Best Ride (or Race) You've Ever Ridden

[Alpe d'Huez]

Sticking with trying to keep the non-doping threads going (though they have their place), I thought I'd create a thread on the best ride, or race you've ever ridden. This could be a performance, or even a place you've visited that was beautiful and you just soared on your own.

We've all had days where we felt like we had wings. What were some of yours?

 

[franciep10]

1996 Tour du pont when I rode for my good friend steve. I didn't do anything individually, but I helped my team leader to 2nd against a very promising rider.

 

[pmcg76]

I was 13 when I competed in my first official race, it was about 20km but we were only allowed to race the last few hundred metres or so. I didnt even have a proper racing bike or anything, just a standard road bike (weighed a ton) from the 80s, the type that dont exist anymore since mountain bikes came into fashion.

Anyhow, we cycled around in our group but once we hit the part where we started racing, BOOM, I left everyone sitting in the dust, I won by a huge margin and I was there thinking, yeah, gonna be the next Sean Kelly or Greg LeMond, gonna be a star.

Afterwards, everyone is congratulating me when another kids father comes over, "Are you aware of the gear restrictions for under-14s?" Oh no, I knew straight away my victory had been false, my club didnt know a thing about gear restrictions as I was the only kid in the club and they were not expecting anything of me so they didnt bother reading the rules for underage races. I didnt even bother hanging around to see if I got DQd, just went home sad. Never won a race again. Really hilarious to look back now, brings a smile to my face.

Other than that, riding Ronde Van Vlanderen cyclosportive with the Muur a very thrilling moment.

 

[bikepure]

a bad day on the bike is better than a good day work.............so every week day coffee run is extra special

After 22 racing seasons loved all the line outs where i wasnt losing the wheel in front.
Best day on the bike is
Grand Fondo Pinnerallo.
or the last 8 k of alpe d'uez

 

[Anonymous]

many many years ago (and never having competed seriously i cant throw in tour du pont stories or anything).. lol.. but nice simple 80mile club run round the cornish coast, not particularly looking forward to it due to some pretty evil climbs, and a fair few long straights with some pretty serious power riders in the group..

coming together of wheels about 1km out, and found myself with a nice 5" pedal gash in the leg (shows how long ago it was) and a nice hole in my head and got particularly bloody, but carried on with the day depsite passing the hospital 1km later..

dunno what epo does to the body, but boy oh boy adrenalin is one strong drug.. i always remember it cos its the one day i felt like i could not be beaten by anyone.. front group on every hill, descending like a lunatic, contesting every sprint we had..

had a nice collection of stitches on the way home.. but i always remember it as the day i felt like i could have beaten anyone..

adrenalin is a most wondrous thing..

 

[180mmCrank]

Best I have ever ridden was my first win! And only to be read by those that have nothing better to do...it went like this...as if it were yesterday...

It was absolutely chucking down...I mean really chucking it down - Amazon rainforest chucking it down - rivers on the streets! The course we were racing on was a loop with a 2 km two tier hill - (it's actually not that steep and it has a flat bit in the middle which means you can catch your breath) - but the last km kicks up and tops out on to a 350m false flat into the finish.
First time up the hill - all hell broke loose - people were trying to get to the front just prior to the start of the climb so as not to get dropped - some people were still in their 'big ring' - the climb began with chains and cogs popping - people shouting - stopping - chaos all round. Half the field got dropped on the first tier of the climb - it was so (too) fast - I thought my head was going to go pop - **** I can't do this six more times - I am sure it wasn't just me thinking that. Then it flattened out I got my breath and it wasn't that bad - big dig on the second tier - legs on fire but made it to the top - six more to go!

Next time around a pattern started to develop among the 20 riders that were strong enough to climb the hill - we would string out on the first tier - come together a bit and then string out over the last kilo of the climb to the finish - then everyone would sit up and have a drink - the group would re-form and off we'd go as 10-15 riders - the last few would generally catch up over the next kilo - or at the bottom of the descent. As the laps ticked off four or five guys would be consistently first to the top of the hill. I was doing enough to be in with this group.

We got to the second to last lap...same pattern up the hill...5 guys me and a string of another 6 or 7. As on the other occasions they all sat up for a drink - so I thought 'I'm not going to win this on the climb but maybe I can increase the odds of a place if we dump some guys' - So I stomped on it for 500m - I just wanted to get the group away from the climbing stragglers. When I sat up and looked back there was about 10-12 riders the cream of the bunch - the guys that could ride. We settled in to get ready for the last big effort up the climb for the final time.

We hit the climb - I was fourth man on it - the front guy took off - the winner for sure - if he didn't blow. I thought that the guys that went too early might get caught by people with the bottle to pace the climb - but then I thought f**k it - and pushed it to stay just about in contact with the three ahead. They picked up speed - the elastic began to stretch...can I keep contact?...then the road flattened out I dug in to try to get onto a wheel - didn't get on - dug in again and made contact just where the flat ended and the rise kicked up again. I took a glance behind and I could see - as I expected - 5 guys who were pacing the climb - closing in on us pretty quickly - they caught us and now we were 7 or 8 not sure - and now half way up the last part of the climb before the false flat to the finish about 350m.

