Seven of eleven races have been completed now. A racer's best five events are used in BUMPS scoring. I just completed my fifth race, so this popped me way up on the leader board, to the top in fact. I thought that might happen after the Mt Washington event, but earlier in the season I had no expectations of being near the top of the leaderboard. I'll take it though!
I suspect this will be very short lived, probably only one race. There are at least three guys (Eric, Gerry and Erik above) that have only four races scored so far and are faster than me. If any of them do one of the remaining four races, that will knock me off the top of the leaderboard. There are a few others that have done only three races and are much faster than me. If any of them do two of the remaining four races, that too will push everybody down a notch. Thus there are many opportunities for somebody else to claim the top title before the end of the season.
I may have the leader's jersey for only one race, so I just signed up for Burke Mountain to claim it. I suspect the yellow leader's jersey will change hands a couple more times before the last race in October. I'll miss the next two races after Burke, as I will be on vacation for Greylock and at the VT50 for Kearsarge. Hopefully I can replace my abysmal score for Ascutney at Burke.
From Sunday's Union Leader. They failed to mention I'm a research engineer.
Mt injured wrist is getting better very slowly. Still very painful doing everyday things, and most things I can't even do yet. I ride, but probably shouldn't. The rough roads left my wrist very achy for a while afterwards today, no doubt delaying the healing process. I plan to ride a shorter version of the D2R2 course on Saturday, the 115km route, with a hardtail mountain bike. The 2.2" tires with front suspension will help pamper my wrist. At 73 miles, 8000+ feet of climbing and 25lb bike, it still will not be a trivial ride. At least I won't be riding with the typical hammerhead pack this time, so maybe I'll actually enjoy it and not be such an ornery lad by Patten Hill.
4 comments:
Hi,
I am newby to these hillclimb races and I enjoyed learning about your rides. I preview the Burke hillclimb with my MTB last weekend. The climb had a very steep and the road is narrow. You need to keep the front wheel on the pavement and it is too narrow to zig zag. Does 34 X 36 is sufficient or would you recommend lower?
thanks,
Nancy
Nancy - that 25% grade section is quite a brute. I'm popping little wheelies each pedal stroke on both mountain and road bikes when I ride up that. How low to gear depends one how strong a rider you are and whether you like to spin or mash on a steep climb. Would have have been able to climb Burke all the way in your 32t ring with your MTB? Most riders would be able to make it on a 34x36, but the slower riders would certainly struggle on that quarter mile of 25%. A road bike is lighter and more efficient, and if your MTB is a 29er, the same gear ratio on a road bike is a little easier with 27" wheels. So keep that in mind when making comparisons.
Congrats on the PR and the jersey! I was torn between Burke and the stage race but ended up going for the stage race. Thanks for the info on the Equinox prime also. Good luck!
Thanks for the reply and for the advice. When I rode Burke with the MTB, I think the tire pressure (23 psi) was very low and it felted that I had a flat tire and wasn't moving. Maybe I didnt lock the suspension. Usually, I like to climb in the saddle and avoid to stand. I can do the 34 X 36 easily with the road bike and I will try it and hope for the best.
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