CraigB

...and I'm so not ready. I can't seem to get out of the office before 6:00 PM and with rapidly diminishing daylight I don't have time to get to the nearest actual hills to get some climbing in. So last night I rode to a little area north of Broad Ripple and did loops through the neighborhood - a few 5% grades but none longer than 1/8 mile or so - hardly enough to raise my respiration rate.

And this weekend is already filling up with work stuff. Oh well...at least I'm lighter than I was when I last did it, 25 or 30 years ago.

BlazingPedals

It's a good thing I'm not doing it this year. I haven't been on my bike since BRAT ended over two weeks ago. It's either raining, I have a committment, or there are Yugo-alerts out. Let us know how it was!

JanMM

Too late to do any serious training but still time to put on some miles.
Most recent post by the Hilly director says the route has been changed a bit in favor of better road surfaces but that this has added some length and climbing opportunities.

My stoker and I have ridden Hilly Sunday on a tandem since 2000 (except for one year); this will be the first Hilly Sunday on our RANS Screamer and we are hopeful of making it up Beanblossom Hill but not so optimistic about Mt. Tabor. We shall see!

One strategy is to focus on making it to the next SAG, where there will be live entertainment and nourishment.

Rickochet

We feel your pain. Riding time has been hard to come by the last month. But we are going to give it a shot, even if we do have to walk every once in a while. Go for it!!!

CraigB

There is always walking to fall back on, true. In fact, my plan is to put the SPDs on the Synapse just for this ride. Walking in those shoes is way easier than in my road shoes.

dark_energy

Sounds like fun, I've been thinking I'd like to try the Hilly Hundred one year. A rare weekend working (to get some overtime $) will keep me indoors during the days.

BikeWNC

I had given serious thought to driving up to experience the madness of the Hilly but I'm staying here to do the Tour de Leaves, a local ride. My wife has her 30th reunion at her college the following weekend so it is best I stay home the 15th. Besides, I can get more climbing in here and not have to walk the hills because of traffic (though pulling wheelies in the corners on the Green Cove Rd climb is always fun).

stapfam

I haven't ridden much this year and I definitely haven't done a great amount of climbing. Last Sunday and I did a ride nursing a Novice rider and at one point we had 4 steep hills in about 7 miles with some fast downhills inbetween. I even did it on a compact as I did not realise how steep those hills were going to be. Nursing that novice and I had saved a lot of energy and I did not attack any of the hills except the 18% that I had to work at.

My suggestion is to ride with a bit in reserve when you can and carry plenty of energy foods and gels. The novice is still trying to come down off the high that a powerbar every 5 or so miles gave him along with the 4 gels that I gave him. But he did the ride and did not walk any part of the course even though he may have felt like it at times.

And training??? Can't get to the hills??? Do 20 miles with a bit of pace behind it. It will work the cardio vascular and legs- Getting the brain to work on the hills is up to you.

Rickochet

My wife and I will be volunteering at the Hilly Hundred on Friday. We are going to be working in the merchandise area. Gotta sell lots of jerseys, T-Shirts & memorabilia to help support the event. If you are riding stop by for a visit!!!

JanMM

No need to carry any food on this particular ride - A total of 4 SAGS on each day, one of which is lunch. The other three will offer snacks and drinks. It's possible to have a net calorie gain on the Hilly, in spite of the energy exerted climbing.
My wife/stoker will be volunteering at the lunch stop on Saturday, as she did last year. Checking wristbands to make sure than nonpaying cyclists weren't freeloading.

CraigB

Since I'm staying home in Indy each night, I won't be there at all on Friday. If you're around early or late on Saturday or Sunday, I could stop by and say hi.

BikeWNC

I hope the weather is good for you guys. It looks like a fun ride.

scroca

I'm not really hill-ready either, but I'll be there anyway. As a matter of fact, the last time I walked up a hill pushing my bike I actually passed a guy who was riding.

If you can believe the extended forecast for Ellettsville, IN the weather should be ideal for both riding and camping (which my son and I are doing).

stapfam

Hate your type. There is me struggling up a hill with a the lowest gear and a lower cadence than I should have and you don't even offer to give me a push.

BlazingPedals

The main reason I'm not doing Hilly this year is that the crowds just got to be too much for me last year and I figured I needed a year off. I expect to be back for next year's ride. As things worked out, though, Hilly Weekend is the last weekend I have for doing stuff around the house before my oldest son gets married the following weekend in Columbus. The fact that I'm not hill-ready is only because I haven't been expecting to go.

