Northern California - Low Key Hill Climb Series 2008

The website has gone live for the 2008 Low Key Hill Climb Series. This is a tremendous series of events that lives up to its low key name but still gives a significant physical challenge.

This year seems to have a lot of different climbs to last year but includes the usual Hamilton finale. It also has Jamison Creek for the first time which should be a lung buster.

http://lowkeyhillclimbs.com/2008/

This looks like a puking good time :roflmao:

Dang, I looked at 2007 results for Montebello .... times ranged from 26 minutes to 52 minutes .... jeez! I'd be lucky if I can complete it in 60 minutes. The only way I'm going to do this is if I find someone who is as sorry a hill climber as I am.

OOOO they have Quimby this year!

I missed all of these last year, but I'll be back for this year. Maybe I'll snag the "endurance award" this year.

weird, that site isn't loading for me... but sounds interesting.

Cool, thanks, I'll try to do more than just 1 this year.
West Alpine is a fun one.

Pizza, be sure let us know in advance which ones you do so we can get our electric motors ready :)

Glad to see this event is getting ready to roll. You fixie dudes should run your own team :)

Glad to see this event is getting ready to roll. You fixie dudes should run your own team :)

We should have a bike forums team !

I didn't notice, do they have something resembling directions to find these climb starts?

I didn't notice, do they have something resembling directions to find these climb starts?

Stay tuned to the web site and/or join the lkhc Yahoo! group (http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/lkhc/). More info including maps, gradients, etc. will be published in the days/weeks before each climb.

Edit: actually, the website already has quite a bit of info for most of the climbs...poke around a bit. Some of these are brand-new to the LKHC series and should prove interesting...

Team Autobus! I'm there! :beer:

Sweet! Can someone provide a summary to the uninitiated/naive about the series? Is it show up and ride each time, or do most folks sign up for the whole lot?

Nice to finally see a gradient for El Toyonal/Lomas Cantadas - I don't feel so bad for climbing that last part at 4-5mph now.

Sweet! Can someone provide a summary to the uninitiated/naive about the series? Is it show up and ride each time, or do most folks sign up for the whole lot?

Nice to finally see a gradient for El Toyonal/Lomas Cantadas - I don't feel so bad for climbing that last part at 4-5mph now.

Well, it is "low key" :)

Registration for each is day-of. There's no way to sign up for the whole lot in advance, as far as I know. You show up, sign in (pay your $$), line up, and roll when the whistle blows (or more often, when the horn honks).

You'll find most of your fellow riders to be very supportive and encouraging (if they can manage to talk while climbing some of these grades).

There's more discussion of the "low key" philosophy on the website...

Thanks 'nother

Thanks 'nother

No problem, hope to see you out there! I will be riding some of them, but not all...especially those that are the day before CX races :)

These sound awesome!! I'm totally there. Maybe it'll give me an excuse to get faster on those climbs...

Dang, I looked at 2007 results for Montebello .... times ranged from 26 minutes to 52 minutes .... jeez!

The owner of that 26min. has been known to poke around here:twitchy:

I hope I can do more of these this year. Great series put on by great folks. My goal is to take a minute off my time on Montebello and get some climbs in that I've never done before... Never have quite figured out how to hammer out West Alpine either. Puking great time is right.

Doesn't look like any fat tire rides this year, or did I miss it on the site?

Looks to be a lot of new stuff. No Bohlman, OLH.

I was looking at the previous years, and Hicks has only been there once. I was on Hicks today.. it would be a good one, cause that road is a cooker.

Dang, I looked at 2007 results for Montebello .... times ranged from 26 minutes to 52 minutes .... jeez! I'd be lucky if I can complete it in 60 minutes. The only way I'm going to do this is if I find someone who is as sorry a hill climber as I am.

hi

Doesn't look like any fat tire rides this year, or did I miss it on the site?

Fat tire low key hill climb? I didn't see anything like that, nor in previous years.
I did find this... http://megamonster.lowkeyhillclimbs.com/

http://lowkeyhillclimbs.com/2007/week7/

w00t :) I get a junior G man badge for my detective work!

