Liz33

Hi. If I could, I would love to do Tour de France or Vuelta a Espaņa, and big events like that, but of course I'm in no position to race professionally like that or to belong to a nice team in that level. However, I do dream with some sort of long distance tour event like that and be able to participate even if I'm the last person to reach the final destination, it's about participating for me, not winning the race. If I could have an event like that in mind it would motivate me a lot for training for it even if it takes me years to be ready for it. I'm working now in small goals but I wish I had a big long term goal like that. Do you have any ideas of an event like that? It doesn't matter where in the world or how difficult as long as I can join in as a solo cyclist not part of a team. Thank you!

caloso

RAGBRAI? https://ragbrai.com/

GuessWhoCycling

There are plenty of rides around the world I am sure. Breathless Agony is a cool ride. A timed event. Mountain ride that I'm sure would rival a major tour stage. I did this ride and got a pretty cool finisher's jersey. Actually cool having the jersey as there are not that many out there and many of the ones you see are the same people who have completed the ride several times. 114 miles/ 12,000 ft of gain.

GuessWhoCycling

Another of my favorites was Ride Around the Bear. I did it 4 times over the years but sadly it has been eliminated. Timed event and I finished at 123 our of 400. Not bad for a 230 pound climber. I met a gal that wanted to do the ride who said she had done a Tour De France ride tour. She did some of the major climbs of the TDF and said this ride was harder than the TDF mountain stages.

We trained together but she ended up finishing dead last, the lantern rouge (spelling ?). She actually went a bit past the allowed time cut off but she was so close the allowed her to finish. But just finishing it is what memories are made of!

100 miles with just under 10,000 ft of climbing. 9800 IIRC.

The t shirt is from the first year I did the ride.

jefnvk

Why not just go on a non-racing event? A couple in Michigan, for example:
DALMAC - Home Page
https://www.palmbiketour.org/
https://michigantrails.org/events/mi...der-bike-tour/

If you wanted a long distance ride that is competitive that anyone can enter, you could look at some of the big randonneuring events like Paris-Brest-Paris.

hillyman

That is a cool Jersey. You earned it. But way too much of a ride for me

Liz33

Yes, I don't mind if it's not a race. I just don't know how to find those events, I google with not much luck. So should I search the term "randonneuring events" then? Thanks

Liz33

I would be so proud of that shirt!

GuessWhoCycling

Thanks but Ya know, I think these kinds of rides are all about having the time to train. They seem hard on paper but if you work into it, they are not all that difficult. Like any other ride, you get tired at some point but pace yourself, take in some nutrition, recover then continue on.

I actually started doing these event because other riders told me as a Clydesdale cyclist I couldn't. Had to prove them wrong ha ha!

I never really thought I could do this kind of a ride but once I did the first climbing century, I knew I could do this one.

But if other cyclists think it's too much for them, I am OK with that cause it makes my jersey that much more distinct.

GuessWhoCycling

I am! It's a known event around here so when other riders see it, it's a cool thing.

jefnvk

If you give a general region of the country, people can probably recommend some. They are fairly well known events in the cycling world. I did the Dalmac last year, they move your gear from camping site to camping site for you, and you ride between 50-100 miles a day (depending on the lenght of ride you choose). IMO, these are the closest you could get to a TdF style ride without being a racer.

Randonneur is a bit different, it is a long distance ride with a specified time limit. PBP that I mentioned is 1200km in 90 hours or less. The organizers are quick to specify it is not a race, although the fastest time is recognized. More of an endurance event than a relaxed fun event, but there is the allure of a semblance of competition and being part of a historic event.

Just depends on exactly what you want to do!

Myosmith

Look into charity rides. The Tour de Cure (American Diabetes Association), the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride, Bike MS and many others offer organized rides of 15 to 100+ miles in many locations.

