# 2-5-10 Emmaus



## TricrossRich

I saw a mention of the 2-5-10 in Emmaus in this month's Bicycling magazine.. I live in NJ, but my dad lives in Macungie, PA and I'd love to learn more about this... is this an organized event?


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## tlg

I live in the area. I'm unaware of any organized events. Might be some clubs/teams in the area that do it together. 
It's essentially 3 hills just a few blocks apart. 2nd St, 5th St, and 10th St. Some people use them for hill repeats. There's a loop that's popular that hits them all. 10 laps is right around 100mi and 14,000ft climbing.

Strava | Activity Search


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## TricrossRich

Interesting... a little focused google searching found me this...

The Things We Do for Fun | Bicycling

I'm not sure if the link works because the blog post is old... I had to do some funky stuff to get it to show... here's the text.

"
Yesterday was the annual 2-5-10 Century here in Emmaus. It's an all-day beat-down where cyclists climb the three hills of Emmaus (2nd, 5th, and 10th streets-the last of which kicks up to 22 percent) 10 times. The ride is traditionally held on the second rest day of the Tour de France, which this year was Monday, July 20, the day after the pros climbed Verbier for a mountaintop finish to Stage 15.
I like the spirit of the ride a lot. It began a few years ago as a joke. We generally just ride this loop once or twice for hill training. One day my friends Bill, Ken and Taylor said, "I wonder if we could do it 10 times?" But honestly, I'v
e never had much interest in it. I don't care much for multi loop events, and I dislike crits. Why would I want to spend an entire day circling the hills of Emmaus? Because they're there of course. So I did this past Monday.
Like so many things we cyclists do just to see if we can, it's hard to call the ride fun. I mean, sure it is in many ways. It's fun to get out for the day with like-minded lunatics. It's fun to read your name on the roads and be cheered on by the many local supporters. It's fun watching Bill's wife Beth (who has done it twice herself and does a bang up job of organizing the event each year) herd all us cats and keep the day running smoothly. It's very fun ripping down the mountainside all day. But by lap eight, it really does cease to be fun, at least for me. Sometime after lunch, it becomes simply mind-numbing. You try not to think about 10th street (by far the hardest of the hills), but you can't help it. It's there, waiting for you to grind up it's 20-plus-percent grades, willing you to lay it down and quit. But you don't. You push down pedal stroke by pedal stroke, making forward, if glacial, progress, until you pass the statue of the Virgin Mary at the peak of the most brutal section. Then you spin slowly past the dog kennel on the left and around the slight bend until you're over the top and sailing back into town once again. By the end, everything hurts. But a few minutes after you're done, beer in hand, you're looking back fondly thinking about what a good day it was."

So it seems that it is some sort of informal event.... or at least it was. The fact that it is referenced again in this month's issue makes me think it is still happening.


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## tlg

TricrossRich said:


> So it seems that it is some sort of informal event.... or at least it was. The fact that it is referenced again in this month's issue makes me think it is still happening.


Definitely an informal event. Judging by the number of rides on Strava, not a whole lot of people doing it.


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## TricrossRich

tlg said:


> Definitely an informal event. Judging by the number of rides on Strava, not a whole lot of people doing it.


Yea... I'd imagine that's because it is pretty hard. It may also be entirely possible that the people that are doing it just aren't putting it on Strava. I ride with a local Tuesday night group and I'm one of the only ones on Strava... and if you mention it, they act as if you've just suggested Lance was clean.


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## Bee-an-key

From what I have seen it is the Bicycling magazine/Kapplemuur Independent crew that use the loop.
Question for anyone from the area, headed out there this weekend for the swap meet, stay the night and ride the fall classic on Sunday. Any recommendations on cool places to eat and wander around? We make this trip every year and have done the caves, the steel works, etc. Figure with Rodale/Bicycling there has to be some hip places to eat, grab a beer, have a coffee, sit in a cafe. I know that Bill S and Peter Flax have written over the years about the bike shop in Eammus, etc. but don't have time to go back and read all of those looking for names of places. Any recommendations beyond, Chik-fil-a, Wegmans, Yakkos hotdogs and the chains that are found everywhere would be helpful.


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## NJBiker72

Went to a high school reunion in Emmaus a few years ago. (Not from Emmaus but someone found a good cheap bar). Can't remember the name or find the place on Yelp. Bethlehem has a cool little brew pub downtown. 

You have to write up how the Bicycling classic is. Been debating it in my head but think I might just prefer the typical Sunday hammer.


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## tlg

Bee-an-key said:


> From what I have seen it is the Bicycling magazine/Kapplemuur Independent crew that use the loop.
> Question for anyone from the area, headed out there this weekend for the swap meet, stay the night and ride the fall classic on Sunday. Any recommendations on cool places to eat and wander around?


The bike shop in Emmaus is pretty cool. Stop in for coffee and baked goods.

There's lots of good places to eat in downtown Bethlehem. Brew Works Pub. Tapas on Main. 2 Real Italian places. Thai Thai. 

If you want something really different. You gotta go to the Bookstore Speak Easy. Upscale food and great atmosphere. Make reservations or you probably won't get in. (It's a real speakeasy. No signs or advertisements. Just a door on the side of an old building with the word "Bookstore" on it.
The Bookstore Speakeasy

The Wooden Match gastropub and cigar bar is pretty good too. Atmosphere downstairs is better.
The Wooden Match

The Mint Gastropub. Use to be a bank. Sit by the vault if you can.
The MINT Gastropub




NJBiker72 said:


> Bethlehem has a cool little brew pub downtown.


That's the Bethlehem Brew Works. There's also Allentown Brew Works in downtown Allentown.


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## TricrossRich

I would agree with the recommendation on Bethlehem Brew Works, but it gets crowded on a Saturday evening, so be prepared to wait, or sit at one of the bar tables for quicker service.

If you're looking for something else to do, Lehigh Valley Grand Prix is indoor, gas go-karts and damn fun.


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## Bee-an-key

Thanks for the recommendations. Could not get into the speakeasy, maybe in a month or so. Went to the Mint, very good meal, nice service, huge beer selection and great atmosphere. The ride was good, I have done the 50 mile every year. They really changed up the route this year, front loading most of the climbing in the front miles. Ran smoother than past years, last year was a mess doing a lap on the velodrome and then exiting. Will continue to go back and enjoy the swap meet, the ride and the Lehigh Valley.


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## tlg

Glad to hear you had a good time. Yea, the Mint's got a nice beer selection. Last time I was there they had bacon beer.

What time did the Fall Classic start? It was pretty chilly in the morning. I was out riding yesterday but not till a little later. Weather turned out to be beautiful.


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## Bee-an-key

The 90 started at 8am, the 50 at 9am. Mid 40's maybe at the start. Most people in knee warmers/knickers, ls jersey or arm warmers with a vest. Windy which they didn't predict well on the weather report.


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