Sunday, March 30, 2014

Golden Anti-Gravity Epic Century

Back in the near future!
Lookout Mountain Road is the best known climb out of the Golden area. Alas, this overly popular climb is not used during the event. But no need to lament! There are many other hidden gems in the foothills to the west of Golden that are begging to be ridden!
Back for 2015...(tah-dah)...the Golden Anti-Gravity Epic Century! 

 The Golden Anti-Gravity continues to supplant the Boulder Fearsome Five on our ride calendar for 2015, ensuring that RMCCers get their fair share of suffering in early May! And I must admit that there are some real gems during this ride...roads that unfamiliar to most Front Range cyclists! If names like Lininger Drive, Little Bear Creek Road, Virginia Canyon Road, Dory Hill Road, Mountain Base Road, Douglas Mountain Road, and Robinson Hill Road don't scare you, they will by the end of this ride! This course may actually is equally as difficult as the Boulder Fearsome Five!

 Here's a few details about the ride:
  1. Date: Saturday, May 2, 2015. Rain or shine. 
  2. Time: Check-in at 6:00 am - 6:45 am. Ride start at 7:00 am. Please be ready for pre-ride instructions by 6:45 am.
  3. Start location: Golden, CO, Coors Tek Parking Lot, 11th and Jackson St.
  4. Course: For 2015, we will be running 3 different routes. Each course will feature a similar start and include a variety of paved and dirt/gravel roads...some of the most scenic and hilly roads that we can find in the Golden area! There are some real gems that will likely be included in this route! Please note that the final course(s) could change based on weather and road conditions. Here's a sneak preview of the three different courses: 
  5. Time limit: Riders will have 12 hours (avg. speed 9.58 mph) to complete their challenging course of choice.  
  6. Membership: RMCC membership is required to participate in this ride. If you're not a club member and would like to participate, please sign up: RMCC membership. RMCC membership is extremely affordable ($25/year) and gives all riders the ability to participate in other special club events during the 2014 calendar year. 
  7. Registration: We are requesting that RMCC members preregister for this event. Pre-registration will open in March 2015 on the RMCC website. 
  8. Registration fee: None! Our main goal of this event is to encourage participation for RMCC members! 
  9. Results: Please keep in mind that this event is NOT a race! The primary goal is to finish this ride safely within the 12 hour time limit. Results will be posted based on whether or not you successfully complete the course, not finishing times. And we will only list the names of those riders who successfully complete the entire course, not those names who DNF. So for those of you who are concerned about not finishing this extremely challenging ride, you will have nothing to lose! Here's your chance to throw your name in the ring without worrying about embarrassing you or your loved ones...
  10. Support: As in 2014, this event will be ridden in brevet style (i.e., without support or SAG vehicles). There are plenty of convenience stores for participants to self-support along the course and finish within plenty of time! Participants should consider riding with 2-3 bottles or a small Camelback.
      1. Bergen Park: 33 miles
      2. Idaho Springs: 50 miles
      3. Central City/Blackhawk: 60 miles
      4. Dory Hill Campground: 64 miles
      5. Golden Gate State Park Visitor Center
  11. Special notes: 
    1. The roads used during this event can be ridden on a standard road bike. But I would highly recommend the largest road tires that your bike can accommodate. 28 mm to 35 mm tires would be ideal. You will greatly appreciate the wider tires on the many dirt and gravel roads! Cyclocross bikes may be ideal a times. 
    2. A couple of the climbs included in this ride are incredibly steep...greater than 20% grade! Please be prepared for the fact that you may need to hike your bike through the steepest sections...and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Consider using your mountain bike shoes (and pedals) if you don't want to hike in your road shoes.
Bottom line: This ride will be wicked hard!! There is lots of climbing, lots of dirt (much more dirt than the BF5!), perhaps even a few short "hike-a-bike" sections, and yes…..lots of suffering!! As in 2014, I think there's a distinct possibility that most riders will be begging for the return of the Boulder Fearsome Five for 2016.
Here's a preview of some of the roads and scenery that participants will encounter during the epic Golden AntiGravity:

Running through the heart of Golden Gate State Park, Mountain Base Rd is one of Jefferson County's steepest climbs, reaching grades as steep as 19%!
Crawford Gulch Road offers a unique blend of pavement and gravel. 
But be prepared…this road is steep!!  
Scenic views from Lininger Drive, a hidden gem only accessible from Grapevine Road, 
nestled between Idledale and Genesee
Oh My God! You can't be serious?!? (Yes...we are! :)

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