"Without Low Key, I never would have learned how hard I can push myself, for so long." -- Pat Parseghian, 2007 Endurance winner


Hey, I used to work with Pat.

I'm gonna do at least a few of these.

Here we go, Montebello climb is this Saturday. I'll be riding to the start from Campbell.

On the yahoo group, Dan Connelly the organizer says "Ignore the weatherpeople... Lies. All lies"

If it's dumping I'll be on the rain bike. I may take it anyway just to have the triple...

I am planning to do Montebello. I am hoping it's not gonna be rained out. If it's only a drizzle, I am going. BTW, triple helps on lower steep section if you want to go really high cadence and save the muscles for a sprint at the end.

I'll be there...taking photos and ringing cowbells. And maybe holding an umbrella :) Good luck to everyone riding!

Thanks for the finish photos josh! This is one of the best pics anyone's taken of me on a bike!

http://ttlens.net/cm/albums/08-LKHC-1-Montebello/IMG_5224-08-10-04_10-57-12.jpg

If that time stamp's right, I came in about 41 mins, better than I was aiming for (sub-45 was my goal). And yet I was in the last 3/4 of the pack. Got some work to do. :)

I had a great time on the ride despite the rain.

Hey, no problem. Good to see you out there today! Too bad about the weather, but I guess it could've been worse.

Awesome pic, Josh, and looks like pretty intense riding there, Eric. Was that rain I see? Man, that's totally hard-core! 41 and still 25th percentile? We got monster riders out here!

Yeah, that is rain you see...the first dozen or so riders came in while it was still dry but then it started sprinkling, then got heavier and heavier until probably another 10 minutes after ahpook came in. Not pleasant photo-taking weather :)

More entertainment here (http://ttlens.net/cm/thumbnails.php?album=7)

Cool picture! :thumb:

Thanks for the finish photos josh! This is one of the best pics anyone's taken of me on a bike!That is a nice picture. Congrats on beating your goal, as well.

Great pic of you Ahpook. What can I say ... I'm a wimp when it comes to wet roads and hills. I'm okay with riding in the ride, but if it's a steep hill, bets are off.

Good job on the climb and the pics.

In pic 41/98, looks like the Roaring Mouse dude was on a fixed gear!

He was...44x17 I think...pretty amazing.

Thanks to the LKHC folks for putting on a nice event. This was my first time at one of these, and it really was fun and low-key. I was a little anxious about the rolling mass start since I hadn't been in one before, but people were mellow and there wasn't any crazy jockeying for position (at least not near the back of the pack where I was). The results were up on the web the same day, as well as great photos from three different photographers - a very nice touch!

http://www.hagus.net/photos/lkhc-montebello-2008/images/IMG_2099.jpg
Love this photo of me :thumb:

That's a great pic bigred.

I missed out on West Alpine today due to other commitments but I'm thinking about Quimby next week. Anyone else? I'd be riding to the start from campbell/willow glen.

http://www.lowkeyhillclimbs.com/2008/week3/profile_small.png

Definitely taking the triple chainring...

Quimby looks like a lot of fun. W Alpine was very cold, but it wasn't raining so I didn't have an excuse not to go. That road is a lot shorter when you're racing up it!

Ramon you down for Low Key Quimby? We can finish Hammy after and do Mines or Sierra or something after that.

I'm solid for Quimby saturday. Bring the pain.

Saturday was supposed to be the big Santa Cruz ride but this could be drawn out into a longer ride after.

I would like to get in a longer ride so maybe Sunday could be a grimfest somewhere.

Planning to continue to top of Hamilton after the race, just to make it worth the drive.

90% for Saturday. I haven't done one yet and had intended on doing all (or most). I've got a friend spending the night Friday night, and lunch plans Saturday, but hopefully I'll be able to squeeze it in. Look for me in dead last :)

Anyone else biking to the start? It's not a particularly pretty ride out to east SJ but it beats driving.

Driving. Marco and I will be heading over to Sierra and Calaveras after for more elevation sensation leg degeneration

Driving. Marco and I will be heading over to Sierra and Calaveras after for more elevation sensation leg degeneration

and Welch Creek :crash: