Fifty Plus (50+) - What is your most memorable ride?

I had a few minutes to kill and took a look back at my cycling log at different rides I've done since I started riding. Here are the number of 100k's (62-90+ miles) and 100 milers+ that I've ridden over a span of 5 1/2 years since I've started riding.

Obviously there was quite a jump in the number of longer rides-especially the 100 milers- I did last year. Currently I'm on pace to exceed the 100 milers this year by a ride or two.

Most Memorable Century: My first one-MS ride to the beach in 2002-113 miles and avg'd 18.3 mph
Longest Century: 118 miles-2005 Assault on Mt Mitchell-also longest time-wise and most painful!!
Favorite Century: Bridge to Bridge-102 miles with the finish on Grandfather Mountain-Great views and very nice crowds cheering you on!
Fastest Century: (Tie) Bikefest in 2005-102 miles in 4hr 50 mins; Fletcher Flyer in 2006-102 miles in 4hr 50 mins

Year 100k's 100 Milers

2001 3 0
2002 8 1
2003 23 3
2004 26 3
2005 28 13
2006 15 9
Total 103 29


My next project is to look back at my records and do a time comparison on organized rides that have used the same route that I've done for several years.

What memorable rides come to mind for you?

The one that I endoed off my mt. bike in the middle of nowhere and broke my right collarbone and had to drag me, bike, and accoutrements back to my vehicle, which was a 20 minute slog, for the 30 minute drive home. Of course, I was riding by myself. I was 50 years old at the time. What made the ride memorable was the fact that the accident prompted me to go out and buy my road bike...love my road bike.

A six month bike tour of Europe back when I was young and broke. Slept in barns, youth hostels, soccer team dugouts, train stations, strangers' houses. Naturally, I had a blast.

Most memorable: my only time trial on the Giant averaging 16 MPH on knobby tires for 10,.67 miles in 40:26 minutes. Learned a LOT about why mtb's aren't used in road time trials...

Next most memorable (anticipated): the cycling tour my wife & I are planning for Nova Scotia next summer after we get our new bikes!

Next next most memorable (anticipated): taking my bike to Germany while I teach in Bonn for 5 weeks this fall...

The # of 100K & centuries you've done astounds me - it is unbelievable to me that you've done so many for so many years. What a tradition of disciplined excellence you've established for yourself and, instead of feeling inadequate for my own riding, I'll print this out & paste it in my own ride log as an emulable record.

my first century, actually 115 miles when I lived in Ca. Simi Valley, to Ojai to Lake Piru alot of climbing, down into Ventura and back to Simi Va.

hotter n hell 100, in 1997, 4hrs. 20 min. have never been able to duplicate that since

A six month bike tour of Europe back when I was young and broke. Slept in barns, youth hostels, soccer team dugouts, train stations, strangers' houses. Naturally, I had a blast.

There really is no bike ride like touring rides. Those are the rides that I remember distinctly. The places you see and the people you meet are the best parts.

This is an excellent time of year to ask that question. I rode one day (I think that it was Wednesday) of RAGBRAI I. Back in those days it wasn't the fund raiser that it has become and the girl scouts etc. in all of the little towns gave us FREE cookies and lemonaid. It's not the longest, fastest, hardest or anythingest ride that I've ever been on but - hey - it was RAGBRAI I and I was really there. How many people can say that?

Most memorable for me was a bike trip from Philadelphia to Erie with my older brother. We were headed up the mountain to St. Mary's (the water shed devide in Pennsylvania) when the rain hit so hard, we had to take shelter under some pine trees to keep from being pelted too much. Sitting under the pine trees, soaked, shivering, tired and hungry, we both looked at each other and agreed, it just doesn't get any better than this! We were in our early 20s and not smart enough to know that yes, it can get better than that, but the sounds, smells and images from that day are as vivid as the day they happened. Later that day we made it to the top and took a tour of the Straub brewery, where they gave us free beer for being crazy enough to ride to their brewery in that rain.

A six month bike tour of Europe back when I was young and broke. Slept in barns, youth hostels, soccer team dugouts, train stations, strangers' houses. Naturally, I had a blast.
My cousin is in law enforcement, and I had him run a check on you through Interpol. Seems you are STILL on their most wanted list! The whole "sleeping in stranger's houses" thing is great, but it seems you forgot to ask permission first!

My most memorable ride was last Saturday. I went on my second Pedaling for Kicks bike ride and was not feeling 100%, but had made plans to go out afterwards. I had felt sick the week before and had an overly tight muscle in my right quad. I felt better physically, but noticed my right leg felt tight after a test ride on a road bike Friday. My plans were to keep a high cadence and make a long recovery ride out of the event.

