Mt Washington – The World’s Toughest Hill Climb

Mount Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hill Climb – “The Toughest Hill Climb in the World.”  That’s what it’s called and that’s how they promote it.  This was my year to ride it and find out for myself.

The climb is 7.6 miles long, with an average grade of 12%, peaking at 22% leading up to the finish at nearly 6,400 feet.  Is it really as tough as they say?

I chronicled much of the key training I did leading up to the race.  Much of it focused on hill climb repeats of a short (.4 miles) but steep (14% average grade) hill close to my house.  And while I knew I could climb, I had never ridden such a long AND steep hill.  Add to that the reputedly bad weather on Mt Washington; I didn’t have a good idea as to how to pace myself.

I wanted to complete the climb in 1:30:00 or less.  There was no rhyme or reason as to how I came up with this number, but it was a good a shot in the dark as any.  The one piece of solid information I knew about myself is that in training I had ridden 90 minute tempo rides at 235 watts, so my key goal ended up riding the “rock pile” at 235 watts minimum.

The day ended up being absolutely perfect, almost TOO warm, though nobody will complain about beautiful, sunny conditions at Mt Washington.  There was no sign of heavy winds, hail, snow or even rain.  So hopes were high for a good day.

I got a terrible stomach cramp shortly after I started.  It was probably a combination of going out a little too hard after a less-than-ideal warmup, and drinking a highly concentrated sports drink too close to the start.  This cramp stayed with me for nearly 30 minutes, and at times I thought I might get sick.  Not pleasant! 

After about 30 minutes the stomach ache subsided and I felt better, but the grade didn’t subside.  There are no flat spots on the climb, so there are no breaks in the effort required.  I’ve never climbed so slowly in my life.  At the worst, I was climbing slightly faster than 4 mph, and at best, I was 8+ mph. 

The wind wasn’t too much of a factor until we got above the tree line (around 4,000 feet).  From that point on we were completely exposed.  There are times when wind speed can reach 60 mph or more in this race, and fortunately we didn’t have to deal with this.  It was more in the 20-30 mph range.  So it wasn’t bad.

There is one section of about 2 miles of unpaved road, which can be pretty tricky, especially when it’s wet.  The grade on this section was 15%, so it was a tough part of the climb, and wind was a factor here as well. 

The final stretch of 22% grade is tough, but it’s relatively short and there’s plenty of spectator support at this point, which helps the riders dig deep for that last bit of power needed to get to the finish line.

How did I do?  My goals were to break 1:30:00 and to exceed 235 watts.  I finished in 1:26:00, so I beat my time goal.  My average wattage was 245, so I beat my power goal as well.

While it was good to achieve my goals, there’s much work left to do.  I left feeling a little disappointed because I “had some fuel in the tank” at the end of the race.  Since I hadn’t ridden (or even driven) the climb before, I didn’t want to ride too hard and blow up part way up the mountain.  So being conservative on the first time was the right thinking, but I still left a bit unsatisfied.

On the positive side, I did pace myself well.  Also, my gearing was right on.  It was recommended that I ride a single chain ring in front – and get this – it had only 26 teeth.  And on the back, I rode an 11 x 28.  I spent 95% of my ride time in the 28, so while my gearing was good, I didn’t have any to spare.

What did I learn from my first attempt?  Many things, including:

1. I need to do a better job of warming up.  Many of the competitive riders warm up with a trainer right near the start.  This ensures a quality warmup, which I did not get riding on the road in a somewhat haphazard fashion.
2. I won’t drink the concentrated sports drink until AFTER I start the race. 
3. I’ll work harder on increasing my power at threshold, so I can ride at a higher level.
4. I’ll go into the race a bit leaner.  Climbing is all about the power-to-weight ratio.  And while increasing power is a key factor, body weight is every bit as important, and is more controllable.  Going in a few pounds lighter will help improve my time.
5. I now know the course better, so I’ll have a much better idea about what’s ahead.
6. I’ll ride harder!

This was a great event, and was very well organized.  And the post-race lunch was incredible!  The countryside was spectacular and the people were very nice.  I look forward to going back next year and shaving a big chunk of time off. 

I’d encourage anyone to compete in the Mt Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hill Climb.  See you next year!  GET OUT AND RIDE!