Sunday, April 30, 2017

AntiEpic Gravel Grinder Pre-ride Instructions



1) Pre-registration is closed. For non-RMCC members who are interested in participating Saturday: 1) Please print out a copy of the RMCC membership application: RMCC membership, 2) Bring your $25 yearly membership dues. You cannot participate without an active RMCC membership. 

2) Please e-mail me to let me know that you are going to participate. Please include name, age, address, phone number, emergency contact name and number: mvlowe5@comcast.net

3) Please arrive as early as possible! I will have check-in set up by 6:30 am on Saturday morning. 


Dear AntiEpic Gravel Grinder Participants,

Here are the instructions for next weekend’s BIG ride:

Date: Saturday, May 6, 2017 

Start/End Location: Monument, CO, Pikes Peak Brewery, 1756 Lake Woodmoor Drive, Monument, CO 80132

Check in: Check-in will be located on the south side of the parking lot. All riders need to sign in before the start of their ride. Riders who don't sign in won't receive a finishing time. Please check in as early as possible! It is very difficulty to check in many riders in less than 1 hour before the start of the ride.

1)     Long course: Check in 4:15 am – 4:45 am. Ride starts at 5:00 am. We are starting 1 hour earlier to give riders an extra hour of daylight.
2)     Short course: Check in 6:45 am - 7:45 am. Ride starts at 8:00 am.

Time limit:
1)     Long course: 19 hours (avg speed 10.5 mph). Closing time: 12 midnight. Intermediate cut-off: Checkpoint #2, mile 68.8: 6 hours (11 am). Riders arriving at this checkpoint after 11 am will need to turn around and will not receive a finishing time.  If the B-road is 100% not rideable (i.e., hike-a-bike only), I will add 1 additional hour onto the time limit.
2)     Short course: 9 hours (avg speed 8.4 mph). Closing time: 5 pm.

Cue sheets: Official cue sheets for both courses are attached. Please print these out and bring them with you. You may use the Garmin links to upload the Garmin file to your Garmin computer.

RMCC support vehicles. We will have plenty of support on the course. Support vehicles will be stocked with water, Gatorade, and Coke. Each support vehicles will also have a floor pump. The RMCC support vehicles are—first priority—for safety and emergencies. In the case of an emergency, these vehicles may have to leave the course without any warning. Riders must be prepared for this possibility and need to carry the provisions necessary to successfully complete the event.  The support vehicles do not sweep the course. If you need to abandon, please make arrangements for someone to pick you up.
1)     Long course support: Josh Peter, Corinne Warren, and Walter Zitz.
2)     Short course support: Mark Lowe and Nat Schub

Drop bags. Although this is not mandatory, all riders should consider preparing a drop bag to help complete this event. Long course participants can prepare two drop bags for this event. Short course participants can prepare one drop bag for this event. Drop bags should contain food/beverage items, extra clothing/gear, extra tubes/tires (highly recommended!) that you might need to successfully complete the event. Drop bags should be clearly labeled with your name (BIG LETTERS, EASY-TO-READ). Your drop bags will be stored in the support vehicles prior to the start of each ride. Your drop bags will be available at the official checkpoints listed below. All drop bags will be available for participants to pick up at the conclusion of each ride at the Pikes Peak Brewery. If you are unable to pick up your drop bags after the ride, please contact Mark Lowe to make arrangements to pick your bag: mvlowe5@comcast.net.

Official checkpoints. Please check in at each checkpoint along the course. Failure to check in may result in disqualification.
1)     Long course:
a.     Checkpoint #1: Castlewood Drive, 27.8 miles, Josh and Walter, drop bag 1
b.     Checkpoint #2: Maul Rd and CO 86, 68.8 miles, Josh and Walter, drop bag 1
c.      Checkpoint #3: Deer Trail, Shell Convenience Store, Cedar St and 5th Ave, 114.3 miles, Corinne, drop bag 2
d.     Checkpoint #4: County Rd 89 and Country Rd 98 (the B-road), 153.1 miles, Josh and Walter, drop bag 1
e.     Checkpoint #5: County Rd 82 and Elbert Rd, 175 miles, Corinne, drop bag 2 (Please note that faster riders may out run Corinne and not have access to their drop bags at this checkpoint.)
f.      Checkpoint #6: Monument, Pikes Peak Brewery, 200 miles, Mark

