Bill:
Thanks for digging that up. Very interesting. Actually, had I been able to maintain a 4mph pace on
the steepest ascents I'd have been sitting pretty. The problem is that I was often dropping below 3
mph, which is a pretty scarey proposition when you're looking up at the crest of Hokusai's *Wave*. A
lot of cursing and spastic arm and body gyrations.
--
--Scott
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> Scott, Ok here you go in the MoM folder:
http://community.webshots.com/user/ipedal-date The Mt
> Lake road is the one in the center of the pic heading toward the
lake.
> Those are some brutal climbs. You got nothing to be ashamed of not making
the
> thing on Mt Lake. The grades are bad enough but negotiating a 37%
switchback on
> a bent at a time, if you were like me, when your thighs are on fire really
makes
> it tough. Plus, by the time I hit the 30%'er on 3 States, I'd had almost
as much
> fun on hills as I could stand for one day. I don't think an Aero, or really any bent with high BB,
> is the answer.
Feet get
> so high it seems like it changes the "ergonomics of pedaling" if that
makes any
> sense. Or maybe any bent. It gets so difficult to balance at 4mph and my
front
> wheel was light enough to hop sideways a couple of inches at one point. bill g
>
> Freewheeling wrote:
>
> > I wonder what Delorme says about the Mountain Lake and John's Creek
Mountain
> > climbs on the MoM? A few of us on this newsgroup have done that ride (although I was the
> > slowest). The final, and toughest, climb doesn't
start
> > until after mile 100. I might give it another shot if I get an Aero.
> >
> > --
> > --Scott
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> >
> > "a&b" <
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> > > Scott, Thanks. I think I surprised both myself and a bunch of roadies that I was able to stay
> > > with some of the groups on some of the climbs. My goal was
first
> > > to not walk 'em and second to not be last up in a group. I did ok
until
> > > the lung chunker/thigh burner at mile 80. I had to stop twice on the last 400 yds. As far as
> > > the grade, I'm just going by Delorme(1). If you look at the link to ChattBike, the profile of
> > > Lookout Mtn, or
my
> > > TOPO pic you can see where the road turns straight up the grade at
about
> > > ~1100' from the top. There are two transitions in that section. The first goes from a grade of
> > > 1 (my first bail, er, strategy session) to between 21-25 in the
next
> > > 50' and stays in the 20's for the next 200'. (There were actually
DF'ers
> > > doing the back and forth across the road switchback thing like the
pros
> > > in the SF Grand Prix last year.) Then you get another transition (2nd place I stopped). It
> > > goes from a grade of 4-5 for the next 100' and builds to a max of 33% in the 300'. It doesn't
> > > maintain that for long but the remainder is still in the
mid
> > > to high 20's. A true knee-burner even with my 16" low. What was funny was all the water
> > > bottles, some full, that folks
chunked
> > > at the rest stop immediately before or on the climb. Good luck on losing your 20% "Grade".
> > > Seriously. bill g
> > > (1) Wasn't it Disraeli that said: "There are Lies, Damned Lies, and Delorme" ;-)
> > >
> > > Freewheeling wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Congratulations, that's quite an accomplishment. I'm a bit
skeptical of
> > the
> > > > 33% grade, because there just aren't many of those critters in the
> > world,
> > > > but I haven't seen it. I don't think I've ever been up anything
that
> > steep
> > > > that was longer than a short driveway, and I had a run at it. I
think
> > > > sections of the Mountains of Misery were around 20% with one
category I
> > and
> > > > one category II, and they were no fun. I'm skipping it this year,
until
> > I
> > > > can find a way to reduce my weight burden by about 20%. Maybe that
> > Atkins
> > > > diet would do it.
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > --Scott
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> > > >
> > > > "a&b" <
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> > > > > Mtns mash back!!! I got a wild hair at 2am Sat morning and decided to mosey the
150miles
> > > > > to Chattanooga, TN and do the "3-State 3-Mountain" Century ride
this
> > > > > past Saturday. Steven H. on his ti-Pursuit, and one other idiot,
er, I
> > > > > mean, fellow benter, on a VRex, were present, otherwise no other
> > bents.
> > > > > Needless to say it was kinda of a lumpy route:
> > > > >
http://www.chattbike.com/events/3_state/3st100.htm One of the reasons I went was to see if
> > > > > I could do the climbs as
well
> > as
> > > > > how it would be pedaling and balancing with my feet at essentially
> > head
> > > > > level. Things went pretty well until Lookout Mtn at mile 80. Described by Steven as "that
> > > > > Bataan Death March". A 2.3 mile climb, it averages
an
> > > > > 11% grade but finishes with @ 700 yards of 33% according to TOPO
USA.
> > > > > What a bugger. A 16" gear felt like I was pulling a piano. I was
at
> > > > > 4.5mph for the majority of the thing. Stopped twice on the 33%
> > section,
> > > > > but made it to the top pedaling. Anyhow. OTOH The AERO continued to amaze other riders on
> > > > > aerodynamics. One guy
said
> > > > > "I was going 48mph and you passed me with your brakes on." Would I do the ride again?
> > > > > Maybe. On a bent? No. Some pics and TOPO's of a couple of the climbs:
> > > > >
http://community.webshots.com/user/ipedal bill g
> > > > > (1a) My effort at spin
> > > > > (1b) TomS, "Subject" footnotes, neener ;-)