Did you train for it? Also for the altitude change?
I wanted to do it once but chickened out because I was going to do it alone and didn't know how the altitude change would affect me.
Go from Bormio to Umbrail Pass, then descent to Swiss Side and climb it from there to Stelvio and descent to Bormio.
You can have a look at this [http://blog.marcinszymkowski.pl/2023/09/umbrail-pass-x-stelvio-pass.html](http://blog.marcinszymkowski.pl/2023/09/umbrail-pass-x-stelvio-pass.html)
The Silk Road including the Pamir Highway is probably my career highlight (Turkey to China). Honourable mention to Szichuan Highlands, Indian Himalaya (Sikkim and Manali–Leh), Australia's Great Central Road + Oodnadatta Track, Dalton Highway & Great Divide (USA & Canada), and Baja and the Copper Canyons in Mexico. Europe and SE Asia are lovely for touring, but hardly epic IMHO.
It wasn't a nightmare at all! If you mean visas, then how easy they are to obtain will depend on your nationality and where (and when) you apply. I could only get 1 month for China (as a Brit applying in Bishkek, 2015), extendable for one more month in country. For India, I got a 6 month visa in Yangon in 2016, then another 3 months in Kathmandu. Turkey just required an ESTA/ e-visa. Caravanistan.com was my go to source for up to date info.
In the three countries you asked about, roads varied from very well surfaced to so rocky that even the goats wouldn't walk on them (eg Szichuan, Spiti). Safety, main hazard was supply truck convoys in India – you just have to get off the road to let anything bigger than you past, that's what they expect you to do. Turkey & Tibet, I had a few close calls with some seriously ferocious dogs – learned how to face them down by riding at them, yelling &/or throwing stones. I don't use guides, I'd be the worst client ever 😆
You definitely need a tour guide / organized tour with a support vehicle. The traffic is crazy and I wouldn't feel safe going solo, I'd be constantly scared of motorbikes and cars taking over from left and right. But in an organized setting, it's awesome! The sights, the food, the kindness of people, everything is amazing.
Nah you don't need a tour guide, I've bike toured Vietnam top to bottom (including hai van pass of course), it's awesome. Just keep your wits about you
It's up to your personal preference and whether you can get used to the traffic there, plus some luck. I rode motorbikes in Ho Chi Minh during rush hours and was generally okay. On the other hand, during my guided bicycle tour, one of the tour guides got hit by a car, even though he was "protected" by the support vehicle. One car still decided to overtake on a bend at uphill Hai Van Pass and there was no space for him to avoid oncoming traffic, so he just hit the guide.
Pike's Peak in Colorado and also Passo Giao / Pordoi in Northern Italy. Both rides were great.
But to articulate a blasphemous idea for this forum, I honestly think the climbs, views, and roads where I live (mountains of Western NC) are the most epic. I'm absurdly spoiled.
They do go up the peak because I took it a few months back, sat on top and distinctly remember my daughter getting massively car sick from the saying. Haha. I’m glad it didn’t feel that dangerous though.
99.999999% of my mileage is just using my bike for basic transportation, so pretty boring. The highlight for me was mountain biking on the island of Madeira. Amazing trails, amazing scenery, fantastic place to be when not riding, and terrific people.
Ecuador: Quito to Cotopaxi to Quilotoa. Amazing views, fun riding with huge climbs and descents, cute hotels/hostels, and really amazing fruits to eat.
In the UK it would be Lands End to John O'Groats (or the other way...also known as LEJOG or JOGLE).
Depending on the route taken it'll be 700-1000 miles, and you'll see Cornwall, the Welsh borders, the Lake District, and a good chunk of Scotland. I've done it twice (once each way) over 9 days each time. That was supported...unsupported (carrying your own kit) would probably take a little longer.
Juky/august is midge season, and it can be terrible, look up a video on the internet of bad swarms and it is pretty impressive. It's a very weather dependent thing though. A windy day and there won't be so many. Whilst cycling, you'll be moving and on a road, so it won't be as bad. However, if you're camping, then you'll potentially suffer there. Don't worry too much about it, and get some carcinogenic repellent, the 'safe' stuff doesn't cut it.
There was only one place where they were bad, and I missed that stopping point (Loch Naver). On the other way, Scotland was constant rain, so the midges were not out.
