That Chabot-Brandon Hill Climb TT idea-wkly, bi-monthly, mthly?
I started this new thread because the other one was getting long and began on another subject....
Anyway in that other thread on Lake Chabot.....D.Ambrose proposed the following in his post...
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Subject- Here's a thought...
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"Maybe we should have a hillclimb race up the Brandon Grade (first or second bench)."
"Not to see whose a faster climber that day, but mostly just to push ourselves. With a few others there doing the same thing, I'm thinking we'd all have a little more incentive to push ourselves to a faster pace than normal."
"Afterwards we can do a Lake Chabot weekday evening ride or something. I know several decent loops of varying length and difficulty through the area. (One of my favorites is combining Lake Chabot, Redwood Park and Joaquin Miller - about 35 miles.)"
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While some people may have reservations about doing 35 miles after 6:00 PM, or anytime for that matter, it sounds as though several people have expressed some interest in the idea of a small group-personal TT (time trial) on some kind of weekly or bi-monthly or monthly basis.
I think it was well put when he stated......." mostly just to push ourselves. With a few others there doing the same thing, I'm thinking we'd all have a little more incentive to push ourselves to a faster pace than normal."
I think its a good idea, that could give everyone some mini fitness goal, no matter what their age or fitness level..... New riders and those who have been climbing that grade for years would get an incentive with a group involved.
Every week might be too often, but perhaps twice a month might gather some interest from lots of riders aside from the 4 or 5 that have already expressed some interest and are already clocking themselves up that grade. I think interest could grow and who knows, it could attract a dozen or more....
It could be an interesting reason to meet, do the climb, rest a few minutes and then anyone intested in doing a 15 or 35 mile loop could do so with others so inclined and who had the time........realizing that riders of all sizes, shapes, ages and fitness levels may be able to do the climb at their own pace but may not be able to ride longer loops.
If it caught on, people could even handicap the climb like the golfers do down below....
With 15 min climbers taking off 2 minutes prior to the 13 min climbers and those 2 minutes ahead of the 11 min climbers... That way everyone (except the first guy) would have someone up ahead to psychologically "pull" them up the hill as they tried to close the gap. And the first guy could recruit a new 16 min climber to go ahead of him.
Done correctly, after everyone honed their times,.....it could make for everyone finishing within 30 to 60 seconds of each other at the top....
And everyone who did well on their own personal time-scale would be a winner. A real incentive for getting in better shape.
As to the starting and stopping point on that climb....
I always begin my time just as my wheel clears the entry posts at the edge of the paved golf parking lot........and then, though I check my progress at that first bench a little past the mid point, I don't click my stopwatch until I pass the last tree on the left right at the top. Actually that "last tree on the left" is about 10 to 12 seconds short of the bench at the top but is used by many riders since it is a well defined point right next to the trail....
But using the bench at the top could also be good since everyone is aware of it and may not have noticed the last tree on the left. Either one is OK.
The only trouble if this group climb became popular, is that there is only so much space on that bench at the top for people to collapse on, gasping for air, after riding to the edge of death and exhaustion
I begin my riding around 5:00 from the Oakand end of the park but could ride over to show up at the bottom of the hill around 6:00 PM on Wednesdays.........
Anything from every Wednesday to a couple times a month, perhaps the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month would be OK for me. Even once a month, like on the 1st Wednesday of every month could be fun.....
What works for everyone else?
And give us some thoughts about who would be willing to show up. Include some of your friends if you think they would come along....
Lets see if the responses indicate that we might get 5 or more particpants......
But please, remember, there will be random drug tests administered at the top, so no THG or EPO allowed. Jolt soda is OK
I started this new thread because the other one was getting long and began on another subject....
Anyway in that other thread on Lake Chabot.....D.Ambrose proposed the following in his post...
================================================================
Subject- Here's a thought...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Maybe we should have a hillclimb race up the Brandon Grade (first or second bench)."
"Not to see whose a faster climber that day, but mostly just to push ourselves. With a few others there doing the same thing, I'm thinking we'd all have a little more incentive to push ourselves to a faster pace than normal."
"Afterwards we can do a Lake Chabot weekday evening ride or something. I know several decent loops of varying length and difficulty through the area. (One of my favorites is combining Lake Chabot, Redwood Park and Joaquin Miller - about 35 miles.)"
================================================================
While some people may have reservations about doing 35 miles after 6:00 PM, or anytime for that matter, it sounds as though several people have expressed some interest in the idea of a small group-personal TT (time trial) on some kind of weekly or bi-monthly or monthly basis.
I think it was well put when he stated......." mostly just to push ourselves. With a few others there doing the same thing, I'm thinking we'd all have a little more incentive to push ourselves to a faster pace than normal."
I think its a good idea, that could give everyone some mini fitness goal, no matter what their age or fitness level..... New riders and those who have been climbing that grade for years would get an incentive with a group involved.
Every week might be too often, but perhaps twice a month might gather some interest from lots of riders aside from the 4 or 5 that have already expressed some interest and are already clocking themselves up that grade. I think interest could grow and who knows, it could attract a dozen or more....
It could be an interesting reason to meet, do the climb, rest a few minutes and then anyone intested in doing a 15 or 35 mile loop could do so with others so inclined and who had the time........realizing that riders of all sizes, shapes, ages and fitness levels may be able to do the climb at their own pace but may not be able to ride longer loops.
If it caught on, people could even handicap the climb like the golfers do down below....
With 15 min climbers taking off 2 minutes prior to the 13 min climbers and those 2 minutes ahead of the 11 min climbers... That way everyone (except the first guy) would have someone up ahead to psychologically "pull" them up the hill as they tried to close the gap. And the first guy could recruit a new 16 min climber to go ahead of him.
Done correctly, after everyone honed their times,.....it could make for everyone finishing within 30 to 60 seconds of each other at the top....
And everyone who did well on their own personal time-scale would be a winner. A real incentive for getting in better shape.
As to the starting and stopping point on that climb....
I always begin my time just as my wheel clears the entry posts at the edge of the paved golf parking lot........and then, though I check my progress at that first bench a little past the mid point, I don't click my stopwatch until I pass the last tree on the left right at the top. Actually that "last tree on the left" is about 10 to 12 seconds short of the bench at the top but is used by many riders since it is a well defined point right next to the trail....
But using the bench at the top could also be good since everyone is aware of it and may not have noticed the last tree on the left. Either one is OK.
The only trouble if this group climb became popular, is that there is only so much space on that bench at the top for people to collapse on, gasping for air, after riding to the edge of death and exhaustion
I begin my riding around 5:00 from the Oakand end of the park but could ride over to show up at the bottom of the hill around 6:00 PM on Wednesdays.........
Anything from every Wednesday to a couple times a month, perhaps the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month would be OK for me. Even once a month, like on the 1st Wednesday of every month could be fun.....
What works for everyone else?
And give us some thoughts about who would be willing to show up. Include some of your friends if you think they would come along....
Lets see if the responses indicate that we might get 5 or more particpants......
But please, remember, there will be random drug tests administered at the top, so no THG or EPO allowed. Jolt soda is OK
