Where's the biggest, fastest, hairiest, nastiest group ride in the land?
08-26-09, 10:07 AM
#101
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gimbels pace was unreal for me as a cat 5, i'm guessing now not so much. at the front, probably still hard.
port of oakland is easy when i sit in, though looks like some people in the draft are struggling. it's hard as hell for me when i work the front and attack and recover.
house of pain easy sitting in, but i feel like i accomplish more when i thrash (and sometimes drop) myself.
i'd say the reporter matters. i'm sure TdF guys say transition stages are easy, for me probably a nasty death ride.
here's my magic ride grade-o-meter: just replace the name of your own local ride, whether or not you ride in the engine room and adjust for your level of fitness/category. magically "easy" or "nasty" will be the output.
port of oakland is easy when i sit in, though looks like some people in the draft are struggling. it's hard as hell for me when i work the front and attack and recover.
house of pain easy sitting in, but i feel like i accomplish more when i thrash (and sometimes drop) myself.
i'd say the reporter matters. i'm sure TdF guys say transition stages are easy, for me probably a nasty death ride.
here's my magic ride grade-o-meter: just replace the name of your own local ride, whether or not you ride in the engine room and adjust for your level of fitness/category. magically "easy" or "nasty" will be the output.
08-26-09, 10:58 AM
#102
My idea of fun
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Pinecrest in Miami. It's a group ride with primes and state champions.
08-26-09, 11:10 AM
#103
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+1 for ATC. I've seen well over 200 on that ride, and the front will average 27 mph on some really nasty hills and wind.
Another in Austin is the Tuesday Nighter. No stop lights, 9-mile circuit, 36 miles A, 27 miles B. I've seen over 50 for each of the A and B groups, and it's treated like a race all the way around. There's a Cat 1 who always attacks in the first hill or two. Pros often show (Lance, McCarty, others).
Another in Austin is the Tuesday Nighter. No stop lights, 9-mile circuit, 36 miles A, 27 miles B. I've seen over 50 for each of the A and B groups, and it's treated like a race all the way around. There's a Cat 1 who always attacks in the first hill or two. Pros often show (Lance, McCarty, others).
ATC is tough but the Simi Ride (Simi Valley CA) in the early part of the season is off the charts hard.
08-26-09, 12:15 PM
#104
trois, mon frère
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08-26-09, 01:21 PM
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08-26-09, 03:43 PM
#107
Has coddling tendencies.
08-26-09, 03:50 PM
#108
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Beat me to it. Also has several pros and ex-pros. Every Wed/Fri/Sat/Sunday.
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Il faut de l'audace, encore de l'audace, toujours de l'audace
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Il faut de l'audace, encore de l'audace, toujours de l'audace
1980 3Rensho-- 1975 Raleigh Sprite 3spd
1990s Raleigh M20 MTB--2007 Windsor Hour (track)
1988 Ducati 750 F1
08-26-09, 10:36 PM
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When I was there last fall, the P ride was a big ride and fairly fast. But I've been to group rides that are consistently faster, albeit with a smaller group. I really did enjoy the that ride, though.
08-26-09, 10:46 PM
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Ralph Phillips of Fairwheel Bicycles led the Tucson Shootout for years.
Gord will clean most anybody's clock!
Gord will clean most anybody's clock!
08-27-09, 05:19 PM
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You also have the Aventura Ride that heads into Key Biscayne. Sometimes those two rides merge on Sunday and you have like a 150 bikers coming over the bridge. That's pretty crazy. They take up all the lanes heading down into the city at the end of Key Biscayne. Getting back to the aventura ride. The A group yo-yos around 30 mph as there are constant attacks and breakaways. Gets crazy. It's 50 mile round tripper.
08-27-09, 05:28 PM
#112
Peloton Shelter Dog
Back in 1996 I'm in Naples FL in March. I go on the local racer guy shop ride. It's flat, but these guys have been racing all winter, and it's rather ballistic. About 5 miles from the end of a 30 mile ride, me and this other guy come off the back. We trade notes. I'm from NY, he's from Minnesota, we're both out of shape, we both shake our heads. The average speed had to be 25+ on open roads. Then we later learn that the shop owner, a 50+ TT animal, rode off the front of that ride solo and we never saw him again.
Yikes.
Yikes.
08-29-09, 12:18 PM
#113
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That ride can be crazy, this morning I was riding with a group that just took both lanes of Key Biscayne. I'm not sure if it was this exact ride, but we averaged 27-29mph and it was every man for themselves all out ride. I was surprised I could hang with them for as long as I did, a meager 10 miles. They spit me out the back on the way back over the bridge.
08-29-09, 04:05 PM
#114
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Back in 1996 I'm in Naples FL in March. I go on the local racer guy shop ride. It's flat, but these guys have been racing all winter, and it's rather ballistic. About 5 miles from the end of a 30 mile ride, me and this other guy come off the back. We trade notes. I'm from NY, he's from Minnesota, we're both out of shape, we both shake our heads. The average speed had to be 25+ on open roads. Then we later learn that the shop owner, a 50+ TT animal, rode off the front of that ride solo and we never saw him again.
