Just a discussion thread on this race I'm working on... in the distant future (Spring '08).
This is still in the far planning stages.
"The Meat Grinder"
Just like Times.
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Just like Times.
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"The Meat Grinder"Just a discussion thread on this race I'm working on... in the distant future (Spring '08). This is still in the far planning stages. |
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Oh man that looks awesome,
Oh man that looks awesome, but I have a big but: but Kennesaw Mountain Rd is closed to cars and bicycles on Saturdays and Sundays.
You **cannot** do the hill climb there on any Saturday or Sunday, but you're listing it as being there on Saturday. (The road is also closed on all holidays.)
HOWEVER, Kennesaw Mtn Rd use is currently under review by the NPS and the rules / access may change significantly. There is perceived user conflict between walkers and bicyclists and cars and they think somebody is gonna get kilt and they have to stop that from happening.
Yeah, that was one thing I
Yeah, that was one thing I needed to look into. Thank you for pointing this our Chris.
The other mountain choice is Brasstown Bald... there isn't any REALLY big climb in the city.
Of course we could also do Turners* Corner to Neel's Gap (edit the event post with the alternate link)...
I'd recommend not doing
I'd recommend not doing Brasstown for this. It's too much. Seriously. I've seen cat 3's walking their 39x27s on Brasstown. Also, people tend to get killed riding down Brasstown.
That Neel's Gap climb is a slightly less grade than Kennesaw Mtn but is about 7 miles long. That's a lot longer than Kennesaw Mtn's 1.5 miles! Woody's Gap "backwards" is about the same as Neel's.
Wolfpen Gap Rd from Vogel St Park up to the top might be good. It's not all that long (about 2.5 mi) and the gradient is a lot like Kennesaw Mtn (typically 7 to 10%). There is a little parking lot at the top and Vogel State Park has parking (at $2 a day per vehicle parking fee) and bathrooms and a little store with powerade and stuff. It's the furthest drive, though.
There's also Lost Mtn in West Cobb which has one side you barely notice you're climbing up but a different, new side that is insanely steep like the worst parts of Brasstown but not nearly so long. There's also Sweat Mtn in East Cobb which I've never biked up but it's reportedly a pretty difficult climb. I've driven up it and I can believe it's difficult. There's also BlackJack Mountain in Marietta which is not even all that much of a hill. BlackJack is probably not enough of a climb.
There are a few climbs out by Rockmart that go up a good bit onto a big ridge. You don't get much of a "hill climb" look but you definitely get that feeling in your legs.
I chose Kennesaw initially
I chose Kennesaw initially because it was close and I know of it prowess (done it once)... but now that I know the road is closed to bikes on the weekend, I'm probably going to look for other hills.
One thing I do want to do with the hill climb is get the riders out of the 'burbs and the city. There is tons of good biking within a half-day's drive of here and people just don't know about it.
I'll check out the other gap climbs when I'm up in that area this fall. One thing the Neel's Gap climb has is that "awe" factor when you get on the last mile and half. If my car struggles with four dudes in it going up the hill, it's going to be brutal on a 34x25 (compact baby!). I want each stage to really reflect the name.
I'd try to arrange SAG coming down the hill for those who don't think they can descend properly.
Take this to email if you would like to go into detail about the other gap climbs (sjkingry@gmail.com).
emailed
emailed
The Snake
Neel's Gap - That road is etched in my memory and most everyone I know refers to it as "The Snake" for its something like 123+ turns. It looks brutal and I've been dying to try it. If you're shooting for awe factor, this is definitely the one to choose.
the other awesome thing about vogel state park
is that there are beautiful cold refreshing amazing waterfalls off the side of the road for when the stage is done. it's a gorgeous part of the state.
You might consider a hill
You might consider a hill climb on Mt. Wilkinson in Smyrna, which has a cemetery on top, a smart turnaround, and a stunning view of downtown. Camp Burt Adams Boy Scout Camp used to be out there; it's high rise and condos now. Haven't been there in ages.
Burt Adams Boy Scout Camp?
Burt Adams Boy Scout Camp? No way! :D That was just right there in Smyrna/Vinings? Wow, I used to get molested there way back in the day! I thought it was down south near Macon or something. OMG, good times. Ha ha, one of these days I'll run into that Scoutmaster again and kill him dead. Heh heh heh. Fun!!!
Anyway... Mt Wilkinson Pkwy only ascends like 100 feet unless you are talking about somewhere else. It's barely a molehill, pretty much almost flat for the length required to ascend the 100 feet. If you started down in Vinings by the tracks and went up Paces Ferry then up Overlook and then up Mt Wilkinson you get a bit of a climb but still not enough for a hill climb race.
.
If we're driving up to N. GA, I say skip Neel's Gap. It's kind of long, but it's never really that steep or challenging. Also, I think parking is probably about 3 to 5 miles away. Going down the otherside of Neel's Gap however, there's App. Trailhead with ample parking. Continue the decent and then you get the foot of Wolfpen Gap. Only about 3 miles long (I think) but wayyy steeper and more challenging.
oh
and it already has a finish line marked on it.
Atlanta Tri club does a 3
Atlanta Tri club does a 3 Gap Time trial. Turners corner to teh rockpile, Woodys, wolfpen, Neals and back to turners Corner. I think its about 36 miles. Good climbing but nothing too bad. By going in the opposite direction (as 6 gap) the climbing is longer but less steep.
What kind of mileage you looking for.
Audax Atlanta puts on 12 Gap... basically a 200K (126 miles) with 22,800 ft. of climbing. Thats all the climbing of 6 gap with only 20 more miles!
is there a flyer for this?
No Brakes!
not yet... I am still
not yet... I am still debating on wether or not I am going to cancel this (and devote the funds that I was going to use for this to make the RFID tracking system used in last year's FM24 better).