Going to ride this from Lincoln to Bartlett next week.
I am use to “pancake flat” riding.
I know what the elevation profile is out there but for any that have rode this route …
What am I in for?
Traffic? Scenic? Any flat at all (please)? Descent on the way back?
It’s a long, slow climb but never really steep. Flat? No, never. On either end it is a gradual ascent that gets steeper until you reach the top and same on the other side, steeper closer to the top, then not quite as steep as you get to the other side. There can be a fair amount of traffic later in the day so I’d recommend riding early. There is a nice shoulder, road is mostly in decent shape, but there are a lot of blind curves and people can be driving pretty fast. It is very pretty, I highly enjoy that ride. I’ve mostly only ever ridden it west to east, descents are speedy but not really scary. I can’t remember what it’s like going the other direction but I think there are tighter curves on the descent back to Lincoln, so you will probably have to be more cautious coming down that side.
Enjoy! It really is a nice ride.
You will be riding west to east. There are really no flats. Early in the ride there are araes of 2-5% grade but then it gets steaper. Near the top you will find some spots around 20%. If you are on the flats most of the time you will find this challenging. Scenery is fantastic. Bring a wind breaker. Temp can be much lower up top.
Going to ride this from Lincoln to Bartlett next week.
I am use to “pancake flat” riding.
I know what the elevation profile is out there but for any that have rode this route …
What am I in for?
Traffic? Scenic? Any flat at all (please)? Descent on the way back?
I did an out and back last year with a friend, going from the Conway/Albany side as far as the highest elevation. Here’s a link to my Garmin data: https://connect.garmin.com/activity/535931565
I haven’t riden the section between Lincoln and the high point, but I’ve driven the length of the Kanc in both directions a number of times. I think the elevation profile on the Lincoln side would be similar. You said that you’re finishing in Bartlett, so you’ll be descending on Bear Notch Road? I think that’s a steeper descent than if you stayed on the Kanc to Conway. It’s a nice road though.
Also, there’s only one “n” in Kancamagus.
Thanks all!
Also - it will (hopefully) be out to Bartlett and back. Ugh!
It’s a great ride. Echo what others have said. It will get busier later in the day, but I have never really had problems with the traffic on that road. The climb really isn’t that bad. It will be a constant grind from Lincoln to the top. After you top out, it will be a super easy ride to Bear Notch and Bear Notch is a bit of a climb, but, again not too bad.
If you want to make the ride a bit more epic go west from Lincoln at first. The climb to the base of Moosilauke/Lost River Caves. It will be less than 10 miles, but that is a shorter, but harder climb than the climb to Kancamagus Pass.
I’ll be out riding there in a month or so. We gotta start a ST Strava Challenge to the top!
its a long haul up (OK, thats relative - its a long haul for me) and a nice ride down, although a bit rough here and there. There are no stores, gas stations, etc, so carry all the water and food you will need.
I’ve ridden that direction a few times as part of the Ottawa-Kennebunkport tour. This is a recreational tour, not any kind of race. The OK tour’s regular route goes over Crawford Notch, but if the weather is good, some people will take the Kanc. We start that day in Morrisville, VT, ride via Cabot and Marshfield and through the Groton State Forest towards Lincoln. The Groton forest is a really nice ride, especially since it was repaved a couple of years ago.
My wife and i are riding the OK tour next week, starting in Ottawa on Thursday. Saturday will be Morrisville to North Conway, but we will take the shorter route over Crawford Notch. My longest ride this year is two hours. She is racing Mont Tremblant in a few weeks. Neither of us needs a 200 km day 
Also - it will (hopefully) be out to Bartlett and back. Ugh!
If you’re planning on doing an out and back, have you considered returning from Bartlett on US-302, going up and over Crawford Notch, and following US-3 and the recreation/bike path back down to Lincoln? It would be a longer ride and Crawford Notch probably isn’t any easier than going over the Kanc, but that stretch of 302 is very nice. I’ve been thinking about doing that ride someday. The bike path more or less parallels the section of US-3 & I-93 that’s limited access (motor vehicles only).
I haven’t been on the bike path: http://www.cannonmt.com/recreation-path.html
It says “- Please obey the two bike walk areas as these are heavy pedestrian use areas.”. I don’t know how long those two “walk areas” are.
I was thinking similar if planning out and back consider a loop, its a little longer ~75 miles. Clockwise loop - Lincoln up through Franconia Notch (bike path is not bad if you go early will get busy later in the day) through Twin Mountain up Crawford Notch to Beat Notch and then to the Kanc. Some nice climbing but the last 10 miles are a sweet downhill back to Lincoln. Did the loop a couple of years ago and planning to do again later this summer. Traffic can get busy on the Kanc.
I haven’t been on the bike path: http://www.cannonmt.com/recreation-path.html
It says “- Please obey the two bike walk areas as these are heavy pedestrian use areas.”. I don’t know how long those two “walk areas” are.
I was up there last weekend and the two sections are short. It’s a nice ride and even on a the beautiful day I was there, the trafic was low.
As well, I’d have to disagree with an above poster about the shoulder: I went from Lincoln up to the high point and the shoulder disappears mid way up the climb.
Been riding the Kanc for ages and echo everything said here. But, for a truly memorable ride if you are planning an out-and-back from Lincoln then I urge you to go over the Kanc, down the other side and then take a left on Bear Notch Road and ride up to the top and as far down the other side as you would like to go (knowing you have to climb back up again). The scenery is fantastic and Bear Notch was repaved about 2 years ago.
Definitely go early in the morning to avoid traffic. But (you’ll laugh that I’m even writing this), be careful of Moose on the descent. There are plenty in that area and bike v. moose is not a pretty picture.
Have a blast!
TT
I agree with this for a great ride but it is hard to go wrong any where. I like the Bear Notch climb heading south the best of all the normal climbs.