Today was Stage 2 of the inaugural Tour of California, purportedly the most difficult stage of the 7-day bicycle race. Why? Two words: Sierra Road.
“The stage wasn’t too hard until the climb,” elite bicycle racer George Hincapie was quoted as saying in an Associated Press article. “But Sierra Road (a nine-mile climb) was definitely hard. I didn’t know the hill, but it might have helped to know the climb a bit. It was a really tough, steep climb. It was never-ending.”
I could only smile as I revisited my own memories of the climb from bygone years. Continue reading »
“I’ll be gone this Saturday for a training ride,” I told a friend a few days before the 2003 Climb to Kaiser event, “but should be back by Sunday.”
Ah, yes, a “training ride”… this is what the Climb to Kaiser had somehow become in the year where the upcoming 15th Annual Paris-Brest-Paris race was the primary focus of my cycling season. Never mind that the Climb to Kaiser, or C2K as it is sometimes referred to, was ranked by Bicycling Magazine as one of the nation’s Top 10 Most Challenging Rides, notorious not only for the steepness of some of its grades, but also the brutal Fresno heat. Continue reading »
Many cyclists on the SF Bay Area Peninsula (i.e., Palo Alto/Woodside/Los Altos region) seem to know their best time up Old La Honda Rd., as it provides some measure of one’s climbing aptitude (both relative to your previous self, and to others). Continue reading »
Note: this ride is from Tom Holub’s Berkeley Death Ride Web Page.
This local self-supported ride is highly climbing intensive! In summary, there are 6 “Death Climbs”, with two of them exceeding 20% grades. The other 4 climbs are less steep but longer. Continue reading »
The Death Ride. Just the name conjures images of a gruelling ordeal undertaken by grimacing, surely-mad souls suffering under scorching heat over torturous terrain. With 129 miles and 16,000 feet of climbing over 5 passes, it is masochistic for sure. And yet, I had wanted to do this famed ride for the last 3 years, but was denied entry each time due to signing up too late. This includes 2001, in which 2500 spots for the event sold out in 48 hours, underscoring its immense popularity belying its brutal reputation. Continue reading »
 "It was long, hard, and glorious: The author, having successfully crested the 5th and last climb of the day, Carson Pass.")