# CWC07 News



## Fear the Turtle (Feb 17, 2004)

Hey MarkS
I am counting on you again to check RBR and publicize this year's Civil War Century.
Here is the post we are about to release through Active.com.

News from the CWC07 Event Committee.
The CWC07 just met this week to plan for this year's event. It is three months to CWC07 and registrations have been a little slow so far. We are counting on you to participate and enjoy one of the premier Mid-Atlantic bike events. All the usual details are covered; well-stocked rest stops, tomato sandwiches, and fresh ice cream and music at the end of the ride. The Thurmont finish has always been one of my favorite bike scenes. 
Your early registration helps us plan for this great event.
Hope to see you there.
Howard Rosenbaum
CWC07 Event Director


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

I see we have a Maryland fan here. I graduated in 1993. My brother went for 5 years, never graduated, and he is a diehard fan. He has a signed pic from the National Championship basketball team with a piece of the floor from Cole Field House.

By the way, I'll have to check out this century. Never heard about it, but it might be a fun ride in 3 months.


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## MarcelDuchamp (Jan 22, 2004)

I go to umd now, just brought my fixie and road bike out here. Anyways, can you give me any more info about this ride? I love the riding near Thurmont, is the route going to include any of the good climbs out there (Shookstown/ Gambrill park, Harp Hill, Catoctin Furnace, etc)?


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

Marcel,

I have been thinking about riding in the Catoctin Mountains around Thurmont. Can you give me the specifics of some good climbs out there. I live in Germantown and Sugarloaf Mountain isn't too far from me, but that climb is starting to get too easy. Yesterday, I had to do it twice before it felt like anything. Next time, I'll have to try it in the 39x17 instead of the 39x19 the whole way up.

Are there any good climbs in the Catoctin Park? I'm thinking about taking a drive out there and doing a little scouting around next week.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

fabsroman said:


> Marcel,
> 
> I have been thinking about riding in the Catoctin Mountains around Thurmont. Can you give me the specifics of some good climbs out there. I live in Germantown and Sugarloaf Mountain isn't too far from me, but that climb is starting to get too easy. Yesterday, I had to do it twice before it felt like anything. Next time, I'll have to try it in the 39x17 instead of the 39x19 the whole way up.
> 
> Are there any good climbs in the Catoctin Park? I'm thinking about taking a drive out there and doing a little scouting around next week.


#1) Have you been climbing Sugarloaf from Park Mills?

#2) From downtown Thurmont take Catoctin Furnace Road/806 south for about a mile. Cross 15 at Kellys Store and continue south for about 1/4 mile. Turn on Catoctin Hollow Road (hint: bring low gears, I'll use a 36/25 for parts of this). At the top of the climb turn left on Wigville for more climbing (hint: use those low gears you brought) or continue straight (and mostly downhill) to 77 for a right turn and return to Thurmont.

If you took the left on Wigville your next turn is right on Tower Road then a left on Old Catoctin Road, right on Stottlemeyer Road and right on 77 to return to Thurmont.

Not much traffic on these climbs, 15 is busy and 77 can be (mostly in the afternoon). Use caution on the downhills if you haven't been on them before as they are steep.

Here is a ride report that includes the Catoctin Hollow and Wigville climbs;

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=33945


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## Fear the Turtle (Feb 17, 2004)

*CWC07 Maps and Cues*

Check out the link for the maps and cue sheets from last year's event.
http://www.baltobikeclub.org/index.pl/cwcmaps


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## MarkS (Feb 3, 2004)

fabsroman said:


> By the way, I'll have to check out this century. Never heard about it, but it might be a fun ride in 3 months.[/FONT]


The Civil War Century is a great ride. The first CWC in 2001 also just happened to be my first century. So, I have a sentimental attachment to the ride. 

The course is not easy, but it is not a killer like the Mountains of Misery. Depending on how you count, there either are two or four major climbs on the ride (I really only consider the first climb and the climb around mile 60 to be major). The support is great and the ride gets a good turnout, but is not a mob scene like the Seagull Century. The last 15-20 miles of the ride are rolling/downhill and there is an option around the 66 mile mark where you can bail out and ride 7 miles to the finish line. I highly recommend the Civil War Century.