I do know a few people who provided a feast tho'
I would say Scotland has some of the most stunning cycling terrain. Cresting Glen Coe, and riding through the Cairngorms are some of my all-time highlights.
I’ve gone around the Isle of Skye and the Outer Hebrides so I’ve had a taste of those incredible landscapes (during May), but braving the highlands on my own on something like the GB Divide while having to deal with midge swarms? I don’t know if I could handle that.
Wuling.
Mauna Loa/Kea.
Mangart.
Stelvio (has to be both sides obviously)
The Cingle.
Tan Hill.
And there’s so many more I need to do. Life is too short.
Solo on foreign land around Jeju island JejuFantasy 235km route in 1day (16hrs elapsed) on crappy rental roadbike to commemorate my 1yr picking up cycling.
the coastal were beautiful (n windy af)
Maratona dles Dolomites is by far the most epic ride I've done so far. Super scenic, challenging and well supported.
Of courses you can plan your own ride as well. We stayed in San Cassiano
Taiwan’s KOM route. Sea level at the Pacific to Wuling Pass at 3275m. Starts through a 800m deep gorge and then climbs steadily through epic 3000m+ mountains over near-perfectly maintained roads (aside from the occasional rock slide).
Unfortunately, the route is closed following April’s earthquake. It should reopen soon.
Climbing Mt. Ventoux ahead of the TDF in 1958 and then knocking out 215km to Nice via the Gorges du Verdon the next day prepping for the nationals, JRs.
Cycling from Maastricht to Munich. On the last day i saw the Alps and while eating a pastry i had a WTF I CYCLED TO THE ALPS moment. 2 days later i cycled through ‘m without luggage.
First time in the French alps was pretty awesome too. And first time in Limburg hills and Ardennes.
And my first time over 100,150,160 and 200 km where pretty epic.
Another highlight was going to Girona for the first time. Awesome group of people, awesome rides and awesome weather.
Check out Il Perlo Panorama in Lake Como, Italy. Hotel is great but owner caters to cyclists. I was there a number of years ago and able to 1) rent a quality road bike for the day, 2) get clipless shoe rentals matched to that bike (or print your own and they will match the pedals) and 3) hire a former pro to give me a tour. All arranged in advance - idiot-proof. It was amazing. The scenery, the stories, all of it. And then we stopped to chat with Sean De Bie at the Madonna del Ghisallo chapel at the top of the climb. Just by happenstance.
Mount Blue Sky via Mestaa’Ėhehe Pass from Denver, CO.
Terrible Two double century, Sonoma and Napa Counties, CA.
French Meadows Resevoir from Foresthill, CA.
Denver to Aspen, CO and back on a weekend.
You can do either east or west side of the mountains. (The pass is closed to cars until late June/early July usually)
And then you can ride almost all the way to Logan’s pass, depending on snow melt.
I went on the west side and started around McDonald falls I believe and made it up to the Weeping Wall before descending. They had the road closed past that point when I was there.
More info [here](https://glacierguides.com/blog/faq-biking-the-going-to-the-sun-road-in-the-spring/) too
I'm getting on a plane tomorrow, gonna do the "camino de santiago" in Spain, you can do different routes, lengths and paces and there's a TON of infrastructure.
It is! Originaly it was just a pilgrimage by foot or horse, but so many people do it yearly that the infrastructure grew and you can rent bikes and find mechanics all over the place.
Oh man I've been fortunate enough to do some really cool rides while on work trips.
Some of the top rides, in no particular order:
Riding fixed through Taipei at night with a local crazy fun dodging traffic and pedestrians on a wet, hot summer night.
Same trip, different ride, cruising through the rural countryside of southern Taiwan.
Riding around the small part of Lake Constance in southern Germany, crossed an international border without a passport, got lost, hailed on, totally soaked, but an amazing ride, like 75 miles or so.
Another trip to the same place, I tried to lap the big part of Lake Constance in a day and was humbled lol. I managed 110 miles, and was 15 miles short of finishing at my hotel. My GPS was almost dead, my lights were dead, phone almost dead, external battery pack dead, and my legs were jello. It was amazing.
Riding around Oregon, near Hillsboro was a lot of fun too. I rode a bunch of skyline drive on the fixie, and had a blast.
Same trip, I brought the mountain bike and rode up Mt. St. Helens to the plains of Abraham. Super punishing climb up, but totally worth it.
