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Hammie is two distinct climbs, with a 10 mile first
segment, then a short downhill to Grant County Park (turn around for the half-Hammies), then a final 9
mile or so climb. There are no killer sections...it's all a pretty
steady 6 - 8% grade, but the length just wears you down. If your lower
back tires while climbing, the last 5 miles can be a real grind, but if
you do enough standing periods, you should be OK.
I've not broken 2 hours for the climb (2:01.14 is my best), so I hope to on Thursday. Spending Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Manhattan pigging out probably ain't going to help me reach that goal, but it is a goal nonetheless.
Mt Hamilton weather on weather.com shows a 46 - 59 range for Thursday with partly cloudy skies...it will be warmer than past years...
Just be ready for a VERY COLD downhill, regardless of the weather...18.7 miles up means 18.7 miles down, so people get really sweaty-wet on the climb, then freeze their asses on the way down because they didn't plan the descent out well. It doesn't look like it will be very cold on Thursday, but layer anyway, since the descent is LONG. I will probably wear a long sleeved jersey and knickers for the climb, and have a windbreaker, arm warmers, and a fresh, DRY set of full-finger gloves ready for the descent--I have some Windstopper ones picked out specifically for this descent.
People have reported the most misery with cold hands on the descent in previous years, so plan accordingly.
The descent, particularly from the observatory on down to the bridge, is very technical (Wikipedia says Hamilton's road has a years' worth of turns--somebody counted 365 turns from bottom to top) and there are some tight, right hand turns that perpetually have gravel in them, so scan the road and take a mental note of the bad turn sections as you climb and remember those sections as you descend to them, and for God's sake, slow down and be careful!
There is water, a bathroom, and a vending machine at the Lick Observatory at the summit, but no nice little snack bar or anything, so take enough bars/gels to sustain you both up and back. General rule is 2 hours plus to climb; 1 hour to descend.
"When you get down to the bare bones of it, just being on the road with some of your buddies, no matter how old you are, you never lose that boyish feeling. That's what cycling's all about." -- Davis Phinney, former Pro Cyclist
"We can't say we ride to make money or to achieve fame. We ride because it feels good, it makes us healthier and it satisfies a deep need for challenge and competition, if only with ourselves." Fred Matheny
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming -- WOW--What a Ride!" Anon.
I've not broken 2 hours for the climb (2:01.14 is my best), so I hope to on Thursday. Spending Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Manhattan pigging out probably ain't going to help me reach that goal, but it is a goal nonetheless.
Mt Hamilton weather on weather.com shows a 46 - 59 range for Thursday with partly cloudy skies...it will be warmer than past years...
Just be ready for a VERY COLD downhill, regardless of the weather...18.7 miles up means 18.7 miles down, so people get really sweaty-wet on the climb, then freeze their asses on the way down because they didn't plan the descent out well. It doesn't look like it will be very cold on Thursday, but layer anyway, since the descent is LONG. I will probably wear a long sleeved jersey and knickers for the climb, and have a windbreaker, arm warmers, and a fresh, DRY set of full-finger gloves ready for the descent--I have some Windstopper ones picked out specifically for this descent.
People have reported the most misery with cold hands on the descent in previous years, so plan accordingly.
The descent, particularly from the observatory on down to the bridge, is very technical (Wikipedia says Hamilton's road has a years' worth of turns--somebody counted 365 turns from bottom to top) and there are some tight, right hand turns that perpetually have gravel in them, so scan the road and take a mental note of the bad turn sections as you climb and remember those sections as you descend to them, and for God's sake, slow down and be careful!
There is water, a bathroom, and a vending machine at the Lick Observatory at the summit, but no nice little snack bar or anything, so take enough bars/gels to sustain you both up and back. General rule is 2 hours plus to climb; 1 hour to descend.
Mark Pryor
"When you get down to the bare bones of it, just being on the road with some of your buddies, no matter how old you are, you never lose that boyish feeling. That's what cycling's all about." -- Davis Phinney, former Pro Cyclist
"We can't say we ride to make money or to achieve fame. We ride because it feels good, it makes us healthier and it satisfies a deep need for challenge and competition, if only with ourselves." Fred Matheny
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming -- WOW--What a Ride!" Anon.
"Religion does three things quite effectively: divides people, controls people, deludes people." Carlespie Mary Alice McKinney
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