[DVBC] RE: MT. Washington

Robert J Young ryoung at mlea.com
Thu Feb 1 08:45:45 EST 2007 

Wow!!  Well, that was the hard part.
Now all you have to do is ride up the hill ;-)


> -----Original Message-----
> From: dvbc-list-bounces at list.dvbc.org [mailto:dvbc-list-
> bounces at list.dvbc.org] On Behalf Of Pazos, Javier
> Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 8:45 AM
> To: dvbc-list at dvbc.org
> Subject: RE: [DVBC] RE: MT. Washington
> 
> I logged on at 6:03.  During my registration process, my connection froze
> up and stalled.  I managed to log back in at 6:21, and by then 309 people
> had already registered.  I'm guessing it sold out somewhere between 6:45
> and 7:00 AM (less than an hour).
> --Javier
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dvbc-list-bounces at list.dvbc.org
> [mailto:dvbc-list-bounces at list.dvbc.org]On Behalf Of Robert J Young
> Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 8:32 AM
> To: dvbc-list at dvbc.org
> Subject: RE: [DVBC] RE: MT. Washington
> 
> 
> Congratulations!!  I checked the site at 7:30 this morning and saw that it
> was sold out already!  Do you know when it closed out?  When did you
> register?
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: dvbc-list-bounces at list.dvbc.org [mailto:dvbc-list-
> > bounces at list.dvbc.org] On Behalf Of Pazos, Javier
> > Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 7:44 AM
> > To: dvbc-list at dvbc.org
> > Subject: RE: [DVBC] RE: MT. Washington
> >
> > I'm in!
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: dvbc-list-bounces at list.dvbc.org
> > [mailto:dvbc-list-bounces at list.dvbc.org]On Behalf Of Robert J Young
> > Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2006 12:54 PM
> > To: dvbc-list at list.dvbc.org
> > Subject: [DVBC] RE: MT. Washington
> >
> >
> > I also did the Mt. Washington Hillclimb year before last.  My wife did
> it
> > the year before that.
> >
> > A few of extra thoughts in addition to Javier's good advice:
> >
> > 1.  The ride is actually more about endurance than hill climbing.  You
> are
> > using VERY low gearing and putting in a hard, steady effort for
> something
> > between one and two hours (a VERY respectable time for amateurs is
> 1:30).
> >
> > You don't need a very steep hill to train for this.  You can find the
> > longest moderate grade hill that is convenient and use a big gear. The
> > idea
> > is to get to the point where you can crank out a steady wattage for one
> > and
> > a half to two hours.  Frankly and ironically, riding the flats in a hard
> > headwind would be perfect training.
> >
> > 2.  That said, the grades at "the rockpile" are pretty outrageous and
> you
> > will need to get used to riding  18-22% grades.  There are quite a few
> > nice
> > hills in our area that fit that description.
> >
> > 3.  Actually, the biggest trick to doing the ride has become signing up
> > for
> > it!  The website starts taking reservations on Feb. 1st.  The cost is
> > $300.00.  On March 1st, the price drops to $200.00.  The first year
> Linda
> > and I signed up; I got to the office at 4:30 am on March 1st and managed
> > to
> > get our reservations in at the $200.00 level.  The ride sold out (limit
> of
> > 600 riders) by 9:00 am.  The next year, the count on the web went over
> 500
> > on the 13th of Feb!  We had to hurry to get in at the $300.00 level
> (sold
> > out that night)!!  Last year, the ride closed out by 9:00am on Feb. 1st
> > (less than 3 hours)!!!!!  If you want to do it, you will need to be VERY
> > fast and be on the site EARLY in the morning on the 1st.  Apparently the
> > ride has gotten very popular since it's been featured in so many
> > publications in the last couple years!!
> >
> > Oh.  By the way.  My gearing was 24-32 and I barely managed to break
> 2:00
> > ;-)  Almost got blown off the bike too (there is no preparation for the
> > weather on Mt. Washington)!!!!
> >
> > > ------------------------------
> > >
> > > Message: 2
> > > Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2006 11:08:16 -0500
> > > From: "Pazos, Javier" <Javier.Pazos at GEOSC.com>
> > > Subject: RE: [DVBC] MT. Washington
> > > To: <dvbc-list at dvbc.org>
> > > Message-ID:
> > > 	<B27761372ADBA945BF5A4D2E50063EE90763BAED at GEOMAIL.geosc.local>
> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> > >
> > > There is nothing around here that can prepare you for what you'll
> > > encounter on Mt. Washington.  Besides being seven and a half miles of
> > non-
> > > stop steepness, the weather is notorious.  A couple of the years I did
> > it,
> > > there were 50mph and 60mph winds.  If you get blown off your bike on
> an
> > > 18% grade, there's no getting back on.  My advice would be:
> > >
> > > 1:  Put in a lot of miles and a lot of hills.  Make sure to include
> long
> > > efforts (1-2 hours at high heart rate)
> > >
> > > 2:  Get REALLY low gearing on your bike.  A 1:1 ratio or lower is
> > > recomended as your low gear.  I've been able to do it with a 38/34 as
> my
> > > low gear, but if I do it again, I'll look into getting a compact
> > crankset
> > > so I can have a 34/34 (1:1).
> > >
> > > 3:  Approach it like a time trial.  There are calculators (go to the
> Mt.
> > > Washington forums) that can estimate your finishing time based on how
> > long
> > > it took you to finish other hillclimbs (you might want to look into
> some
> > > of them as prep.).  Race it almost as you would a TT of similar
> > duration,
> > > except only use 90% of the effort you would use in the TT; you're
> going
> > to
> > > need that extra 10% when you get above the treeline and hit the
> weather.
> > >
> > > 4.  Another exercise that might help is to go out one day when the
> > weather
> > > is bad (especially if it's windy), find a steep hill, and pedal up
> very
> > > slowly.  Try trackstanding a couple times on the hill while fighting
> the
> > > elements.  Keep practicing until you feel confident that you can do it
> > > without falling off the bike--even when you're completely exhausted.
> > >
> > > You are now as ready as you'll ever be for Mt. Washington.
> > >
> > > -Javier
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: dvbc-list-bounces at list.dvbc.org [mailto:dvbc-list-
> > > bounces at list.dvbc.org]On Behalf Of GERALD BURHOP
> > > Sent: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 7:24 AM
> > > To: dvbc-list at list.dvbc.org
> > > Subject: [DVBC] MT. Washington
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Is anyone planning on doing the Mt. Washington Hill Climb in 2007?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Does anyone know of some good training rides with long steep hills?  I
> > > heard there was a ride somewhere in the Poconos, does anyone have any
> > info
> > > or know the route?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > -------------- next part --------------
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> > > ------------------------------
> > >
> > > Message: 3
> > > Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2006 11:11:49 -0500
> > > From: "Pazos, Javier" <Javier.Pazos at GEOSC.com>
> > > Subject: [DVBC] Touring bike
> > > To: <dvbc-list at dvbc.org>
> > > Message-ID:
> > > 	<B27761372ADBA945BF5A4D2E50063EE90763BAEE at GEOMAIL.geosc.local>
> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> > >
> > > Doug,
> > >
> > > I am thoroughly unimpressed by your touring escapades.  Now, if you
> get
> > > yourself a real
> > > <http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=lt&page_id=39650&v=ei>
> man's
> > > touring bike for the next ToPA, then I might think about changing my
> > mind.
> > >
> > > -Javier
> > > -------------- next part --------------
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> > > ------------------------------
> > >
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> > >
> > > End of DVBC Digest, Vol 13, Issue 42
> > > ************************************
> >
> >
> >
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> 
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