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Pacing for the Hell of Hunterdon
Hi all, some of us NJ, and PA, folks are doing this event. The Hell of Hunterdon hellofhunterdon.com/home It's a 76 mile ride with about 15% on dirt, gravel and hardscrabble. Also 4900ft of elevation gain. Was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on pacing. There are I think 2-3 feed(rest) areas along the way. Please keep in mind this should certainly be the farthest any of us Northeast peeps will have ridden outside this year. So I was thinking .75-.80 for the ride. Am I far off?
Thanks for any advice.
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I would say you are just about right on, the hard part would be not to hammer in the first hour. I always start off slower on these longer events and end off picking people off at the end. The two things I would be concerned with are the road surface as I hate getting flats and my backside getting sore from lack of time in saddle.
Good Luck
ooohhh!
I live(d) right near there. In fact, if looks like you're starting at Pure Energy Cycling. Say "Hi" to Arounkone for me (he'll know me as GTA). Parking isn't over-generous in town but if you can't get a spot at the Mt Hope Street park there is usually okay parking on Swan or Ferry St (about 2 blocks from the start/finish).
Enjoy that gently up-hill just as you get started. It is deceptivly easy to kill yourself on that gently grade, there is a lot worse to come. Be careful as you decend down Wilson Rd (mile 11), it starts out paved at the top and just as you get up some speed it will change to dirt/gravel -- and depending on the weather the week before could be bad. The Historical Farm uses that road often (watch out for 'gifts' from Mr. Horse) and the divits can throw you. This is also a fairly steep down! Around mile 12-13 you're going to turn onto Woosamosa Road, the rolling hill there are challenging. Titus Mills Road (16-17) is a good recovery. Careful going under the train bridge if it has been raining, there are slick spots (!) and the cars treat this road like an autoban -- they go fast and it road itself if closer to a single lane. Pay extra attention going around the curves after the train overpass!! The winter has been unkind to this road, the turn is tight, blind, and narrow!!! Nothing to exciting after that (that I recall), but parts of 518 can be narrow. Then you turn up into the Sourlands. Hilly, but very do-able. That down hill at mile 28 can be scary if the road is wet or it is breezy (crosswinds). .... the bits in the middle are fairly tame ... Enjoy the downhill at Stompf Rd at mile 59! After that quick climb up Quarry Rd, you'll turn on to Federal Twist (mile 64).... that is a fast, straight downhill so watch out for small pot holes in the road and it doesn't look like it, but there is plenty of space to slow down before you have to turn back on to Rt 29 (I do my hill-repeats by going UP Fed Twist... ahh, good times, good times). The last place I would really watch out for is at mile 72. That down hill on Hemp road is no bullshit, and on dirt and at the bottom it narrows down to a single lane and goes under a train bridge (abandoned). BE CAREFUL. The ride back to Lambertville is rollers and smooth after that.
Have a great ride!
And if you want to do a brick off the ride... the canal path is right there at on Mt Hope Street ... go to the left and going to 1st white bridge is about 1.5miles out...
When you're done, I would suggest washing up the best you can and grabbing lunch at the Inn of the Hawk is always fun.
@Steve, yep, ass may be hurting a bit.
Just like in am IM, correct pacing will have you doing the opposite of most other folks. Especially early on, you'll be dropped like a stone on the uphills; be patient, they'll come back. Be quick in the feed zones; have a plan, execute that plan, get out.
Dan's scouting report is invaluable, pure gold.
Even though the event isn't timed that doesn't preclude our competitive urges! If you want to be strong at the end you'll have to be strict with your self-discipline early on; easy to say, remarkably hard to do. This is where your PM will be worth it's weight in gold; use it!
Also: road bike? Think about gearing; I'd roll at least a 29 on the back, maybe more, depending on the steepness of the pitches. And tires: the fattest you can squeeze in there, probably 25mm for you. I jam 28mm Grand Bois into my Cervelo R3, pumped to 85psi; just the thing for rough roads, and I out-roll all the skinny-tired guys downhill.
Edit: if you're using a CX bike the 30mm Grand Bois tires, pumped to 75psi, would be the killer combination on this course. You'd slay the skinny-tired guys on the rough stuff. I've ridden lots of those roads in that area in the past few months; plenty of climbing! I was glad for a 12x32 on the back, but I'm fat and slow this winter.