roxanne

i'm planning on staying near north conway, nh next week and i'm looking for some places to ride. anything from 30-100 miles would be great. also, i'd like to ride some nice hills so i can torture my legs a little. does anyone have an suggestions or favorite routes up there?

thanks!

Hammertoe

Here is the map for the Mt. Washington Century...

Maybe you can use some of the route for your ride...

https://www.mtwashingtonbicyclehillcl...24/Century-Map

lynch.cr

look at the Kangamangus(sp?) highway apparently its got some hills to contend with. I believe it was listed in Bicycling's Top 100 climbs in America (or atleast one in each state list).

edmcnierney

There are two very nice rides in the Globe Pequot book "Best Bike Rides - New England"; number 31 is the Bear Notch Challenge (37.7 miles) and number 32 is the White Mountains Triple-Notch Classic (74.5 or 81.1 miles). Nice and hilly <g>. You can get online info from trails.com if you don't want to get the book:

Bear Notch ChallengeWhite Mountains Triple-Notch Classic

KevinF

On the north end of North Conway there's a sign saying something like "Extremely steep narrow winding mountain road! Trucks prohibited! Travel not recommended!" That's Hurricane Mountain Road. Ride over that. If I remember right, the sign at the top says something like "2.5 miles, 18% grade". Anyway, that leads over into Maine. If you head north, you'll come across Evans Notch, although I forget exactly where Evans' is. Head up to US Route 2, and head west. You'll get to NH Rt. 16. Head south (over Pinkham Notch), and you'll be back in North Conway.

If you're looking for something a little saner... Head west over Rt. 302 (Crawford Notch). Turn south down US-3 (over Franconia Notch). You can either go around the west side of Cannon Mountain (Kinsman Notch, but I forget the road), or you can go through Franconia Notch on the Franconia Notch Bike Path. Either way, you eventually will hit NH Rt. 112. Head east over Kancamagus Highway (note: there is nothing on that road. Get water, etc. in Lincoln) and climb over Kancamagus Pass. Turn left onto Bear Notch Road. That'll take you back up to Rt. 302 (town of Bartlett). Turn east on Rt. 302, and you'll be back in North Conway.

2Tired2Shift

Why not just climb it?

KevinF

By "it" I assume you mean Mt. Washington itself? It's only open to bikes two days of the year (the practice ride and the race itself). Registration for both fills up in early February.

FixdGearHead

Technically 4 days a year, there are two races on Mt. Washington, each with a practice (second one, "Newton's Revenge" takes place only if the original race fills up, which is always does).

2Tired2Shift

Is it in a state park or something?

Hammertoe

Mt Washington is in the White Mountain State Park which is in the White Mountain National Forest...

The Auto Road can be dangerous at times with high winds and snow, even in August...

You are not allowed to descend Mt. Washington after the climb...

The Hillclimb filled up this year in a record 32 minutes...Newtons Revenge remains open...

adam

We used to stay in Gorham, but now opt for North Conway. You can vary the below rides for N.Conway easily:

Grafton Notch

Distance: approximately 100 miles (162 kilometres).
Follow Hwy. 2 East from Gorham, past the Maine State Line through Gilead and Bethel.
Follow Hwy. 26 North from Bethel through Newry, North Newry and up Grafton Notch. Grafton Notch isn't that hard, just long and steady. Slightly uphill on the way into Errol.
Follow Hwy. 16 South from Errol through Milan, through Berlin and back onto Hwy. 2 into Gorham.

North West Route

Distance: approximately 62 miles (100 kilometres).
Follow Hwy. 2 West from Gorham through Jefferson Highlands, Star King, Jefferson, Riverton.
At Groveton, follow Hwy. 110 East through Stark, West Milan and down to Berlin.
Follow Hwy. 116 to Hwy. 2 and back into Gorham.

South East Route: Pinkham Notch and Evans Notch

Distance: approximately 87 miles (140 kilometres)
Follow Hwy. 16 South from Gorham over Pinkham Notch (elevation 2,032 ft.).
Continue down Hwy. 16 through Jackson.
At Glen turn East (left) on to Hwy. 302 to North Conway.
Continue on Hwy. 302 through Lower Bartlett, Intervale and through North Conway.
Follow Hwy. 113 North East after North Conway through East Conway and then North across the Maine State Line into North Fryeburg and Stow.
Continue North on Hwy. 113 and enjoy the roads and zero traffic. Continue North on Hwy. 113 until Gilead.
Follow Hwy. 2 West (turn left) into Gorham.

South West Route I: Evans Notch, Hurricane Mtn. Road, Pinkham Notch

Opposite of the above route, only including Hurricane Mountain Road in North Conway, NH.
Three good climbs (Evans, Hurricane Mtn. Rd., Pinkham).
Distance: I forget exactly, but for some reason think it's between 80 and 90 miles.
Follow Hwy. 2 East from Gorham, past the Maine State line into Gilead.
Start ascent of Evan's Notch. Evans isn't as tough going this way, but you'll definitely need to save your energy for the Hurricane Rd
Same as above, go through Stow, Maine and flirt with the Maine / New Hampshire border heading south towards North Conway, NH.
Follow Hwy. 302 out of North Conway towards Glen.
At Glen, turn on to Hwy. 16 and start to head North towards Pinkham Notch.
Do the reverse of Pinkham Notch and head back into Gorham.

