# Ride 542: Mount Baker Hill Climb



## IcemanYVR

Is anyone planning on doing the Mount Baker Hill Climb. I know there was some talk of it during the RBR ride.

Phil and I are both registered, it's an Awesome climb and should be a great race.

Here's more info if anyone's interested.

http://www.norkarecreation.com/hcindex.html


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## Argentius

I wish, it sounds sweet. I'll have to get up there and ride it, at least, if all isn't snowed in by the time I get back.

Then again, I'm not as fast as I need to be. I got --schooled-- by another Brit at Mary's Peak today. 

His surname is "English" even.


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## BenWA

I could probably be talked into doing that, even though I'll probably finish in the bottom 10 cuz I'm slow as ballz, etc. But what the hell, why not, if nothing else it'll give me motivation to keep riding fairly hard/regularly for the next couple of weeks, which I probably wouldn't have much motivation to do otherwise.


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## IcemanYVR

Don't forget to register online before the price goes up.


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## BenWA

Holy crumb! The reg fee is $48 smackeroons, ouch.


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## abiciriderback

*Thinking real serious about it*

I think I will be back from Couer D'Alene on Saturday. Debating if I pay the reg fee and dont make it back from Idaho on Sat.

Ben you would not be in the last 10 Hell I'm so slow they would tearing down the finish line area down by the time I got to the top.

But hey somebodys gotta finish last

Ray Still


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## IcemanYVR

Ben, we are both registered as recreational riders. I didn't want to race competitive as I don't wan't to be last to the top 

You will do just fine


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## BenWA

I would seriously love to do the ride with you guys but I am honestly too strapped these days to spend the $48 reg fee plus gas to drive up there and back. I just dropped ~$800 that I don't have into a sailboat that isn't even seaworthy :mad2: , so funds are too tight right now. I'd still like to do the ride sometime this summer in a non-race environment though.


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## s2ktaxi

summer seems to be running out... maybe another RBR ride up Mt Baker? if I come along, you know you won't be last


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## BenWA

Summer? What summer? :wink5:


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## tyro

BenWA said:


> Summer? What summer? :wink5:


I'm just keeping my fingers crossed for a nice September...


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## borregokid

Just got signed up for the ride. I did the ride a couple of years ago. It doesnt make any sense to ride recreational except that you wont be the last guy to the top because you start an hour earlier. I might be one of the last guys to the top. I think there are only about 8 riders older than me. Need to get Don up here for this one. The race fees are too high for this one. 

If someone need a ride somewhere on I-90 or 5 North I might make this a one day deal. I am coming out of Cle Elum. Iceman might not be the fastest guy going up the hill but he might be the fastest coming down.


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## IcemanYVR

Glad you are coming. It should be a great race. They said the cutoff was 2 hours for competitive, and I don't think I can do it in 2hours, probably 2:15.


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## borregokid

Its difficult to get a really good time riding in the recreational category because all the riders pretty much end up riding solo because the speeds vary so much. Their might be a real fast group that sticks together for the first 13 miles but thats about it. I think the competitive group will break out into 3 or 4 groups. I know you can save 3-4 minutes drafting to the DOT maintenace shed. In my age group there is one former Canadian national champion rider and also the world record holder for distance on a track over 24 hours. 
Ned Overend is also supposed to be there. He is the best American mountain bike racer ever. A mid pack age group finish looks like a real challenge.


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## jimcav

*I'm going--anyone recommend where to stay saturday night?*

last year i did recreational--it was pain at the start getting around folks.
trying competitive this year just because i hated sitting around last year waiting for the awards and swag. plus am drving up solo and may need that extra hour in the morning

last year my buddy reserved a place in bellingham to stay--any place closer?


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## borregokid

There isnt much out there except bed and breakfast places. I am staying in Ferndale. I think the drive is about 25 miles or so. 

It looks like there will be about 300 riders in the competetive. I hope to hang in there to the DOT shed. Should be interesting to see if I get dropped on the powerhouse hill. There should be enough riders in competetive that I will have some company until the big climb.


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## Eric_H

*Ned versus Olav*



borregokid said:


> In my age group there is one former Canadian national champion rider and also the world record holder for distance on a track over 24 hours.
> Ned Overend is also supposed to be there. He is the best American mountain bike racer ever. A mid pack age group finish looks like a real challenge.


Yeah, there is an interesting matchup on the M50-59 category with Ned Overend up against Olav Stana of Kamloops. Ned is Ned, MTB Hall of Famer, World Champion, etc, etc. Olav is a local legend in BC, still comes out to a couple of P/1/2 races each year and beats up on the young guys. He is a total diesel engine and I think he can hang with Ned until the final steeper section up to Artist's Point. There I think Ned's tiny physique will win out.

Sadly, I will not be racing the Ride 542. Not enough racing or fitness right now to do myself proud. Next year, and then I'll have the bonus of being in the 40-49 bunch. We usually do a group ride (err...race) of cat 1/2 BC riders at Mt Baker each year leaving from the Sumas border crossing, 150 km return. Some of the Symmetrics pro team riders train on Mt. Baker frequently as well. None of them look to be in attendance for Ride 542 this year as they are racing in Venezuela and Missouri. Anyway I have not ridden Mt. Baker this season, and my opportunities are extremely limited - the only date I could do it on is this Saturday, the day before Ride 542, otherwise I will not have a chance until after Oct. 5. And I doubt it will happen then because I'll have been off the bike for 2 weeks plus the weather at the top could be pretty ugly in October.

Borrego et al I wish you all good luck on Sunday. Weather looks perfect. Powerhouse Hill is deceptively hard, get good position and hang on for dear life. I once climbed Powerhouse in the big ring on a bet/dare from a buddy, using 53x19/21. I did it, but I don't recommend it as a tactic as I got dropped pretty badly


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## borregokid

I am going to try to get my picture with Ned Overend. My son told me to stay out of everyones way and line up at the back. Three of the top ten riders could come from the 50+ group. Olav Stana and Ned Overend are probably two of the top ten climbers in North America over age 40. I am going to br the first place rider over age 50 weighing at least 185 pounds and riding a yellow bike. . A top ten age group finish will be nice. 

BTW with 300 riders taking off at once I think this will be the largest mass start race in Washington. Don-Gnarly and I run at about the same speed. In a race like this it isnt that bad because we get to talke with the young ladies.


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## IcemanYVR

Well... I just snapped the front derailleur hanger (braze on) off my bike (carbon),  so unless by magic it can be fixed by tomorrow, I will have to try and find another bike. 

I refuse to ride my winter commuter (heavy beast) up Baker.

There are usually some top riders every year at 542. There is a standing $4000 prize to any rider who breaks the record.


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## borregokid

That kind of funny I was out riding today and I was thinking the same thing what would happen if I broke something. I ride Campy so I thought I would probably go to Seattle if something like that happened. Hey Ice- Bellingham has four really decent bike shops. I broke an old XTR 952 chainring just before a race in July and one of the shops had it in stock. I think it was Old Town. If you are running Campy, Branford Bikes in Seattle could fix it. No riding tomorrow, I will probably grease and clean the bike. Hope to see you on the starting line.


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## Bertrand

Gosh, I wish I had heard about this earlier. I would have been there for sure. I have to make a point of reading the PNW forum more regularly.


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## IcemanYVR

Thanks Borre, but we have one of the best bike shops in Canada right here in Vancouver. They are very fluent in Italian :thumbsup:  but it is the derailleur braze-on on the frame itself, nothing with the groupset itself.


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## IcemanYVR

Well, the bike has to go back to Cervelo, but buying at my LBS paid off, and they lent me a bike until mine is repaired/replaced. 

Today was a perfect day for riding, and I set a new PB from Glacier, as well as from the bottom of Baker. I don't know about other years, but the Recreational ride was really fast out to the shed, I had plenty of draft going into the final climb. It was a pretty epic day, even better than my earlier ride this year.

Something in my training plan must be going right, I set three separate PB's on different mountains in the last 2 weeks  :thumbsup:


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## borregokid

This was just before the beginning of the competitive race. I went to the back of the pack of maybe 400 riders. This is without a doubt the largest open road race in Washington. Despite being at the back I am guessing I only lost 10-15 seconds because it started so fast. The first riders went out as fast as possible. The pace was furious. I was hoping to get to the DOT shed in about 40 minutes. I think I made it there in 43. Not as much drafting as I was hoping for. I did hang with a few riders for maybe the last five miles to the DOT shed and followed three more up the mountain. 

I saw a kid on a steel frame Stumpjumper with a 24 speed cluster. He passed me going up the mountain like I was standing still. I guess the $4000 top prize ended up getting split four ways. One of the top finishers also split his up further with the guys who helped him get to the top. 

Hey Iceman I thought you had a Tarmac? Some guys like to change bikes every year. 
The Cervelo's are nice. My son rides a BMC. I think it only weighs 15 pounds 2 oz. 

I thought it would be a good idea to change chains before the race. I found out it was a bad idea because my cassette is worn out and the chain slipped bad. I pulled the old chain out of the trash and put it back on.


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