A friend of mine is entered at Savageman (Deep Creek, MD) in two weeks (I’m headed to Grand Columbian) so I told her I’d ride the course with her today…an easy training ride. Should have known it was going to be a tough day when at at about mile 6 (just in to a long and dangerous downhill) we spotted Josh (last name unknown) pulling himself and a Trek out of a ditch - a small matter of a curve taken too fast. We remained with him (provided him with Ibuprofen, told him he looked like hell - loads of road rash) until he got a ride in a pick-up back up the hill)…continued on (albeit slowly) on a great downhill that followed the Savage River to Lock and Westernport where we tried to heed Josh’s parting advice: keep pedaling, never stop. It was OK until we hit the wall at Westernport, a nasty 30 degree grade (only about 200 feet or so - see the pics and others from the ride at http://picasaweb.google.com/JFM225/Savageman83107940PM). Unclimbable on a tri bike with smooth tires - definitely had the power to get up the hill, but the road surface (pot holed, weed covered) offers no traction, and the back wheel just spun out - we tried it 2 times, the last time we were doing wheelies try to get up but no luck. The worse news, the road surface got a little better, the grade went down by 10 degrees or so (to a more manageable 15-20), but the climbing continued pretty non-stop for the next 8 or 9 miles followed by a treacherous 3 mile downhill with several hairpins on the descent. Followed by more hills (way too many roads with the word “hill” in the name), worse hills, even worse hills (but no dogs, withe exception of the ones in the photos) and very few flat places for recovery. Finally made it back in a little over 4 hours…we were not pushing it too hard, but let me tell you, not sure I could have knocked a lot of time off that. Toughest 56 miles I have ridden since the 70.3 at Monte Carlo (Monaco). So, for those headed that way: if you have a road bike, take it. Leave the tri bike and disc wheel at home. If you don’t have at least a 12-27 on the back, get one. Get a compact crank for the front. Rocket fuel might also help. If you want to make it up the wall at Westernport, do yourself a favor and have some tires with tread - maybe knobby tires? And, on the downhills, be careful. If it rains it will not only be treacherous, but close to suicidal. So, for those of you going, prepare to suffer and have fun!
We’ve got a big group going at 9am Sunday from the Deep Creek State Park Discovery Center, including 3 women each of whom hope to be the first female to successfully clear the Westernport Wall.
I keep telling people this race is going to be epic, but it’ll take more stories like yours before folks actually catch on…
…it still bugs me that we could not make it up the wall. If you put too much weight forward on the aerobars then the back wheel slides out; if you put too much weight back on the rear wheel you do a wheelie. I should have had my road bike (it also has some tires with more tread)…might have been able to make it. Don’t try to zig zag up either…you have to go straight, and the best line appears to be to hug the curb on the right side. If you zig zag up you can’t miss all the cracks and holes in the road, and your wheel just gets stuck. Let us know how you do.
I’ve had a chance to ride the course twice, run once. Brutally tough bike, and run, courses. My knees are cursing me. Still, I’m really looking forward to it, more than any race in quite some time. It will be the rare finisher Tshirt that I really treasure.
My two bits - Agree with others thoughts, all about saving what you can as you go. This beast is serious management material. My theme for the day will be to manage the course and the entire day really - to the extent one can. Know that HR will spike significantly at least 2-3 times on the ride, and same on the run. Eat early on the bike and again on Bear Hill Rd (actually flat) and finally on Rock Lodge (I think), and anywhere in between when you get a chance. Be careful on the descents, esp if you try to pass a rider who may not be a skilled descender (like me). Don’t hesitate to blow off the closed section of the Wall. It’s not wussing out in my book, of course I would say that, I *know *that I’ll be taking that left turn and going around the block. It’s only 100meters or so out of miles of uphill nastiness. It may even be the smart move timewise (vs unclipping and walking up/down the sucker).
Would be nifty if some racer(s) have also done Black Bear in PA or World’s Toughest/Auburn and could compare it. I hear those are real testers as well.
Chris Martin won the Black Bear 1/2 this summer and he is participating. Marilyn MacDonald has won World’s Toughest Half and she is participating. Many folks who have done St. Croix have ridden the course and agree there is no comparison between The Beast and Westernport Wall/Big Savage Mtn, that Westernport Wall blows it away on difficulty.
Seeing as how I’ve been named, I figured it’s about time I registered and made by ST debut.
Thanks again both of you for stopping, drugging me up, and waiting until I hitched a ride. That ride was interesting, to say the least… read more about it on the savageman forums.
Regarding the frustration of not making it up the wall… I spun out and fell on my first attempt in July. When the back tire got over weeds it was impossible. Shortly thereafter, the town of westernport performed maintenance on the closed section of the road specifically for this race… weeded and swept. On two subsequent rides, I was able to make it over the hill (hugging the right as you indicated). The race director reports that the wall is starting to be quite overgrown again, and that climbing it is getting increasingly difficult. Fortunately, Westernport is going to weed and sweep again right before the race.
Anyway - it’s quite possible that someone who couldn’t get over it last week will be able to get over on race day. I’ve been up it twice with slick tires in my 27. To me, the limiting factor is definitely the weeds… not the incline or pavement condition.
See everyone at the race. Other than a very sore right shoulder and face, I’m fine. I’ve determined that I prefer slamming into rocky walls and coming to an instant stop over sliding along the pavement and donating DNA. Although the former is probably more dangerous, it doesn’t hurt nearly as long assuming you don’t break anything. I got my back back on tuesday… I’m calling my crash a blessing because my bike is now all tuned up and ready to roll (on its wheels) for race day.
