Trucker_JDub

I decided to map a ride that has been in my head for a long time. Considering most of us here are working to get in shape I thought I would post this question:

Is there a ride that has you saying "When I can do that I consider my self in top shape"? Something that you can point at and even those skinny roadie types might be afraid to try.

Maybe this won't catch on but I thought it would be cool to see what others are working towards. I like reading the success stories from others as they hit there goals.

Here is mine: I have drove this a lot. Its part of my camping and hunting grounds. Now I want to bike it. My end goal is to make it to the end with food and camping gear for one night then come back the next day.
It shouldn't be too hard right, after all, its only 36.46 miles (make sure to click the elevation button)

https://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united...ouchi/29890996

IAmCosmo

Well, I have done this ride 4 or 5 times, but it's still one of the rides I judge myself on. There is a climb that starts at about 5 miles in and goes about 10 miles. The day I complete it without using my small chainring (on my triple) is my current goal.

https://www.routeslip.com/routes/35555

MetalClydesdale

The Native Planet Classic that I plan to ride with my father in June.

b_young

Tri Peaks Challenge. Its a 4 day event somewhere around 300 miles, the third day is just time trials. I want to do this next year for my 40th B-day.

keithm0

The North Sea Cycle Route:

https://www.northsea-cycle.com/defaul...2&mnu=2&lang=1

TrumpetMurph

Mid Summer I hope to do this ride-- The "Tour de Steamboat"

https://www.rockypeakproductions.com/...ite/route.html

Neil_B

Very nice. I bet you are looking forward to the downhills!

My goal is Chester County, PA, to Orange County, CA - about 3K miles.

As for impressing anyone, let alone "skinny roadie types", the only person I need to impress is myself.

Mr. Beanz

I've already done it! This one last year and a similar ride 3 consecutive years prior. Don't worry about the downhill Trucker. As a rider developes, he finds the climbing is more rewarding and an accomplishment to one's self than the downhill. Anyone can do the downhill.

ken cummings

close to my goal. I'll settle for Lands' End to John o'Groats and I will use lots of the A motorways.

jaxgtr

Except the guy that lost this years Paris-Nice when going downhill.

Mr. Beanz

Yeah, but he was a skinny guy!

jaxgtr

So true. If not for lightly tapping my brakes the other day, I would have ridden up the back of a women rider going down the bridge in front of me about 75 yards away after I crested the bridge. I could not believe I caught her and then could not pass her due to the cars. I swear she was riding her breaks on the way down, but she claims she wasn't.

mstrpete

LOng term, I want to do the STP (Seattle to Portland). Short term, I'm working on using progressively higher gears for the hills on my daily commute, and a higher cadence in general. I need to get my school bookbag on the scale so I know how much "resistance training" I've been using.

Trucker_JDub

WOW!! I guess I'm not alone in having that 'dream' ride. Its really cool to see that some of you have already succeeded. My route starts about 15 miles away from my home. I'm thinking when the rain lets up I'm going to see just how far I can make it. I know I won't make it to the top, but I want to see where I stand for now and maybe give it another shot each month to track progress. And I know the down hills will be fun thats why I want to go camping that night then I can ride the easy miles while my legs feel like jello.

Keep it up everyone.

CliftonGK1

This year's goals:
- StP as a double century
- Complete the Chelan Century Challenge
- Mt. Baker Hill Climb

Next year:
- High Pass Challenge
- maybe RAMROD

Someday:
- Death Ride

Wogster

The ultimate Clyde friendly ride, from La Pas to Chapare in Bolivia, it's only about 200 miles, however La Pas is at an altitude of about 14,000 feet, Chapare is at about 100', yup it's 200 miles, all down hill. The ride that would show that you are in ultimate cycling shape, do it in reverse

andrelam

Who said this doesn't involve swimming? You could do the channel... it is "only" about 20 miles. Seriously I was watching a science program the other day where a guy swam the English channel they mentioned that more people have climbed Everest than completed the channel crossing. They also mentioned that the guy was burning up to 9000 calories per hour. The man put on an additional 15 Lbs of Fat just to have enough energy to get accross (he lost about 14 of those Lbs during the 12 hour event). Either way that is one serious bike ride!

