What do you call a big ride?

mak

🦷
Dec 27, 2019
445
493
uk
I don't have any parks or epic trails near me but I can peddle to some decent scenery and a blast around a few woods, I can only dream about those epic you tube vids of endless down hill runs and miles of empty space :rolleyes:

I am talking about leaving your house on the bike and getting back on the bike, no transporting .

I have done 2 rides now which i consider for me to be on the limit of enjoyment, its always in the back of my mind the further i go the more miles home is away.
Ok, so hears the thing both of my so called big rides were around 38 miles.

That's a mixture of road/ canal/ scenic trails and a few woods. Nothing to shout about so I guess just summed up as a bike ride but for me it would have to be something special to go beyond 40 miles, my average rides range between 10 and 25 miles.
I cannot even comprehend having range anxiety before butt or boredom anxiety set in. Any one else consider 38 miles a good ride out or am i just a light weight ;)

free photo upload


free photo upload
 

GrahamPaul

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Nov 6, 2019
1,127
1,088
Andalucía
A big ride? Over 110km, I guess.

These ones are just gentle jaunts:

1586280124276.png


1586280062085.png
 

Jamy

Active member
Sep 24, 2019
206
122
rotherham
yeah, I think 38 miles is a good ride out. I do not drive so all my cycling is started from home and I too, average between 25 and 35 miles. I have done a 55 mile round trip (Rotherham to Chesterfield on national cycle network route 67) anything more than 35 miles and I start to run out of steam
 

mak

🦷
Dec 27, 2019
445
493
uk
I am going to have to limit replies to the uk only, this takes into consideration no wilderness beyond your back door :) If I had views like that maybe I could muster up a proper day out (y)(y)

1586280612162.png
 

GrahamPaul

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Nov 6, 2019
1,127
1,088
Andalucía
I am going to have to limit replies to the uk only, this takes into consideration no wilderness beyond your back door :) If I had views like that maybe I could muster up a proper day out (y)(y)

Understood! :cool:

I lived for a few months in Berkshire 4 years ago. A big ride was managing to do 20 miles without getting into a fight with a car driver. :rolleyes:

Your views look great. At least you are able to get out and enjoy them at the moment. (y)
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
Author
Subscriber
Mar 29, 2018
10,496
10,702
the internet
Straight from the door and within a 5mile radius I have over 40miles of off road riding varying from Singletrack to doubletrsck and shared cycle/walking paths. It passes through woodland, forest, farmland and estateland.. Even if I do a 40mile ride staying that local I wouldn't call it a particularly big ride though as elevation is gentle with a highest point above sea level of just a few hundred feet.
If I ride 8 miles south of my house I'm into a proper hill range with 4 or 5 times the max elevation. I occasionally do a 35mile loop taking this in. Furthest point from home is probably not much more than 11miles (but quite remote).
Again though. I wouldn't call that a big ride either.
I'm used to riding in areas (40min drive away) where ascents of 4000ft in just 10miles are not uncommon though.

IMO no ride you can do on one battery with an emtb is a big ride.

80miles or more on the roadbike is a big ride. Or on a normal mtb 20miles and over 6000ft elevation.
Emtbs are only good for shorter rides of under 3hrs moving time really. Unless you carry a spare battery which I'd hate doing.
 

Zimmerframe

MUPPET
Subscriber
Jun 12, 2019
14,028
20,818
Brittany, France
Straight from the door and within a 5mile radius I have over 40miles of off road riding varying from Singletrack to doubletrsck and shared cycle/walking paths. It passes through woodland, forest, farmland and estateland.. Even if I do a 40mile ride staying that local I wouldn't call it a particularly big ride though as elevation is gentle with a highest point above sea level of just a few hundred feet.
If I ride 8 miles south of my house I'm into a proper hill range with 4 or 5 times the max elevation. I occasionally do a 35mile loop taking this in. Furthest point from home is probably not much more than 11miles (but quite remote).
Again though. I wouldn't call that a big ride either.
I'm used to riding in areas (40min drive away) where ascents of 4000ft in just 10miles are not uncommon though.

IMO no ride you can do on one battery with an emtb is a big ride.

80miles or more on the roadbike is a big ride. Or on a normal mtb 20miles and over 6000ft elevation.
Emtbs are only good for shorter rides of under 3hrs moving time really. Unless you carry a spare battery which I'd hate doing.

I have to say .. you've left me flabbergasted with your reply ..

I'm completely lost for words ..

I really thought you'd say, and I had €20,000 resting on this ...

16 stone.
 

Benson

Well-known member
Sep 19, 2018
279
239
Hampshire UK
Did 129 miles in one ride on a bike once, does that count? ? No motor involved though. My 700w ebike battery is only good for 35-40m though, elevation dependant.
 

