As per title really, which is the world's most epic mountain bike race and why?

Absa Cape Epic?
Iditarod Trail Invitational?
La Ruta De Los Conquistadores?
A.N.Other?

Let battle commence!

tour de france, enough said its the most epic bike race.

round the world ???????????

Post edited for flatback.

Idditabike?

GDR – end of thread.

Is it 'Hit the North'?

Trans Rockies always looks fairly epic when on Sky.

It has to be this years puffer!!!

GDR or Iditabike!

yes now the title is changed to mtb race from just race, i think iditabike would be prety amazing to finish,though i would love a crack at trans rockies

maybe the mega avalanche is pretty epic to, not to long but epic

Transrockies, I would say.

soggy bottom series (plymouth) fact.

Montezumas Revenge
Summit County, Colorado USA.
24 hours solo race where the top riders cross the Continental Divide 10 times. Over 35,000+ feet of climbing.

http://www.montezumasrevenge.com/

Unfortunately they are not holding it at the momment.

Trans rockies
Cant be tour de drugs its not a Mountain bike race

What about that one in Nepal that was featued in STW? IIRC

That would be Himachal I think..For me probably the Great Divide, 3 odd wks, 2500 miles? & **** bears now thats HARDCORE..

The GDR isn't officially a race, so a stage race like Cape Epic or transrockieswould fit the bill for a normo to enter.

what about the one that runs the length of africa, it's so hard core anyone who finishs joins the EFI club.

EFI stands for Every **** Inch

For all those saying not Le Tour as it's not a mountain bike race, one could happily argue that anyone riding a bike up and over several mountains in one day is indeed taking part in a mountain bike race! 😉

I thought GDR stood for great divide RACE. It would have to be this or the iditabike the others dont come close. Unless you go back to the earlier days of the Tour de France when they raced 5000+ kilometres (at times on what we would now call off-road on essentially rigid singlespeeds) before they shortened it to suit TV.

Trans Rockies – no way. Mate has done it, he's only a bit fitter than me (and I'm no superman – just about scrape top 25% in most things).

Cape Epic – easier than TR, I've been told.

La Ruta – considering it's only three days, it seems pretty epic.

Iditabike – possible.

What's that one in Australia?

Take your pick: http://www.tourdafrique.com/epictours

The South America one looks amazing. And you can do them as either a stage race or JRA.

trans rockies, enough said.

The Tour Divide must be more epic than the GDR as it's got an extra bit on the start. Canada to Mexico unsupported with multiple crossings of the Rockies, if anyone's not heard of it.

That or the full-length Iditabike.

A friend of mine rode the Tour Divide as part of his training to ride the full-length Iditarod Invitational, so that tells you which way round he would put the two events.

My mate's done some of the well known ones including Trans Rockies and only failed to complete the Cape Epic – got fed up with riding in sandy conditions.

A friend of mine rode the Tour Divide as part of his training to ride the full-length Iditarod Invitational, so that tells you which way round he would put the two events.

I think I'd agree with him.

Just had a quick look – GDR is a race so Im going with that but Iditarod looks brutal as well so it would be a toss up between the 2..

Yak Attack – if your not born in high altitude you're never ever ever ever going to win or even get close. On average superfit mortals finish 15+hours behind the locals. Just finishing is an achievement plus you don't get to go higher or come down further anywhere else on earth. Sounds about as epic as it ever gets.

i read this to get ideas and it seems to keep coming back to the GDR and Iditabike.Personally found the GDR harder the Iditabike,alot of climbing,altitude hurts,hard to keep motivation on an often boring route for days.Each to there own i suppose.

2retro4u
Marin County, Cali

There's a GDR type race in South Africa as well (no, not the Cape Epic) which goes from east to west.

Apparently this one is an absolute beast… Racers riding over corrugated roads can suffer from internal bleeding and stuff…+ aussies are harder than anyone, fact
http://www.crocodile-trophy.com/trophy/the_race.html