Thanks Patrick. I tend to overgear and go out too hard in time trials, I'll plan to try and stick to your advice and apporach this a bit more conservatively.

Good luck out there Saturday!

Mark Edwards
Team Bicycle Trip
SCCCC

Mark:

I think it's hard to generalize since climbing is so "individual". I can tell you where I think I went wrong at least for me. Since the first couple of miles are not too steep mostly (even with a downhill or two), I think I spent to much time in the big chain ring or otherwise overgeared trying to muscle over the rollers. As I noted earlier, this is not a climb like Mt. Tam which hits you right away and allows you to get into your aerobic climbing mode. It's tempting to try to maintain a fairly high speed in a big gear, but I found that was difficult to sustain in the last third of the course.

I guess I would suggest maybe trying to spin a little more than you think you need to and being a little conservative if you have never done the course before. I wouldn't say it's a superhard climb by itself, but to do it at a consistent high intensity level without any drafting or lead is a challenge (especially if there's a hot downslope headwind). Your elevation profile sounds pretty accurate. The first really steep stretch is around the 1,000 foot elevation sign and the second one is close to a ranch house around where you hit some hairpin turns. The route has a lot of leveling off points in between steeper stretches but for the most part they don't allow for much recovery (in my opinion).

If possible, I am going to try to ride it again early tomorrow morning to see if I am able to figure it out better for me at least.

Good luck!

Patrick Gordis, GPC

If only I could pre-ride the course.... unfortunately the race will be my first look at the course. I have a topo that looks like there are two main steep climbing sections, one about half way, then the other covers the last mile. Does that seem accurate? If anyone cares to share any tips I'd sure appreciate it (pacing, landmarks, false summits...)

Thanks,

Mark

The start will be just inside the Northgate entry kiosk, and the finish will be by the ranger residence which is just before (100 - 200 yards?) the actual junction. Registration is at Northgate High School.

Rick M.

Test rode the North Gate approach as a mini time trial today. Although I have ridden the route a fair number of times in the past at endurance pace, I found it much more difficult to time trial effectively than I had expected. It was very hard to find the right rythym and gearing. The grade varies so much from rolling to quite steep and there was a pretty strong downslope wind also to disrupt your pace. My goal had been to ride as steady and constant a power output as possible, with the goal of ramping it up gradually after the 1,000 foot elevation sign which has some of the steepest grades. I found it was more difficult to maintain a steady cadence and maintain the power output than I had anticipated.

So, if you are aiming for a good result here and you can find the time, I suggest doing a test time trial to figure out your gearing and pacing over the course of the route (although I am not actually sure exactly where it starts or ends).

Patrick Gordis, GPC