Rapha has a nice write-up on it at http://www.rapha.cc/diabolical-double. “When the vista is eschewed for a contorted visage of pain you know that you are on the right path. And this Continental Ride, the Diabolical Double, could very nearly be one of the most demanding and stunning rides of the summer.”
The weak need not show up…
***“It’s not that hilly.” ***
Translation: These climbs lasts longer than a presidential campaign. Be
careful on the steep sections or you’ll fall over – backward. You’re
lowest gear is 22x30? Here’s the name of my knee surgeon.
Hmmm might have to put this on the schedule! Probably need to shop for a cassette! (anyone that’s done this/familiar with it have any suggestions ref gearing?)
Well, let’s see. People who have done SavageMan can tell you about Killer Miller and the spirits it’s extended 20% grade has crushed. Here is the profile of the 18 miles between Checkpoints 2 + 3 of the Diabolical Double and Savage Century. I’m pretty sure those who have done these rides would call this section pretty unremarkable for the day. In other words, come geared for about 10 Killer Millers. So, all the gears you can find you will use.
The first time we did the ride that has since become the diabolical double (KNY can confirm, I think it was “only” 112 miles at that point, but it included a nasty dirt climb) one guy riding with us finished the ride with a 23. I’m pretty sure Bjorn also did Savageman with a 23–at least the first year. So it can be done, but I promise, no matter how many gears you have you’ll quickly wish you had one more.
Yup, that dude (who shall remain nameless) rode a 39-23, but he also had 650 wheels. And, he also walked up the 2nd half of Bowman Hill, which did come very late in the ride back on the old “Deep Creek Epic Ride” course, whereas it’s pretty early in the DD. And he also bitched mightily about the little bit of dirt and gravel - I mean, sack up, they race on way worse shit than that in Europe. (And, as an aside, it was at the top of Bowman on that ride where my wife and I got engaged. I pulled the old, “can you grab me a gel from my saddlebag” trick and she was pretty perplexed when she pulled it out and there was a ring wrapped around it. Luckily she was oxygen-starved at the top of that thing, couldn’t think straight, and said Yes!)
Bjorn rode a 44-25 in his first SavageMan. I believe his exact words at the finish line were, “I brought the wrong gearing” and came back with his version of climbing gears, 39x25, for subsequent years. Even so, there’s pics of him paperboying up Killer Miller.
Damn, too bad its the same weekend as the race I put on, the Damtri. We almost moved it this year back a week, due to some scheduling conflicts but mostly due to Dave R. bugging me to come ride the DD with him, and me really wanting to go, but decided we had too much set to move the race back a week.
I guess I will just have to come stay at his condo some weekend and do it on my own.
I see the various “start” times for the different distances—I didn’t get a great response from the guys I work with about the DD so just wondering if I opt for that if there would be a chance of “tagging along” with a group??
You should not have much difficulty finding folks to ride with. Worst thing you can do, though, is to not ride your own pace. The taxpayer comes to collect on the back half. But, whatever your pace, there will be others to suffer with.
