Anyone who deals with bicycle racing and/or extreme sports will sooner or later come across the term “Ultracycling”. But what exactly is Ultracycling?
If you run more than the usual marathon distance, that’s Ultra-Running. If you add distance to the set triathlon distances, that’s an Ultra-Triathlon. So, when you do Ultra-Cycling, do you just ride more than… well, what? The big cycling races are not defined by distance; for example, the route of the Tour de France changes slightly every year. Therefore, there is no fixed definition for Ultracycling.
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Many athletes simply understand Ultracycling as more cycling. Further than normal day races. Longer than usual stage races. More elevation gain than regular mountain rides. Or simply more hours in the saddle than a person is normally awake at a stretch. |
"More" describes Ultracycling quite well – it’s basically about finding out how much strain a human body can endure. Because often, in addition to truly gigantic distances, the Non-Stop Rule is a distinguishing feature between cycling races and Ultracycling (but not always, and what Non-Stop means, you’ll find out in a moment).
Are races like the Tour de France not Ultracycling?
More cycling than what usually comes to mind for a normal person… that actually applies to many cycling races. Are the big multi-stage cycling races and Ultracycling not the same then?
In fact, these races don’t differ much while the riders are on the bike. It’s pedal, pedal, pedal… But there are two crucial differences:
- In stage races racing is done during the day, the clock is stopped in the evening and it only continues from the next start. In Ultracycling, time is usually measured non-stop. This leads to severe sleep deprivation, more on that below.
- Additionally, the organization around is a completely different matter. While lots of support awaits the cycling pros at the world-famous races, Ultracycling challenges are often organized in some form but are usually self-supported on the road. That means: No team vehicle with a chief mechanic, spare parts, or even entire spare bikes in tow. No drink stations. No pasta party before the start. No massages for knotted calves. Self-sufficiency is the order of the day.
Non-Stop Ultra-Cycling
Many races in Ultracycling are run according to the Non-Stop Principle because there are no daily sections after which the riders could take a breather. The clock runs from the start to the finish, often for days! This leads to athletes often allowing themselves only one to two hours of sleep before getting back in the saddle. Non-stop also makes relatively small distances or short times like 500km or 32 hours a real hell ride.
These ultracycling events not only require outstanding fitness, they also demand experience, honest self-assessment, and good planning. Especially when the ride self-supported is, finding cozy sleeping spots on the way can be difficult, so these events really push riders to the limit of their endurance!
Ultracycling with Timing or Time Limit
Do you need to grab the stopwatch for ultracycling? It depends... Image © Veri Ivanova on Unsplash
Regarding the use of a stopwatch, there are three variants in ultracycling:
Ultracycling can certainly take on a race character with timing, award ceremonies, and all the trimmings. In some races, you are encouraged to compete against yourself, to mobilize the last bit of energy, and to beat your personal best times. In other races, you compete head-to-head against the other participants.
Especially in longer rides, there is no timing in the actual sense. When in Ultra Distance Cycling thousands of kilometers are to be conquered, there is often no timing, but there is a time limit in which participants should reach the finish. There is then no winner, but a lot of “finishers”.
Option number three: If you set off on your own to cover a particularly large distance, you can naturally determine your own time frame.
Ultracycling is usually self-supported
If an ultracycling bike race is aimed at self-supporters , there is no assistance from the organizer. Riders are completely responsible for food, water supplies, luggage, and bike repairs. Depending on what the organizers prescribe, outside help is either completely forbidden or at least self-organized. Here, not only the athletic ambition is put to the test, but also organizational talent, self-sufficiency, and independence are tested.
Often, the transport of luggage is also up to the riders, so the bike is loaded in the best bikepacking manner wherever possible. If no time limit is given, ultra-cycling can even take place with a cargo bike or luggage trailer!
Ultra Endurance Cycling
You will most frequently find two types of ultra cycling races, some span an ultra-wide distance, while others last ultra-long. In both cases, endurance is put to a tough test.
Ultra Endurance Cycling by Distance
500km on a bicycle is already a lot for a normally athletic person. So how do 3000, 5000, or even 10,000km sound? Such ultra-long challenges are considered as Ultra Distance Cycling. Here, you just have to endure and demonstrate endurance (English: "endurance").
But let's start small – even distances of 500km can be Ultracycling and severely test your endurance. We're talking about 500km in one go and without a break, so non-stop!
When crossing a continent or a mountain range, during a "Race across France" or "Race around Austria", several thousand kilometers come together, and the rides are thus considered Ultra Distance Cycling. As you read above, there is no set definition, but from about 3000 to 4000km, a tour or race can call itself Ultracycling . In the Trans Canada Bike Race in 2022, the world's longest route was ridden, namely an incredible 12,500km! Whether there will ever be a new edition of this challenge is unfortunately not yet certain.
But it can also be vertical: A special challenge is to collect not kilometers, but elevation meters . There are athletes who break world records in climbing, experience the highest peaks, or cross the Alps, but a particularly popular Ultracycling Challenge is "Everesting". The goal here is to collect elevation meters on the bike to reach a total of 8,848 meters, the height of Mount Everest. Where your elevation meters are exactly doesn't matter. You can ride some mountain passes in the Alps, repeatedly take a road through the low mountain ranges, or hundreds of times take the spiral of the exit in the parking garage. Plans like 10,000 elevation meters in 12 hours would also be true Ultracycling.
