Hardscrabble on a Straightblock
What the heck, I can’t even believe I did it myself. Back in 1986 or so. I was racin’ Cat 3 in the Midwest all summer then moved to Denver to try my luck at XC ski racing with the big dogs.
I started riding with the locals at Washington Park (now there was a training race!) and heard that something called the Hardscrabble 100 was coming up on the weekend. So I
hopped a ride down to Colorado Springs or wherever we started and did the ride. Didn’t even think twice. Thinner air just meant you breathed more. Just got extra water bottles and such. So then I went and did what they called a very hard 100. With a straight block!
That’s all I ever thought was worth riding back then. Sheesh. I hardly used the 18 back there anyway. It seemed like a pretty big cog to me!
So there was this 25 mile climb in the middle. Plus other big climbs. Going up, going down, seemed the same to me back then. Altho I preferred going up even tho I came from the Midwest, oddly enough. There was a 30mph headwind going down the canyon. 20 of us started a bit late and came upon dozens walking their bikes up the hill. I had to get out of the saddle some. 42×18. Never felt bad, always felt good.
Who knows what the elevation was, 8000 feet? There was a Royal Gorge detour. I wish I woulda taken it and had a look. But the heat was on and hammer down. We went balls out from the start, against all declared intentions. Shelling and shedding all day long. I met an interesting race-baked Cat 2 and his pal, an Ironman freak, that day. Funny seeing their million-mile stares. Not a bad ride, if I don’t say so myself.
Didn’t do much, but did that.