Zimmerframe

MUPPET
Subscriber
Jun 12, 2019
14,028
20,818
Brittany, France
That's a mixture of road/ canal/ scenic trails and a few woods. Nothing to shout about so I guess just summed up as a bike ride but for me it would have to be something special to go beyond 40 miles, my average rides range between 10 and 25 miles.
Distance wise is probably what I would call average rides. I guess a lot depends on how you ride and what you want out of it. I did plod along a towpath the other week and after about 2 km's I was ready to drown myself from boredom.

So I'd guess you're pretty normal looking at averages. If you look at the EMTB forums strava group you're doing about what most people do (taking a rough average).

For longer rides .. I always find this guy impressive, actually, he's pretty good at all his cycling types. When I first started he was my inspiration to go faster, with no idea what fast or slow was, as I chased down his KOM's

For me, I call this a long ride.... Though I did catch up with one guy one day who'm I also now follow who was 3/4 way through a 1,500km ride ...... I think that probably is classed as a really long ride. He never puts his long ones on strava though, I guess his phone would go flat ! :)

602.4 km Ride Activity on May 25, 2019 by Urgo G. on Strava
 

jsharpe

Active member
May 15, 2019
181
185
USA
For me the main thing that determines how epic a ride is has more to do with elevation gain than distance.

Even though we are surrounded by 5 different wilderness areas (in which all forms of biking are not allowed) we still have about 850 miles of "trails" (once the snow melts). They are mostly single track but some abandoned double track, much of which is ridable directly from my house (on an acoustic bike, still working on those pesky e-bike permissions here in the US).

Any combinations/loops with over about 6000ft of elevation gain are ones I plan extra for and feel like I accomplished something afterward. Having said that, there are some hardcore locals (much younger/stronger than me) that don't think anything about doing double that (all on acoustic, with some crazies on single speed bikes, yikes! ) Note at most of our best trails have the added characteristic of being at moderately high elevation (9,000-11,000ft). Steep, long climbs at elevation are a lot tougher on these old legs than if they were lower down.
 

Flatslide

E*POWAH Master
Jul 14, 2019
265
250
Dunedin NZ
At this point, 30km is a big ride for me. This would involve 300ft uphill to start, then 1000ft downhill, a heap of flat-ish riding to reach the next hill and then 900ft uphill gravel forestry road and more downhill on the other side. This consumes around 55% of my 500W/hr battery over 2.5hrs. Speaking of which, the sun is out and it's 10am with afternoon rain forecast so I'm off for a hilly loop to get my exercise in :)
 

davarello

Well-known member
Oct 29, 2018
305
360
New Zealand
For me anything over about three hours starts to become a big ride, that's usually when the first twinges of cramp come along. For a ride to be epic it's all about the things you see along the way and the views - did the Old Ghost Road in February - 30km climbing to a mountain hut on day one and 55km mostly downhill on day two (needed two batteries)
1586316776567.jpeg
 

mak

🦷
Dec 27, 2019
445
493
uk
Theres a definitive line to be drawn between epic and bike ride, unfortunately most of us don't have enough environment around us to call epic, to be honest on a normal ride out I feel along way from home at around 15 miles on a push bike without any epic scenery knowing I have to pedal back along boring roads to get home .

When the weather picks up and the stigma disappears from driving out for exercise i will throw the bike in the van and head out to some proper destinations , although by the amount of cars parked in local woodland carparks around me nobody realises not using transport for excersice is deemed uneceptable :mad:
 

Frank_Denmark

E*POWAH Master
Patreon
Dec 17, 2018
312
530
Denmark
For me big rides er 3-4 hours in the saddle - I have Trailwatts spare battery.
Epic rides ares 5+ hours and 100KM
Love to do the long XC rides between days of trailriding

Did 5 full days in the saddle last summer in the Alps.
Plan to go 6 days around Mont Blanc in July
But I am afraid this plan will be postponed :cry:

Insta.png
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
Author
Subscriber
Mar 29, 2018
10,496
10,702
the internet
TBH the journey from the sofa to the front door and back is a BIG walk for me just now.
It's all relative init?
 