My goals are much more modest. I sure am ready for Spring. We keep getting snow and sleet in the forecast. I know I live in the "frozen North," or the "Rust Belt," but Winter is getting a little long in the tooth. So here are my goal once the snow is all gone from the bike paths. I can ride along real roads, but it just isn't as nice as a scenic ride through the country side without having to hear or smell cars:

1. Add 15 miles to my commute at least once per week. Right now each direction is only 5 miles. The route takes me along some very descent roads that are pretty cycle friendly. There is a great bike path that was just extended last year and it gets used mostly by cyclists and a few runners. It will allow me to add an extra 15 miles along a scenic part of the Erie Canal. That should add some stamana to my riding capability.

2. Ride from my house in Amherst NY to my parents house in Orchard Park and back in one day. That should be about 66 miles total. I can follow a very nice scenic route that follows the Erie canal down to the Niagara River. There is only a short streach of path that gets bussy with pedestrians, but in total that represents less than 2 miles out of the route. This path will take me all the way along the River to where lake Erie Ends. I then have to find a cycle friendly route through the old industrial part of the town down through Lackawanna and over to Orchard Park. The upside of this route is that it will be scenic, the down-side is the noise from the I-190 highway next to the river (thank you Mr. Robert Moses for putting a highway next to such a beautiful river). Wind can be fun along this route, which is why there are now 8 giant windmills along the water front, but it will be flat. You do pass along some of the not so good neighborhoods in town, but during day-light that should not be a problem.

3. Ride from my house in Amherst NY to my sisters' house in Pittford NY. Both of us live within a few miles of the Erie canal. That should be a fun scenic ride as well. The path is mostly on crushed stone so I definitely have to make this a later Spring or Summer ride. Don't want to go that route after a good rain storm.

These are modest goals compared to many on this list, but you have to start somewhere. Last year my first long ride was the 33 miles Ride for Roswell. Sadly I'll be leaving town the day before the ride so I won't be able to participare this year. It was lots of fun and collecting money for Cancer is certainly a good goal.

Happy riding,
André

cyberpep

Coast to coast across Canada in under 90 days!

misterbaseball9

This looks awesome. My wife is from Europe (right on the North Sea actually) and this would be a sweet ride...although we're nowhere near ready for something like that. But it's a good long term goal to set. Thanks for this link.

keithm0

My wife is from Poland, and she loves the idea of biking around Europe. She discovered this website just a few days ago, linked from here: https://www.ecf.com/83_1

We're definitely a long way from attempting anything as ambitious as this, but as you say it's a great long-term goal. Our own "personal Mount Everest", if you will.

Gus Riley

Our ultimate ride. Hope to do this on our Santana Triplet beginning May 2009. 90 + or - a couple of days.

keithm0

Is that the TransAmerica trail? Looks like fun!

Pinyon

My goals are pretty lofty this year. I fugure that I should just go for it.

I want to finish my favorite century ride, the Buffalo Bicycle Classic , in under 5 hours and 15 minutes. My dream goal is to finish it in under 5 hours total, but I don't think that I can realistically pull that off. Unlike some guys you see on the long distance forum, there is no way that I can eat and drink enough the day before and on ride-day to ride that hard, without also having to use the bathroom every 1-2 hours. Time waiting in line at the portable potty center adds up quickly.

My second major goal is to just FINISH the Horsetooth Double Dip ride here in town. I suck at hills, have bonked doing just 60 miles of this 105 mile course before.

My smaller goals include losing enough weight to be able to maintain better speed on longer and steeper rides, and making sure to do more intervals this year that target BOTH my weak and my strong points (last year I only worked on my weaknesses - hills, and was slower on the flats than I could have been). And I would like to talk my wife into going on an unsupported, multi-day bike trip this summer or fall.

Have fun out there!

Scummer

RAAM! That's my ultimate goal. In the next 5 years before I turn 40. I'm going to try to qualify for it this year on August 30 during a 24h time trial which is an official qualifying event for RAAM.
https://www.ultramidwest.net/um/UM24/24Home.aspx

Still lots of training to do but I have hopes as I was able to do a century in 5:45 riding time last year.

Jawbone

I'd love to ride the London-Edinburgh-London route.

There's also a great, hilly ride where I go camping. I could make it into about a 300km ride and I'd want to do it in the fall when the leaves change colour. MMmmm....