Spring Classics in NJ - The Hell of Hunterdon

[AngryScientist]

youch, what a day.

despite total lack of base miles or "preparation", a rockstar forumite here let me have his HoH registration, so with a healthy mix of false bravado and hard-headed stupidity, i loaded my geekhouse in my jeep and headed down to hunterdon county this morning.

today was probably the windiest day i've ever spent on a bike. i was pedaling downhill just to keep the bike moving forward, and fighting the bars most of the day to hold a line.

i must say the HoH is a very, very well organized event, which attracts some serious riders. the lead group(s) were moving at a very serious pace, i can only believe that they spend winters in southern france training, or some such luxury.

the HoH is a mix of paved roads and "secteurs" of dirt/gravel. some of the best roads in NJ for spring classic style riding. the weather and the roads lived up to the namesake.

no "on-ride" pics, just never pulled the camera out. a spectacular day, despite the sufferfest.


http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NbtNefqjL9Q/VSByRIpxu-I/AAAAAAAAB_M/NstIX_P-0Nk/s1100/P1080452.JPG

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uk8jf0Q9GGc/VSByRETDXmI/AAAAAAAAB_Q/qIqAPwevbQc/s1100/P1080453.JPG

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pwyr57w-9L8/VSBySpPK86I/AAAAAAAAB_k/hZUuE2PflLs/s1100/P1080455.JPG

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0H7U7ut6cok/VSByS72km1I/AAAAAAAAB_o/r3hOhzY4914/s1100/P1080456.JPG

[thegunner]

ugh, i'm tagging along next year.

[Vonruden]

Yeah, I really want to do this next year, will be a goal of mine.

[SlowPokePete]

Must have been tough, made so much more so by the wind.

Whenever I'm out in the wind around here, I always think about flatland riding, like when I'm down near Assateague Island in Maryland in the summer, dealing with windy riding.

Everyone says, "The wind is the flatlander's hills."

But there is nothing like the wind AND hills combination.

Nice job finishing that thing up.

SPP

[CNY rider]

I'm always impressed with people doing these rides so early in the season.
I just had my last XC ski day on Tuesday and it's a flog to do the 15 mile RT bicycle commute to work at this point.

[dcama5]

Congrats on completing a tough ride. We had that wind yesterday down here in northwestern VA and my wife and I just do not venture out in 35 mph wind gusts. The Geekhouse looks nice. Are those tires Velo Orange gray fairweather travelers? My wife has them on her Serotta so that she can do a little gravel riding and they are nice tires.

[AngryScientist]

Are those tires Velo Orange gray fairweather travelers? My wife has them on her Serotta so that she can do a little gravel riding and they are nice tires.

yes they are. very nice tires, and they were absolutely perfect for this ride.

[ik2280]

I was there yesterday, too, doing some Battenkill training. Luckily, no flats. Highly recommend the event - good markers on the course, some food and beer at the Elks Lodge afterward.

[katematt]

I was there and rememb seeing that Geekhouse on the road. I was on the Calfee. Great event very well organized, but the wind was epic.


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[weiwentg]

glad you finished! this reminds me of Cone Azalia in Southeast Michigan. That one is mostly dirt road, lots of bumps, also tends to be windy. paved start, with the dirt road about a mile away. so I had to do a 1-mile TT, and then bikes and bottles went flying everywhere the second we hit the dirt. I'm a skinny climber, I did it for the experience, and I don't need any more of that sort of experience.

[velomonkey]

Well done!!!!!

I've done weekly training rides, races and fund raisers in NJ - never once have I not had a blast. The reputation of the state does a disservice.

And, yea, it was windy as all hell yesterday. Good for you!!!!

[fuzzalow]

After the kind of winter we went through here in the northeast that made road riding impossible until only a few weeks ago, you are indeed an intrepid adventurous character. I'd never take on a ride like that with zero-nada-zilch miles in my legs - I know I couldn't even hold the revs for that long no matter what the gear I was trying to turn over. Congratulations and I will buy you a beer.

I did something far less ambitious today, I finally got in a few laps of the park. It was crowded.:(

[alessandro]

Yikes! Those flags, standing straight out, tell the tale. Strong work.

[AJosiahK]

A well put on event indeed, worth doing next year for sure

I have friends in the philly area who ride that every year, and this year a co-worker rode it, awaiting his return and his stories.

Next year.... !

[AngryScientist]

one thing i'm pretty pumped about is that my "Spring Classic" wheel set-up worked out perfectly. this was a hard day on wheels, to be sure, but the ones i put together, along with the VO fairweather tires performed as well as could be expected. i think i literally nailed the perfect set-up for this ride.

[EDS]

I really enjoyed HoH when I have done it in the past. The wind on Saturday must have made it particularly fun, though the warm sunshine was a nice tradeoff.

[merlinmurph]

Man, the thought of doing a hilly 82-miler right now is merely a dream. Congrats on doing this ride.

Murph (who got in 17 solid miles on Sat)

[DMaccaPacca]

My first time riding in the area and really enjoyed it despite the "breeze".

I did a report for www.granfondo.com, which is here:

http://www.granfondo.com/featured-granfondo/517572/the-howling-hell-of-hunterdon

[Matt-H]

2016 HoH is 3/26. Who else registered?

[AngryScientist]

2016 HoH is 3/26. Who else registered?

unfortunately i got waitlisted.

[Matt-H]

unfortunately i got waitlisted.

Yeah, it filled up real quick.

[ripvanrando]

2016 HoH is 3/26. Who else registered?

I was belting out a 400K when registration opened and it seemed to fill in 24 hours.

The HoH is literally in my backyard and I do these roads all the time. Should be a great ride.

I do not understand why the strict limit of 300 riders or so. The first hill up the Sourlands will split the field immediately. Maybe if I slithered down to Lambertville and begged AK

Oh well.

[christian]

One of you boys have a cue sheet? Maybe we should arrange our own Heck of Hunterdon on another weekend. If we limit it to 6-10 riders, we won't cause any problems. I can bring a 4 guys down from Westchester if I take the van.

[AngryScientist]

One of you boys have a cue sheet? Maybe we should arrange our own Heck of Hunterdon on another weekend. If we limit it to 6-10 riders, we won't cause any problems. I can bring a 4 guys down from Westchester if I take the van.

sure, i've ridden the course solo a number of times. i was thinking of doing it the weekend following the actual event. you game?

[fiamme red]

Here's the 2014 route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/4203301. I wonder what's hellish about it. Looks pretty nice to me. No coal dust or bone-jarring cobblestones.

[ripvanrando]

It is pretty tame. 82 miles 5200 feet of climbing and some gravel roads...maybe 12-15 miles worth at the most.

Hamp, Grafton, and Worman Roads would be my favorites followed by Mountain road. I've ridden them all on 25 mm tires but 32 mm would be better.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/12237373