Northern California - Please share a moment of personal glory with me.

I was evidently feeling really good today. After all of my previous attempts met with not making it to the top, I met a friend at his place and we decided to try Old La Honda again. We made it up in 31:30 and then continued up Skyline to Kings before heading back down.

More interesting, I found for the first time that I can ride continually (at least fast enough to not fall off) on a 7% grade without my heart rate leaving the aerobic zone.

So how far do I still have to improve? :D

My fastest time up OLH is 23:44. Here is a screen shot from the Garmin training center. A mostly zone 4 (176-188 bpm) effort. Some day I hope to get a sub 20 minute time. :)

I only wish Garmin Training Center would launch without crashing on my machine... :-(

I only wish I could do OLH in 30 minutes. I'm usually about 35 minutes. I would say 31 minutes is good. Just keep climbing those hills.

Congratulations!!

Conquering OLH the first time is kind of a local rite of passage, isn't it? I think one thing that makes it easier is riding with more experienced riders who help you pace yourself, and keep you going during the steep pitches. IIRC, I tried it twice and failed before some friends took me to the top.

The funny thing is, I had no idea how close I was to the top the second "try and fail". I was only 1/2 mile from the top when I turned around.

I went up OLH this Saturday and for whatever reason I felt horrible. I was over halfway up when I decided I had enough and I started back down. But the descent is so crummy that after only a little ways, I convinced myself to turn around again and creep back up it at a snails pace. I did eventually feel much better, and I had the fun descent down 84 into Woodside rather than the twisty bumpy descent down OLH.

My best time up OLH is 32 minutes (it was probably closer to 45 on Saturday, LOL!) but I hope to break the elusive 30 minute barrier soon.

FWIW, I consider anyone who climbs OLH in less than 25 minutes to be quite studly, and less than 20 minute to be godlike. :D

Congratulations, jimples!

I also experienced a victory on OLH on my first attempt a couple weekends ago. However, for some crazy reason I thought it was a 7 mile climb, instead of a 3 mile climb. So I stopped to rest a few minutes at the 2 mile mark, as I figured I should pace myself. Boy was I pleasantly surprised when just over a mile later I was at the top! 38 minutes including the stop, which makes me think 30 minutes is within reach!

What are the standard start and end points for OLH times?

I'll be having some ribs at RedBones later on this week which should help my climbing when I fly back out.

The bridge immediately in from Portola Road up to the stop sign at Skyline, I've been told (http://graphics.stanford.edu/~lucasp/grade/oldlahonda.html).

Congratulations! I bet now that you know you can do it, the next ascent will seem easy.

Congrats, Jimples. Keep at it. You can make improvements all the way to Eric Heiden's legendary time of 14.xx minutes.

My friend who was visiting from Boulder really misses the redwoods on OLH and the other climbs that go up to Skyline. I'm a little concerned about the redwoods that show a lot of exposed roots bordering the road.

I only wish Garmin Training Center would launch without crashing on my machine... :-(

Never had that problem, but the best place to get help for such things is at forums.motionbased.com.

I just tried OLH for the very first time today, did it in 30 minutes exactly on my hybrid. Guess I'm in better shape than I thought :)

I just tried OLH for the very first time today, did it in 30 minutes exactly on my hybrid. Guess I'm in better shape than I thought :)

You truely are Ms. Incredible. I even have problems doing 30 minutes on my Seven!

Very well done, Ms. I ! :beer:

Nicely done on OLH. I've one been up that road once. It broke my spirit, and I haven't been back on it since,but I do intend on getting over there a few more times this summer. I've never timed myself, but I'm sure I was beyond 40min.

I don't have a HRM but the last time I didn't need one. I can safely assume that when your heart is thumping fast enough that it feels like a helicopter is landing on your head, that I was at a very elevated state.

Digging up an old thread.

What's everyone's time up Kings Mountain?

I rode up it for my first time today (I have gone down it, of course).

Anyway I got a 28:52.

Anyone else have a time to share?

PS - Looks like the Low Key Hillclimb for next week is Kings. Then I can try it without 2 full water bottles, saddle pack, etc :)

28-something is good. My best time up Kings this year has been 26:30, timed from Tripp rd, as part of the Chain Reaction ride (http://chainreactionbicycles.com/diary.htm) which goes up Kings.

33:30 up Kings yesterday. uspspro and I were riding together, and I told him to take off and do his own pace. Poor boy had to wait so long for me at the top his legs started to stiffen up!

33:30 up Kings yesterday. uspspro and I were riding together, and I told him to take off and do his own pace. Poor boy had to wait so long for me at the top his legs started to stiffen up!

PS - Thanks for pulling me in the flats after that effort. Haha.

Dang it, I was just up there yesterday and forgot to mark an interval on my PT to get a time. I will see if I can do the Low-Key next week and make whatever it is official :)

I just tried OLH for the very first time today, did it in 30 minutes exactly on my hybrid. Guess I'm in better shape than I thought :)

As a "family" member I would expect nothing else, good job!

I did 26:37 last week. Immediate goal is to get under 26:00.

Once, a couple of years ago, the Stanford cycling team did an OLH time trial while some friends and I were going up. The winning time was 16 something. We were getting passed like we were going backwards. Fun to see though...

Who here thinks we should have a 'sticky' thread to record/announce new personal records or accomplishments? I like reading stuff like this...

I wasn't kidding about 'immediate'. :) Just got back from a lunchtime trip up OLH and did 25:57; had to turn myself inside out to do it...