# Elkhorn Classic Stage Race/Baker City Oregon



## edwin headwind (Aug 23, 2004)

I'm thinking about coughing up the $110.00 reg fee ,(ouch) This race looks well organized and painfully fun. I'm also guessing the fields fill up fast. 
Anyone with firsthand experience?


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

Great race.

Do it.

That's all.

Oh, and go to Mad Matilda's in Baker City for coffee.


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## bahueh (May 11, 2004)

*Iv'e done it twice...*

its brutal. just plain and simple. hot and dry. the fields are fast..the lack of humidity kicks yer butt even after the first stage, so all I would say is DRINK water...all weekend long. The TT course is easy...the crit is amongst the best I've ever ridden (WIDE streets). they cancelled the Pro 1/2 crit last year due to some rain and oil on corner 1 after a long straight away....some woman broke her hip, 3 or 4 Cat 4/5 guys went down...so it was safety first.
My team actually organized/volunteered at it the past two years...the torch has been passed along to some other great guys (South Town Velo) and the organizer and town volunteers are second to none. its pretty funny because the local police love it...a lot of action in an otherwise pretty sleepy town.
it's all staged out of the high school in Baker....do it. but don't show up out of shape thinking you'll hang, because it'll be a long weekend out in the desert by yourself.

when you're done, stop by Barley Browns and have some of the best beer made...


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## edwin headwind (Aug 23, 2004)

So if i start training now........................................?


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## bahueh (May 11, 2004)

*all I could say is..*



edwin headwind said:


> So if i start training now........................................?


....train harder.  
I think some sand bagging goes on in that race...when I raced it as a 4/5 three years ago I couldn't believe the flat land speeds for the group (sustained 30+mph for minutes at a time) during stage 1. could have been an anomoly.....who knows. I would say Stage 1 is definitely the toughest...25 long miles of BIG rollers with zero shade between Medicine Springs and Baker.
The third stage isn't so bad...just long with a descent hill at the end (Dooley). If you can get out there and do some recon you'll know what to expect...
good luck and keep training. temps out there can hit 90+ in June. like I said...water. lots of water.


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## FondriestFan (May 19, 2005)

Yep. Done it twice. 

First stage is hard. Very easy to get dehydrated.


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## epicxt (Apr 26, 2005)

*Fixed it for you...*



Argentius said:


> Great race.
> 
> Do it.
> 
> ...


After the crit. 
Long stages and very well organized and supported. Did it last year and my lowest (hardest) moment was battling a headwind 7 miles back to Baker City after the finish of the first stage on a heavily cracked, frost-heaved road. Totally out of gas.

If you're wanting to make it more affordable bring a tent and camping gear and camp out on the schoolyard or in the gym. They were charging $5/night last year with free showers.


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## gray8110 (Dec 11, 2001)

It's the best stage race in the northwest as far as I'm concerned. The racing is great, the roads are light on traffic, the organization is fantastic. I love the big NRC races around here too, but the organizers tend to put too much focus on the Pro/1 fields and just give lip service to the significant majority of riders.

As others have said the weather on day one in particular can be a significant problem for some. It's dry - it's relatively hot and the day starts at 1pm or later. The last 90 minutes of the stage are out in the arid sage country and there is no respite from the sun from start-to-finish. It's still a great day of racing, but it can be a sufferfest - the dry air just sucks the fluids right out of me. There are two climbs - one 2 mile climb at 5-6% and then a 5 mile climb that stairsteps but isn't ever steep -- climb #2 is the one that sucks the life out of most people.

Baheuh says the TT is easy... sorta. It starts with a 5.5 mile downhill which is kind of unique. It's very hard to judge your effort for this TT because of the downhill start. The crit is wide open, safe and smooth - it's so wide open that it's a bit of a challenge to make a break work.

Day 4 defines the race. The climbs aren't hard at all - they all average less than 5%. It just feels like real stage racing - it's a good course for a strong breakaway... there's always been an all-day break in my field (I've raced it 4 times now). The break sticks sometimes... sometimes it gets caught on Dooley. Dooley is just a fun climb. It's fast, it twists and turns up the mountain... then there's a big party at the top  Day 4 can be warm, but it benefits from starting at 8am instead of 1pm. Most fields are done before it gets hot. It's a 400+ mile trip for me, but I can't imagine not racing it - we've got teammates spread around Southern Oregon and N.Cali and we usually send a fairly big team.


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## HIMEHEEM (Sep 25, 2009)

This race is going on this years shedule. I have been turning in some impressive average speeds on the trainer and feel i will be ready.


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## HIMEHEEM (Sep 25, 2009)

Here is the link to the 2010 edition.

http://www.elkhornclassic.com/


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