I was bracing my self for 2 or 3 guys to make a break for it. As soon as they made their move I would know if it was even worth trying to go with them. All too often I 've seen little guys skip off up a rise like this and been helpless to do anything. But no one made a move ... surely someone is going to have go ... Over the rise 350m to go... So at 300m I thought f**k it and slammed my foot down as hard as I could... Once, twice, three times... 200m to go legs on fire...waiting for 2 or 3 guys to come by... 150m kicked again...tunnel vision - pounding head.... And then I let myself think the unthinkable... This might be the only chance I ever get to win a bike race...actually cross the line first...so... Don't look back...I'm not sure where it came from because I couldn't breath at this point - I threw everything at the bike - 100m - surely someone is going to come by...don't look back... 50m I could taste the line...30m..20m...then I'm actually looking at the line on the road in front of me - don't look back - everything is in slow motion - I lunge at the line - I am absolutely f**ked - I can barely control the bike. I think I've crossed the line first - I look back and the rest of the field is 30m behind. I won by a mile!

Fan-f'vking-tastic! I feel like Danilo Di Luca - for about 10 mins anyway!

 

[lookkg386]

Best I have ever ridden was my first win! And only to be read by those that have nothing better to do...it went like this...as if it were yesterday...

It was absolutely chucking down...I mean really chucking it down - Amazon rainforest chucking it down - rivers on the streets! The course we were racing on was a loop with a 2 km two tier hill - (it's actually not that steep and it has a flat bit in the middle which means you can catch your breath) - but the last km kicks up and tops out on to a 350m false flat into the finish.
First time up the hill - all hell broke loose - people were trying to get to the front just prior to the start of the climb so as not to get dropped - some people were still in their 'big ring' - the climb began with chains and cogs popping - people shouting - stopping - chaos all round. Half the field got dropped on the first tier of the climb - it was so (too) fast - I thought my head was going to go pop - **** I can't do this six more times - I am sure it wasn't just me thinking that. Then it flattened out I got my breath and it wasn't that bad - big dig on the second tier - legs on fire but made it to the top - six more to go!

Next time around a pattern started to develop among the 20 riders that were strong enough to climb the hill - we would string out on the first tier - come together a bit and then string out over the last kilo of the climb to the finish - then everyone would sit up and have a drink - the group would re-form and off we'd go as 10-15 riders - the last few would generally catch up over the next kilo - or at the bottom of the descent. As the laps ticked off four or five guys would be consistently first to the top of the hill. I was doing enough to be in with this group.

We got to the second to last lap...same pattern up the hill...5 guys me and a string of another 6 or 7. As on the other occasions they all sat up for a drink - so I thought 'I'm not going to win this on the climb but maybe I can increase the odds of a place if we dump some guys' - So I stomped on it for 500m - I just wanted to get the group away from the climbing stragglers. When I sat up and looked back there was about 10-12 riders the cream of the bunch - the guys that could ride. We settled in to get ready for the last big effort up the climb for the final time.

We hit the climb - I was fourth man on it - the front guy took off - the winner for sure - if he didn't blow. I thought that the guys that went too early might get caught by people with the bottle to pace the climb - but then I thought f**k it - and pushed it to stay just about in contact with the three ahead. They picked up speed - the elastic began to stretch...can I keep contact?...then the road flattened out I dug in to try to get onto a wheel - didn't get on - dug in again and made contact just where the flat ended and the rise kicked up again. I took a glance behind and I could see - as I expected - 5 guys who were pacing the climb - closing in on us pretty quickly - they caught us and now we were 7 or 8 not sure - and now half way up the last part of the climb before the false flat to the finish about 350m.

I was bracing my self for 2 or 3 guys to make a break for it. As soon as they made their move I would know if it was even worth trying to go with them. All too often I 've seen little guys skip off up a rise like this and been helpless to do anything. But no one made a move ... surely someone is going to have go ... Over the rise 350m to go... So at 300m I thought f**k it and slammed my foot down as hard as I could... Once, twice, three times... 200m to go legs on fire...waiting for 2 or 3 guys to come by... 150m kicked again...tunnel vision - pounding head.... And then I let myself think the unthinkable... This might be the only chance I ever get to win a bike race...actually cross the line first...so... Don't look back...I'm not sure where it came from because I couldn't breath at this point - I threw everything at the bike - 100m - surely someone is going to come by...don't look back... 50m I could taste the line...30m..20m...then I'm actually looking at the line on the road in front of me - don't look back - everything is in slow motion - I lunge at the line - I am absolutely f**ked - I can barely control the bike. I think I've crossed the line first - I look back and the rest of the field is 30m behind. I won by a mile!

Fan-f'vking-tastic! I feel like Danilo Di Luca - for about 10 mins anyway!

Mate great story

Will give you mine as soon as boss stops hanging around my office

 

[rhubroma]

Every race I finished on the bike!

1st Rieti-Terminilo
18th Pesaro-Blockhaus (but against Saeco and Danilo DiLuca and Domina Vacanza)

 

[St. Elia]

Ok I know this is the road forum but the Trans alps was the high light for me, amazing scenery and a heck of a lot of climbing and descending. Off to do the Marmotte this year so I hope that will be my road ride of my life.

People seems to be listing the races they won, and I have won a few but nothing important.