What's the new 'epic'?

[sundial]

What, you've never been on a ride where things went horribly wrong?

Yeah, especially during a full moon.....

[emily_in_nc]

I hadn't heard this term used to describe rides when I was a frequent road rider. Now that I have at least one friend who does, lets call them "significant" mountain bike rides (as contrasted with the easy ones I do!), I have heard the term "epic" used, and hearing about a few of the rides he so described, I agree!

So yeah, I think it's more of a mtb lingo thing.

Emily

[7rider]

side note : I don't think I've ever used the word epic to describe one of my rides.

Me either. That's why any ride reports I do post end up in the cycling related discussion and not adventure stories. I don't think I'd ever get over the bar!

[Zen]

I've given this a lot of thought. Too much, in fact.
I had a dream that I was out riding with Diving Biker and we ran into this guy on the road. He looked like Harry Potter,was wearing a morning coat, and had just walked back from getting a new tire at a bike shop in a nearby town.
He was walking because he was such a purist he wouldn't accept a ride.
He was riding and unnamed custom bike with wooden fenders.

I still haven't come up with a word.

When I think of 'epic', I think of the Iliad and the Odyssey or some too-long movie that involves lots of fighting and period costumes.

I considered 'Adventure Ride' but that sounds like an amusement park.
Maybe a word that ends in '-ian' as in "That ride was Fredwinian"

No, huh?

For Zen...Using Irulan's Urban Dictionary as a guide, I'd recommend you request that they use "kicka$$" in all places described as "epic" and see where that takes you!

I like kicka$$.

[sundial]

I had a dream that I was out riding with Diving Biker and we ran into this guy on the road. He looked like Harry Potter,was wearing a morning coat, and had just walked back from getting a new tire at a bike shop....

Are you sure you only had plums?

[Zen]

Fermented

[Irulan]

I hadn't heard this term used to describe rides when I was a frequent road rider. Now that I have at least one friend who does, lets call them "significant" mountain bike rides (as contrasted with the easy ones I do!), I have heard the term "epic" used, and hearing about a few of the rides he so described, I agree!

So yeah, I think it's more of a mtb lingo thing.

Emily

I don't know that it's possible to have an "epic" on a road bike. Anytime you can call someone to come and get you, that is an automatic disqualifier.

[divingbiker]

I've given this a lot of thought. Too much, in fact.
I had a dream that I was out riding with Diving Biker and we ran into this guy on the road.

I don't know whether to be honored or frightened by this.

[VeloVT]

Bikesnob NYC recently had some fun with the Rapha copy.

Personally, I think Rapha makes some beautiful things... Not only am I perilously tempted by the jerseys even though I don't like wool, I am seduced by the $45 cycling cap, the $15 dollar, 500ml bottles (currently happily using 24 oz bottles with LBS logo, maybe $5.99 each?)... And I am actually taken in by the copy...

But at the same time, Rapha doesn't exactly conjure up "testosterone" for me...

[SadieKate]

I splurged on Rapha wool socks at one of the Handmade Bike Shows. The most heavenly wool socks I own and that includes Dahlgren alpaca wool socks.

My tootsies are worth it.

[NbyNW]

What, you've never been on a ride where things went horribly wrong?

Hmm . . . this probably goes back to experience being relative, but -- my definition of "horribly wrong" is an unscheduled trip to the ER. Been to the ER, just not as the footnote to a ride. And I wouldn't call any experience that ends in the ER "epic."

The rest I can pretty much deal with. Maybe I'm a calm person, or maybe there's a reason why I pack too many Luna bars and too much water. I find it very rewarding to be exhausted, rained on, sore, starving, and absolutely shattered because I've worked for it, more so if road blocks popped up that I didn't expect, and I was able to handle them.

. . . . or maybe I'm only having fun when I'm miserable?

[Brandy]

I don't know that it's possible to have an "epic" on a road bike. Anytime you can call someone to come and get you, that is an automatic disqualifier.

I'll disagree with you. I'd say I had an epic day yesterday. Totally solo and self supported in the San Gabriel Mountains. 106 miles and 15,000 feet of climbing!

It was epic for me on several levels and one of those IS that I had so many bailout points...just ride down the mountain and to my car...AND no one to keep me out there and accountable...YET, I kept going and did my most challenging century to date. Epic by anyone else's standards? I don't know. By mine? Definitely.



Here's a map of the mountains so you can get a better idea...

[Zen]

Elevation graphs do not automatically make something epic.

[Kalidurga]

Yeah, but the feeling inspired by conquering those elevations could be very epic.

Forget the standard dictionary definition of the word for a moment and get into the colloquial connotation that's developed around it. Tag the word "duuuude" onto the end and it and it takes on a totally different feel

[Zen]

Today may be epic