I Made the Grade
Link to Web Site: No web site (It's a low tech affair)
Rating: 
Date of Run: 18 Jun 2006
Reviewed By: Foo
Comments: This is a very low tech event put on by some Presbyterian church in Lewiston/Clarkston. They send invites out in the mail. Entry fee is $20 with t-shirt, $10 without. 200 to 300 riders (guess) start on the Bridge to Chief Timothy State Park. The first 10 miles are flat, and there are some pretty serious riders out front. The front pack takes up most of a lane and cruises at 28 mph or so. If you catch them at the start, they tow you all the way to the foot of the hill with little effort on your part. This year we missed the first pack, which was smaller than in past years. Then the hill -- 2000 ft in 8 miles, or about 4.5% average. It's actually not that bad of a hill with a pretty even grade all the way. An average biker can do 8 or 9 mph all the way up (about 50 minutes) without over-exerting. At the top they hand out cards with your place number on them. You just have to note the time on the big clock if you care to. After the race you can ride down in a truck with your bike, or you could just coast down. It's a lot quicker than the trip up.