03 I think). 

Of course, weather and pavement is key for any big col no matter where it is. The Sarenne, which is the backside of the much vaunted Alpe d' Huez, is much harder IMO, there were times I swore the dirt goat path I'd see in distance was smoother than the bad road underneath me.


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## oarsman (Nov 6, 2005)

*Ventoux is tough*



teoteoteo said:


> Interesting, I've never heard Ventoux called not tough. There are 3 routes up and generally the route from Sault is the most tame, but coming up from Bedoin or Maulcene even on a good weather day is hard. On a bad weather day it can get downright nightmarish, particularly in terms of the swirling wind once you're out of the trees. Things certainly improved after they re-surfaced it ('03 I think).
> 
> Of course, weather and pavement is key for any big col no matter where it is. The Sarenne, which is the backside of the much vaunted Alpe d' Huez, is much harder IMO, there were times I swore the goat path I'd see in distance was smoother than the bad road underneath me.


Especially in nasty weather (and there were gale force winds in addition to the fog):


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## velotel (Apr 26, 2007)

I don't doubt for a moment that some hard climbs can be found in socal but one difference between there and the Alps is the sheer size of the climbs. For example there's one loop that's almost the same distance you rode, around 60 miles but total elevation gain is close to 15,500 feet, more than half again as much. That's the Col de la Croix de Fer, Col du Galibier, Alpe d'Huez at the end. La Marmotte, an organized sort of race for anyone who wants or else just a tour for everyone else that attracts thousands of riders every year, does that ride each year. I've never heard of anyone saying it's not hard. Quite the contrary. 

But since you mentioned Mont Ventoux and compared it to what you rode in socal, you really ought to make a more equal comparison. As in the Mont Ventoux triple, as in all three roads up in one continuous ride. Up one, down the second, back up the second, down the third, back up the third, down the first. 72 miles and 14,190 vertical feet. I suspect that after that you'd be hard pressed to say Mont Ventoux isn't all that hard. But just up one road and back, you're right, it's not nearly as hard as myth would have it. 

Then there's the fabulous Barcelonnette loop, 3 cols, 77 miles, 10,712 vertical feet. Number-wise easier than your ride but with only 3 climbs, one right after the other, maybe the resulting sustained nature might make it even more difficult. Beautiful scenery too.

In fact climbs in the french Alps in general aren't horribly steep. For that go to Italy and you'll discover what steep on a bike is all about. But that said, finding hard climbs in France is easier than most riders probably really want. Like Mont du Chat or, oh well, not enough time really to even begin to list them. Thing is that in the Alps hard climbs are a dime a dozen; in fact it's the easy climbs that are hard to find. At least for most riders.


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## threesportsinone (Mar 27, 2007)

The hardest 1 day ride in the Midwest has got to be the 300k Dairyland Dare. 181.7 miles and 22,360ft of elevation gain.


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## ejr13 (Dec 14, 2006)

Awesome stuff! Just what I wanted to read about. iSpoke - now you have me wanting to set a goal for myself.


> A few years ago we were talking about how hard the TdF climbs in the Pyrenees looked. So we did this ride in the Santa Monica Mountains in the same spirit. We parked at Saddle Peak off Mulholland and had some fun yo-yo'ing down then up a bunch of steep canyon roads:
> 
> Mileage = 54
> Cumulative elevation gain ~9300' measured on a GPS
> ...


I live in Orange County (not the OC version  ) and that seems like a worthwhile goal for the next few months. I'm a pretty recreational rider and the most I've done is 24 miles 3500 feet and felt I could have done more. But I have done kinda flat rides of 4+ hours and MTB rides of 5-6. Can you send me or post your GPS route? Parking directions. I'm familiar with Malibu.


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## bleckb (Jun 13, 2005)

This may not qualify as one of the toughest, but it's not easy: Ride Around Mt. Rainier in One Day, otherwise known as RAMROD. 

http://www.redmondcyclingclub.org/RAMROD/index.html


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## Zero Signal (Feb 8, 2008)

RedRex said:


> the Death Ride? That is just a long training day! ;-)......
> 
> The Terrible Two double century, or
> 
> Devil Mountain Double Century, going for my ((((((shudder))))) third straight.



Single speed that ride!


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

I would imagine that you could patch together some pretty mean rides in the mountains of Colorado. The Triple ByPass is a popular one.


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