Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - King's Tour of Quabbin

Doing my first King's Tour of the Quabbin in western Mass. this weekend. Any advice? Stories?

If you're doing the 100, go easy until you reach the second rest stop (45miles). After that you'll be on Rt202 for over an hour, it's a rolling Rt and it'll knock the snot out your legs. The Quabbin can be real grind just wearing you down over the day. Nothing super steep, just climb after climb after climb after....................

All the old rules apply! Eat when you're not hungry, drink when you're not thirsty. Last year a group of us did it a week early (unsupported) to prepare for the Harpoon B2B. Temps got into the 90's by mid-day and I just cracked and cramped around mile 80.


I'll be there but I'm starting at 7 A.M. I'll be wearing a Williams Cycling Kit.

Hey Former BMX'er -- Didn't see your post until after the ride. Boy did you call it! Rte 202 was a pretty tough ridI, and I also was pretty blown away around mile 80. Climb after climb, though I thought that climb into Petersham qualified as "steep!" But I finished it, and I'm glad I did it.
I've heard about the Harpoon B2B, that's 150 miles right? How does it compare to the King's Tour? I'm sure I'm not ready for it, but maybe someday. Thanks for the good advice.

Hey Former BMX'er -- Didn't see your post until after the ride. Boy did you call it! Rte 202 was a pretty tough ridI, and I also was pretty blown away around mile 80. Climb after climb, though I thought that climb into Petersham qualified as "steep!" But I finished it, and I'm glad I did it.
I've heard about the Harpoon B2B, that's 150 miles right? How does it compare to the King's Tour? I'm sure I'm not ready for it, but maybe someday. Thanks for the good advice.

Yeah, the climb into Petersham is fairly steep, especially after coming off Rt202. I've been racing this year so my fitness is well beyond this time last year. As a result, Rt202 wasn't nearly as painful but I still paced myself. I rode in a group and finished @ 19.2mph, more than a mph faster than last year.

If you can ride the Quabbin, you can ride the B2B. The B2B doesn't get hilly until after the first stop, again nothing much steeper than 10%. There is a 5mile climb that was added last year; this caught weaker riders out, so they walked up :eek:.

The real trick to the B2B is staying comfortable on the bike and well hydrated. Towards the end you'll be so damn tired of Energy Bars and Sports Drink. The thought of Beer and real food becomes a huge motivator towards the end.

Just ride the Quabbin a week before and you'll be all set. I'm riding the B2B again this year BTW.

-BMX

You were way ahead of me, my avg speed was only 14.6 mph. But my goal was to finish the same day I start and I did. I'm doing Climb to the Clouds in July, which goes up Mt. Wachusett. I've trained on Wachusett a bit and I've ridden a lot of the route since I live on it. Any advice for that one?

I've done CTTC, but not from the official start. Some of us out of Newton join the route mid-way and then climb to the top. There's already been at least 3 rides to Wachusett from members of my group this year. For certain the toughest parts are the short, steep walls you encounter climbing the Summit. Those sorts of climbs are just pure power, no tricks here.

Again, pacing yourself is always key, especially up the access road which is a steady 9% for one mile. There are power cable being laid down at the resort, so who knows if the Summit Climb will be open to riders come CTTC.

Congrats on knocking out the Quabbin, it's a relentless ride.

-BMX

Thanks for the advice BMXer. I rode the Quabbin double metric, it was a grind. I'll be doing the b2b saturday. Hope the rain doesn't come.