Conference noted::bicycle

     Sorry, no practice. Bicycles are only allowed that one day out of the
    year.
    
      Chip (I'm waiting for my application/from a friend)

    	Maybe 1610 and 1611 were writing at the same moment.
    
    	Nah.
    
    	Scott

     Well, I know fellow noter Norm Flye and  I are two Digits hittin'
    the hill this Sunday.
    
     Who else out there in note-land is going to be there?
    
      Chip

    I'll be there.
    
    Phil

    Yep, me too, along with the rest of the lunatic fringe 40 year olds.
    
    This year is mega-granny-gear year. I'll be spinning a 24-24 through
    the hard parts, if needed. The 42-32 I used last year just didn't 
    cut it. 

     I'll be attired in my Tom Delorea special (if there isn't Klondike
    weather going on). I am getting a little worried about my gearing
    though. I'm going to be pushing a 39x28 (smallest). 
    
     I'm not planning on "racing it" per se. This is my first run and
    want to experience (actually survive) it. I'm taking the "be gentle,
    it's my first time" approach to this. I'm used to running 12x20 with
    42-53 in the front. I live in a fairly hilly area, but I don't consider
    myself a "premier" climber either. Just a cement head...
    
     Chip

    	As Chip alluded, the weather may be cold. I heard a
    	projected temperature of somewhere in the 50s.
    
    	Scott (Nope, I'll be warm and cozy in Nashua)

	I had been thinking, Mt. Washington sounds like fun, but this being
	my first year riding Mt Graylock on the 23rd is more my size.

	Have Fun!

	Wild Bill

    Chip - I'd think twice about running a 39-28. Check out some of the
    notes about last year's Mt. Washington hillclimb. Remarks were like
    "hardest ride I've ever done", etc. 
    
    I run a 52-42 with a 12-23 for training rides and rarely use the 12 or
    the 23. I can make it up just about any climb in a 42x32 if it's short
    enough. I did a trial run last year on Pack Monadnock (the last 300
    yards is a 20% climb) and thought I'd be okay with that gearing for Old
    George (Washington, that is). WRONG! There's no way to describe the
    cumulative effect of nearly eight miles of climbing. The best time last
    year was turned in by a guy on a touring bike with Alpine gearing -
    probably close to a 1 to 1 gear. His average speed was around 6 m.p.h.
    If you "spin" a 39x28 at 60 r.p.m. your speed is 6.5 m.ph. (with 700c
    wheels). That means you're grinding along at maybe 45 r.p.m. - or
    slower - in the steepest sections (between 1.8 and 3.8 miles and the
    last 50 yards).
    
    So far as the temp goes, 50� is balmy! It was in the 40's (bottom to
    top) last year and that climb was HOT - your body puts out so much heat
    you don't need more than a turtleneck and a regular jersey if it's that
    warm.
    
    See you there - I'll be on a blue Univega with HOT PINK handlebar tape
    - jersey undecided.
    
    See you there,
    Roger

    	Roger,
    
    	"jersey undecided"
    
    	You outta where a jersey.
    
    	Sorry, I couldn't resist.
    
    	Scott

    Last weekend I was on the summit (same day as the Kanc Century). The
    temperature was 28 with a strong and steady 40 mph wind that brought
    the wind chill down quite a bit. The nice part was that visibility was
    130 miles.
    
    Last year, at this time, I was on the summit with totally different
    conditions. Winds were at a steady 85 mph. The air temp. was 25 F and
    visibility was zero. Oh, it was 68 at the base that day with clear
    skies.
    
    Paul (thinking about it next year)
    
    
    

    Holy goose bumps batman! I will defintely be bringing a variety
    of clothing to adjust upon arrival.
    
    Thanks for the note on reconsidering my gearing. I have been for
    a few days. Unfortunately, I already have purchased the stuff I have
    now. If I have to "fred" parts of the climb I will. Being the cement
    head that I am, I'll probably pedal myself into cardiac arrest any-
    way.
    
     Sgt. Preston 

    Out of curiosity, what is the vertical climb of this race?  

     Re; <.13 = Same as last year :-) ... Sorry, couldn't resist. It's
    advertised as an average of 15% and the last 100 yards or so as
    22%.
    
     It likes like I'm the first rider to enter here from yesterday's
    ride. When I got there (approx. 7:10am) the report on top was 
    24 degrees with 40-50mph winds which gave it a windchill of -12!
    
