D2R2
Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 11:43 am
So... I was talking about this ride last night with Steen and Hamlet over a couple of Fat Turkey's at JHBH.
I was trying to convince Hamlet that he would love the ride (if it didn't kill him) and plant the seed for next year's event.
I couldn't remember the details very well so this morning I did some research and found a description written by the course designer. If I had read this a few years ago before doing the ride for the first time, I doubt that Bauer could have convinced me to do it.
Some quotes:
Most avid riders should do the 100K because it takes as long as 100 miles on pavement. If you've been riding centuries this summer, then the D2R2 100K is for you; don't choose the 100-mile thinking the 100K is too short. If you have not been doing century rides, then please consider our 40-mile ride
The D2R2 100-mile is another beast. It rides like 180 miles. If you're not doing 8-hour training rides with at least 10,000 feet of climbing on steep grades, then you will not be prepared for the 100-mile event. And no matter what your fitness is, this course will get the better of you.
Note that the course record - set by a Cat. 1 roadie on a cool, overcast day - is 14 mph (8-1/4 hours). Don't tell your spouse that you're going to ride 7 hours and be home in time for dinner, because you will get yourself in trouble.
The 100-mile would be the hardest ride many people have ever done, even if the whole course were paved. Put into numbers, D2R2's 116 miles with over 16,500 feet of climbing is longer and hillier than a Tour de France mountain stage, or more climbing than either two ascents of Mt. Evans or three ascents of Mt. Washington. And 80 miles of D2R2 are dirt! By way of comparison, the legendary cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix total only 30 miles of level ground. D2R2's signature climbs are so gravelly and steep that you can't stand up without losing traction. Most riders have to walk at least one hill, and some just fall over on the relentless grades.
While we are loathe to join the legions of event promoters boasting about the rigors of their course, we had to make this sort of disclaimer because we've run into problems downplaying the hardships and talking about the scenery. D2R2 is one of the hardest century rides in the world. One California promoter claims "the hardest 200K in America" on a paved course with 3000 feet less climbing than D2R2. Don't think that we're overstating the difficulties, because we're not.
Who's in for next year?? I'm planning on the 100k
I was trying to convince Hamlet that he would love the ride (if it didn't kill him) and plant the seed for next year's event.
I couldn't remember the details very well so this morning I did some research and found a description written by the course designer. If I had read this a few years ago before doing the ride for the first time, I doubt that Bauer could have convinced me to do it.
Some quotes:
Most avid riders should do the 100K because it takes as long as 100 miles on pavement. If you've been riding centuries this summer, then the D2R2 100K is for you; don't choose the 100-mile thinking the 100K is too short. If you have not been doing century rides, then please consider our 40-mile ride
The D2R2 100-mile is another beast. It rides like 180 miles. If you're not doing 8-hour training rides with at least 10,000 feet of climbing on steep grades, then you will not be prepared for the 100-mile event. And no matter what your fitness is, this course will get the better of you.
Note that the course record - set by a Cat. 1 roadie on a cool, overcast day - is 14 mph (8-1/4 hours). Don't tell your spouse that you're going to ride 7 hours and be home in time for dinner, because you will get yourself in trouble.
The 100-mile would be the hardest ride many people have ever done, even if the whole course were paved. Put into numbers, D2R2's 116 miles with over 16,500 feet of climbing is longer and hillier than a Tour de France mountain stage, or more climbing than either two ascents of Mt. Evans or three ascents of Mt. Washington. And 80 miles of D2R2 are dirt! By way of comparison, the legendary cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix total only 30 miles of level ground. D2R2's signature climbs are so gravelly and steep that you can't stand up without losing traction. Most riders have to walk at least one hill, and some just fall over on the relentless grades.
While we are loathe to join the legions of event promoters boasting about the rigors of their course, we had to make this sort of disclaimer because we've run into problems downplaying the hardships and talking about the scenery. D2R2 is one of the hardest century rides in the world. One California promoter claims "the hardest 200K in America" on a paved course with 3000 feet less climbing than D2R2. Don't think that we're overstating the difficulties, because we're not.
Who's in for next year?? I'm planning on the 100k