The first nine miles went great and I averaged 13 mph on my hybrid, but realized the wind was going to hurt me from that point on. When I turned directly into the south wind I had trouble keeping a pace of ten mph sometimes traveling at six mph. A nice couple let me ride behind them for about three miles to block the wind for me. Another couple commented on my high cadence so I explained about my quad muscle being tight. My legs felt like rubber and I had very little energy left when I finally finished the 27.7-mile ride.

The people were great (many checking to see if I was ok), the ride was great, and the event was fun. The ride took three hours and twenty minutes to complete including breaks, which was much slower than my last years ride. The cyclo-computer said I average nine mph although the ride seemed much slower to me. My determination got me through the day, which makes it memorable to me.

I originally would have said my first century, back in 1985, but now I'd have to say it was the Bikerpelli trip of 2006. Rode the Kokopelli trail from Fruita, Colorado to Moab, Ut over the course of three days. Spectacular! Definitely, the most memorable...

AIDS/LifeCycle - 2005 & 2006. 7 days from SF to LA with a 16-1800 of my closest friends.

My cousin is in law enforcement, and I had him run a check on you through Interpol. Seems you are STILL on their most wanted list! The whole "sleeping in stranger's houses" thing is great, but it seems you forgot to ask permission first!

Busted. Again.

Coolest most memorable ride - I did the 2004 LAGBRAU which was a 700 miles ride from just east of Moab, Utah to St. George. We rde through one gorgeous national park after another, including Bryce and Zion. Each day the scenery changed and was almost too beautiful to describe. The roads were quiet, clean and the small group I rode with (about 50 people) were just wonderful. I still keep in touch with many on the trip. Hopefully next year, I'll do the trip again.

Favorite century - each year - Cool Breeze, out of Ventura, CA.

Most challenging (but really pretty): High Sierra Fall Century out of Lake Crowley/Mammoth Lakes.

Longest single day ride, 142 miles through Montana. We kept riding until we found a campsite. I was pooped (and in a mood!)!

My most memorable ride is always my last ride, since I have such a raging case of CRS. I'm lucky I remember that one! :D

1. Riding from just west of Murphy, NC on the way to Duck, NC 600 miles, 4 days, credit card tour with 5 buddies. (200 miles the last day.)

2. Bridge to Bridge on a tandem under 6 hours, jumping off (cramps) and running behind the tandem as my captain churned the last switchback without me.

3. Tour de Moore Century(Southern Pines, NC) well under 5 hours two years in a row, once on the tandem and once on the single bike.

4. Winning a wrought iron rocking chair at the Firpo Road race in Denver, NC. I went back the next year for the matching rocker, and all I got was watermelon, great watermelon, but still, just watermelon.

Emulable??

I found an Emulable feather once...

My most memorable rides all seem to involve massive amounts of suffering. My first very memorable ride happened in the late 1970's when I was a grad student at the University of Illinois. I took a ride down to a farm house south of Urbana that some friends were renting. It wasn't a very long ride. I'm guessing it was all of about 10 miles to the farm, but the entire ride was into a 30+ mph head wind. It was HUGE suffering to ride into that, but the whole time I was thinking about how sweet it was going to be riding back to town. Anyway I get down there just in time to fill my water bottle before they left on some errand. I turn around and head North into a pure black sky. Stupid me forgot to look at the weather forecast and learn about the approaching cold front. Minutes later the rain is pouring and lightning is crashing, but the worst part was that the wind switched around almost 180 degrees so now I had to go back into the same type of headwind I had before. Halfway back to town I literally got off my bike and took a nap on the side of the road. Only a twenty mile ride without any hills, but one of the most difficult rides I have ever been on.

sure 'emulable': there was a big fad growing emulables in Texas back in the 80's and sometimes you can still find emulable steak on the menu in organic steakhouses.

you know emulables - large ungainly birds unable to fly but able to wreak havoc upon cyclists trying to ride in counties with no leash laws...

My most memorable ride is always my last ride, since I have such a raging case of CRS. I'm lucky I remember that one! :D

I nominate you as president of the CRAFT club: Can't Remember a F*&king Thing. I will be recording secretary--if I can remember where I put my pen.

I nominate you as president of the CRAFT club: Can't Remember a F*&king Thing. I will be recording secretary--if I can remember where I put my pen.

I'd be happy to accept your nomination for what was that again?, but don't count on me at the meetings, since I'll forget to write them down on my calendar. :rolleyes:

I rode a century last summer in 65 degree warmth with low humidity. I had a tail wind going out, and a tail wind coming back! And I ate a big cheeseburger at my turn around point. Man, that was a fun day!

My two 12-hour rides stand out above all others:

summer 1971: hilly and windy first double metric century, Los Altos to Santa Cruz to San Gregorio to Palo Alto to Los Altos; 12 hrs in the saddle followed by 12+ hours of sleep at my cousin's house

June 1972: Los Angeles Wheelmen Double Century, 12:18