Cyclist Magazine - Cyclist Ride: The greatest cycling routes in the world

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The world wasnt built flat. So its just as well that bicycles have wheels and humans have legs. Show any cyclist a road that points uphill or, for that matter, tips downwards and they will want to explore it.

There are few greater thrills in life than simply jumping on your bike and going for a ride somewhere new, somewhere unexplored. But where to go? Thats where we come in. We have picked 50 rides from the pages of Cyclistmagazine, every one of them ridden from start to finish by our intrepid writers and documented by some of the very best photographers, to help you discover some of the most glorious ride destinations in the world.

There are, of course, the giant European mountain ranges of the Alps, Pyrenees and Dolomites, made famous by the great riders of the past in races such as the Tour de France and Giro dItalia. But we go beyond those, for example, to what is technically the biggest mountain in the world, in Hawaii; to the mighty Pikes Peak in Colorado; and even to the lowestroad on Earth, in Israel. And thats in addition to some of the finest places to ride a bike in the British Isles, including the roads that brought Yorkshire global fame when it hosted the Tour de France in 2014.

The choice is yours. All you need is a bicycle.

Distance: 130km(81 miles)

Elevation: 3,989m(13,087ft)

Renowned as some of the most beautiful mountains on the planet, the Italian Dolomites also deliver as tough a riding terrain as youll find anywhere.

T here can be few betterseals of approval for the region of Alta Badia in the Italian Dolomites than the fact that a host of pro riders use it as a training playground. Vincenzo Nibali one of only six riders in history to have won the Tour de France, Giro dItalia and Vuelta a Espaa has often sent the locals into a frenzy with his appearances here. But even without that commendation, the savagely beautiful landscape would be enticing.

The Dolomites are a rugged realm of stark, serrated mountains, glacial landforms, echoing valleys and pristine meadows festooned with bluebells and edelweiss. There is a bewildering array of climbs to choose from, but this ride starts in Corvara, nestled in Val Badia at the foot of the horseshoe-shaped Sella Massif. As well as tackling the mighty Passo Giau you will also battle the 2,057-m (6,749-ft) Passo Fedaia, the summit of which is adorned by the sparkling waters of the Lago Fedaia.

First, however, you must cross the Passo Gardena and Passo Sella. Fresh and fun but with a surprising kick, the 2,121-m (6,959-ft) Passo Gardena feels like the glass of Prosecco before the hearty primoand secondoof the Fedaia and Giau. The climb involves a 9.6-km (6-mile) ascent out of Corvara and crosses meadows dotted with clusters of pine trees, piles of firewood and mountain chalets. The tarmac is smooth and the gradient averages 6.2% as you climb ever higher into the gnarled peaks.

The descent to the base of the picturesque Passo Sella lasts for 6.2km (4 miles) before the road rises 373m (1,224ft) over 5.45km (3 miles) at an average of 6.8%. The climb hits 9% in the middle, but youre rewarded with sweeping views of the mountain scenery on the drop to the valley town of Canazei.

Next up is the slow, steady eastward assault of the 2,057-m (6,749-ft) Passo Fedaia.