Wish me luck. Good news: looks like light wind. Bad news: cold and possible rain/mixed precip. Anyone gonna be there?

Best of luck to you! I always like poor conditions - separates the tough from the not so tough. Causes some to worry more about the conditions then the racing, giving me a better chance at winning :thumbsup:

Let us know how it goes. I've always wanted to do that race.

I think it was Bob Roll during the TDF who was talking about this as being one of the biggest and baddest hillclimbs we have stateside. What is the length/gradients/elevation gain. (I figure if you don't know this off the top of yer head, you're doomed already) :)

Best of luck to you! I always like poor conditions - separates the tough from the not so tough. Causes some to worry more about the conditions then the racing, giving me a better chance at winning :thumbsup:

Well, there are "poor" conditions, and then there are Mt. Washington poor conditions. They are worlds apart. If you've never been on that mountain, you have no idea what I'm talking about. Having lived near there most of my life, I've hiked it many times, and have been at the top when the weather was really bad, and it's downright freakin' amazingly scary. "Light" wind up there is like 20+ MPH with gusts up to 40. Mt. Washington doesn't hold the unofficial title of worst weather in the world for nothing.

Good luck with the climb. It's a hard one.

I think it was Bob Roll during the TDF who was talking about this as being one of the biggest and baddest hillclimbs we have stateside. What is the length/gradients/elevation gain. (I figure if you don't know this off the top of yer head, you're doomed already) :)

Here are some pictures:

http://corey.prwdot.org/gallery/album10

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2006/aug06/washington06

can't seem to find any elevation maps right now..oh well

Thanks for the links. Great pics and fun article. Looks like a beautiful place to ride (barring the weather, of course).

Those pics make me wish I were in the mountains right now...Thanks for posting them! :thumbsup:

I think its cancelled for weather.

No, really? Redliner, are you out there? You know, I went on a ride here in boring, not very mountainous MA this morning, and we had winds of up to 25 mph. I can just imagine how fast they were blowing on the top of Mt. Washington.

If it really was canceled, do they reschedule?

No, really? Redliner, are you out there? You know, I went on a ride here in boring, not very mountainous MA this morning, and we had winds of up to 25 mph. I can just imagine how fast they were blowing on the top of Mt. Washington.

If it really was canceled, do they reschedule?

Here you go. http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2007/08/18/mount_washington_road_race_cancelled_due_to_ice_wi nds/

Len

Good Lord! That mountain sure lives up to its rep. I watched a documentary on why all the freaky weather up there, and also a bit about the poor guys who man the post up top during the winter. Looks just awful. Only the penguins in the Antarctic have it worse.

WTF is "rime ice?"

And, isn't that the most expensive 7.6 miles in the world? Not that I wouldn't be excited to do it, but the registration costs as much as like, 2 NRC stage races, right?

WTF is "rime ice?"


it's bad news for an 8 mile hill climb
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rime_ice

WTF is "rime ice?"

And, isn't that the most expensive 7.6 miles in the world? Not that I wouldn't be excited to do it, but the registration costs as much as like, 2 NRC stage races, right?

I guess you didn't run into any rime ice on the Marys Peak hillclimb today then :) Nice time though. It does seem funny to see the Fischer's donating the proceeds to Marys Peak to the Ryan McKnab fund - $15 a pop for 70 riders... that'd pay for 3 riders at Mt Washington's $300 rate - crazy.

Wonder why we don't have any brutal hillclimb races in the PacNW?? We've certainly got roads that could rival Mt Washington in terms of difficulty if not in insane weather... but all of our hillclimbs are on relatively tame climbs. The OBRA hillclimb is on Larch Mountain this year which is 16 miles as long and climbs about 2/3rds of what Mt Washington does. It's not like you'd have to restrict it to paved climbs.. half of Washington is gravel.

Well, there are "poor" conditions, and then there are Mt. Washington poor conditions. They are worlds apart. If you've never been on that mountain, you have no idea what I'm talking about. Having lived near there most of my life, I've hiked it many times, and have been at the top when the weather was really bad, and it's downright freakin' amazingly scary. "Light" wind up there is like 20+ MPH with gusts up to 40. Mt. Washington doesn't hold the unofficial title of worst weather in the world for nothing.

Good luck with the climb. It's a hard one.
Maybe , living nearby, you've heard that they had to cancel it, both days.I was deeply disappointed. The conditions were really too extreme. My sister has been driving bikers down for 17 years, and said she thought it was the worst wind she had seen up there. Temps in the low 30's and possible icing...I was very impressed with the riders. After hearing the announcement, knowing that the organizers agonized over their decision, and despite their own loss of a chance to do the ride, they broke into applause. Maybe out of relief, but more as a sign of respect to the organizer's decision. I heard no *****y whining about it at all. This would have been my 6th time. I hope I can get back there next year feeling as ready for it as I did this year. It's really a special atmosphere there.

