Like cycling hills? Then grab your ride and start climbing with other like-minded masochists.
Gravel grinder or dirt-road randonee, in the Northeast Kingdom it’s a raid. Hundreds of cyclists are expected for the Raid Lamoille on Saturday at Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Craftsbury, Vt. Organizers stress it’s not a race but an event that will have riders finish tired.
The ride’s roots trace to Stowe in 2012. The Craftsbury venue debuted last year. Hills? Ayuh. The 50-plus-mile loop gains more than 5,000 feet on about 75% packed-gravel roads, while the 25-mile circuit climbs more than 2,500 feet on approximately 90% packed gravel. Choose your pain at bikereg.com.
Positioning itself as the toughest century in New England, the Mount Washington Century+ is a wild 109-mile ride in the White Mountains to benefit the Tin Mountain Conservation Center in Albany, N.H. The July 27 spin takes riders on iconic forested roads, like the winding Kancamagus Highway, while also serving up some scenic field vistas along the way as cyclists tackle three mountain passes — Bear Notch, Crawford Notch and Pinkham Notch — in the loop around Mount Washington. A staple since 2001, there are also 44- and 88-mile options, with five aid stations along the century route.
New life continues for the Mount Ascutney Hillclimb. The 3.7-mile route up the Mount Ascutney State Park auto road in Windsor was held annually from 1999 to 2014, but declining entrants shut it down in 2015. Resurrected last year, organizers cut race T-shirts and the post-ride meal and saw 88 registrants on a rainy-day race. Part of the New England hillclimb series BUMPS, the 12% grade is considered good prep for Mount Washington. The Mount Ascutney race is Aug. 3.
The Mount Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb in Pinkham Notch has seen its share of elite riders over the years, but for the 47th annual race on Aug. 17, organizers are still looking for the first fixed-gear bike racers to finish.
To entice them, the first man and woman to do so receives a $500 prize as well as a $250 gift card from State Bicycle Company. With only one front and one rear chain sprocket, fixed-gear bikes can’t coast, so the riders always pedal. Most riders on multi-gear bikes are pedaling the whole way anyway, but they can adjust to the road’s grades while fixed-gear riders can’t. Fixed-gear bikes are lighter, however. So if crazy’s in your wheelhouse, ride a fixed-gear bike up.
Bikes and beer are a perfect pair for many. For those who think so, how can you not like the 30-mile gravel-grinding Beer Run featured during the sixth annual Pedal Power to the People in Tunbridge? A fundraiser for Royalton Community Radio, two grassroots rides lead cyclists from the Tunbridge Fairgrounds along the hills, farms and woods of Tunbridge, Royalton, Sharon and Strafford. Beer Run features 4,000 feet of vertical, while the more mellow 13-mile Milk Run winds through a trio of covered bridges. There’s not much pavement on this one. The Aug. 17 ride coincides with the annual Nano Fest featuring craft brewers.
Have those wide tires and prepare to use granny gear for southern New Hampshire’s fifth annual Rose Mountain Ramble on Aug. 25. The benefit for the Piscataquog Land Conservancy features routes of 20, 40 and 50 miles plus a 100-kilometer course starting in Lyndeborough, N.H., along narrow roads with stone walls, dirt, tree canopies and bucolic vistas. The 100K course is on about 80% gravel roads, while the 40-miler contains approximately 70% gravel terrain and unmaintained roads for good measure.
Organizers say Cabot Ride the Ridges has something for everyone. So expect fun, challenges, views and aid stations with shots of maple syrup along the way through the Vermont towns of Cabot and Peacham. A Cabot Mentoring Program fundraiser, the Sept. 8 gravel-grinding event features a couple of butt-busting routes — the Warped 100K and Rugged 60K. Warped riders tackle more than 7,500 feet of elevation gain. Rugged types navigate more than 3,500 feet of vertical and also get to ride a grass trail. The Sturdy 30K contains a few challenging hills, while the family-friendly 10K is a nice introduction to off-road riding without much pain.
That’s for later.
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Marty Basch can be reached at marty.basch@gmail.com.