# Bear Mountain Road Race



## Darkstar (Nov 24, 2004)

I am looking for information on the Bear Mountain Road Race from those who have raced there previously.

What is the course like, etc.

thanks


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## goldsbar (Apr 24, 2002)

Long, fairly fast downhill at the start (slowed by a pace car on the first lap) down to a moderate hairpin turn. Up, up, up from there. The first and by far longest climb is somewhere around 600 vertical feet IIRC. There's some small breaks if you believe the topo but it certainly won't feel that way. Never super steep but more than enough to let you know it's a hill (steep points near bottom and near top - once again IIRC). 

Descinding rollers with some exciting turns after that into a traffic circle. A fair amount of flats lead into some rollers a few miles from the start/finish. Some are significant.

All-in-all, a true road course. One of the best in the area. Hills, flats, slightly technical descent for a short bit. Better to be able to climb - not necessarily a pure climbing course but you need to be fairly good. As for me, I get dropped everytime in Cat 4  and I think I'm a decent climber (obviously not!).

Check the link on racelistings.com. It will lead you to the website which has the course profile. Good luck!


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## team_sheepshead (Jan 17, 2003)

I guess it depends on what you are used to. I live in NYC, so that's my model of comparison...

The downhill is a screamer. Not hard to hit 35-40 mph. The "moderate" hairpin to me seems more like a very sharp, 160- to 180-degree turn into an immediate uphill. I've seen many guys forget to shift from the 53x11 on the downhill, then hit the hairpin and bust a gut trying to blast up the hill. Many thrown chains at this juncture.

The hill continues, and is, as George Bush likes to call himself, The Decider in this race. To be in contention in the 4s, you need to climb for about 11 minutes at 260-300 watts. (Based on this article: http://www.nyvelocity.com/content.php?id=735) That hill tends to winnow the field on each lap. Also, at the "top" of the hill are a series of short-but-steep rollers that can make your legs explode.

Then there is a false-flat climb on the last couple of miles toward the start/finish that can also be a killer.

Other than that, EZ course!



goldsbar said:


> Long, fairly fast downhill at the start (slowed by a pace car on the first lap) down to a moderate hairpin turn. Up, up, up from there. The first and by far longest climb is somewhere around 600 vertical feet IIRC. There's some small breaks if you believe the topo but it certainly won't feel that way. Never super steep but more than enough to let you know it's a hill (steep points near bottom and near top - once again IIRC).
> 
> Descinding rollers with some exciting turns after that into a traffic circle. A fair amount of flats lead into some rollers a few miles from the start/finish. Some are significant.
> 
> ...


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## goldsbar (Apr 24, 2002)

team_sheepshead said:


> I guess it depends on what you are used to. I live in NYC, so that's my model of comparison...
> 
> The downhill is a screamer. Not hard to hit 35-40 mph. The "moderate" hairpin to me seems more like a very sharp, 160- to 180-degree turn into an immediate uphill. I've seen many guys forget to shift from the 53x11 on the downhill, then hit the hairpin and bust a gut trying to blast up the hill. Many thrown chains at this juncture.


Hah! That's what got me blown off in the 2nd lap the last time I did the race. I had perfect positioning going down the hill (top 10 or so) until we hit the curve. The guy in front of me lost his chain - gee, is that the impossible to forget sharp turn followed by a bid hill so shouldn't I shift way before what am I thinking...- and I got stuck behind him while everyone passed. I had to play catchup which left me baked by the time I got to the steeper part close to the top. I would have never made the third lap but it would have been nice to hang on for another lap. So you're right - "moderate" may be the wrong word. 

As for downhill screamers, the Jockey Hollow race (Morristown, NJ) has a short 50 mph downhill and many other short hills with tight turns forcing many people off the road in the initial laps. The Union Vale, NY (or Union Dale?) course also has a 50 mph descent. "Um guys, I have to go to work tomorrow..."


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## team_sheepshead (Jan 17, 2003)

Yep, the last time I did the race, the first downhill was pretty much neutral, as you mentioned. Guys in the pack were yelling at one another at 40mph, reminding each other to shift before the hairpin turn.

Union Vale--another great course. Three climbs per lap with that fantastic, twisting 50mph downhill near the park. But that finishing climb after 50+ miles in the heat was designed in Hell.

Do you still race around NYC?



goldsbar said:


> Hah! That's what got me blown off in the 2nd lap the last time I did the race. I had perfect positioning going down the hill (top 10 or so) until we hit the curve. The guy in front of me lost his chain - gee, is that the impossible to forget sharp turn followed by a bid hill so shouldn't I shift way before what am I thinking...- and I got stuck behind him while everyone passed. I had to play catchup which left me baked by the time I got to the steeper part close to the top. I would have never made the third lap but it would have been nice to hang on for another lap. So you're right - "moderate" may be the wrong word.
> 
> As for downhill screamers, the Jockey Hollow race (Morristown, NJ) has a short 50 mph downhill and many other short hills with tight turns forcing many people off the road in the initial laps. The Union Vale, NY (or Union Dale?) course also has a 50 mph descent. "Um guys, I have to go to work tomorrow..."


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## buffedupboy (Feb 6, 2003)

*Here ya go*

Lap 2 marker is the start/ finish line, I rode it but didn't race it so I didn't start there. Lap 3 is the carpark with the roundabout.


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## goldsbar (Apr 24, 2002)

team_sheepshead said:


> Do you still race around NYC?


More like NJ area. Wouldn't really say I race - I try to get to some of the road courses when I can but it's tough with a 1 yr old (both training and racing). I did the Union Vale race this year. Sort of - my leg completely locked/cramped while at the back of the lead group on the last "bonus" climb of the 35+ 4/5 and I had to get off the bike while screaming in pain. Nothing like having cold shivers when it's 90* out. It was actually a lot of fun until that point.


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## biknben (Jan 28, 2004)

I've started it twice but did not _finish_ it either time. I was a Cat. 3 each time and found the competition to be well above what a typical race would see. 

Basically, riders are coming from all over the place to be a part of this race and it simply blows up as soon as the pace car pulls off.

While the climbs are not brutal on paper, the pace of the fields are insane. The initial climb is the worst but there are significant rollers throughout the course.


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