79pmooney

Maybe this doesn't qualify as it took less that 4 hours, but the Maine International road race I rode '77 as Cat 3. Rode the front, went off in a doomed break with 5 others. 30 miles after being caught worked my way back to within earshot of the front and was the last rider to make the split on the race's toughest climb. Threw my chain the next two hills. Still managed to stay with the lead group and finish in the sprint, 25th of 30 riders. (120 starters.) We all finished inside the old course record and 10 minutes ahead of the field. I was a complete basket case the next day and still wasted a day later.

The race was sponsored by a bank which sat at the finish. I crossed the line, went another block, got off, wandered back to the finish line, went into the open bank lobby, waited for couple of other riders to drink at the water fountain, took my drink and looked at the clock as I walked out. 4:00! I had looked at my watch just before the start and it was a few seconds before 12 noon. My watch and that clock were in sync! We covered 105.6 miles of hilly backcountry Maine. (On 20 pound steel bikes, toe clips, straps and not an aero anything in the peloton.)

That race was the hardest thing I have ever done. Now, it was a beautiful summer day and I"m guessing we had a light tailwind. (Not much though, I don't recall seeing a leaf move and I am a sailor. I notice things like that.)

Ben

Sangetsu

Though I have raced some of the most well known routes and climbs in Europe, famous for their difficulty, my most difficult ride was my first summer metric double century when I was rather young.

The route of my century was quite simple, from Miami to Lake Okeechobee and back. There were no hills whatsoever, almost no turns, and very little traffic. I had been riding since the previous winter, and had completed a century on the same in late Spring. Being straight out, and straight back in, there was no way to cheat by taking a short cut, or not finishing a loop or two.

But now it was August, and the morning I started the ride, it was clear, sunny, and very warm and humid.

The ride started well, and I made good time heading northward. The highway shoulder had a fair amount of debris from blown-up truck tires, carcasses of alligators, turtles, buzzards, and other animals which I couldn't identify. There was nothing to see but sugar cane growing from horizon to horizon. When I got closer to Bayshore, I had to dodge deep rumble strips, which went all the way to the painted lines, forcing me either to ride over them, or swerve into the road lane to get around them. The route may have been flat and straight, but I had to keep my eyes open and concentrate on the road in front of me.

But I had left quite early, and had reached the turnaround point at the lake when the full heat of the day set in. The temperature was over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and humidity over 90%. Still, I had done a lot of shorter rides, and fast group rides during the summer, so I thought I was acclimated to the heat.

Unfortunately, it wasn't so. I was sweating so much that my shorts and jersey had turned gray from the salt from my dried sweat, and I had salt crystals accumulating on exposed skin. I kept drinking water to replace what I sweated out, as well as some salty snacks to go with my power bars. But it wasn't enough, the heat began to get to me.

The problem with my route was that along the way there were no shops, stores, or places to stop, and not even a tree to provide shade. I dropped my pace down a little, but as I did, the air passing over my body slowed down, and it's cooling effect. Having been a medic in an Infantry unit in the Army, I had intimate knowledge of heat exhaustion and it's symptoms.

Slowing down made me hotter, which made me feel a little dizzy, and darkened my vision. Had I stopped, I would most likely have fainted on the spot, which is not a good thing to do in the middle of nowhere, with no people about, and almost no passing traffic. Heat exhaustion can quickly graduate to heat stroke if not treated, so I motored on. Thankfully I had carried a lot of water. Pouring it on my body would not have helped much, as I was completely drenched with sweat and salt.

As I rode on, an occasional cloud began to pass between me and the sun, and the momentary shade was a tremendous relief. I wished for more clouds to make my ride easier, and god heard me; clouds quickly appeared out of thin air, and soon the sun was blotted out. It was much cooler, and I felt much better.

But god wasn't content just to send me clouds, as raindrops began to fall. In the space of only a few minutes a full blown thunderstorm exploded into life above me. I was completely drenched in pouring rain, the dried sweat and salt in my helmet poured down my face, and into my eyes. I used some of my water to rinse out my eyes to stop the stinging pain. The rain was falling so heavily that soon all the sweat was washed away.

The road was now 2 inches awash with water, and from being too hot only 20 minutes earlier, I was now freezing cold. Lightning flashed and crashed all around me, and I was quite aware that as being the tallest object in my surroundings, I would make a great target. I picked up the pace, and made as quickly as I could for the 595 overpass, which I sat under until the storm broke up.

I then pedaled at a snail's pace until I got back to were I had parked my car, which was another 20-odd miles up the road, which put my tally for the day at 125 miles. The drive the rest of the way home was surprisingly difficult, it seemed I barely had enough energy to turn the wheel, or use the brake and gas pedals. I avoided the temptation to jump into bed when I got home, and made sure I ate a good meal before sleeping. The next day I was quite drained, but I still got on my bike and took a 20km spin.

Now I am much more careful when planning where and when I will ride.

kansukee

Two rides come to mind; one was during the Horrible 100 in hilly Clermont, FL. I threw the chain during one of the climbs (going up the Wall). Did that ride solo in just over 5 hours. The other one was another century ride, leaving from the Homestead racing track to Key Largo and back_ this was probably the fastest ride I've been in since we finished in 4:07. My legs were cooked for the rest of the day but felt surprisingly well the next day...

noglider 

I did a solo century ride a couple of summers ago. At mile 35, right before I hit the hills, my rear derailleur failed. I jury-rigged it to a middle cog position and used my triple crankset, so I had a three-speed bike. I climbed Hosner Mountain in NY State with a low gear of about 54 inches. Pedaling up slowly was basically a task of doing a very long track stand. My sense of balance made the difference, as I pedaled as gently as I could. I made it to the top without stopping, which seemed like a feat.

I reached my destination with a sore back, but I made it.