Cyclists - Have You Been on an "Epic" Ride?

After my first ride of the year, my mind started to wonder what the definition of an "epic" ride really is. This topic was discussed with my riding partner and therefore this article was born. I will discuss how I feel many of cyclists use this term wrong, as well as explain what the true meaning of an "epic" ride is. During the next couple of paragraphs I will define "epic", give you a sample of my personal "epic" ride, and also explain why I feel that many use the word too lightly.

First, the term "epic" means the following:
Noun-
1) heroic; majestic; impressively great: the epic events of the war. 2) of unusually great size or extent: a crime wave of epic proportions. 3) a long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds. Adjective-
1)very imposing or impressive; surpassing the ordinary (especially in size or scale); an epic voyage ; of heroic proportions ; heroic sculpture .
2)Surpassing the usual or ordinary, particularly in scope or size: A vast musical panorama . . . it requires an epic musical understanding to do it justice (Tim Page).
3)heroic; majestic; impressively great: the epic events of the war.
There are many definitions, mostly about literary works, and if you would like to see them for yourself go to, www.dictionary.com.

After reading these definitions, my suspicions were confirmed. When many bikers go on a ride that was about 10 miles long and took them 2 hours to complete, they did NOT go on an "epic" ride. They might have meant to say that they went on a "Wonderful ride", "Awesome ride", or even a "Killer ride." I just don't agree that they in fact went on an "epic ride".

Let me give you a brief summary of the ride Adam and I went on in Montgomery, WV. The weather was unseasonably warm and it was amazing that we were able to be on our bikes the first day of January rather than on our skis. We jumped on our bikes right outside Adam's front door without looking back. We were exploring the best of Montgomery, WV and our hearts were pumping. The temperature was in the Mid-50's with rain threatening our fun. What was so great about this trip was that we did not intend for it to become an epic ride. We started out strong, climbing slowly to our destination.(Well I was climbing slowly) After climbing 1500 feet for about 7 miles, my legs were getting weary. Half way up the mountain, Adam and I split a granola bar (which tasted like it was 2 years old) and continued our trek upward. While riding this unknown territory, my mind was racing, and my legs were burning. The trails were unlimited We crossed so many intersections and I'm sure we uttered the words, "We'll do this trail next time", at least 5 times. It was wonderful until the rain started to fall. I didn't mind it at first, but the more it rained the colder the temperature got. I wasn't prepared to ride such a journey, so I wore the wrong riding gloves, socks, and shoes. I will never make that mistake again. The downhill was fun It would have been better if I wasn't crying, yes, I cried. I couldn't feel my face, feet, or hands. Nevertheless, the ride reminded me of the time Adam took me on a 40 mile ride in the New River Gorge area. Maybe I'll share that story at a later time?

The reason for the last paragraph is to give you a vivid image of my definition of an "epic". First of all, it took 41/2 hours for us to finish this ride. My emotions took a roller coaster ride, as well. I felt happy, full of life at the beginning, and by the end I was overcome by a mixture of anger and sadness. My ability to push myself farther than my body could handle was challenged, and right before I went to sleep and gained full feeling of my fingers, I had obtained that feeling of accomplishment and happiness.

To end this article, I will now discuss why I feel that some bikers have used the wrong word when trying to explain an amazing ride. I am in no means trying to put people down for wanting to share their experiences on the trail, I am merely trying to clarify the choice of words that many use. First of all, maybe those who use the word " epic" really go on epic rides, for example; "The route follows old stalking tracks that are falling into disrepair due to lack of use. There are no real route finding problems if you ride anti-clockwise as described. It should take 4 to 7 hours to ride depending on your level of fitness, but would not be a good place to ride in bad weather." (http://www.offroadadventures-online.com/). Now that is what I call an epic Some riders go out and have a great day on the trail and instead of using appropriate adjectives, they simply say that their ride was "epic". Can you see where I am going with this?
In conclusion, maybe riders are using the word "epic" when they should be using the word "euphoric". Euphoric- euphoria, n. A feeling of great happiness or well-being. I can think of many rides that I would consider euphoric .