racing up mt baldy?

[stea1thviper]

i was talking to my cousin the other day and he said they use to hold a race up that path back in 92. it would be an excellent course for me so i was wondering if that race still exists? he says in his race they averaged 16 going up to the first summit. considering i barely average over 10 for that section looks like my work is still cut out for me.

[redal]

The race used to be held in October in the 80's and early 90's. I raced it three times in '89,'90, and '91. The race would start just north of the intersection of Euclid and 24th streets and would finish at the parking lot for the ski lifts. Cal Poly Pomona also hosted it as a collegiate race in the 90's but the race finished at Ice House Canyon instead of going all the way to the lifts. I did that race a few times as well. The USCF race was held after 1991 a couple of times but they changed the dates. Every year I did the USCF race I competed in the Junior category. I rode a 1:07 my first year and 1:06 the next two years. I think that averages out around 11 mph. That time was good enough to win the Juniors and finish in the top ten against the category 1+2 riders. Two people have ridden under an hour. Ned Overend has ridden a 59 minute and Tom Resh has ridden a 59 and holds the course record at 56:13. The course is 12.6 miles long so I don't think that is too close to 16 mph but it is darn fast.

After rereading your post I am wondering if your cousin is talking abut the race up GMR and GRR to Baldy. That race was a mass start race that would start at the bottom of GMR, north of Glendora, and go up GMR and across GRR and finish at the Cow Canyon saddle. That is more likely to be a race that riders would average 16 mph and from your post it sounds like maybe your cousin was in a mass start race. The last time I did the mass start race was in 1999, but the first 4 miles of GMR is still used as the tt for the San Dimas Stage Race.

[stea1thviper]

The race used to be held in October in the 80's and early 90's. I raced it three times in '89,'90, and '91. The race would start just north of the intersection of Euclid and 24th streets and would finish at the parking lot for the ski lifts. Cal Poly Pomona also hosted it as a collegiate race in the 90's but the race finished at Ice House Canyon instead of going all the way to the lifts. I did that race a few times as well. The USCF race was held after 1991 a couple of times but they changed the dates. Every year I did the USCF race I competed in the Junior category. I rode a 1:07 my first year and 1:06 the next two years. I think that averages out around 11 mph. That time was good enough to win the Juniors and finish in the top ten against the category 1+2 riders. Two people have ridden under an hour. Ned Overend has ridden a 59 minute and Tom Resh has ridden a 59 and holds the course record at 56:13. The course is 12.6 miles long so I don't think that is too close to 16 mph but it is darn fast.

After rereading your post I am wondering if your cousin is talking abut the race up GMR and GRR to Baldy. That race was a mass start race that would start at the bottom of GMR, north of Glendora, and go up GMR and across GRR and finish at the Cow Canyon saddle. That is more likely to be a race that riders would average 16 mph and from your post it sounds like maybe your cousin was in a mass start race. The last time I did the mass start race was in 1999, but the first 4 miles of GMR is still used as the tt for the San Dimas Stage Race.


excellent this is what i was looking for. thanks! i think ill try the route starting on euclid and see how i do.

[socalrider]

Baldy is one of those rides that you are happy when its over.. It never seems to get easier the more you ride it like some other rides.. The official race start was the top of 24th street & euclid, to the left side of the fire station.. The finish is when you get to the flat part of the ski lift parking lot.. I raced it and promoted it for many years.. The year Tom Resh set the record he did it with a 42x23 gear ratio.. I could not imagine what it was like with that kind of gearing, that is equal to a 39x21 with todays chainrings..

As a Cat. 5, a good time would be anything between 1:20 to 1:30..

[redal]

Baldy is one of those rides that you are happy when its over.. It never seems to get easier the more you ride it like some other rides.. The official race start was the top of 24th street & euclid, to the left side of the fire station.. The finish is when you get to the flat part of the ski lift parking lot.. I raced it and promoted it for many years.. The year Tom Resh set the record he did it with a 42x23 gear ratio.. I could not imagine what is was like with that kind of gearing, that is equal to a 39x21 with todays chainrings..

As a Cat. 5, a good time would be anything between 1:20 to 1:30..

socalrider is right, it is brutal and never gets any easier. When I was a masochistic junior I would do the whole route and time it about once a week for 5-6 weeks before the race. Since the last time I did the race I think I have ridden it top to bottom and timed it maybe 3 times. Now I ride the other climbs in the area much more but I only climb Baldy every couple of months. Sometimes the bottom half to the village or if I've come across GMR I might go the lifts.
I also rode a 42x23 the first two times I did the race. In 1991 I felt I had a good chance of breaking the Jr. course record because my times in training had been really close. I flatted while I was warming up and the only spare I had only had a 21. I had no time to change it to a 23 so I rode a 42x21. I felt that it slowed me down over the "hogsback" section after the tunnels.