2)     Short course:
a.     Checkpoint #1: County Rd 102 and Maul Rd, 32.7 miles, Mark and Nat
b.     Checkpoint #2: Monument, Pikes Peak Brewery, 76.8 miles, Mark and Nat
Personal support vehicles. Long course participants will be allowed to have a personal support vehicle in Deer Trail.  This is the only location during either event that riders can receive personal support. To keep the event fair and safe for all participants AND to keep the event in the spirit of the original AntiEpic Gravel Grinder, riders for both events will not be allowed to have personal support anywhere else on the course. This includes family or friends on the course who are cheering on participants. Any rider who has personal support or a shadow vehicle will be disqualified and will not receive a finishing time!
Course notes:
1)     For long course participants, we will be using County Rd 98 (the dreaded B-road)—rain, snow, or shine! With recent snowfall, please anticipate some muddy conditions. Please be prepared. Please consider keeping an old pair of tennis shoes in the Josh and Walter’s support vehicle that could be used to walk your bike if the B-road is too muddy to ride.
2)     Store support. There are not many convenience stores along either course. However, there are convenience stores in the following locations:
a.     Franktown: C & L Gas along CO-83.  Long course riders can ride into Franktown after passing through Castlewood Canyon for supplies.
b.     Elbert: Hi Test Gas/Convenience. On N. Elbert Road north of Garfield Ave. Short course and long course riders can stop here for supplies.
c.      Deer Trail: Shell Convenience Store (Cedar St and 5th Ave), Deer Trail 66 Convenience Store (7th Ave on the north side of I-70), Brick Oven Pizza (708 1st Ave).
3)     Castlewood Canyon is a state park, but it is legal to ride through the park without paying an entrance fee; however, riders are technically not supposed to stop in the park without purchasing a day pass. Long course rider should keep this in mind.

Safety:
1)     Please be extremely careful when crossing the following paved roads: Palmer Divide Rd, CO-83, Elbert Rd, and CO-86. Traffic can be extremely fast!
2)     Please try to ride single file AND as far to the right as possible (when possible). Local residents are not used to seeing cyclists on their county roads! 
3)     Long course riders: please bring lights and reflective gear! It is very likely that many riders will be finishing after sunset. Short course riders should not need lights. But if you do, something has gone seriously wrong with your ride! J

Abandonment: If you abandon the ride, please call or text us to let us know that you are dropping out! This will make it easier for us to keep track of riders! Please make arrangements for someone to pick you up as the RMCC support vehicles do not sweep the course. Corinne Warren (cell: 719-963-0440), Mark Lowe (cell: 303-895-9532), Walter Zitz (cell: 845-625-7277).

A few notes about courtesy:
1)     Parking: At the Pikes Peak Brewery, please try to park along the outer perimeter of the parking lot so we can preserve parking spaces for the shopping center patrons! After the ride, support the brewery and other shops nearby! Buy a beer or grab some grub! 
2)     Please try to urinate out of public view. We don't want to attract unnecessary attention to this event. Peeing in someone's front yard is a great way to have the Colorado Highway Patrol crack down on this ride in future years!


Have a GREAT AntiEpic ride! 


Monday, April 17, 2017

2017 Foothills Climbfest Recap

The tricky, serpentine descent down Deer Creek Canyon

Congratulations to the 2017 RMCC Foothills Climbfest finishers! The Foothills Climbfest is the oldest Challenge Series event on the RMCC cycling calendar. The challenging Climbfest features over 8,000 feet of climbing in 80 miles in the foothills to the west of Chatfield Reservoir. To add to the challenge, participants have only 7 hours to complete this difficult, hilly course to receive an official finishing time. For many riders, the Climbest serves as great preparation for some of the upcoming more difficult events on the RMCC calendar, such as the alluring Colorado Triple Crown. For other riders, the Climbfest is an opportunity to spend a solid training day with their riding friends. For all participants--finishers and non-finishers--it is a great workout and cruel reminder that the 2017 cycling season is here!  This was the first time the RMCC has hosted this intra-club gran fondo since 2014. The event was cancelled in 2015 and 2016 due to inclement weather.

Caleb Carl posted the speediest men's time of the day with a total elapsed time of 4 hours, 42 minutes (17.02 mph) and Diane Benoit, recovering well from a nasty accident last season, posted the fastest women's time of 6 hours, 28 minutes (12.38 mph). Congratulations to both riders!! Alas, the course records of Mindy Gehrs (5:06, 15.9 mph, 2014) and Mark Lowe (4:23, 18.48 mph, 2011) remain safe for one more season.

For full results: 2017 Foothills Climbfest

Special thanks to Harris Rosenthal, Jon Sendor, and Corinne Warren for providing support for this year's participants! 

Red rock formations in South Valley Park