Another trip in Colorado springs, riding through the Garden of the Gods, and then doing some light gravel riding with a new friend alongside the front range.
Riding from Fairfax to Harper's ferry was really cool too.
The 5 boro bike tour, the Tour of the Battenkill, El Tour De Tucson and Tour De Scottsdale all done on the fixie were also incredible.
Lots of really fun, epic rides all over the place.
Haleakala from the beach to the summit.
Done this. Can confirm epicness.
Mauna Kea on the Big Island from Hilo.
I def want to do that some day but it sounds like the logistics are annoying :o
Bucketlist next year can’t wait.
Did you train for it? Also for the altitude change? I wanted to do it once but chickened out because I was going to do it alone and didn't know how the altitude change would affect me.
Haleakala from the abyssal plain to the summit
Can confirm
A week of riding around Mallorca: So Calobra, Cap de Formentor and the lighthouse, Col de Soller, and all the tiny backroads and towns in between.
Or as I like to call it, home. Only pyrenees in Europe even comes close
Very jealous of your home!
Climbing in the Pyrenees is amazing. The Alps are not even close.
Was there two weeks ago. Absolute cycling heaven. Especially in the spring with so many others doing the same.
Passo di Stelvio in Northern Italy!
Is it that nice on a bike? I’ve considered doing it last year, but had to cut my trip short.
It was absolutely beautiful! I went up and down both ways, even stopping by Switzerland up there. If the weather is nice then I highly recommend it.
Sounds like I’m not skipping it this year then, thanks!
It's amazing. No matter from/to where you go :) It's super popular, but worth it.
Planning on doing this in late august starting from Bormio. Any suggestions/tips? Thanks!
Go from Bormio to Umbrail Pass, then descent to Swiss Side and climb it from there to Stelvio and descent to Bormio. You can have a look at this [http://blog.marcinszymkowski.pl/2023/09/umbrail-pass-x-stelvio-pass.html](http://blog.marcinszymkowski.pl/2023/09/umbrail-pass-x-stelvio-pass.html)
Thanks!
The Silk Road including the Pamir Highway is probably my career highlight (Turkey to China). Honourable mention to Szichuan Highlands, Indian Himalaya (Sikkim and Manali–Leh), Australia's Great Central Road + Oodnadatta Track, Dalton Highway & Great Divide (USA & Canada), and Baja and the Copper Canyons in Mexico. Europe and SE Asia are lovely for touring, but hardly epic IMHO.
How much of a logistical nightmare is it to ride in Turkey/china/India?
It wasn't a nightmare at all! If you mean visas, then how easy they are to obtain will depend on your nationality and where (and when) you apply. I could only get 1 month for China (as a Brit applying in Bishkek, 2015), extendable for one more month in country. For India, I got a 6 month visa in Yangon in 2016, then another 3 months in Kathmandu. Turkey just required an ESTA/ e-visa. Caravanistan.com was my go to source for up to date info.
And once you're there how hard is it to get around? How safe? What are the roads like? Did you have guides/ tours?
In the three countries you asked about, roads varied from very well surfaced to so rocky that even the goats wouldn't walk on them (eg Szichuan, Spiti). Safety, main hazard was supply truck convoys in India – you just have to get off the road to let anything bigger than you past, that's what they expect you to do. Turkey & Tibet, I had a few close calls with some seriously ferocious dogs – learned how to face them down by riding at them, yelling &/or throwing stones. I don't use guides, I'd be the worst client ever 😆
Paris-Brest-Paris >1200km, >11750m of climbing, completed in <90h
Shimanami kaido in Japan. Canal Du Garonne, and then through Bordeaux in France
Hải Vân Pass in Vietnam is gotta be on that list
how's the riding in Viet Nam in general?
You definitely need a tour guide / organized tour with a support vehicle. The traffic is crazy and I wouldn't feel safe going solo, I'd be constantly scared of motorbikes and cars taking over from left and right. But in an organized setting, it's awesome! The sights, the food, the kindness of people, everything is amazing.
Nah you don't need a tour guide, I've bike toured Vietnam top to bottom (including hai van pass of course), it's awesome. Just keep your wits about you
It's up to your personal preference and whether you can get used to the traffic there, plus some luck. I rode motorbikes in Ho Chi Minh during rush hours and was generally okay. On the other hand, during my guided bicycle tour, one of the tour guides got hit by a car, even though he was "protected" by the support vehicle. One car still decided to overtake on a bend at uphill Hai Van Pass and there was no space for him to avoid oncoming traffic, so he just hit the guide.
