Highlander Century - Finger Lakes area

[saab2000]

Hi Folks,

A friend of mine from the Rochester area has sent me the link to the Highlander Century. It is in September and has something like 10,000 feet of climbing.

It must hardly have any flat areas. Has anyone done this? Sounds sort of cool!

[Tom]

Great roads, great scenery, great organization.

There are a few short nasty hills, a few long reasonably steep hills and a lot of grades and rollers. It has a couple decent flat stretches up a couple of valleys on the east side of the lake. It is some really great riding country.

One of our more prolix posters can tell you much about the roads in that area.

[Brian]

Saab,

The best Century I've ever ridden. Check out this thread from the R, E & G section of the Forum: http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=5903

Feel free to PM me with questions.

[saab2000]

Thanks for the link dude! I am going to try to do it. I will have to install a 39 sounds like. Back to the Alpine gearing, 39x23.....

[SGP]

it is a beautiful area to ride in. it is a fantastic and well organized ride. some of those hills will kill ya, there is even a grave yard at the top of one :D

[Brian]

One of the guys who rode with us is a Cat 3. All he had was a 39x23. He had to push so hard climbing Slitor Hill that he broke his shoe. He also said something about his knees killing him after the ride.

Like I've said before, just because you can climb a 22% grade in a 39x23, doesn't mean you have to...

[Tom]

I appreciated having a 26 but I sorely missed the top end. I am sure I could do it on a 39-25, but I have to admit I was making odd enough sounds at the top of Bopple that some guy turned around and gave me a very strange look.

All chest beating aside, check out some of the photos on the Highlander site and if they still have that photo gallery available on Ofoto (hey! a team sponsor?) check it out. You'll get a small idea of how pretty the ride is. It isn't all about the hills, the countryside is really the thing.

[saab2000]

We'll see. I have have never used lower than a 23, even when living in Switzerland all those years. I will admit that sometimes a 25 would have been nice, but I can't get myself to do it. I still try to imagine myself as a fast rider.

Anyway, when I was racing I did the Octoberfest century ride (This is not a race! {wink, wink}) in La Crosse, Wisconsin with a 42x19 as my low and rode the other worthless and weak pretenders and wannabees right off my wheel on the big hill.

Well, that was 15 years agooooooooo...........

That Highlander ride sounds cool.

[scrooge]

Anyone have a link to the actual website? What's the date? (I'm rooting for labor day weekend since my wife's from that area and we're going to be visiting her family then).

[scrooge]

Anyone have a link to the actual website? What's the date? (I'm rooting for labor day weekend since my wife's from that area and we're going to be visiting her family then).

Who'd a thunk. Google:

http://www.highlandercycletour.com/

[dbrk]

I'm fortunate enough to ride portions of the Highlander nearly every day since, well, I couldn't avoid it once out the driveway and off the immediate dirt roads. Sure, it's hard gear-wise and most of you who have ridden hard hills will get up these in whatever gearing you usually use (though why anyone would push a big gear on aging knees is mildly beyond my own limited credulity). For humble flatlanders, well, come eager.

I happen to know that the tour is very well supported and that people have a wonderful time. I have never (and will never) ride the official event, not being much for events, but no matter how you gear yourself do make a point of looking up from the road because this is one of the truly beautiful places to ride a bicycle in America. Mike Barry, who has been around the world riding, paused on our ride last Sunday and said, "no need to go holiday in Europe to ride when you have sights like this!" Mike, btw, is into his 60s and he _floated_ up the hills or, to put it another way, ripped my legs off. Using a five-speed in the rear Campagnolo Paris-Roubaix changer (which requires you to stop pedaling, disengage the rear end, and pedal backwards to shift), he _easily_ rode as fast as anyone. (Our own Hypnos was there, so he'll tell you that I'm not exaggerating...) Anyway, I digress with tales of inspiration and humble pie (mine) but the Highlander is scenic and challenging enough for most to think it worth the trouble of a small ring. Should anyone come this way and be interested in a visit, please drop me a note. As most know, I live in the heart of the Finger Lakes and if you like bikes, you might like to see the basement.

dbrk

[hypnos]

DBRK's pal Mike Barry is an inspiration.

If you are not intimidated by the three "monster climbs", then definitely plan on riding the Highlander. The scenery is magnificent.

Jeff