I'm looking for some future goals, something to train towards in the nature of long, hard technical endurance mountain bike rides.

A couple which I want to do this year are (out of the Dark Peak Mountain Biking book);

Hope Valley Killer Loop (60km / 2354m ascent)
Lord of the Loops (105km+ / 4022m ascent)

Are there any others which are notable? I'm looking for something to do after Lord of the Loops, a tick list if you will, so rides over 100km in length with over 4000m total ascent. I'll include smaller ones if they are worthy 😉

I'm not looking for fire road / country lane rides. I'm no downhill rider but I do like my XC to be technical.

Location not important.

Also, if anyone wants to join me then feel free to drop me an email.

The Afan Monster Enduro looks good in Sept. I would be interested in doing it with you.

@Limy

Are you thinking of doing the 75 or 100?

SDW in a day? Not technical, but hard work and nice views.

I've got a multi day Peaks epic guide somewhere. Think it was for 3-4 days, but could probably be done in 2 with some long days and a bivy bag.

Get High Street bagged, double black in the Lakes VG book.

Well… I suppose the West highland way is the topical one at the moment. Doing it over two days gives two fairy technical/rough 75km days. As has been proven repeatedly recently, doing all 150km in a day is very possible, and would be a pretty epic achievement.

Have a look at Rob Lees website. Some tough rides on there.

CRC marathon series – the selkirk last year was really good

Kielder 100

Make up some of your own. This weekend a mate and I did Glentress Black, Red and Innerleithen (riding between). Cracking ride, Quality trails but pretty hard going even though it was only 🙂 50miles

As has been proven repeatedly recently, doing all 150km in a day is very possible, and would be a pretty epic achievement.

Now there's a challenge 🙂

@jonb

I rode the Selkirk one in '07 (I think) when it was sponsored by Merida – it was great fun but very very muddy that year and had to cut my ride short. Thinking of doing some again this year.

Hardest organised event I've done was the Margam 100km enduro. Some serious climbing in that 🙂 The same year I did Thetford in under 5 hours, Margam was going to take me 8 1/2 so I jacked it in after three laps because my poor wife was waiting for me to come home…

Yup, +1 for the entire loop of High Street, its a big day, although never particularly technical.

Mary Towneley Loop on the Pennine Bridlway is 50-odd miles and a reasonable day out, although can easily be extended by adding on a few extra bits especially around Hebden Bridge.

Literally endless options for long rides in Scotland – take a look around Cairngorm area for a start.

CRC Marathons etc will always be there if you run out of imagination 😉

hardest ride I did was the Brighton Big Dog course (when it was the G2 revolver). 7 mile lap and 2000ft of climbing/lap. a number of riders were doing 10+ laps in 8 hours which is a lot of climbing and it was pretty technical too…

All the trail at Brechfa or at Afan in a day.

The length of the brecon beacons in a day?

Some of the transwales day routes could be adapted I suppose.

+1 for the Mary Townley loop,although I can't recommend doing it on rigid singlespeeds like wot we did on saturday….i still feel pretty broken today.
I generally try and make all my proper rides 80k/3000m ish jobbies (3 in the last week!) so I've got quite a few routes sorted-mainly mid/northwales/snowdonia region.
Can point you in the right direction.

121km coming up v.soon at the West Drayton Off road sportive.

Wales end-to-end off road?

Current record 22hrs 24mins 49s (by Dave Buchanen)

route

Ridgeway, say Dunstable to Avebury, or bits in-between?

Hmmmm Slight hijack…. Anyone have a spare Kielder entry? PM please.

145km, +5800m
Grand Raid Verbier-Grimentz. Bonne Chance

2nd the grand raid.

Try the Trans-Provence. No one day is what you are looking for, but put 7 of them together and proper technical single-trail it is pretty challenging.

grc

Quite liking some of the above and might also do some longer multi-day rides too.

Been reading some of Rob Lee's articles, very inspiring. I'm going to give WHW in a day a go, sounds like a nice challenge.

Wales end-to-end off road?

Current record 22hrs 24mins 49s (by Dave Buchanen)

route

Anybody got a GPX file for this. Satmap won't seem to let me download unless I have one of there gizmos.

Thanks

Welsh Ride Thing? 120 miles, 20000ft of climbing

gotta be the grand raid.
oh, the Mary Townley and the Pennine Bridleway South (MTL – Middleton Top) is rather 'challenging'.

silly enough?

Did the Lord of the Loops in the Peak a few weeks ago. Great ride, 11 big(ish) climbs, and 105km. Get an early start though as it's an all dayer.

The Trans Cambrian Way (100miles) is on the "to do" list. Am aiming to do that in a day, then bivvy out and ride back the next (on the road). Might need long daylight hours for that!

Of the one's I've done:

Helvellyn and High Street in one day.
Three day circuit of the Cairngorms.
Two day circuit of the lakes. (Threlkeld, around Lonscale Fell, Keswick, Watendlath, Seathwaite, Styhead Tarn, Wasdale (take the Southern most of the three bridle ways from Styhead Tarn down,) Burnmoor Tarn, Eskdale, Hardnott Pass, Duddon Valley, Walna Scar, Coniston, Tilberthwaite, Chapel Stile, Camp, Loughrigg Terrance, Ambleside, Jenkins Crag, High Street, Pooly Bridge, Old Coach Road around Clough Head, Threlkeld.)
West Highland Way in a day.

@ Kendal

West Highland Way in a day.

How did you get on with that one? How hard was it? Would you recommend it?

Cambrian Way, 100 miles but nice scenery and remote.

A couple that I've got vague plans of doing some time in the future are The Eppynt Way, about 75km around the Sennybridge training area, and a multi day cheeky epic loop up The Severn Way and back down The Wye Valley walk, about 350 miles altogether.

not mtb but 3 peaks cx?

Paris-Roubaix. Have to wait 2 years though for the next one.

English C2C (woodcocks) plenty of techy stuff there.

WC2C record is now set by Rich Holmes in a time of 20hrs 10min.(enduranceracing.co.uk)

A Lakeland MTB 3 peaks? Skiddaw – Helvellyn – High Street

Lukla to Namche Bazaar, tough and techical, wicked 800m climb towards the end, the altitude will getcha.