     Worried me a bit. By the time we got started (approx. 9:30am)
    it had to have warmed quite a bit. In fact, the winds were no more
    than 10mph when I reached the top and it had to have been in the
    30's. It really wasn't as bad a climb as I expected. It was my 
    first ride. I took it very casually, settled into a cadence and
    just rode. I passed people, some passed me... I ended up with a
    1:46 at 4.7 mph. I approached it as a learning experience, that 
    was my only expectation.
    
     I learned a great deal. I need more gears (my smallest was 39x28).
    I over dressed because of the reports. Extremely overheated for the
    first 4 miles, not too bad for the last. I didn't bring anything to
    drink. A friend had told me that if you camel up prior to the ride
    you won't need any. I needed something after the first 4 miles. I
    will at least run a 34 in the back next year and keep the 39. I 
    think if I push a little I can take 15 minutes off (oh yeah, some
    Gatorade too and a little less clothing).
    
     You need to learn how to ride certain sections as well. I was
    frequently pulling my front wheel up. Once I came down a little
    slanted and had to put my foot down. Unless you're in the right
    place, you cannot remount because (at least I couldn't because
    of the grade). So you have to be very careful. I expect that it
    will be easier to lift the front wheel with smaller gears. Then
    there's the dirt. It is very easy to spin out (and stop dead).
    Again, you'll have the same mounting problem. Especially when
    you're out of the saddle in the dirt. You have to keep an eye
    on avoiding stones/rocks (wet) and loose spots. It's pretty
    greasey. So you have try and keep a smooth stroke even out of
    the saddle. 
    
     It was fun. I was really left with a sense of accomplishment.
    I heard the winning time was a :59.(?) something... Yeowww!
    What a monster! I didn't verify though. I took my pasta dinner
    and ran for home. I will be back next year. I plan on going for
    a sub-1:30.00.
    
     I have never experienced a ride like that before. Two guys went up
    on unicycles. Yup, they made it. There were quite a few women and
    they did very well. Parts of the ride were like a battle field though.
    People on the side of the road laying down, sitting and drinking,
    sitting and staring... one guy was yacking bigtime. One guy tipped 
    over after about a mile (???). There was even a "group" rest where
    there must of been at least 10 people just hanging out at one of the
    little turn-offs...
    
     That's my report. Wore my jersey (so did Norm Flye -- he  posted a
    1:19.(?) something). Can't wait until next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    
      Chip  
    

    Great weather this year, as was last year.
    
    This was my second time doing the ride, so my goal was to go faster
    than last year's 1:31. I finished this year in 1:26 so I was happy!
    It was extremely hot for the first half, especially since I was one of
    the few wearing a helmet. 
    
    Highlight of my ride: 36 minutes at the halfway point, which was five
     minutes faster than last year.
    
    Low point of my ride: Bonking just before the 7 mile point and crawling
     in for the last 3/4 mile, while women and children passed me ... well,
     maybe not children.
    
    Comments:
      o I don't recommend a helmet; next year I'll skip it. It's 9oz extra
         weight, and even worse - overheating.
      o Last year I drank Body Fuel, this year: water. I bonked this
         year! Back to carbo mix next year.
      o Gearing: Last year I used 39x34 the whole race. This year I used
         39x30 for the first half (and improved 5 min), then 39x34 for
         the second half. I think the best bet is to use the biggest gear
         that you can push. I think I might have been able to push the
         39x30 the whole way, but man - when it gets really tough I didn't
         think twice about going to my bailout gear. I think I'll only
         bring the gear that I want to ride in (39x30).
      o This race is much easier the second time! Time passed much faster
         knowing what was ahead.
    
    Some other results:
     o Well, not sure of any times really, since the results afterward were
       messed up. The results posted were 2 or 2.5 minutes faster than
       reality (some problem with clocks stopping & restarting). They also
       messed up the time of my teammate Dan Massucco who finished as 4th
       senior male, and gave someone else the medal that was really Dan's!
    
     o Martha Phinney from MKO competed for the first time; finished in
       1:51 which was good for 2nd place in the VET Women category.
    
     o Phil Johnson ... awesome ride. I'll let Phil describe his.
    
     o Top time was by Doug Tanner in (1:03 ?? Times messed up) and he shot
       off the front and rode solo to victory. Three riders followed (one
       of them a VET), then in 5th Dan Massucco in 1:08 (actual time).
       Of course I personally sacrificed my chance at the course record,
       since I was back blocking for Dan ... yeah, yeah, that's the ticket!
    
     o Top senior women: again, not sure of exact times, but around 1:18
       and 1:22. I had the pleasure of being passed by the lead woman
       (she started 4 minutes after me) -- very polite. As we were
       ascending the hairpin steep paved grade after 6 miles I heard "Excuse me,
       may I pass you on your left?" ... then she climbed out of sight.
      
