CbadRider

Is it a short* century you can pull off in a few hours, or do you prefer to ride doubles that take all day?

Randonneurs, do you have a distance you really like?

(*yes, this is the Long Distance forum, so 100 miles is short)

StephenH

A 200k where everything goes right is hard to beat. I haven't done much longer rides, to compare, though. And when you have heat or wind or cold, that 200k gets a little long for me.

unterhausen

I still haven't gotten it together to ride anything over 600km. My suspicion is that I will like 1200k the best assuming I can get into good enough shape to get at least 3 hours of sleep each night.

Homeyba

Anytime on the bike is my favorite distance. I really don't have a favorite distance.

Daveyboy

I like doubles. I like seeing the sunrise and set on the same ride. But I also agree with Homeyba, anytime is good....

DXchulo

I think a double or a 12-hour is a happy medium. Long enough to feel like an accomplishment (for me, at least), but not so long that losing sleep becomes a factor.

I'd say 200k is my least favorite, mostly because I'm a stupid American and I always think of it as ~125 miles. It just seems like a meaningless distance to shoot for. I always feel like I'd be happier either stopping after 100 or going to 150. If you're plotting a scenic loop and it comes out to ~125 miles that would be one thing, but why shoot for that number on purpose? I know it makes sense as part of a brevet series, but then again I always feel like I could just ride a century on my own and skip the 200k.

lonesomesteve

I like 200ks and 300ks, but they often seem like just another long ride. 400ks are over just when they start getting interesting. I love riding at night and I love getting on the bike on that second day after a long first day (really), so 600k is my favorite. I've only done one 1200k so it would be hard to call it my favorite, but I had a great time.

DanteB

I enjoy doing doubles, but as Homeyba said anytime on a bike.

Mr. Beanz

When I ride distance, I like a century. Pretty much like riding alone too. I'd rack one up in 5:45 and be home to walk the malls with Gina. I can see doing 12 hours, maybe someday for the TC but as a regular practice? Nah! 100 is good.

MTBMaven

About 110. That will get me from my place in Pasadena to Pizza Port in Solana Beach for pizza and beer brewed in site. Take the train home with an extra beer in the water bottle. That equals a great day!

the spin guru

My favorite brevet distance so far has been the 400km's. It's just long enough to really feel like an adventure but you don't loose too much sleep. I have also really enjoyed the 400km route's that are provided locally.

Barrettscv 

I'm less oriented on events, and only do a few organized rides a year. My goal is more oriented towards fitness and annual miles.

For fitness riding I need more than 35 miles. Less than that is not worth the time to dress and wash-up IMO. That's a solid two hour workout that provides regular exercise.

If I have more time, 55 miles is my next distance. This can be done in three hours and I can use a bike friendly route directly from home.

I'll ride 75 to 125 miles in-a-day two or three times a month between April and November.

spokenword

I think all of the brevet distances have their charms. The 100k can be a nice social event, and the sort of thing that doesn't have to take up an entire day. 200's and 300's are nice full daylight rides. 400's and 600's can feel like genuine adventures; especially in New England where those distances can involve travelling into multiple states. 1000's and 1200's are epic expeditions.

Generally speaking, for me, I've had the most fun on 400's.

bobbycorno

I'd have to agree - every distance has its own attraction. Have to say, tho', that the 600 is probably my least favorite distance. Too long to do in one shot (but I have to admit I've not yet tried riding one straight thru), but too short to get into the ride/eat/sleep/repeat groove of a 1000 or 1200. 200's are short enuf to be a quick day ride, a 300 is an "all day sucker" but doable in daylight, 400's are cool because I love riding at night, and the 1000+s are long enough to get into that "live to ride / ride to live" space. 600k just falls into that awkward "not quite" space - neither fish nor fowl, as it were: not a day ride, but not long enough to be all-absorbing.

SP
Bend, OR

bobbycorno

Dang! Remind me to look you up next time I'm in CA!

