This August a hairdo of MIT cyclists headed up to the White Mountains of New Hampshire to take on Mount Washington, the highest peak in the northeast. The wheels road that ascends its steep slopes is only unshut to bicycles one day of the year, and these cyclists couldn’t pass up an opportunity like that. Here is Hannah’s worth of the weekend:
This year’s Mt Washington Wheels Road Bicycle Hill Climb ended up stuff a wonderful MIT Cycling Club reunion full of hanging out, feasting, and on-the-bike suffering up one of the most intense and picturesque roads in the northeast.
On August 20, the Tin Mountain Conservation Center hosted their 49th ride up the 7.6 mile long, 12% climb to the top of the highest point in the white mountains. Full disclosure, I *did not ride* considering this is way increasingly suffering than I wanted to sign up for, but alumni Caitlin, Carolyn, Delia and Tori, current mentor Robbie and former mentor Erik all thought it was a good idea. For some, it was a farewell to New England, others had come when to ride “the waddle pile”: a skillet list item that COVID had postponed. For everyone, it was a personal test of how nonflexible they could push themselves. This post is to gloat their perseverance, to share photos from the trappy day on a peak that is known for its terrible weather, and to fathom the past and present MIT Cycling community.
The “Auto Road” opened in 1861 and last year, Travis Pastrana averaged 80 mph on his record breaking momentum to the summit. For the bicycle hill climb this year, former professional Philip Gaimon averaged 9 mph up the hill, demonstrating that cars are, in fact, faster than bicycles. The lanterne rouge rider (last rider to finish) finished in 3:20 hours at an stereotype of 2.3 mph.
The cyclists are not unliable to ride lanugo the mountain so a polity of support drivers throne to the top surpassing the race to chauffeur the descent. Without dropping off our riders, Joanna, Anne, puppy Rosie, and I headed up the 7 miles to the finish while the riders completed their final upturned prep at the base. Even though you navigate the line at less than five miles an hour, the riders were given 8 variegated number stickers to put on themself, their bike, their helmet and who knows what else. In wing to number placement, there was moreover the existential question of figuring out why in the world they had signed up for the race…
The scene on the top of the mountain felt like something you see on TV out of the Alps in the Tour de France. There was chalk all over the road with riders’ names and words of encouragement. Spectators lined the final few switchbacks where riders could hit a 40% grade if they picked the wrong line. Parents, partners, friends, and a few bewildered through-hikers made up the enthusiastic prod cheering on the summiting riders summiting the mountain.
One goody of having such a big polity of MIT riders was that the whoopee at the top (and the bottom!) started early for us. Sarah, Dmitro, Nic, and Sophie woke up at 4:30AM to hike Mt. Washington and reservation former mentor Erik navigate the line.
Fortunately, they made it with 15 minutes to spare and we walked lanugo the road slightly to be increasingly recognizable in the crowd. Just as we were debating where to stand, Erik and Phil came virtually the corner and into view. Erik had hoped for his 3rd win at the race but unfortunately “the wall” at the end (a hundred foot long 25% grade section) got the weightier of him, and Phil finished just seconds ahead. That said, Erik was probably the real winner here since the finish line tape holders had a bit of a mishap and clotheslined Phil.
We reconvened with Anne, Joanna, and Rosie at the top, and a few minutes later got to cheer on Mentor Robbie. He crossed the line slightly slower than he hoped but still way faster than I could have. Tori, Caitlin and Carolyn were next, all crossing within a minute of each other.
Joanna and I had discussed getting flags and noisemakers to run slantingly the riders at the end but ended up just waving our hands enthusiastically. Delia finished off the day for our group, placing in the top 40% for the women in the race. She later titled her Strava ride “the worst thing I’ve overly washed-up on a bicycle.” She stands by this title, ultimatum that gathering in a New England AirBnB with this grouping of people now triggers a fight-or-flight reaction due to the “hours of suffering she has experienced at Joanna’s encouragement.”
But regardless of how bad the time on the velocipede was, we all had a unconfined time off the bike. Whether it was triumphal simply stuff at the top of the climb, laughing at the gearing choices made, or cooling off in a stream, the weekend certainly had increasingly highs than lows.
So will MIT be when in future years? The wordplay is a resounding “yes”. Carolyn commented that part of the fun this year was going in with “zero expectations” and still stuff worldly-wise to pull off a ride she felt proud of. Caitlin and Tori were both relieved without less-than-ideal-preparation was still worldly-wise to siphon them up the mountain, but moreover left curious how things could go under variegated circumstances. Delia is not sure if she will overly climb Mt. Washington again, but recognizes that she is incredibly susceptible to peer pressure and would probably do anything Carolyn, Tori, Caitlin, or Joanna ask her to do.
For the 2022 spectators, we still have the luxury of coming in blind. Dmitro and I are skeptical that the ride will overly be in our futures. Without Nic recovers from his sunburn, he says he’ll consider it. Sarah was stoked without this year’s wits and inspired to ride “both from seeing our kickass women crush it, but moreover from seeing the diversity of riders making it up the road (age and fitness level)!”
I am a newer member of the cycling club (2022-??) and I am so glad I found this supportive and welcoming group of people. Hanging out with so many alumni over the weekend reaffirmed to me how supporting each other’s cycling goals (no matter how ridiculous) builds a polity that endures during our time on campus and beyond.
Photo credits: Anne, Caitlin, Carolyn, Dmitro, Joanna, Hannah, Sarah
