When the cowbell sounded we left from the parking lot next to Feisty's BBQ in Helen, GA (a Bavarian alpine town in north GA). I was the first one out of the lot and wanted to set the pace for the first 10mi or so to get the lead group in a good mindset for the 100mi. It was a perfect day! High pressure had just moved into GA after all the storms the day before, so we had no humidity, clear blue skies, and very little wind. I pulled the lead group of 15-20 riders for 10mi and then dropped back into the group for an ample amount of drafting. The hills were all rolling for the first 20mi and the roads were nice and smooth- most freshly paved- this would come as a stark contrast to the route later in the day...

Something that was not made clear before the race is that the two rides- the Brasstown Century and Helen 80- were mixed together. So within the lead group were 5-8 riders that would get out front and hammer the pace but they were part of the Helen 80 and wouldn't be around for the murderous climbs in the last 20mi. Argh!

Anyway... the lead group was riding at a killer clip. We hit the 50mi mark at 2:30! That isn't fast for a group ride, but with 9000+ feet of climbing to come in a 20mi stretch at the end of the ride, we should have been pacing much better, but again, the Helen 80 guys were camoflauged in our group.

A very bad thing happened around mile 60, another fella and I were riding at the rear of the group and got hung up at a stop sign when a line of cars was coming and the rest of the group darted out to beat them. ARGH! BAD ETIQUETTE!!! The line of cars took about 1min to get by and the group took off without us. The other guy hammered away to catch the group but I wasn't about to burn up at mile 60 trying to catch a group of 20 riders. A one man chase never succeeds in those cases. Luckily there was a SAG stop about 3mi down the road and I caught up to the pack there!

But while I was relieving myself at the SAG stop, those sons of bitches on the Helen 80 took off without making an announcement that the group was leaving, and they TOOK OFF from the stop at a hellish pace! MORE BAD RIDE ETIQUETTE!!! So I come out of the port-a-john and everyone (minus a few riders still at the stop) is 500m down the road. I bolted after them and chased for about 5mi but they kept pulling away and I was officially off the lead pack. That really pissed me off because I was riding strong and without the group, there was no way I finish anywhere near the top ten. So this became a solo for the last 30mi.

When I got back to the turn for the Helen 80 Hogpen and Brasstown are looming in the distance, they aren't big mountains, but you can see the switchbacks climbing the sides and it looks crazy steep. The road that I followed for the rest of the route is course pea stone and it saps the speed out of the bike like one is riding in mud. Stop pedaling for a few seconds and the bike slows to a few mphs, it's brutal riding on this stuff... oh, and the fact that the route is 90% uphill.

Skipping ahead my 15mph struggle to Hogpen and onto the climb...

Hogpen Gap is torture. It's long, steep, and twisty. Each hill rises, banks, heads to a turn which looks like it tops out, then levels for 20m, and goes up even further at a steeper grade. Imagine having your legs trapped in a meat grinder and continually trying to pull them out. That is the climb at Hogpen. Seeing all the spray paint on the road from the Tour de Georgia was awesome though. It kept me going. Stuff like, "VENGA VENGA VENGA", "GO BIG GEORGE!", "KEEP CLIMBING CHRIS", and, "MOVE THAT ASS FLOYD!" Getting to the SAG stop at the top of Hogpen was the most rewarding feeling I've ever had on a bike ride. The view is amazing, especially on a clear day and getting to chat with other riders that have just finished the climb is fun.

My BIGGEST mistake of the race: not putting a 27 or higher on the back. I rode with a compact in the front and a 23 in the rear. That was totally insufficient on these climbs and would come to bite me again on Brasstown.

Riding down the backside of Hogpen is blast! I was going 45+ for 3mi. Three miles goes by very quickly at that speed. The legs don't get much time to rest, but covering those miles and getting closer to finishing felt great.
Riding out to Brasstown (the final 11mi) was mentally exhausting. My legs were shot, the road was sucking the life out of my tires and speed (I couldn't stay in my big ring), and at 9-10mph, the thought of being on the bike another 2hrs was demoralizing. I knew the leaders were on Brasstown and that I could have been with them, so that was also tough to stomach.

The entrance to Brasstown is ominous. There is a sign that states "Leave trailers here temporarily, STEEP grades the next 3 miles." Warning signs about turning off the air conditioner to avoid overheating, riding brakes and avoiding burning them up, and using low gears to get up the mountain. The SAG stop at the base is where I ditched everything I didn't need. Extra shirt, gloves, phone, mp3 player, uneaten bars, water bottles, flat bag... everything. I wasn't about to carry 1g over necessity up that mountain.

The initial grade is around 15% and is short. It climbs 200m, banks right, levels out for 100m, then climbs again to 17-18%. The road is steady at 17-18% for the first 1km, drops to 10%, then rises again to 15%, and then...

THE WALL

I have never seen anything like this in my entire life. The wall is about 500m long and is easily 25%. It's unreal. I hit the first section with everything I had left, delivering the mail, and doing my best to turn that 23 in the back. About half way up it was over. I was pulling up on my handlebars so hard the front tire was lifting off the ground and my cleats were creaking as my shoes started to unclip. I slide right, unclipped and walked the last part of The Wall. I have no idea how the pros climb that thing at 10mph! I was barely managing 4mph which is just enough not to fall over.

At the 4km mark there was just over 500m left and I dumped tanks to have a strong finish. Getting over the finish line was an awesome feeling. I was physically exhausted but could have gone for a run ;) But this was the most mentally wasted I've ever been. I wanted to drop out of the race MANY times because it feels weird to be going 9mph for so long, making progress on the course, but not really getting anywhere. Does that make sense?

Put my mountain bike gears and rear derailleur on my road bike. That would have made the climbs a lit easier!

Sitting, stretching, and EATING BBQ! Wow, I pigged out at the post race feast at Feisty's Southern BBQ.


Losing the lead pack and not having proper gearing. I also need to see someone about my breathing problems. I used an inhaler at the top of Brasstown and felt MUCH better.


I'll be back next year!