http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHiUitciuJ8

Planning on the 123 for this, all 96 miles of it.

@adam, I'd love to do that -- But, the only time I can pull off a long ride is Sat May 3rd. Good 8 days before the race. 

I definitely want to race this. And I'd love to race the P123 but I fear I'm simply not trained for a 96 mile race and don't have time to get trained for such. Its just not a fair fight. 

Great location I grew not so far away riding the route with the Orange County bicycling club. I think I'd get dropped but its not a pure "climbers" from what I've been told. I kind of want to do the cat 3 race

Planning on the  W3/4. Very excited — if it's not canceled (there's a history of that?) looks like it will be an exciting race. I'd would love to do a recon ride, just don't think I can squeeze it in before the 11th. 

@erika, I'm in a similar boat but if all falls into place schedule wise, I'll most likely head out weekend prior. 

Just signed up. 

This race (Bear) happens the day after Hunter Mountain Spring Classic. Can anyone compare/contrast the two races? I think I'm gonna do one of them.

Jeffrey White said:

This race (Bear) happens the day after Hunter Mountain Spring Classic. Can anyone compare/contrast the two races? I think I'm gonna do one of them.

I can't compare, as I haven't done the Hunter Mountain Spring Classic, but I can tell you a bit about the Bear Mountain course and race.

Bear is classic, I first raced the course as a college student when the West Point hosted Eastern Conf. Championships in the 1990s. It's also, I think been a US Nationals Course in the way, way back? It is a race for climbers. I think maybe what the folks who don't think of it as a "pure climbers" course are saying is that there isn't any single climb that exceeds 15% grade for miles. But if you aren't ready to climb, you can forget about doing well here.

The race starts on the fastest descent you'll do all season. You'll EASILY hit 50mph just a minute or two after you roll out of the parking lot start. Which wouldn't be a big deal, because it's straight and the roads generally okay. EXCEPT at the bottom of the climb there is a very narrow, banked 180 degree turn. Guys will absolutely go into the median grass as they misjudge their bike's breaking ability. If you set up for the turn safely, you will be going from roughly 50 mph to about 7 mph through the turn. You will smell lots and lots of carbon break pads.

Now you are basically track standing and the front 10 or so people who got through the turn at 12 mph and hammering up the first climb. You have to catch up here. It's pretty steep, but it's the length that will crush you here. It just goes on and on. For how long? I don't know. 3 miles? It's not always steep, and you'll find yourself hunkered down trying to get drafts on parts, but it's a real climb. Once you cross a short bridge, with a lake on the left, you've finished the main climb, except the climbing isn't done. Now you hit a section of whoopty-do rollers that roll very heavily and slowly. So basically if you are in the front you are still at 3/4 full-gas and if you are chasing, you are still drilling it at 100%. Because what goes up...

...must come down. Unfortunately, you don't have a nice 3 mile steep descent to aid your potential return. What you have are these rollers that generally go down, but there's enough up in them so that they are not recovery. After a bit of these rollers, you drop down and to the left onto the flattest/fastest section of the course. This is your first official spot to recover if you are in the lead group. It will be single file going into and out of the traffic circle, so you are still on the gas there, but after a k or so, you'll usually get some nice bunching. Settle in and spin those legs. This is the only place to recover on the course. It's a pretty long section, which is nice if you are in a group. Not nice if you are solo or in a small group because those riders will lose massive amounts of time here.

The finishing stretch, while not glorious twisty and adorned with a cavern-like row of trees and streamage, is the next bit of the course that is really hard. It's a mostly big ring grind for miles and miles, punctuated by a few shorter/steeper bumps along the way. Unprotected from the wind and sun, if it's single file here, you are in a world of pain. It's also the point at where the feedzone is. Which by the way is a LONG WALK from the parking lot. Let your friends and family know.

Once you survive this section, you are basically back to the 50-mph descent.

I think that's pretty much the course. It's possible in all my pain, I've blocked out some key features, but since no one else responded in a few days, I wanted to get some information out there.

