Battenkill Registration is December 21st, 7 PM

[taudep]

Mark your calendars for Battenkill registration. Registration opens Monday, December 21st, at 7 PM.

The actual race is on: Saturday, April 10, 2010.

Registration link: http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=9655

I'm going to try again for Cat 5, 35+. This was my favorite non-mountain bike race last year. A lot of fun. Great course...all the stuff you've heard.

[artbaril]

Todd,

What's Cat 4 black, Cat 4 white mean?

[ahamilton]

Thinking...

[artbaril]

Count me in.

[RPerson]

Strong consideration...

[Smudger]

I'm in. Got some unfinished business (like staying upright) with this race. Will be signing up for the 4s. Would be great to put together a strong team like we did last year. Hopefully PJ doesn't get his upgrade.

Even though I had some race day issues this was deffinitely the most fun race of the year.

There is a 4 page spread on the race in Bycicling (what an awful mag it is, but it was all they had at the airport) so you better be ready to sign up early on the 21st.

[RFollansbee]

I'm in. I've had this on the calendar since we head to Florida a week later and this will be motivation to get in shape.

Alan - you're in. It'll be a good reason for us to get the FMR going early next year. Think warm.

[scott_sweeney]

Planning on it as well.

[PJ McQuade]

Sorry Smudger, too late: I've stepped off the precipice to the dark land. But don't worry, I'll probably downgrade by the time April rolls around.

I have to think this one through more. PROS: Awesome venue, roads, and experience like no other. CONS: Steep reg fee, results catastrophe last yr, pros are separate wknd now. I may just buy the official "B-kill training DVD" (new this year!), lay some dirt down in my living room and ride an indoor metric century. Anyone in?

[swawersik]

I'm in. My in-laws live nearby there, so it's an embarrassment that I've never done this race.

[Doran Abel]

Interesting and considering for the Cat 5 45+. Awfully, early in the year for old guys like me though. I have heard there are some dirt roads involved, but I assume it is still road bike material with say 25mm tires.

[michaelcole]

PJ
are you a 3 now?
maybe I'll get some training done this winter and join you in a race or two.
Don't know about doing the BR again. Bill, are you in?

[Bruce]

Oh my. Just noticed there is a 50+ masters category. Not my cup of tea, but there are only three 50+ races on calendar

[ahamilton]

@Rob: I'm 10% in, 90% out at this point. But I'm 100% in for the FMR spring rides. That ride is perfect for me because it highlights the weakest part of my game. I hate it and love it for that reason. ...and there's good coffee afterwards.

@Anyone considering it for the first time: This race requires a serious commitment to very early and hard training if you want to be serious about a result. If it was in July after a few months of training it would still be harder than most any road race, but since it happens in early April the very long and "unique" course makes it a real test of legs and mind.

[RFollansbee]

Alan:

"Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts." — Steve Prefontaine

Substitute "ride" for "run". Done deal.

[PJ McQuade]

Michael,

Yeah for better or for worse.I submitted my resume to Diane a few weeks ago. Steve Wright is a 3 now too so we can suffer together. It would be great to coordinate some rides and/or races for sure. I could esp. use some of your crit knowledge. Let's work out a schedule.

[BTurner]

In for sure. Starting with the 40+ and will try to hold on as long as possible. This race will keep you honest all winter long. I am also planning on heading down to NC for a week once again in late March to ride the Blue Ridge Parkway and some sweet mtb single track. I havn't figured out the details but will have the truck and trailer if someone wants to throw a bike in and meet me down there.

[taudep]

@Doran, there's approximately 8 miles of dirt road. Mostly it's just packed dirt, though. And there's about 4K of climbing. There's one climb that everyone was talking about how hard it was, Juniper Swamp road (claimed at 18% grade). But my experience last year was that it wasn't loose, that all the gravel was pushed off to the side, so you had good grip. And even I rode the whole thing...to put things in perspective... Just run a 27 cog on the rear, and all the climbs are doable (I'm sure those faster guys don't bother with the big cog on the back, but I was more interested in just finishing last year).

The great thing about doing the Battenkill in April is that come January 15th, you'll be thinking twice about whether you should be really eating a pepperoni pizza and drinking a 6 pack of beer.

Also, at least last year (don't know how it'll be this year with the Pro race on a seperate weekend -- I have reservations about this), the crowds that turn out to watch hand support the race were huge. It's totally fun ripping through a small upstate NY town at 40 mph, blowing through every red light, with a police escort, and noticing big crowds cheering you on like it's a CX race...

[taudep]

Oh, I should add. I originally made this post so that everyone who'se interested adds the registration time to their calendars. Last year, th Cat 5's filled up literally in 5 minutes. You gotta have the browser open and ready to go...

[ahamilton]

Crap! I just saw this:

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/cgi/galle ... t-dirt.jpg

and now I'm 25% in, 75% out.

That exact spot is pretty much where I last got to see the main peloton going over the top of that hill in the distance. Now I want to go back and make it over that hill with them. (It sure looks flatter in the picture...)

[BTurner]

Registration is now open.

[Smudger]

Just signed up for the 4's

[scott_sweeney]

Wait listed.....f*ck!!!!

[Smudger]

Don't let the waitlist change your training plans. All the fields were full last year and opened up pretty substantially a couple of weeks before the race when everyone realises that they haven't done the training they had planned and the race is going to be too painful.

[pace21]

Signed up for 4's. Just had knee surgery on Wednesday, so I have some forced downtime -- this will be my carrot to rehab/train for all winter.

@Bill -- I'm very intrigued by the invite to NC... do you have room for both a Cannondale AND a CRF280 (and another body in the truck)? Is the Morganton GNCC just plain hard, or hellaciously hard?

--- Chris