    Can't wait for next year,
    Mark

    Well it's over.  I had trouble sleeping for two nights prior to the
    race because I was so anxious.  It was my first attempt and I really
    didn't know what to expect.  Finally, race day came and I must say 
    I don't know why they call it a race.  Save for a few elite riders
    it's a matter of survival.  Two miles into the race you couldn't care
    less about what anybody else was doing.  It's more like a mass start
    time trial, in sloooow motion (whopping 5.9mph avg speed).  The only
    thing racing was my heart.  1:20 min at 170 bpm (that's a guess, I didn't
    wear a heart monitor); that's a long time to be at the red line!
    
    I started with the Vet group and I rode a 42-30.  This seemed like
    enough gearing for the first two miles, but after that I was doing
    alot of weaving.  This became a problem when I got to the steep dirt
    sections in the second half.  I had to weave where many cyclists were
    taking a straight line.  Needless to say, I got in the way of a few
    people.  I think a 39-30 would about do it for me.  Of course next year
    I'll be saying a 39-32 would be ideal;  It's the man not the machine I
    guess.
                                
    The highlight of the race was the view on the way up.  It's a beautiful
    mountain, even if they did go and build a weather station, observatory,
    train station, auto road, and two large parking lots on it.
    
    The second high point was to see Mark Reid's green day-glo booties up
    ahead and pass him.  He whips my butt every week in the Marlboro TT, so
    it was nice to be able to pass him for a change.   
    
    Can't wait 'til next year.
    
    Phil

    Did they let you ride down?

    
    Re: .13 & .14, If you mean what is the overall verticle difference (I
    think you do), it's about 5000 feet (the top of the mountain is around
    6200, I think), making it more like a 12% grade overall. In any case,
    it's *very* steep.
    
    The thing that's great about this ride is that it's different every
    year. Factors of temperature, wind speed, cloud cover, precipitation,
    and not to mention training and equipment, all make the climb
    different. This is the third year in a row for me and by far the best.
    The weather was the best, my conditioning was the best, my equipment
    was the best, and, yes, my time was by far the best: 1:28:05. That's a
    long way from 1:50 my first try at it and 1:40:51 last year. 
    
    A word about gearing: you have to have a one to one gear, unless
    you're a Pedro Delgado or Andy Hampsten level of climber. Not only is
    it just plain easier, but I found I was less likely to spin my rear
    tire in the dirt or lift the front wheel because I was able to apply
    power more evenly throughout the entire pedal stroke with the easier
    gearing. This isn't what I would have expected but I was glad it was
    the case.
    
    Water: this year the air was very dry. When it's cool and dry our
    bodies tend to be low on water before we even start to ride. I downed
    at least a pint of water just before I went to the starting line and
    almost finished a large water bottle (20 oz., handlebar mounted) by the
    top. In damp weather (like last year) you can get away with less water
    but not much less.
    
    Clothing: It's really two rides in one - below tree line you can just
    wear shorts, warm socks, a long sleeved shirt, and yes Ed, I *did* wear
    a jersey. Above the tree line, you may/may not want a wind breaker and
    tights - that's about it, unless it's raining/sleeting/snowing. The
    problem is how to dress for both. The answer is that you can't.
    Fortunately, if it's above freezing, you don't have to worry much about
    it - you won't die and there are plenty of people around with radios
    and first aid, etc. to take you back down if it's too much. The best
    bet is to underdress rather than overdress, because you're putting out
    so much heat and the ride is really fairly short (it just *seems* like
    forever) and stuff a windbreaker and tights in your jersey pockets,
    just in case. 
    
    The best part about this year's ride was the weather at the top: we
    were above the clouds but they were scattered enough so you could get a
    pretty good view. At some point between six and seven miles up, I
    looked over the edge to my left and saw the dot that represented the
    parking lot where I'd started from - it was quite a rush. Although it
    was cool, it was nice and warm in the sun: I got sun/wind burn as a
    matter of fact.
    
    The last two years I swore I wasn't going to do the climb the next year
    but by the time the application came in the mail in August, I'd changed
    my mind. I was astounded that I bettered my personal best as much as I
    did this year and I'm tempted to "quit while I'm ahead" but I have a
    feeling that the mountain will call me back again next year. Maybe I'll
    try to do it in 1:25 next year.
    
    Roger

RE: The thing that's great about this ride is that it's different every
    year. Factors of temperature, wind speed, cloud cover, precipitation,
    
    The road surface is also different from year to year, depending on
    recent rains and gradings.
    