There are also a lot of non-competitive rides organized by local clubs and organizations.

friday1970

www.rusa.org
You dont need to be a member to participate in a randonneuring event. Encouraged, but not necessary. These events aren't races, but are timed using control points. If you are too fast, you have to wait till the control point opens. Too slow to a control point, you are disqaulified. There are other rules, like being self supported between control points.
I am doing one in Michigan Saturday. 200k. Looks to be cold at the start, but a nice day overall

Fastfingaz

Hey Liz I know you said you're not ready for a tour du France type event or never done anything like that but you didn't say how far you are into the sport,,, like what is your longest ride you've done, what's the longest time you've spent in the saddle you know how far can you ride??? Just to get an idea where you're at as far as your endurance,,,,

indyfabz

Cycle Oregon
B.R.A.N. (Nebraska)
B.T.C. (Colorado)
Bike Virginia
Bon Ton Roulet (Finger Lakes region of NY)
Cycle North Carolina
Adventure Cycling Association has numerous, supported tours around the country
Ride Idaho
SAGBRAW
Bike Wisconsin has several events


The list goes on and on.

Liz33

Thank you, and thank you to everyone else. I guess I'm just not good at searching, I don't know how you come up with all these events because I google and don't find such interesting things. I appreciate the help.

indyfabz

Register for one or two and your name and address get passed around. At one time or another I have received mailings for most of the events I listed, and more.


It's a shame that CANDISC (North Dakota) is no more. Slumping numbers, oil boom truck traffic and difficulty finding host towns (so many little towns are dying off) brought about its end last year. It probably would have been perfect for getting your feet wet. Mostly leisurely riders. Not any/many very long mileage days. About 300 people when I did it in '06. Not mountainous, although wind was sometimes a factor. Real homey feel to it. And you saw part of America that most people never do. One day we stayed in the home town of Lawrence Welk. The homestead farm where he grew up is preserved as a tourist attraction. I can boast that I have seen the actual bed he was born in, so I've got that going for me.

Liz33

Well, I'm in no good shape at the moment, but I'm confident I could do anything I set my mind to, it will take me time, years maybe, and training and learning, but I'm still not that old and before getting in bad shape I was very healthy and active in sports. I have a lot of endurance. I wanted to do a big ride like tour de france, several miles across beautiful countries but I am not into teams, I'm a solo rider, and not into races althoug I don't mind the event to be a race as long as I can qualify for it. This is not a question for something I want to do soon, but rather a goal for the long term, something I could start training for now. (I'm training now but without an defined objective other than getting in good shape) I look fwd to participating in smaller events but I want a big exciting event to look fwd to. If I could I would just go on on my own riding across the globe, but I'm a bit afraid of someone killing me in the middle of the woods or a bear attack or something so I rather join an event.

Fastfingaz

Liz you basically resaid your opening post , your objectives are well known now I think we all know what you aspire to eventually do,,, but the question was what or how far can you ride today,,,,,, can you ride ten miles? Have you ever ridden a hundred miles,,,, do you own a bicycle?

bbbean 

There are hundreds, if not thousands of organized rides and tours around the country catering to recreational riders. Visit your LBS for the names of some of the events near you.

smarkinson

I think you are looking for a gran fondo or sportive. Gran fondo is basically a big ride with most being around 100 miles long although they can also concurrently run shorter distances. They are becoming very popular and you can find them all over the USA. You just have a thousand or so people all of varying abilities/experience riding the same course. They are not races but that doesn't stop those at the front.

If you want the tour de france experience then do one of the L'etape events which are organised by the same people that run the tdf. Home - L'Etape California

L0n3Gr3yW0lf

Any events in the UK or South West UK?

Liz33

This is great, I'm in that area. Thanks for sharing

Liz33

Yes, yes, I know. Sorry. I dont see the revelance of your question to my question but if you insist... I'm riding total of 40 miles 4 times a week
to go to school (20 miles each way) and then 100 miles total on the weekend (50 miles each way) I do very little elevation, less than 300 ft on those roads. I haven't try yet to see how far I can atually go yet without bonking or feeling like I'm dying tired out there. These rides are very pleasant. I don't hurry myself either, I just ride on a steady pace. I really don't know yet what I can ride at the moment but I would consider myself still a beginner level. I ride an old hybrid bike from Target I got 10 years ago. I will invest in a nicer bike when I reach my desire weight of 110 lbs more or less. So now tell me what d you have in mind? Any awesome rides you know of? I don't mind if it's 3000 miles long and 12000 ft in elevation. When I find the ride that makes my heart excited I'll train for that one and even ifit takes me 5 years training I'll make it, so my level right now is not very important for me.

fietsbob

Cycle Oregon carries all your stuff and caters food daily.. you do have a bit of Queueing

there are commercial companies following grand tour routes

a little while before or more probably after the race is done, and the roads are open to all traffic again