BumbleBeeDave
04-12-2008, 06:53 PM
I drove almost all of the Tour Of The Battenkill route today, including the extra loop for the cat 1/2's. The race web site describes the course conditions as "Delicious." I'm not sure I would share that optimism, but it should certainly be a challenge. The race is next Saturday, April 19 in Salem, NY.
The race site is here:
http://www.battenkillroubaix.com/about.html
The page with PDF downloads of maps and cue sheets is here:
http://www.battenkillroubaix.com/Race%20info.html
Here's a blow-by-blow of the unpaved sections and you can decide for yourself. Keep in mind it rained pretty good yesterday. Hopefully things will dry out by next Saturday and the weather then will be good.
Bogtown Road . . . This is the loop northwest of town they use for the kids race and the beginning of the adult races and it's probably in the best condition of any of the dirt sections. Hardpack with minimal potholes and washboarding. You shouldn't have any problems here. That's good because Cat 1/2's race this section both directions.
Juniper Swamp Road . . . This is the first really hard climb on dirt and just below the summit there's a pretty severely rutted section. Much worse than last year. The big hole is right in the middle of the road. but over the summit the downhill is in good shape--minimal potholes there.
Eagleville Covered Bridge . . . This bridge is back on the course this year after being removed last year because it was undergoing renovation. That's done now and it's a really cool spot to cross the Battenkill, one of the premiere trout streams in the east.
McKie Hollow Road over Two Tops Mountain . . . This is on the section that's only for Cat 1/2's and it is in bad shape just below the summit. Even if it dries out by next weekend it's still going to be rutted and dirty. I would rate this the hardest climb on the course if you combine the road condition with the steep grade. Even after you get over the top, the descent has significant potholing and you're going to have to really be paying attention to avoid them all. If you're spectating, get there early to make sure you can get up the hill without getting stuck.
Meeting House Road . . . West of Cambridge. Pretty much hardpack with minimal holes and washboarding, but this is the stretch with the largest rocks. There are pronounced car tire tracks which are hardpacked, but if you get out of those you'll run into some large gauge rocks--over an inch in diameter.
Becker Road . . . The climb on this one was really mushy today, with not a lot of rutting but it was all just really soft from the rain. Additionally, at the base of the final steep part there's a pond. The owners have drained it and the road is really torn up where their bulldozer or whatever has been going in and out. There's a LOT of big chunks of mud on the road. If you stay to the right you should be OK, but beyond that it's mushy on the steep part.
Herrington Hill Road and the Intervale . . . These section are paved, but they are heavily covered with sand and gravel from winter operations to ease car access to the Willard Mountain Ski Area, which is at the top of the climb. Over the top and downhill on Intervale is VERY treacherous for bikes because of all the sand and gravel. It's a really fast, steep downhill and it wouldn't take much to hit the pavement on one of the gravel spots. Be careful!
Through Greenwich . . . Paved, but lots of traffic. Watch for doors!
Ferguson Road past Cossayuna Lake . . . Rutted and soft, with the worst potholes on the course as you start up the hill after passing by the lake on your left, which is a wildlife refuge. There's some holes there that almost swallowed my car! But this is the last unpaved section. You get back to pavement at the Bunker Hill Road intersection at the old church and you're back on pavement for the rest of the race. Don't forget to keep an eye out for the cow in the people's front yard on your right as you come back toward town of county Route 30. It's plastic and they have it chained to a tree to keep the local high school kids from stealing it.
Tires? . . . If you're running 23's it's going to be a challenge on Juniper Swamp and McKie Hollow. But seems to me you won't have much choice. Everyone else will also be running 23's or 25's and if you go wider you'll get dropped on the paved portions. But that's just my two cents--I don't race.
Hope this all helps! :D
BBD
The race site is here:
http://www.battenkillroubaix.com/about.html
The page with PDF downloads of maps and cue sheets is here:
http://www.battenkillroubaix.com/Race%20info.html
Here's a blow-by-blow of the unpaved sections and you can decide for yourself. Keep in mind it rained pretty good yesterday. Hopefully things will dry out by next Saturday and the weather then will be good.
Bogtown Road . . . This is the loop northwest of town they use for the kids race and the beginning of the adult races and it's probably in the best condition of any of the dirt sections. Hardpack with minimal potholes and washboarding. You shouldn't have any problems here. That's good because Cat 1/2's race this section both directions.
Juniper Swamp Road . . . This is the first really hard climb on dirt and just below the summit there's a pretty severely rutted section. Much worse than last year. The big hole is right in the middle of the road. but over the summit the downhill is in good shape--minimal potholes there.
Eagleville Covered Bridge . . . This bridge is back on the course this year after being removed last year because it was undergoing renovation. That's done now and it's a really cool spot to cross the Battenkill, one of the premiere trout streams in the east.
McKie Hollow Road over Two Tops Mountain . . . This is on the section that's only for Cat 1/2's and it is in bad shape just below the summit. Even if it dries out by next weekend it's still going to be rutted and dirty. I would rate this the hardest climb on the course if you combine the road condition with the steep grade. Even after you get over the top, the descent has significant potholing and you're going to have to really be paying attention to avoid them all. If you're spectating, get there early to make sure you can get up the hill without getting stuck.
Meeting House Road . . . West of Cambridge. Pretty much hardpack with minimal holes and washboarding, but this is the stretch with the largest rocks. There are pronounced car tire tracks which are hardpacked, but if you get out of those you'll run into some large gauge rocks--over an inch in diameter.
Becker Road . . . The climb on this one was really mushy today, with not a lot of rutting but it was all just really soft from the rain. Additionally, at the base of the final steep part there's a pond. The owners have drained it and the road is really torn up where their bulldozer or whatever has been going in and out. There's a LOT of big chunks of mud on the road. If you stay to the right you should be OK, but beyond that it's mushy on the steep part.
Herrington Hill Road and the Intervale . . . These section are paved, but they are heavily covered with sand and gravel from winter operations to ease car access to the Willard Mountain Ski Area, which is at the top of the climb. Over the top and downhill on Intervale is VERY treacherous for bikes because of all the sand and gravel. It's a really fast, steep downhill and it wouldn't take much to hit the pavement on one of the gravel spots. Be careful!
Through Greenwich . . . Paved, but lots of traffic. Watch for doors!
Ferguson Road past Cossayuna Lake . . . Rutted and soft, with the worst potholes on the course as you start up the hill after passing by the lake on your left, which is a wildlife refuge. There's some holes there that almost swallowed my car! But this is the last unpaved section. You get back to pavement at the Bunker Hill Road intersection at the old church and you're back on pavement for the rest of the race. Don't forget to keep an eye out for the cow in the people's front yard on your right as you come back toward town of county Route 30. It's plastic and they have it chained to a tree to keep the local high school kids from stealing it.
Tires? . . . If you're running 23's it's going to be a challenge on Juniper Swamp and McKie Hollow. But seems to me you won't have much choice. Everyone else will also be running 23's or 25's and if you go wider you'll get dropped on the paved portions. But that's just my two cents--I don't race.
Hope this all helps! :D
BBD