I have done the ride every year since 2001. I have committed to do the Sunflower Revolution ride in Ohio on Sunday, September 9. This may sound crazy, but I have been trying to come up with ways that I can do the CWC on September 8, too. That should tell you how much I like the CWC.


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## MarcelDuchamp (Jan 22, 2004)

fabsroman said:


> Marcel,
> 
> Are there any good climbs in the Catoctin Park? I'm thinking about taking a drive out there and doing a little scouting around next week.


There are a number of tough rides that run out of Monocacy middle school in Frederick. The potomac pedalers have a great cue sheet library at www.bikepptc.org. All the roads around gambrill state park offer climbs that make sugarloaf look like nothing, although I haven't done the full sugarloaf climb that MB1 posted earlier, I assume that's harder. If you really want some steepness, Harp Hill road off of route 17 is 3km long, the last being well over 10 percent, and Coxey Brown road, which is a small road that leads to gambrill park, has long sections that I would guess are in the 20% range. I've only driven it, but it is frightening. Unless you're a god, there's no way it's climbable in anything close to a 39-19...


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

MB1,

Thanks for the info. I looked at your ride report with pics regarding the Park Mills/Sugarloaf climb and I am going to stay away from that because of the gravel. I hate riding on gravel unless it is with my mountain bike. The bike I use for most of my training rides is a brand new Colnago Cristallo and I don't want to put gravel nicks all over it. Plus, my incentive for doing the climb is the descent, and that would suck through gravel. With that said, I have come across Park Mills while riding on 28 and the climb on 28 from Park Mills is pretty decent, so I can only imagine that turning on Park Mills would add a lot more elevation to getting to the top of Sugarloaf. When I climbed Sugarloaf last week, I was in the 8 to 9 mph range on the 39x19 with a short stint in the 39x17. The smallest gear I have on these bikes is a 39x23. Will that be decent enough for me to climb in the Catoctins? I've been toying around with the purchase of a 11-25 cassette, and almost bought a Chorus 11-23 and 11-25 this week but then decided against it. The 11-23 was so I wouldn't kill my Record cassettes with the miles I am putting on the bikes and the 11-25 was in case I ever needed a 25. Now, if I cannot do the Catoctin climbs with the 23, I'll have some justification to buy the 11-25. LOL


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

Yeah, the best grade I have seen lately is a 16% grade by Brighton Dam and that is just a short power climb. Then, there is a 17% grade by me off of 117, but that is a power climb too. I can't remember if I used the 23 or 21 on those "climbs" because I haven't done them for months now. Thanks for the advice. I think I am going to head out to Catoctin some time next week, probably Wednesday, and see what the mountains are like.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*If you climb fast you will be fine.*



fabsroman said:


> ....The smallest gear I have on these bikes is a 39x23. Will that be decent enough for me to climb in the Catoctins? ....


The Catoctin Hollow climb has some (very short) false flats and sort of stair steps so I think you will be fine. If you struggle to reach the top DON'T do Wigville. The other thing about Catoctin Hollow is that you can always just turn around and go back to Thurmont.

Me? I don't think Catoctin Hollow + Wigville is all *that* hard but it is a fine low-traffic climb that is steeper and longer than most around here.


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

> The other thing about Catoctin Hollow is that you can always just turn around and go back to Thurmont.


Turn around and go back, you surely jest. Last summer when I started riding a lot again, I tried Sugarloaf on my steel Mino Denti from 20 years ago with a 42x18 as my smallest gear and I had to stop 3 times and rest on the side of the road. I thought I was going to die. Now, I could probably make it up Sugarloaf with that gear, but last summer was tough on me as far as climbing goes. Heck, the first week back on the bike had me dying and realizing just how out of shape I really was. This summer is completely the opposite. I am climbing power hills in the big chain ring where I was using the small chain ring last year for them and struggling up them.


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