Ultracycling can also mean accumulating as many elevation meters as possible. The Alps and low mountain ranges then provide a spectacular backdrop. Image © Axel Brunst on Unsplash
Ultra Endurance Cycling – by Hours
In Ultra Endurance Cycling , participants must endure, sitting on the bike for 6 hours, 10, or 12 hours straight and covering the greatest possible distance in that time. In shorter road time trials , the normal sleep rhythm can still be somewhat maintained, in the next stage, it also takes on the day-night habits alongside the inner struggle.
Both in motorsport and cycling, 24-hour races are a well-known number. As a subcategory, 24-h-Mountain-Races, here it's not just about going around all night but also going uphill. Rides lasting more than 30 hours are then a real challenge, as there is no end of the day here either.
These ultracycling challenges push not only the fitness but also the endurance and concentration of the riders to the limit. A non-stop race over several days is then the extreme case.
Overall, we can state: Every ultracycling follows its own rules. The common denominator is: More. More kilometers. More elevation gain. More time in the saddle.
Do you ride ultracycling together or alone?
Ultracycling is available in organized form, either in a group or as a race. But solo riders also participate, often motivated by sponsors, a good cause, or simply a personal, unforgettable experience.
Ultracycling as a team, in the peloton, or as a solo rider – there are different approaches. There are organized gravel, bikepacking, or MTB events that can absolutely be considered ultracycling due to the distances or duration covered, where a joint start signal is given for all registered participants on a set date. Riding is done in the peloton, as a duo, in a team, or alone, depending on the speeds of the individual participants. In almost all ultracycling races, drafting – riding in the slipstream of others – is prohibited, except within a team or duo where support is allowed.
As a basis for ultracycling challenges , long-distance cycling routes can also serve, which are popular with bikers, such as routes over the Alps, the tracks of the Tour de France , or along the former inner-German border are good examples. Here there is no organized start, so you ride off whenever and however you like. When extreme bikers plan and ride such tours independently, it can indeed become ultracycling if the routes are sufficiently large. Since there is no time limit here, it is often referred to as randonneuring , which means long bike trips without time pressure.
What ultracycling events are there?
Over the handlebars into the sunrise – a familiar sight for ultracycling athletes at non-stop races! Image © Luca J on Unsplash
As you now know, there are many different extreme challenges for cyclists. This results in an equally diverse selection of ultracycling events. Here we have a small selection for you:
Race Across America
Approximately 5000 km from the west to the east coast of the USA, and these are conquered annually in an ultra-long bike race. In addition, there are about 52,000 meters of elevation gain on top. The clock runs the entire time, which means that riders allow themselves on average about 2 hours of sleep and rest at a time, no more. There is at the “RAAM ” different time limits for women (almost 13 days), men (about 12 days), and teams (about 9 days). Participants or teams of this ultracycling race are usually supported by a team that follows in a car with supplies, spare parts, and a sleeping place, so it is one of the rare supported races.
Trans Am Bike Race
The Trans Am meets route criteria similar to the RAAM, but it is completely self-supported. Here, it goes on racing bikes over developed roads, highways are to be avoided. The partner event Bike Nonstop US operates similarly, but it avoids heavily trafficked roads. This ultracycling race is therefore more aimed at an off-road audience.
Badlands
Badlands is considered one of the dream challenges on European soil. About 750 km and 15,000 meters of elevation somehow sound doable, so where is the “Ultra”? Here, the non-stop rule adds spice, the clock keeps running for five days, while the riders battle through the barren landscape of southern Spain. The entire race is self-supported, so participants must provide their own food, drinks, and bike repairs.
https://badlands.cc/badlands2023/
Terra Australis
Here, the ultracycling challenge consists of a completely self-supported 6250 km route from north to south across Australia. There is a recommended start date and a route plan, the rest you have to organize yourself. The individual time trial rule states that you are not competing against others but rather aiming for your personal best time. You are, of course, allowed to shop along the way and visit bike shops if you have a breakdown. However, the rules state that you must cross the finish line on the same bike you started with. Therefore, having a good bicycle is of utmost importance to prevent your bike from ruining the ultracycling with a total breakdown.
https://www.breathtakingevents.info/about
Ultracycling pushes you and your equipment to the limit!
Not only the riders who take on an ultracycling challenge must give their all, but ultracycling also places high demands on the bicycles and other equipment! When it comes to equipment, it's about a healthy mix of low weight and high durability – and riding comfort is also an important factor.
Most ultracycling rides are done on endurance racing bikes or gravel bikes . In races like the Trans Am Bike Race, it could also Hardtails can be the right vehicle. Whether and which bike bags you need depends on how long you are on the road and whether you rely on self-support . And beware - since night rides are simply part of ultracycling , excellent bike lights, reflective vests, or high-vis clothing are often recommended or even required by the organizer!
Title image: Tim Foster on Unsplash