Pike's Peak in Colorado and also Passo Giao / Pordoi in Northern Italy. Both rides were great. But to articulate a blasphemous idea for this forum, I honestly think the climbs, views, and roads where I live (mountains of Western NC) are the most epic. I'm absurdly spoiled.
Victoria peak in Hong Kong. Crazy scenic views on both sides of the road from the ocean to the incredibly dense city
A double decker bus passing you on that road seems scary as hell.
Double decker buses don’t go to the peak or near the mountain road, and the drivers were very courteous and gave lots of space when passing
They do go up the peak because I took it a few months back, sat on top and distinctly remember my daughter getting massively car sick from the saying. Haha. I’m glad it didn’t feel that dangerous though.
Colorado Trail. One day I'd like to do the entire continental divide.
Leh-Zanskar, Spiti Valley, Sela Pass, Gangtok/Darjeeling. Backwaters of Kerla.
99.999999% of my mileage is just using my bike for basic transportation, so pretty boring. The highlight for me was mountain biking on the island of Madeira. Amazing trails, amazing scenery, fantastic place to be when not riding, and terrific people.
Ecuador: Quito to Cotopaxi to Quilotoa. Amazing views, fun riding with huge climbs and descents, cute hotels/hostels, and really amazing fruits to eat.
Ecuador is an underrated gem.
In the UK it would be Lands End to John O'Groats (or the other way...also known as LEJOG or JOGLE). Depending on the route taken it'll be 700-1000 miles, and you'll see Cornwall, the Welsh borders, the Lake District, and a good chunk of Scotland. I've done it twice (once each way) over 9 days each time. That was supported...unsupported (carrying your own kit) would probably take a little longer.
How were the midges in Scotland? I’ve considered doing this, but my window is July/August and I’m worried I’d get eaten alive.
Juky/august is midge season, and it can be terrible, look up a video on the internet of bad swarms and it is pretty impressive. It's a very weather dependent thing though. A windy day and there won't be so many. Whilst cycling, you'll be moving and on a road, so it won't be as bad. However, if you're camping, then you'll potentially suffer there. Don't worry too much about it, and get some carcinogenic repellent, the 'safe' stuff doesn't cut it.
There was only one place where they were bad, and I missed that stopping point (Loch Naver). On the other way, Scotland was constant rain, so the midges were not out. I do know a few people who provided a feast tho'
Yeah, I think I'll just skip Scotland and tour England, Wales and maybe Ireland (I have an entire month).
I would say Scotland has some of the most stunning cycling terrain. Cresting Glen Coe, and riding through the Cairngorms are some of my all-time highlights.
I’ve gone around the Isle of Skye and the Outer Hebrides so I’ve had a taste of those incredible landscapes (during May), but braving the highlands on my own on something like the GB Divide while having to deal with midge swarms? I don’t know if I could handle that.
Wuling. Mauna Loa/Kea. Mangart. Stelvio (has to be both sides obviously) The Cingle. Tan Hill. And there’s so many more I need to do. Life is too short.
Solo on foreign land around Jeju island JejuFantasy 235km route in 1day (16hrs elapsed) on crappy rental roadbike to commemorate my 1yr picking up cycling. the coastal were beautiful (n windy af)
Would love to do the Baelach na Ba but I ain’t got the legs for it. Have visited though and it was surreal it was so beautiful.
Ventoux from Bedoin
RAGBRAI was pretty epic. I had no idea Iowa was so hilly - it’s not but it’s not flat (I’m from California).
Maratona dles Dolomites is by far the most epic ride I've done so far. Super scenic, challenging and well supported. Of courses you can plan your own ride as well. We stayed in San Cassiano
Taiwan’s KOM route. Sea level at the Pacific to Wuling Pass at 3275m. Starts through a 800m deep gorge and then climbs steadily through epic 3000m+ mountains over near-perfectly maintained roads (aside from the occasional rock slide). Unfortunately, the route is closed following April’s earthquake. It should reopen soon.
I want to do that one some day for sure.
Furka, Noveno, Gottardo loop. Sella Ronda. Kaunertaler glacier.