SP
Bend, OR

Richard Cranium

No such thing as a favorite distance. I did decide as I turned forty that I didn't really like riding longer than 24 hours. And I've always thought RAAM is a "caveman" race of brutality.

At this point, I like 200 miles for most any summer time day. And trying to make 100 during the cool part of the year is enough.

Again, distance means nothing, your question could be better put as "How long is your working comfort zone? Spending three or fours cycling in a heat index of 100 degrees can change your favorite distance quickly.

Rick@OCRR

Any distance is good and esp. if you have someone fun to ride with. Looking over this thread, I've ridden part of the Grand Tour Double with CbadRider (not her real name), most of the Central Double Century (Litchfield, IL) with Richard Cranium (not his real name), part of the Knoxville Double with Homeyba (not his real name) and several doubles with Dante (that is his real name!).

Honestly, it's Mr.Beanz I'm concerned about. For six years now he's been talking about riding a double, talking about the CA Triple Crown (at least 3 doubles in one calendar year), but not actually riding any. Not that he doesn't ride, he does, and he rides well (sometimes shooting video as he rides), but he really needs to just do this doubles thing!

Rick / OCRR

robertkat

So far 300k is my favorite. Almost a double, but with enough left in you to ride home (within reason). Somehow I suspect that after I do a few, like many I've spoken with, the 600k will become my favorite.

Mr. Beanz

I'm not sure why you are so concerned. At 47, I'm actually young as far as cycling goes. If you were concerned about my ability, then yes, I'd be concerned, but you're not, so I'm not. I've got pleny of time. Honestly, I see doubles more of an inconvenience. Having to ride with lights, ankle bands, starting at 4 am. When I do it., I'll do it just to say I did it but not because I think doing it is a big challenge (as far as myself). It's just not up there on my list like say, A Clyde trying to better my Breathless Agony time. My 7:40 Bear time is happy but not my 8:25(and a 10 minute penalty for missing the check in) BA time, as a Clyde, that bothers me more than doing 3 doubles!

As you can see, Ive been training on the climbs while riding GMR with one hand!

This guy is a double rider and he's 50+, I'm only 47....btw, nice picture!



This guy is still young enough to have dark hair!

Machka 

Prior to 2008, my favourite distances were:

-- the imperial century (100 miles) because it was a fairly quick, enjoyable training ride ... something I could do quite frequently throughout the whole year.

-- the 400K randonnee (or the 24-hour race) because that distance was something I could finish in about 24 hours with a feeling like I accomplished something ... and then I could get a really good night's sleep.


Since 2008, I've become rather fond of the 100 km distance.

Rick@OCRR

No worries Beanz,

I think you probably do have the ability. And maybe you've changed your mind, but you used to want to ride doubles; used to want that CA Triple Crown jersey. And while riding in the dark may be an inconvient truth, it's really kind of fun, in a different kind of way.

If you want more of a challenge, pick the doubles with a lot of climbing! They are quite an adventure, much more so than a century. And that's another part of the fun too.

Just try it Beanz; I think you'll like it a lot more than you seem to think now.

Rick / OCRR

Homeyba

I think Beanz is a sandbagger. I even offered to put him up at the ranch for the central coast double. Climbing Nacimiento-Fergusson Rd. should be right up Mr. Beanz alley.

abdon 

I hate flat riding. 100km with over 1k meter elevation gain is pure ecstasy.

Next year I want to work my way up to a 400km brevet. Even in the middle of training, for me a day of recreational riding is to head for the mountains for a 100km/1k m trip.

kjfitz

Nothing has come close to beating the 15 mile "epic long rides" I take with my six year old. Best two hours of the week.

DanteB

I don't know, if Beanz really likes climbing Nacimiemto-Fergusson might not be enough. It's only 8 miles of 8% with the first 2 miles being 12-16%. Oh that's right N-F comes after 86 miles and almost 6,000' of climbing.