I did a nice metric century ride today with the local club. 67 miles at a sedate 18.2 mph. RideWithGPS says it was 1626 feet of climbing. That's actually hillier-than-average for mid-Michigan, but it's much easier than Hilly!

Welrish

Not really Hilly ready but going anyway. I guess it doesn't really matter if you're ready, it's not a race, just a good time.Hope the weather holds out. Indiana weather can change fast. Trees are changing fast, should be beautiful.

Rickochet

We made a trip to Bloomington yesterday to do a little more training. We made the climb on Bean Blossom Road. 2.0 miles of 17.2% grade. Was a very hard climb, but from the Hilly's chart from last year, it was the longest climb by far. And I will admit, we had to stop a few times for "hydration purposes." Yes, we'll leave it at that....

After our ride, we then rewarded ourselves with a stop at the Oliver Winery. What a beautiful place. It was jam packed yesterday, but well worth the time spent on the visit. If you are going to the Hilly, make sure you check out some of the wineries in the area.

Tybee

I have not had many hill miles since BRAT also, but my weekend training route has two hills steeper than anything in Indiana. Yesterday, I felt very rusty after no rides during the week. Today, I will complete a 50 mile hilly route that will be challenging and should be my last ride until the Hilly.

This will be my first Hilly since the late 80s, so the Ellettsville route will be new to me. I plan to stay in Indy with my daugther Friday night after picking up my Hilly packet. By the way, the Hilly used to give awards to the youngest boy and girl riders completing the first day. My daughter won the award two years in a row riding at age 8 and 9.

I am looking forward to seeing many old CIBA friends still active in the club since the 70s. I hope to see all of you attending on the route.

BikeWNC

Here's a list of hills around Bloomington. They all seem pretty short.

Tybee

For those of us that ride in areas that are blessed or cursed with alot of hills will not be challenged by the Hilly. Many who live in the flatlands up north do not often have an opportunity to be challenged by many climbs, large and small, that we take for granted as part of a days work here in Tennessee and North Carolina. Keep in mind that the biggest challenge may be trying to climb a hill with hundreds of skilled and non-skilled riders.

I have always looked at the Hilly as a big party that was a celebration of completing another riding season with many cycling friends. There are not many rides that are crammed with 5,000 riders with rest stops with live music and fresh cider. During the 80s on the friday before the Hilly, I have ridden and led a ride to Hilly that started at Sharpiros in downtown Indianapolis. This was a 70 mile ride to Bloomington and a great warm up for Saturday's ride. On Sunday, we would ride to Nashville, IN and back to Indianpolis.

BikeWNC

Don't underestimate a ride that has many short but steep climbs. I find that type of course wears me out more than one that has long sustained hills. I guess that is because I often want to power over the shorter hills and it's like doing many Z5 intervals. Eventually the legs just wear out.

As for the rolling party, it does sound like fun in a way though the ride would have to come second to the "experience" to make it really enjoyable. I've avoided RAGBRAI for that reason. I'd like to do the Hilly one year because I think it would be a pretty ride with the Fall colors in an area I have not ridden.

JanMM

No mountains in Indiana so we have to make do with short but steep hills.

One of those short, steep hills, Water Tower Hill, is encountered not once but twice on Hilly Sunday.

Lots of folks can be seen walking up hills. Judging from photos of this ride from around twenty years ago, I was struck that this hill-walking practice is nothing new.

BlazingPedals

I seem to remember a 'cemetery hill' in the past that was pretty challenging. I remember spinning my rear tire as I climbed it. The road commission chewed up the pavement, presumably for repaving, but maybe they never repaved, because it was taken off the route after that.

And, I notice that Tabor Hill isn't on that list. Many of the hills start easy and have a steep section on them; so it's not just a matter of figuring average grade between bottom and top. I like the Hilly method of listing the hills by their length and maximum grade. Knowing the total elevation gain would help, too, though.

downtube42

I'll be parking cars sat & sun morning, camping two nights, and riding both days. Please follow the parking attendants directions - we want to get those cars parked so we can all ride!

I've had maybe 3 rides over 15 miles since PBP in August, but I think I'll be fine.

JanMM

The Weekend promises to be dry, cool-to-warmish, and breezy! I predict headwinds and tailwinds and hills.