bump this thread every time you set a PR up alpine

i measure the way they did it at the CRCA TT a few years back, from where the pavement changes at the bottom of the hill by the boat basin, up to the white gas tank behind the fence just before you reach the stone building.

here's what i got

2009: 5:16

2010: fat (2much beer)

2011, May: 5:13

2011, July 13th: 5:01 (thanks to joe mueller, who carried up my bottles down the back of his jersey, pro tour-style)

Holy shit, William, you did a 5:01?? That's serious fast.

I too have tracked these times over the years:

2009: 5:34
2010: 5:10
2011: 5:14

nice work.
how fast were you going when the pavement changed?

Posted By: eragotnice work.
how fast were you going when the pavement changed?

probably around 100

lulz

just kidding

i was going just fast enough to stay upright without hands on the bars (starting my watch)

but you're one of those track stand on road bike without hands on bars kinda guys, aren't you?
that's what makes your time even more impressive.

I did 5:50 a few weeks ago in saddle most of the time... should I be out of the saddle?

Aleast a minute better than I was 2 yrs ago.

6'3.5" 170 lbs I would be a good climber if my hematocrit wasnt 39.2. Chuckle

Maybe I should work on my sprint

I've only timed it once. I was timing it yesterday but I was going too slow so I never stopped the interval.

2011- June 25th. 5:07

Finished at the propane tank. Was on Joe or RJ's wheel most of the time, but carrying my own bottles.

I'm going to see if I can loose so lbs and have someone carry my bottles and crack 5:00.

goddamn mperlberg!

you may no longer make any excuses next time we race on the hills!

On June 25th, 2011
I was 5:11 carrying my bottles. I was just behind RJ, JM and MP. JO just got passed and wasn't happy.
That was until the stones ended. Don't know where that was in relation to the gas tank.

Yesterday I went to 9W and did 7:43 and it was mighty slow. I was only slightly faster than Mike.

Ha, we weren't "just behind" them, really. I was, and then let up once I knew it was over. Then I let you catch me so you'd keep your chin up. I destroyed them yesterday.

Anyway, as you pointed out, there's a big difference between a running start and a stand still from the boat basin.

More importantly, WHERE IS THE EMPIRE THIMBLE?!

I have the thimble but I'm out of town.

@ William

FWIW I had no idea how that time relates to other riders.

I think climbs in the 3-6 minute range are ideal for me. That final climb at Pawling was easy (relatively speaking) for me, the first climb I kept cracking toward the top.

My plans to loose weight are somewhat hollow. I like beer too much. I will just have to put in more miles.

Owens claimed he isn't drinking much either to loose weight. He gets water with a lemon at the bar now.

Where is the propane tank relative to the Brown Wooden Ranger Station sign after the 30 second flat, before the vomit-circle?

Ha, I love the climbing trash talk from a bunch of guys that's aren't 140 lb-ish climbers! We can have a three way tie for last next time the real climbers come.

Hmmmm, Ryan took the thimble and left town....will he return?

@ Jules, it is just before the ranger station. It is fenced in on the right about a little ways off the road. Can't miss it if you're looking for it.

John,
Sitting usually utilizes fewer muscles, thus is seen as more efficient. That written, some people are more comfortable going hard out of the saddle. Still, you should have both in the toolkit, seating for most of the time, standing for stretching, attacking, and working up the steepest grades. s You should be able to do both. I recommend some days riding some climbs completely out of the saddle and some climbs completely seated just to make sure you can do both when its necessary. For example, I frequently alternate doing the stateline/9W climb in and out of the saddle and then whatever I did on stateline, I do the other on the next rise. so one ride, I do it seated, then one standing.

All,
For simplicity's sake, I start at just past the circle (seam in the pavement and a pothole patch are the markers) and ride all-out for five minutes. That way I don't worry about starting and finishing at whatever mystery line is the one I should be going for. By using this simple system, I have both distance and power as metrics to use when evaluating.

@JP

The flaw with you five minute plan is that we are all always tied. This isn't tee-ball where every game ends in a tie even though you know your Clayton Gravel Astros slaughtered the Dairy Queen Reds. This is about talking shit. Bring it.

if i break 5:00 first, i'm going to claim the title of "Clayton Gravel Astro For Life"

I want to see the markers.
I'm all up for smack talk but beers are on me if Perlberg (with our without his winner's jersey) is taking almost a full MINUTE out of me on that climb.
Just sayin'...

^ now that is how we start a show-down!

I've only ever timed this once, recently, with different markers: from a dead stop at the bottom of boat basin rd where it enters the parking lot at the little guard shack thingy to the ranger station's driveway and pulled about 6:05... but i'm a) a fat kid and b) wasn't burying myself, shooting for a smooth, steady cadence without gasping for air. I don't have any clue how those markers relate to the "official" (CRCA) ones.

CRCA race markers

START: beginning of incline at boat basin, where the pavement changes

FINISH: whit propane tank behind wooden fence, a bit before you pass the first stone building

I agree with William and I would add that you gotta start TT style (at least from a near track stand) no launching yourself onto the hill at 25mph!

Did it today in 5:56
Start and finish line per WDC

You can do it faster than that, Gideon. Plus, you should just "fudge" your time like other people have. What?!!? Yes I did!

giggling over here

I've never timed it to that point. I've always went to the light at 9W. That's 6:49 for me. Word is that Albert Piedmonte did a 4:50 back in 2006 on WDC's course.
Monday July 18th I will be riding Mount Greylock (Cat 1, 9 miles @5.5%). I've climbed the South side a couple times. I will post a time.
Anyone who wants to ride Monday in The Berkshires give me a call. 646 250 3144.

Keith

The Mount Greylock climb is part of the BUMPS series. You can race there on September 10th.

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=13571

http://www.nohobikeclub.org/nccwp/?events=greylock-hillclimb-time-trial

http://www.northeastcycling.com/Hillclimb_Races.html#Greylock

Last year, Michael McCusker, one of the very best climbers in the 60+ category, climbed it in 47:42...

Men 60-64
1 Michael McCusker Northampton Cycling Club 61 Buckland MA 238 0:47:42.47

One of my former riding buddies, Hank Schiffman, finished fourth, but as he explained to me, he's much more competitive as a runner (a couple times, he and McCusker, who's an excellent runner too, have found a way to spice up those competitions: they ran up Mount Washington, then drove to Whiteface and did the 8 mile 8% cycling climbing race the same day late in the afternoon).

Alpine hillclimb PR: *unpublished*

-Norm

On our Saturday ride, William and I finished Alpine together and he said we did 5.35 - the last time I timed myself on that climb was probably two years ago, when I counted the sign on the right (just at the crest) as the finish, and I think it was like 6.08.

So yeah.

John M., keep practicing - you'll crush your current time soon.