I rode the Mount Evans Hillclimb / Bob Cook Memorial Bike Race on the coker yesterday. It ends at the top of the highest paved road in North America. All and all a pretty awesome experience.
AspenMike was the first to compete in this event last year and he posted a stellar write-up about it with some great pictures. (Sorry, I can’t figure out how to link).
Here are some stats from his write up.
STATS;
· 28 MILES –45 KILOMETERS CLIMB ONLY
· 7516’ VERTICAL GAINED – 2291 METERS
· 11,000’ AVERAGE RIDING ELEVATION- 3353 METERS
· 14,100’ SUMMIT ELEVATION - 4298 METERS
I have lived in Colorado for 20 years but I had never been up the Mount Evans road. I always felt that 14ers needed to be earned through sweat rather than driven. Yet the road is stunning. Enormous precipitous drops, glacial waterfalls and forever Colorado views. The last 10 miles wind up through the treeless alpine environment.
I haven’t been on the coker much these last few months because I’ve been riding more dirt muni. I was feeling less than prepared but I figured that I could at least finish and enjoy the road closed to traffic.
I was the only uni in the race and I drew lots of second looks. People were mostly encouraging and expressed their amazement. I was interviewed by a reporter from the Rocky Mountain News. He remembered me passing him as he rode the Iron Horse in May and he seemed very interested in unicycling. It was a beautiful cloudless morning. After the gun start I UPDed after someone cut in front of me and there was a minor bung up. I was a bungle of nerves. I jumped back on and set off.
The first 6 miles are very gradual despite my best effort I was passed by nearly the entire field. The a couple of switch-backs and the climbing begins. I got into my groove and began picking off the bikes one by one. I felt great and I was very excited to be participating in the event.
I whizzed past the aid station at Echo Lake and lots of cheering and enthusiasm gave me a boost. There is a thick pine forest above the lake and at mile 18 the road turns the corner and suddenly all the trees are gone and the summit of the mountain looms in the distance. At mile 20 I took my first break, a two minute breather. I was still feeling pretty good and no sign of cramping, but my butt was sorer that unsual…not enough seat-training time. A short descent right after that brought me to Summit Lake at mile 22. 6 miles and 2’000 feet to go. I was feeling fatigued but still charging. There is a long straight mile climb right after the lake. I continued to pass bikes more bikes than passed me up to the first of the final 14 switchbacks that wind up the southern face of the mountain. The altitude was beginning to make me dizzy and my legs were feeling spent. I tried to relax and ride slower. Mile 24, another quick dismount, breather. Bikes that I spent so much energy passing now streamed passed. I jumped up and kept going, but I was feeling less confident now. Each switchback was now a huge challenge. I would complete two, then have to stop. The third to last switchback I was overcome with vertigo and I fell off. Rest…jump back on…ride another. Finally, one kilometer to the summit and I knew I would make it. I crossed the finish line at 11:05. Whoa what a feeling!! Yet, I was a bit disappointed at my utter breakdown the last four miles. I think with bit more training at elevation I could finish more in the middle of the Citizen pack rather than at the end.
After the race I couldn’t find a ride down so I ended up riding the 14 miles down to Echo Lake. It actually was a nice wind-down and the afternoon storms were rolling in cooling things off.
At Echo Lake there was a lot of traffic on the highway so i hitch a ride back to Idaho Springs in a pickup.
The race was a great experience, well organized and plenty of very friendly people. A bit pricy, ($80.00) but that includes a great VERGE cycling jersy.
I’m hoping to make in an annual event and I’d love more uni’s to join in!
Final race time: 3 hrs 35 min
Cranks: 170s
