joewein

These days I do more century rides (at least 161 km / 100 mi, 27 of them in 2017) than I do 50-160 km rides. It takes me a few hours to get to the mountains from my home or back from there. Unless I use a train or car to get out there and back, that will be about 90 km just to get out there and back. Any scenic distance is on top of that. Scenic rides is what I'm after. Also, I like both sunrises and sunsets and partly for that reason, my rides normally take 13+ hours.

Unless it's extremely hilly, I'm unlikely to DNF at a 200 km brevet. In 5 years I have only done that once. A 200 km brevet is not much more difficult than a century, except for the need to maintain a minimum average, but riding with others makes that easier.

300 is less fun than a 200 because for me sleep deprivation becomes a major factor, even if you see more during that very long day.

400 km on the other hand has the same issues with sleep deprivation (at a push they can still be done without sleeping), but is more of an experience and gives me a greater feeling of achievement.

I've tried a 600 km three times and I've always DNF'ed at little more than the halfway point. I always rode 500+ km to get back home, but it's a little too crazy and I wouldn't want to do it more than once a year, if at all.

So my choice would be either a 161-200 km without minimum speed (which I could do almost every weekend) or a 400 km brevet maybe twice a year.

bgraham111

I like the 400k. It's long, but all in one shot. Plus it has some night riding, and I like riding at night. (My local 300k is a really awesome route as well.)

vintagerando

Too the store to buy beer

lhill 

Just being curious, what is the average age of you folks who like to ride their bikes so far? I don't even like to drive my car 400 km. Do you ever listen to music or audio books while riding to help pass the time? Do you prefer to ride completely alone or with a small group? You folks amaze me.

Machka 

In 2003, the average age of people on the Paris-Brest-Paris 1200K was 49.

I rarely listen to music while riding, although I have for a little while on one or two solo 600Ks. After 5 or 6 hours it just gets annoying.

I've ridden alone, with 1 other person, or in small groups.

alois

I only once rode a 600km and only a couple of 400kms, so I cannot yet really tell if one of them is going to be my favorite. Right now my favorite distance is between 110-140km, the distance I can cover on a friday night leaving at half past five after work. Anything less than 100km feels too short for me.

rhm

Short version, bottom line: 360 km.

Long version:

There's a complex tradeoff between time spent planning, riding, and recovering from rides of different distances. Similarly there's a trade-off between the challenge and the satisfaction; and there are many other factors that can be viewed in that way.

So, for example, a 100 km solo ride requires no planning, causes no pain, and requires no recovery time. It can give me a little RUSA distance credit, if it's a permanent, or it can give me the spontaneous pleasure of taking unfamiliar roads, joining other riders I happen to meet, and so on. I like it, for what it is, but it's not memorable.

Without going into all the permutations, but taking account of all the factors that come to mind, my favourite distance is 360 km. That's the distance of a flèche or arrow.

The combination of pleasurable planning, anticipation, teamwork, a moderate pace, and the satisfaction of sharing the achievement with the rest of the team, puts these events over the top for me. Aside from that, I enjoy being out in the weather and watching the progress of the whole 24 hours of the day.

It also helps that a flèche or arrow route is usually unfamiliar to most or all team members. I have fond memories of every team event I've ridden, and am always happy to run into former team mates on randonnees.