So who likes hillclimbs?
How do they usualy work? flying or standing start? Mass start or one at a time tt style? Racing catagories? standard lengths or steepness?
Are brakes considered extra weight?(it is all uphill, is it not)

The hill climb i do in AUgust has a 14% grade, and you have to get back down the other side - Both brakes are essential. Not only a rule. We have a held start...its torture.

Brendon

So that race continues down the other side or do you just have to make it back down on your own time?

Dang only one person here does Hillclimbs?

jsut to the top.... then slowl down

So who likes hillclimbs?
How do they usualy work? flying or standing start? Mass start or one at a time tt style? Racing catagories? standard lengths or steepness?
Are brakes considered extra weight?(it is all uphill, is it not)

I rode the Mt Evans Hillclimb here in CO last weekend. Just a little background...it's 28-miles, approx. 7K feet of climbing and the finish is just a tad below the summit of 14,234 ft above sea level. Though it is not relatively steep, it is basically a 28-mile climb at varying grades averaging 5-6%, with some steeper sections towards the summit where the switchbacks start. There's a short descent at around 12.5k feet near summit lake. That section was about .5 miles in length.

I want to say that I liked doing a hillclimb, but in all honesty it sucked. It was about cold-as-heck at the finish and the body just doesn't crank the pistons like normal at that atlitude. I did, however, feel a personal satisfaction of having done it, but it was really some work...and one of the toughest races I have done. I did, however, enjoy the descent back down to the start line :-)

I left in the SM4 (CAT 4) group...159 finishers in that group alone!..and we all took of at the same time, just 15 minutes behind SM3. They seemed to stagger each category by about 15 minutes. Here in CO most of the races are ACA sanctioned...you can checkout the various categories at their website (http://www.americancycling.org). You have your basic Pro-1-2, CAT3, CAT4, then you get into age categories: 35+ CAT4, 35+, 45+, etc.

As far as brakes, ACA rules state all bikes have 2 working brakes...so no cutting weight there. I have some super-light American Classic wheels that weigh next to nothing, but I opted for my stronger Velomx Circuits, as I knew I wanted to bomb the descent (the week before I rode the course and on the way back down had no trouble doing 48+ mph in most sections). I cut some weight by riding with one water bottle, but all-in-all just sucked it up. Oh yeah...i put a 12-25 on the back, too. I rode it before with a 12-23 and that wasa bit too much towards the top of the mountain.

Hillclimbs are of a different breed of race...and at most times, a different breed of racer that wins. All-in-all it's work, but what the heck, you oughtta' try one if you have the chance.

Well, it seems the Washington state hillclimb championship is at the end of Aug and not to far from me.
I can't get any real info but I know all the hills in the area and looking at the record times I think its a 6 mile(10K) ski resort road, at an average 6.6% grade, no level or downhill, and it starts a bit steeper and slowly gets a bit more gradual as you get higher but never drops below about 5%, total gain is about 2100 feet and ends at 4,500feet.
The record time is about 23minutes which makes an average of about 15.7mph on this road which seems quite right.
If I can get some info I may just get my untrained but off the couch and drag my 30 pound Le Tour up that hill.

[edit-addition] Its a very rough, paved road, lots of patches and a few potholes, its plowed all winter every year which roughs it up a bit.

The Mt. Washington Hillclimb in New Hampshire is arguably the hardest in the world.

7.6 mi (12.2km), 12% avg gradient. 65% paved, 35% packed gravel. You need to secure a car ride back down or they won't even let you enter.

http://www.tinmtn.org/hillclimb/index.cfm

No, I'm not doing it this year :p

I've never done one of those, but from the sound of it I need to look into it. I doubt I would perfrom that well, but I love to climb. I'm heading to NC this weekend to spend some time in the mountains.

Is there a group online that specializes in this discipline where I could get a list of events around the country?

Just uncovered another hillclimb in WA, the Mt. Baker hillclimb.
Thats 4300 foot gain not the altitude. $250 to firstplace in both mens and womens classes but the time must be under 1:20:00 men or 1:30:00 women
http://www.meyermemorial.org/
http://www.meyermemorial.org/Hillclimb/HC%20Logo.jpg

Show me a long, but not that steep hill, and my eyes will light up. I really like the ones where you get a tail wind and sit at about 25kmh or more the whole way, then u got an awesome downhill. Actually downhills are one of the reasons I love cycling so much, but I like hill climbs too. The only competitive hill climb (race) that I've done is the same one as NZLcyclist mentioned.

I practice hill sprinting. Not fun, but makes stompin' easier. How? Will tell.

I rode the Mt Evans Hillclimb here in CO last weekend. Just a little background...it's 28-miles, approx. 7K feet of climbing and the finish is just a tad below the summit of 14,234 ft above sea level. Though it is not relatively steep, it is basically a 28-mile climb at varying grades averaging 5-6%, with some steeper sections towards the summit where the switchbacks start. There's a short descent at around 12.5k feet near summit lake. That section was about .5 miles in length.



...I thought it was only 14 miles to the top? You don't race back down do you?

I practice hill sprinting. Not fun, but makes stompin' easier. How? Will tell.
what the hecks stompin?

...I thought it was only 14 miles to the top? You don't race back down do you?

They start down at the elementary school in Idaho Springs...from there it is 14 miles to echo lake, then another 14 to the summit.

The hardest hill I've climbed was about 6% and not very long. I was still dying though.