Was thinking of doing the Climb to Kaiser a month out from Vineman . Has anyone done the climb ? If so what gearing did you use , how was the race ran , and how difficult was it ?
BRUCE
BRUCE
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Re: Climb to kaiser , anyone ? [trithis99]
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kaiser is a great "race", yeah they call it a ride but for many roadies and the local teams here they use it as race training so the first 25ish miles are great if you're comfortable sitting in a paceline at 29mph.
i know lots of people who do kaiser. unless they're uber-cyclists most people opt for either a compact front or at least a 28t on the back if they have standard gearing. it's a long day for sure as the winners come across in 8 hours but most people take 10+. it can be really nasty depending on the weather and some years it's triple digits on the valley floor while you ride thru snow as you cross kaiser pass. it's a great event and i highly recommend it to people that like to climb. check out the course profile though as it's basically an "up and back" course. ie the back half of the day is coming down everything you climbed in the morning and if you're fatigued or have suspect descending skills it can be a bit dangerous. 2 people have died in the last decade of the race, one went off the road on a steep descent and hit a tree and the other crossed the center line on a steep descent and hit a car coming uphill head on. if you do it, BE SAFE!
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Michael in Fresno
"Do you spend time with your family? Good. Because a man that doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man" V. Corleone
i know lots of people who do kaiser. unless they're uber-cyclists most people opt for either a compact front or at least a 28t on the back if they have standard gearing. it's a long day for sure as the winners come across in 8 hours but most people take 10+. it can be really nasty depending on the weather and some years it's triple digits on the valley floor while you ride thru snow as you cross kaiser pass. it's a great event and i highly recommend it to people that like to climb. check out the course profile though as it's basically an "up and back" course. ie the back half of the day is coming down everything you climbed in the morning and if you're fatigued or have suspect descending skills it can be a bit dangerous. 2 people have died in the last decade of the race, one went off the road on a steep descent and hit a tree and the other crossed the center line on a steep descent and hit a car coming uphill head on. if you do it, BE SAFE!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Michael in Fresno
"Do you spend time with your family? Good. Because a man that doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man" V. Corleone
Great event.
I did it a few years ago (9 maybe?) as a "participant" not as race. That was the year the poor fellow crossed the line and hit the oncoming vehicle. I was about 2 mins behind. Not good.
As said before, be prepared for searingly hot in the valley and effin freezing on top - especially when you turn around at the top of the pass and start heading down.
But great riding out of the valley, and challenging climbs. I was a fat nooby, so ran a triple. Enjoyed it though. On the first climb though I saw a few people already walking who had mis-judged their gearing. Most of the climbs aren't so steep, but there are an awful lot of them with not so many breaks, so they wear you down by the end.
I did it a few years ago (9 maybe?) as a "participant" not as race. That was the year the poor fellow crossed the line and hit the oncoming vehicle. I was about 2 mins behind. Not good.
As said before, be prepared for searingly hot in the valley and effin freezing on top - especially when you turn around at the top of the pass and start heading down.
But great riding out of the valley, and challenging climbs. I was a fat nooby, so ran a triple. Enjoyed it though. On the first climb though I saw a few people already walking who had mis-judged their gearing. Most of the climbs aren't so steep, but there are an awful lot of them with not so many breaks, so they wear you down by the end.