South West Route II: Pinkham Notch and Crawford Notch
Distance: approximately 80 miles (130 kilometres)
Follow Hwy. 16 South from Gorham over Pinkham Notch (elevation 2,032 ft.).
Continue down Hwy. 16 through Jackson.
Instead of heading South East to North Conway, you'll turn Right on to Hwy. 302 and continue on to Bartlett.
Continue on Hwy. 302 as it swings North. - Crawford Notch
At Twin Mountain you'll turn North East (Right) on to Hwy. 115 where you'll then hook back up with Hwy. 2 and the rolling climbs back into Gorham.

KevinF

I'm not sure what the deal with the Mt. Washington road is. All the surrounding land is part of the White Mountain National Forest. The summit parking lot (and above) is the Mt. Washington State Park (the state park is essentially the summit lot and the summit visitor center). They charge you $20 or something just to drive up. I'm not sure who that money goes to; I was under the impression that the road is privately owned. The bicycle hillclimb monies benefit the Tin Mountain Conservation Center, something I doubt would be happening if the road was owned by a government agency.

Anyway, descending the road on a bike would be terrifying to say the least (I think the road turns 72 times in 7.6 miles). You get driven back down after the official rides. They might not allow bikes just for safety reasons.

roxanne

thanks for the tips! I've driven on the Kanc before, I just wasn't sure if it was rideable. Gotta get ready for the Fitchburg stage race somehow!!

2Tired2Shift

F**k it, climb it anyway. You may set a PR with the cops chasing you up the mountain.

VT Biker

Great advise. Any other wise suggestions?

roxanne

well i guess it would have to be a PR since i've never ridden up it before. i'll let ya know how that goes

rufus

right in my back yard.

many good suggestions, and I'll probably just be echoing most of them.

the Pinkham Notch/Evans Notch loop is a good one, roughly 80 miles or so. Pinkham is a better climb heading north toward Gorham from Glen, not sure which is the steeper climb on Evans, for I've only ridden it from the Stow side toward Gorham, not the other way.

Hurricane Mountain Road is the steepest, but also the shortest. locals use it as training for Mount Washington. 17% average grade from the North Conway side, and 15% on the other side(or is that the other way around?) Either way, it's steep, narrow, and twisty, almost worse going down than going up. And you can put in along enough ride after it to make it worthwhile, although doing that and Pinkham/Evans is just way too much punishment for me.

The Kancamagus Highway is also good, and either direction is fine. You can ride up Rt 302 through Crawford Notch and cut down Rt. 3 through Franconia to Lincoln and then over the Kanc to Conway, or vice versa. But Crawford isn't really much of a climb coming back from Littleton as it is going northwest toward. For a longer ride, and more climbing, you can continue up 302 past Littleton, and pick up the Kanc on the upper end, climb up past Lost River over to Lincoln, and then back to Conway.

or Pinkham to Gorham, across Rt. 2 through Jefferson to 116 over to Littleton, and back down 302 through Crawford, or vice versa, the route of the White Mountain century.

note: both Crawford and Pinkham are better climbs heading out from Conway than coming back. while neither are punishingly steep, they're still better climbs than from the other direction, where they're both just relatively gradual rises. the hills through Jefferson, Whitefield and Bethlehem are deceptively hard, not incredibly long, but plenty of them, and some are very steep indeed, on the order of 10-12%.

Crawford lets you ride past the very beautiful Mount Washington Hotel(not so beautiful close-up), and if you feel like climbing a few more short steep pitches, you can always take the turn toward the Cog Railway station.

for a smaller and easier, but very scenic climb, I'd recommend the Passaconway Road, from the West Side Road in Conway over to the Kancamagus, or do the full West Side Road/302 loop. Or you could incorporate both of those into your longer climbs of Crawford otr the Kanc.

Likewise, you can do the Bear Notch Road, preferred side is from Bartlett headed west toward the Kanc, either by itself, or as part of a longer ride.

Another ride that's not really steep, but rolling terrain the whole way, and very scenic, is Route 153 from Conway to Rt. 25 in Effingham, west to Rt. 16 in Ossipee, north to 41 in West Ossipee, and through Madison back to Conway, about 40 miles. the section on Rt. 16 is a bit nasty because of traffic, but it's fairly short, and then quickly on to back roads again.

or, you can turn southeast On Rt. 25 and head toward Rt 160 and Rt. 5, and the rolling hills of Parsonsfield and Limington.

KevinF

I have heard that Hurricane Mountain Road has been repaved in recent years. True? I've done it from both directions years ago, and the road was in such bad shape that descending it took about as long as climbing it did.

rufus

yep, last year, or the year before they paved the whole thing. haven't been over it yet this year, but last year it was perfect. going down is still pretty hairy though.

KevinF

I'm an idiot... Posted on the wrong thread!

GuitarWizard

Yeah....do it at 1 a.m. Nobody is out there at 1 a.m.

I've sledded the auto road in January at night. Lots of fun.

*edit* DO NOT attempt to ride back down it.