    Sounds like y'all had fun.
    
    ed

    Is drafting allowed?
    
    
    Rod

    Mt Washington is a road race and not a time trial.  Drafting
    is allowed.  Use of a bungie is not permitted.  :-)
    
    ed

    The winner's average speed was probably about 6mph.  So I'm not
    sure how much drafting will help.
    
    Phil

    If the winner finished in 1:03, his average speed was quite a bit
    better [:-)] than 7 mph since the road is 8 miles long (I think
    it's really 7.6, but it has been a long time since I have ridden it.
    
    ed

    re: .20
    
    I considered drafting but I didn't bring my board and t-square with me.
    
    Seriously, though, drafting didn't make much sense at 5 m.p.h. What
    *did* seem to help above tree line was switching from one side of the
    road to the other, depending on the wind, and getting into a tuck, of
    course.  
    
    rw
    

    For the top riders drafting did help.
                                   
    Dan Massucco drafted someone almost all the way
    up, then blew his doors off with an attack near
    the summit.
    
    I would imagine that the benefit is psychological
    since if you have someone on your wheel, you have
    to be wondering "when is he going to pass?" thus
    being psychologically defeated.
    
    The drafting may also help a little with the very
    strong winds that come whipping down the auto road
    at MUCH more than 7 MPH.
    
    Of course the only drafting I did was when that
    powerhouse of a woman passed me  ;)   
    
    Mark

    Hey guys, this doesn't sound so much different than a Mountain Bike
    ride.   :^)
    
    Do they allow us second class citizens to ride at the same time as
    roadies?
    
    ...Many grins, but serious
    
    bob
    
    

     You can use anything that classifies as a bicycle. There were
    two guys with unicycles!
    
     The most annoying thing about this ride is you can only "practice"
    once a  year!
    
      Chip

    RE: 27
    
    Actually, I have a friend who takes his mtn bike up during the summer
    at night.  Pick a night with a clear full moon, and start riding at
    about 3:00am.  Catch the sunrise at the top and get back down before
    they open the road at 7:00.  The park ranger 'said' he didn't mind
    as long as you wen't around with an open road - and he did mention
    that you shouldn't cut it any closer than 6:30am in case they let
    some car in early.  I didn't get to do it this year, but it's a must
    for next summer.
    
    mark

    That does sound like a must do....what a downhill!
    
    bob

    
    Little late entering here.  I finished again this year with about the
    same time as last year.  Finished about 1:18-1:19 something.  I was
    trying to find my lungs and forget when I shut the computer off.  I had
    tried to out sprint someone up the 22% grade.  I would have had him had
    I not hit a pothole.  I got a couple of pedal strokes without going too 
    far.  Every year I seem to hit something on that last 50 yards.  Last
    year it was a rock.  
    
    
    							Norm
    
    

     I received the standings this weekend from the Mt. Washington folks.
    Here is the noteworthy stuff (If I miss someone please forgive me):
    
     NOTE: 16 rider finished better than last year's winning time!
           FAST FIELD...
    
     Sr. Mens   (and fastest time) Doug Tanner  1:05.13 (yeooow...)
     Vet. Mens  (6th overall) Cliff Keeney....  1:08.11
     Jun. Men   (20th overall) Scott Elliot...  1:11.23
     Mast. Men  (48th overall) Art LeBlanc....  1:17.01
     Sr. Women  (57th overall) Kathy Swanson..  1:19.25
     Vet. Women (195th overall) Liz Geraghty..  1:35.36
     GMast. Men (219th overall) Charles Allen.  1:40.09
     Jun. Women (253rd overall) Kathy Marcoux.  1:48.29
     GMast. Women (361st overall) Jan DelVechio 2:30.00
    
     Last  Person... Bill Bedard (Sr. Men) 379th overall... 3:04.50
    
     Yours truely... 249th (62nd of 96 Vet. Men) ..... 1:46.35
     Mark Reid...... 126th (94th of 205 Sr. Men) ..... 1:26.09
     Phil Johnson...  70th (11th of 96 Vet. Men) ..... 1:20.35 nice ride!
     Norm Flye......  55th (43rd of 205 Sr. Men) ..... 1:19.20 nice ride!
    
     Yup, can't wait 'till next year!
    
       Chip
     

    	Chip,
    
    	You, Mark, Phil, and Norm are aminals!!!
    
    	Scott

     "'Ol Ken Olsen had a farm... E-I, E-I, OH
      and on his farm he had some cows, E-I, EI, OH...
    
      With a cluck-cluck here and moo-moo there..."
    
        :-)
    
               Chip