And, isn't that the most expensive 7.6 miles in the world? Not that I wouldn't be excited to do it, but the registration costs as much as like, 2 NRC stage races, right?
If you ever come out to do it I'll save the spare bedroom for you. That should help with the finances.

If you ever come out to do it I'll save the spare bedroom for you. That should help with the finances.
Does that go for all your friends at RBR?

And, isn't there something like you aren't even allowed to just go ride it, it's a closed road or something?

And, isn't that the most expensive 7.6 miles in the world?

The event has become so well-known the organizers can charge whatever they please. It would not surprise me in the least if the cost went higher next year...and I'm sure it will sell out again.

I admire those who enter this event. However, people need to be reminded that true adventure does not always require a credit card.

There's an annual double century race here called LOTOJA (Logan, Utah to Jackson, Wyoming). It's billed as the longest one-day race in the country (I don't know if this is true). Regardless, it's grown significantly in popularity. In fact, it's quite fashionable in Salt Lake City to display the LOTOJA sticker in the back of your 40k+ SUV.

The entry fee is around $150 or so. I've trained with guys who do it every year and they tell me there's nothing really special to justify the entry fee. Like I said, it's so popular the organizers can charge whatever they please.

For comparison purposes, there's another double century in Utah called the Desperado Dual. Similar distance, similar elevation gain, and similar support. Entry fee is around $50. Go figure...

And, isn't there something like you aren't even allowed to just go ride it, it's a closed road or something?
2 races a year, the new one in July and the original in August and that's it. Ascutney in Vermont is a good practice road. Half the distance with all the severity. And you can ride it anytime.

It would not surprise me in the least if the cost went higher next year...and I'm sure it will sell out again.
I doubt it. Both races were cancelled this year. That's going to leave a bad taste with a lot of people.
I doubt they will be able to raise the price until Newtons Revenge starts selling out too. If that happens I would expect the price increase with the sliding scale.

Not that it really matters but this is a charity event/fund raiser. It accounts for more than half of the conservation centers total funding. Compared to TNT and other fund raisers the cost is not so bad.

Does that go for all your friends at RBR?
Maybe I should clear the condo that weekend and host an RBR gathering.
I'll work on it and have a go or no go before sign up in Feb.

WTF is "rime ice?"


Basically, when you have freezing fog with wind you get supercooled water dropplets that accrete as ice on the windward side of an object.

Rime ice is a common sight on the summit of Mt. Washington and other high summits in the northeast, and is also probably the most common form of aircraft icing when airplanes fly through clouds at altitudes above freezing level. Bad news to see rime ice accreting to your wing struts in an aircraft not equipped or certified for flight into known ice.

Here's a pic of the summit of Mt. Washington with rime ice accretion on an antenna tower:
http://www.stormchaser.ca/Snow_Blizzards/Mount_Washington_Climb/Mount_Washington_Climb_03.JPG

Well, there are "poor" conditions, and then there are Mt. Washington poor conditions. They are worlds apart. If you've never been on that mountain, you have no idea what I'm talking about. Having lived near there most of my life, I've hiked it many times, and have been at the top when the weather was really bad, and it's downright freakin' amazingly scary. "Light" wind up there is like 20+ MPH with gusts up to 40. Mt. Washington doesn't hold the unofficial title of worst weather in the world for nothing.


I've spent a good deal of time up there, skiing, climbing, and hiking, and even in the middle of the summer you can get serious winter weather and winds that'll knock your sox off. Even when it's baking hot down at Pinkham Notch, I don't think I've ever been on the summit with summit temps above 55-60 degrees and winds less than 20-30 mph.

I've made plans before to drive part way up the auto road in mid July so that I could hike and ski the Great Gulf, but the road was closed due to several inches of snow and ice on the upper road. I think that was back in '98 or '99?

Bummer that it was cancelled this year, but I can't say that I'm too surprised.

WTF is "rime ice?"

And, isn't that the most expensive 7.6 miles in the world? Not that I wouldn't be excited to do it, but the registration costs as much as like, 2 NRC stage races, right?

You know, it's frozen rime juice! Great with tequila and salt!

You know, it's frozen rime juice! Great with tequila and salt!

Shouldn't that be tequira and sart?

What is the length/gradients/elevation gain.


7.6 miles in length,
4650 feet elevation gain
average grade, 12%; extended sections of 18%
last 50 yards 22%.

I think the last third or so is unpaved.

Zing!

Shouldn't that be tequira and sart?

Oh-Ray!