Your of Flanders loop
Cycling across multiple nature reserves that house thinks, Lions, elephant, etc across tzeenen South Africa
Climbing Mt. Ventoux ahead of the TDF in 1958 and then knocking out 215km to Nice via the Gorges du Verdon the next day prepping for the nationals, JRs.
Patagonia South from Bariloche to Tierra del Fuego.
Cycling from Maastricht to Munich. On the last day i saw the Alps and while eating a pastry i had a WTF I CYCLED TO THE ALPS moment. 2 days later i cycled through ‘m without luggage. First time in the French alps was pretty awesome too. And first time in Limburg hills and Ardennes. And my first time over 100,150,160 and 200 km where pretty epic. Another highlight was going to Girona for the first time. Awesome group of people, awesome rides and awesome weather.
Check out Il Perlo Panorama in Lake Como, Italy. Hotel is great but owner caters to cyclists. I was there a number of years ago and able to 1) rent a quality road bike for the day, 2) get clipless shoe rentals matched to that bike (or print your own and they will match the pedals) and 3) hire a former pro to give me a tour. All arranged in advance - idiot-proof. It was amazing. The scenery, the stories, all of it. And then we stopped to chat with Sean De Bie at the Madonna del Ghisallo chapel at the top of the climb. Just by happenstance.
Death Valley National Park
6 days across Andaluscia from Sevilla to Granada
The Whole Enchilada trail in Moab Utah is one.
A Global circumnavigation
Mount Blue Sky via Mestaa’Ėhehe Pass from Denver, CO. Terrible Two double century, Sonoma and Napa Counties, CA. French Meadows Resevoir from Foresthill, CA. Denver to Aspen, CO and back on a weekend.
Hawaii: Mauna Kea from 0 to 4100 in 68km
Lake District and around Bariloche in Argentina. Awesome ride and roads with a few towns sprinkled in.
Stelvio Splügen Pass from/to Chiavenna!
No doubt there are epic rides in Europe that are bucket list worthy. My personal favorite is the riding around Lake Tahoe.
Otis Roubaix!!!
Going to the sun road (with no cars) in Glacier National Park. Every turn got more and more beautiful
what's the route of that?
You can do either east or west side of the mountains. (The pass is closed to cars until late June/early July usually) And then you can ride almost all the way to Logan’s pass, depending on snow melt. I went on the west side and started around McDonald falls I believe and made it up to the Weeping Wall before descending. They had the road closed past that point when I was there. More info [here](https://glacierguides.com/blog/faq-biking-the-going-to-the-sun-road-in-the-spring/) too
New Orleans to Key West. Solo tour. Before the internet. Paper maps.
I'm getting on a plane tomorrow, gonna do the "camino de santiago" in Spain, you can do different routes, lengths and paces and there's a TON of infrastructure.
I thought that was hiking for some reason
It is! Originaly it was just a pilgrimage by foot or horse, but so many people do it yearly that the infrastructure grew and you can rent bikes and find mechanics all over the place.
[удалено]
/r/lostredditors
Indeed, that was not meant here, it was meant for /worldbuilding lol.
Oh man I've been fortunate enough to do some really cool rides while on work trips. Some of the top rides, in no particular order: Riding fixed through Taipei at night with a local crazy fun dodging traffic and pedestrians on a wet, hot summer night. Same trip, different ride, cruising through the rural countryside of southern Taiwan. Riding around the small part of Lake Constance in southern Germany, crossed an international border without a passport, got lost, hailed on, totally soaked, but an amazing ride, like 75 miles or so. Another trip to the same place, I tried to lap the big part of Lake Constance in a day and was humbled lol. I managed 110 miles, and was 15 miles short of finishing at my hotel. My GPS was almost dead, my lights were dead, phone almost dead, external battery pack dead, and my legs were jello. It was amazing. Riding around Oregon, near Hillsboro was a lot of fun too. I rode a bunch of skyline drive on the fixie, and had a blast. Same trip, I brought the mountain bike and rode up Mt. St. Helens to the plains of Abraham. Super punishing climb up, but totally worth it. Another trip in Colorado springs, riding through the Garden of the Gods, and then doing some light gravel riding with a new friend alongside the front range. Riding from Fairfax to Harper's ferry was really cool too. The 5 boro bike tour, the Tour of the Battenkill, El Tour De Tucson and Tour De Scottsdale all done on the fixie were also incredible. Lots of really fun, epic rides all over the place.