Yikes.
Yikes.
09-03-09, 07:33 AM
#115
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You also have the Aventura Ride that heads into Key Biscayne. Sometimes those two rides merge on Sunday and you have like a 150 bikers coming over the bridge. That's pretty crazy. They take up all the lanes heading down into the city at the end of Key Biscayne. Getting back to the aventura ride. The A group yo-yos around 30 mph as there are constant attacks and breakaways. Gets crazy. It's 50 mile round tripper.
depart time and route? I want to merge
Best,
01-27-11, 05:39 PM
#116
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since Mr. botto start comparing rides in the other thread I was looking for some "hard" rides comparisons and found this older thread so lets bump it and see what is going on these days 
How is Como Street and the Shootout these days?
How is Como Street and the Shootout these days?
01-27-11, 07:25 PM
#117
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After reading through the first three pages, my ego got smaller and smaller
But anyways, we have one without any specific name, but it's the hardest in Southern NH and probably all of NH (but of course it's still NH).
It's the wednesday night ride. There are two real fast racers there every week. It averages about 25mph over 45-50 miles in some moderately hilly areas.
But anyways, we have one without any specific name, but it's the hardest in Southern NH and probably all of NH (but of course it's still NH).
It's the wednesday night ride. There are two real fast racers there every week. It averages about 25mph over 45-50 miles in some moderately hilly areas.
01-28-11, 03:53 AM
#119
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since Mr. botto start comparing rides in the other thread I was looking for some "hard" rides comparisons and found this older thread so lets bump it and see what is going on these days
How is Como Street and the Shootout these days?
How is Como Street and the Shootout these days?
02-01-11, 04:27 PM
#121
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Since this thread has already been bumped...
*Meridian was alive and well in 2010. I haven't ridden it yet but enough 1/2 riders attend that it is not easy for anyone.
*CSP Table Mountain is alive too. I haven't ridden CSP yet either. It doesn't seem to have the same aura of Meridian.
*Chatfield Worlds (Denver Spoke?). I've ridden this 21 mile loop 5 times now. Lots of quality riders. The mph isn't blistering but with 1000 feet of climbing and the typical cross wind there have always been plenty of splits and drops. My VI was 1.32 last week.
(Edit - I don't think any of these would be in contention for the biggest/baddest. Meridian and CSP were mentioned earlier in the thread. Chatfield isn't a walk in the park.)
*Meridian was alive and well in 2010. I haven't ridden it yet but enough 1/2 riders attend that it is not easy for anyone.
*CSP Table Mountain is alive too. I haven't ridden CSP yet either. It doesn't seem to have the same aura of Meridian.
*Chatfield Worlds (Denver Spoke?). I've ridden this 21 mile loop 5 times now. Lots of quality riders. The mph isn't blistering but with 1000 feet of climbing and the typical cross wind there have always been plenty of splits and drops. My VI was 1.32 last week.
(Edit - I don't think any of these would be in contention for the biggest/baddest. Meridian and CSP were mentioned earlier in the thread. Chatfield isn't a walk in the park.)
Last edited by miwoodar; 02-01-11 at 04:41 PM.
02-01-11, 05:12 PM
#122
**** that
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Two rides around here come to mind:
- The "Rocket Ride" by Richter & co, starting at Log Boom park on Saturdays in the off season
- Tom Peterson's (Garmin) rides from his shop in Issaquah. Saturday was 6-8 hours of hammering, Sundays were easier paced rides. Yes, they really did say 6-8 hours of hammering!
I hear both are fun, and both are very hard.
Me, I'm not so much of a fan of the "hard group ride" thing, unless it's an actual race.
- The "Rocket Ride" by Richter & co, starting at Log Boom park on Saturdays in the off season
- Tom Peterson's (Garmin) rides from his shop in Issaquah. Saturday was 6-8 hours of hammering, Sundays were easier paced rides. Yes, they really did say 6-8 hours of hammering!
I hear both are fun, and both are very hard.
Me, I'm not so much of a fan of the "hard group ride" thing, unless it's an actual race.
02-01-11, 08:01 PM
#123
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Death ride in Houston probably wins if only for the condition of the roads and the heat. The 30mph pace helps too.
02-01-11, 09:49 PM
#125
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Back in 1996 I'm in Naples FL in March. I go on the local racer guy shop ride. It's flat, but these guys have been racing all winter, and it's rather ballistic. About 5 miles from the end of a 30 mile ride, me and this other guy come off the back. We trade notes. I'm from NY, he's from Minnesota, we're both out of shape, we both shake our heads. The average speed had to be 25+ on open roads. Then we later learn that the shop owner, a 50+ TT animal, rode off the front of that ride solo and we never saw him again.
Yikes.
Yikes.