Zimmerframe

MUPPET
Subscriber
Jun 12, 2019
14,028
20,818
Brittany, France
TBH the journey from the sofa to the front door and back is a BIG walk for me just now.
It's all relative init?
It is, and if you can get the bastards who stole your sofa and dumped it 20 miles away to put it back, I'm pretty sure things will get a lot easier for you.
 

wildsau2

Active member
Jul 6, 2018
167
123
Germany, Karlsruhe
A big mtb ride for me is a whole day in daylight. 50km 1000hm in winter, 100km 2000hm in summer. my (very wise) mate said that winter rides count double ??
i did a 600, 400, many 300s with RR and Cx, but with Mtb 100 is enough
 
Last edited:

nickd164

Member
Jan 7, 2020
43
20
sheffield
I don't have any parks or epic trails near me but I can peddle to some decent scenery and a blast around a few woods, I can only dream about those epic you tube vids of endless down hill runs and miles of empty space :rolleyes:

I am talking about leaving your house on the bike and getting back on the bike, no transporting .

I have done 2 rides now which i consider for me to be on the limit of enjoyment, its always in the back of my mind the further i go the more miles home is away.
Ok, so hears the thing both of my so called big rides were around 38 miles.

That's a mixture of road/ canal/ scenic trails and a few woods. Nothing to shout about so I guess just summed up as a bike ride but for me it would have to be something special to go beyond 40 miles, my average rides range between 10 and 25 miles.
I cannot even comprehend having range anxiety before butt or boredom anxiety set in. Any one else consider 38 miles a good ride out or am i just a light weight ;)

free photo upload


free photo upload

I don't have any parks or epic trails near me but I can peddle to some decent scenery and a blast around a few woods, I can only dream about those epic you tube vids of endless down hill runs and miles of empty space :rolleyes:

I am talking about leaving your house on the bike and getting back on the bike, no transporting .

I have done 2 rides now which i consider for me to be on the limit of enjoyment, its always in the back of my mind the further i go the more miles home is away.
Ok, so hears the thing both of my so called big rides were around 38 miles.

That's a mixture of road/ canal/ scenic trails and a few woods. Nothing to shout about so I guess just summed up as a bike ride but for me it would have to be something special to go beyond 40 miles, my average rides range between 10 and 25 miles.
I cannot even comprehend having range anxiety before butt or boredom anxiety set in. Any one else consider 38 miles a good ride out or am i just a light weight ;)

free photo upload


free photo upload
Mak, is that Black Rocks? The ride you descibed sounds great to me. I'm riding up to Stanage Pole to get my exercise.
 

mak

🦷
Dec 27, 2019
445
493
uk
Mak, is that Black Rocks? The ride you descibed sounds great to me. I'm riding up to Stanage Pole to get my exercise.
Yes mate thats black rock, then i carried on past middleton top, from my house in Heanor its as much as i would wont to do for one ride because there's a fair few miles of road, i enjoyed it though.

The trouble is its always on your mind you have to ride back and most of it the same route you took to get there, that ride was just over 38 miles and left me with exactly 38% battery left which was a strange coincidence :) .

There's some big number quoted on hear for a big ride out but for me 40 miles is enough, i could do more but to make it interesting enough to achieve i would have to do a one way journey and have a lift home from the other end ;)

I think i also need to try those cycling short things with gel in because my arse hurts .
 

nickd164

Member
Jan 7, 2020
43
20
sheffield
Yes mate thats black rock, then i carried on past middleton top, from my house in Heanor its as much as i would wont to do for one ride because there's a fair few miles of road, i enjoyed it though.

The trouble is its always on your mind you have to ride back and most of it the same route you took to get there, that ride was just over 38 miles and left me with exactly 38% battery left which was a strange coincidence :) .

There's some big number quoted on hear for a big ride out but for me 40 miles is enough, i could do more but to make it interesting enough to achieve i would have to do a one way journey and have a lift home from the other end ;)

I think i also need to try those cycling short things with gel in because my arse hurts .
Ahh, I was born in Heanor and lived at Black Rocks for eight years. Sheffield now. What size battery do you have? 40 miles is more than enough for me and yes get some of them gel shorts, however I cant always be botherred to put mine on.
 

mak

🦷
Dec 27, 2019
445
493
uk
Ahh, I was born in Heanor and lived at Black Rocks for eight years. Sheffield now. What size battery do you have? 40 miles is more than enough for me and yes get some of them gel shorts, however I cant always be botherred to put mine on.

Its the 625 mated to the bosch gen 4 motor so plenty of juice left for bigger rides. To be honest the bike is a pleasure to ride with the motor off providing the drive train side of things is set up ok.

There's plenty of power in eco mode if you drop the speed and gears accordingly, tour mode has a ridiculous amount of power and is capable of most hills , emtb and turbo are not really needed unless i find myself at the bottom of an unachievable climb and think fu%ck it ill have a go at that :)
 

EMTB Forums

Since 2018

The World's largest electric mountain bike community.

555K
Messages
28,075
Members
Join Our Community

Latest articles


Top