Anyone ever biked the Kanc?

[Marc]

40 miles... I was thinking of doing that sometime this summer. Or maybe an out and back, that'd be real nice and brutal!

 

[ctenidae]

Make sure your brake pads are in good shape.

 

[cbcbd]

I haven't but have drived the kanc many times and have a friend who's done it a couple times. Something about a 10 minute descent...
Sounds like fun, I'd like to do it.

 

[Goblin84]

I would be up for it!

 

[mlctvt]

I would be up for it!

Me too, and my wife is always wanting to do the climbs also. This would be good practice for the annual Mt Washington climb.

 

[Marc]

Yeah, I climb a lot even though I suck at it. Kinda funny that way. I'm pretty sure I'd have to get some mountain bike type gearing on my road bike if I wanted to make the climb up Washington.

And then train basically all summer long for it.

 

[cbcbd]

I too suck at climbs - I can do them fine with my torquey legs, but I'm not fast at all

 

[Goblin84]

yeah i can climb...i also suck at it. Im still new into cycling.

oh and read "i can climb" as "i have a granny gear"

 

[cbcbd]

I have a compact double... it's ok

 

[Marc]

I'm considering a compact double... I have a 12-27 cassette, so I'd be able to hopefully climb up damn near anything (theoretically) with a compact.

 

[mlctvt]

I'm considering a compact double... I have a 12-27 cassette, so I'd be able to hopefully climb up damn near anything (theoretically) with a compact.

I think a compact crankset is a great option. They weren't really available 7 years ago when I converted my Trek 5200 from a double crank to a triple but if they were available that's what I would have used. Many of my friends I cycle with have compacts and they are all very happy with them. The only thing you miss is the smaller increment gearing that a triple has. My triple uses a 12-23 cassette and a 52/42/30 crank. The bike originally came with a 53/39 crank . I really like having the 42 up front now and the granny gear is really necessary for New England hills.

 

[Marc]

Yeah, I have a love hate relationship with my 53-39. I think in a lot of ways it has made me a stronger rider. I would probably look for a 11-25 for riding around here if I were to go compact and then hang on to the 12-27 for doing stuff like the Kanc.

 

[David Metsky]

I biked it several years ago on my regular road bike, it actually wasn't that bad. I went up from Lincoln, I suspect the ride up from Bear Notch would be more difficult.

 

[Goblin84]

AZ Cycling meet up what?

 

[David Metsky]

What you want is the 4 Notches tour - Kancamaugus Pass, Bear Notch Road, Crawford Notch, and Franconia Notch. Lots of fun to be had there.

-dave-

 

[mlctvt]

Maybe we could do a weekend in the area sometime this summer?

 

[Marc]

I'd be up for a weekend like that. It'd be a weekend of hurt, but why not.

 

[Goblin84]

yeah, want to give me some time to get in shape for it! ive only been on the bike a couple weeks!

Here are a few versions of that ride:
78 milers
Century
24miler
50miler

some are loops, others are not

 

[Marc]

Cool Goblin.

Yeah, I'm training pretty steady for the PMC right up til the first weekend in August, and second weekend in August is typically my big Kmart MTB weekend.

So tentatively end of August or maybe even beginning of September for some foliage and cooler weather.

Anyone else have any input?

 

[mlctvt]

Late August may work for me and my wife too. We're doing a week long tour in Lancaster County PA in July and a couple of century rides in September We'd better be in good shape by then! I'm still nowhere near the shape I was in 10-20 years ago but my wife is. She's just more disciplined than me in eating right.and getting her workouts in :???: