Although there are still a few notable road events left in this season’s calendar (particularly The WAVE), last weekend (September 12-13) felt like the last big road cycling weekend of the season.
Ambitious riders had three big events to choose from:
I am naively hopeful that these get scheduled on different weekends at least once in a while so we can ride them all in the same season.
Why cycle in the Cascades when you can pedal alongside corn stalks?
The Mt. Baker Hill Climb is a 24.5 mile race from Glacier to Artist Point above the Mt. Baker Ski area. This event has quickly grown from a single race to a full-on festival with numerous variations including century rides, a run, a cyclocross event, and now several different categories of the Mt. Baker Hill Climb itself. Although the results don’t seem to be listed as of this posting date, I hear through the grapevine that Seattle’s Chris Ragsdale finished 9th in the competitive category with a blazing time of ~1:28. Way to go, Chris! This event is attracting world-class cyclists and it is fast becoming a classic for racers and recreational competitors alike. I did the recreational version of the race in 2006, and weather permitting, I highly recommend this amazing ride which combines gorgeous scenery with the thrill of competition.
The Ring of Fire is a 6, 12 or 24-hour time trial in Maupin, OR, that is put on by George Thomas and Terri Gooch, who are the same folks who put on the Race Across Oregon. I haven’t tried RoFTT yet…and although it sounds “fun” in a sick kind of way, it might just be a bit too sick for me. Seattle-area racers Mick and Martha Walsh have attempted it for the past two years. Mick is recognized as one of the grittiest racers around, but unfortunately he has suffered heat exhaustion both years. This year he had to be taken to hospital to get re-hydrated. Check out Martha’s excellent post about the race. They call it Ring of Fire for a reason.
The High Pass Challenge (aka, The HPC, not to be confused with Cascade’s “High Performance Cycling Team,” also aka The HPC) is another September ride that is becoming a classic. This challenging 114-mile ride boasts over 7,500′ in climbing through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest up to Windy Ridge in Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. To motivate riders a bit, event manager Tom Meloy has established time-cutoffs for gold, silver, and bronze finisher medals. HPC is higher on my hit list than RoFTT and if the stars align, I look forward to riding it with HPC teammates next year.
Which of these epic events did I choose?
D. None of the above.
I drew the short stick for a business project and spent last week in the Chicago area. Although business travel meant I couldn’t do any of these great rides, I was in the process of tapering for the upcoming Kirkland Duathlon anyway, so this time around business travel saved me from myself.
David Leistensnider and Dr. Charles Longdon enjoy an early morning ride in the farmlands of Southern Wisconsin. Check out that expansive shoulder: This place was made for cyclists.
On Saturday I did a flat 50-mile ride through the farmlands of Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. My riding partners were my brother Dr. Charles Longdon and business colleague David Leistensnider.
Whenever I get a chance to beat up my younger brother, I take it. With a busy doctor’s schedule and 3 kids, I have an unfair advantage and heir doctor was pedaling squares within 20 miles.
Dr. Longdon and David Leistensnider smile with relief as they pedal on some nice shoulder.
On the other hand, colleague David was a sub-5 minute miler in high school, and is a regular bike commuter who recently shaved his legs as a demonstration of his commitment to cycling. He’s the kind of guy who shows up to a group ride once in a while, humbles all the regulars, and isn’t seen again for a few months. David is looking to find a regular group ride to help improve his cycling skills, and when he does he will develop into one strong rider.
A few days later I was staying in downtown Chicago and went for a run along the Lakeshore Path north of Navy Pier. Lakeshore Path at the height of post-workday activity makes the Burke Gilman at rush hour look like a sleepy country road. In addition to being exceedingly crowded, I noticed that only about 10% of cyclists (everyone wearing lycra) wore helmets. Dr. Longdon says it’s such a problem in the area that his hospital gives away bike helmets (as well as trigger locks).
I survived my Lakeshore Path run and lived to tell the tale.
Epic weekend? Not epic, but a wonderful ride and a run in a new place.
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