Finally, I don't want to be a negative-nelly here, because, there are parts of me that absolutely adore and love this race course. I have a lot of history and memories here. But there is one other thing that, especially you "full 96 milers" should be aware of when you are racing. The Pro 1/2/3 field generally attracts a tough regional field. As such the race is kind of brutal. And if you get dropped, you might be in for a long day in the saddle. I've been dropped, say on the 3rd or 4th lap of this race. And what usually ends up happening is that I spend the rest of the day riding mostly solo, sometimes with a few other guys. Officials make you do the full distance if you want a placing (no pulled and placed here). Which wouldn't be a big deal except, when you are going so long, mostly solo, there's a very real chance that the officials will have packed up their finishing line equipment by the time you've finished. 96 miles is a lot of miles. Now if you have a nice group of 10 or 15, you can avoid this fate, but frankly the course is hard enough that most people drop out at the feedzone on the lap they are dropped. There are a lot of guys who get dropped just 3 or 4 laps into this race. I have always hated that they just quit on the race because it could still be a fun day in the saddle if you had someone to compete against in the end (like cyclocross, for example) no matter where you are in the field. Anyway, it can be a long lonely day. Look, I know this makes me seem like a slow, bitter, loser. But it can be really demoralizing to have finished up an epic day in the saddle and not even see your name in the results as a finisher.

That said, a few years ago, one of the last times they held this race in recent memory, Joaquin did really well here, and JP also has done really well too. So if you are riding about as good as those guys, then no worries.

@Jeff

I don't think this is a 'climbers' race. While the climb is long it is a stair step climb, short steepish ramps and then a flat section. I made this climb a couple of times the last time I raced bear, but (as everyone knows) I get dropped on any climb without respite (such as Pawling).

The descent is terrifying in the cat 4 field. it was wet last time I did it and people were locking up their carbon wheels and vaporizing carbon brake-pads. I think that was the day Norm got a dreadful speed wobble, which added to the excitement.

The finish is at the start of that descent, so I believe it is a slightly downhill sprint.

Oh, to add to this thread...

Not racing it, but if anyone wants to preride on a Tuesday/Wednesday I'd be down. Looking at you @konrad

Not racing it, but if anyone wants to preride on a Tuesday/Wednesday I'd be down. Looking at you @konrad

Uh, so thanks everyone for the deets on Bear. But I actually asked for a comparison with Hunter. Anyone care to address the actual question?

Jeffrey White said:

Uh, so thanks everyone for the deets on Bear. But I actually asked for a comparison with Hunter. Anyone care to address the actual question?

It's closer.  It's harder. It's more terrifying. More people will race it.  Duh!

Hunter has a new steeper finish which should make things interesting.

Also, there is zero chance that you will ride off course at Bear. At Bear the course is entirely within the park, and while the roads are technically open, and there is the yellow line rule, you won't see that many cars.

Jeff

LOL. I'll be at a wedding the day of Bear....

...but will be gauging interest in me "setting up shop" at upcoming criteriums. including the Jersey stuff memorial day weekend and White Plains. Stay tuned in another thread near you.

Note that after a bit of complaining, CRCA added a Masters 40+ 1-3 field, racing 42 miles:
https://www.bikereg.com/crca-bear-mountain-spring-classic2014

The P123 has an 8 rider Kelly Benefit Strategies Elite team. Ouch, that's going to be a tough 96 miles Adam.

Damn, wish I had time to train for this distance. It would be a blast to race against those guys!

Ryan, remember that time I bullied you into doing the 83 miles of vicious climbing that was the Capitol Region Road Race in the p123 field. With the Jelly Belly pro. I got shelled 70 miles in and you lasted until about 75. I think we finished like 35th and 36th out of 60 or so. Race was brutal. When we caught the break I thought I was going to die and I wasn't anywhere near the front. Glad I did that race.

Adam said:

Ryan, remember that time I bullied you into doing the 83 miles of vicious climbing that was the Capitol Region Road Race in the p123 field. With the Jelly Belly pro. I got shelled 70 miles in and you lasted until about 75. I think we finished like 35th and 36th out of 60 or so. Race was brutal. When we caught the break I thought I was going to die and I wasn't anywhere near the front. Glad I did that race.

Adam if I remember correctly you were on Brian Breech's wheel and I was on yours, and with a sharp acceleration you let out an audible "ah, fuck me," cracked once and for all, let a gap open up, and I sprinted around to stay on.

I just registered for the 4s. This is a great course. I encourage other riders to give it a go. You won't regret it

As for transportation, I am likely to be staying in rockland county for Mother's Day afterwards so wouldn't be able to offer a ride back. Not sure if I am driving up with family or not, but I might be able to offer a ride to the race. Given that I am coming from Long Island we would probably need to arrange a pickup near a parkway or bridge...

Aaron Blum said:

I havent reg'd yet. I wanted to see if anyone is driving up there and also im on the fence about it since the fee is about $70 with taxes. Ill post if I decide to reg. I really wanted to do this race.

It's the best, closest climbing race around. Skip two or three park races to pay for it. It will be worth it.