Coluber42

I just got home from the Appalachian Double Cross 1000k, which crosses West Virginia and back. I did it last year on a fixed gear and was the only participant. This year, there was one other rider, who was also riding fixed. It was a gorgeous, challenging, relentless ride and we just barely made it in the 75-hour time limit. But well worth the effort.
Ride report here: https://www.dillpicklegear.com/?p=1097

loverrellik

Congrats! What gearing did you use for the whole ride and did you swap the gearing for different terrain?

Sounds like a nice scenic ride.

jdgesus 

great f'n job!!

IthaDan 

OP, that's an insane undertaking, and you're insane for doing it. Awesome.



Are you kidding? It's at the end of the second paragraph. Did you even click the link?

JeremyLC

That was tiring just to read. Awesome!

Coluber42

I used a 42x16. I've used that for all of my long brevets, and I never change it. On this ride, there was pretty much not any leg that didn't have substantial climbs, except possibly the last one which has a couple of short ones at the beginning and then is mostly gradual downhill to the end. The other rider used a 42x15, and he hasn't changed it in years either. It's what we're used to, I guess.
Interestingly, he is generally a faster climber than me, and I am a faster descender, even though his gear is slightly higher.

Huffandstuff

I wish I could give you a slow clap but it's a forum, so I can't.

Jared.

Very bad ass.

bmontgomery87

Awesome blog post. Thanks for sharing.

I'm from southwest va and have spent some time snowboarding in west virginia. Seneca Rocks is such a pretty area, looks like you hit it during some great times for good foliage.

europa

Yer fuggin nuts ... and that's a compliment

Mate, I feel utterly inadequate, yet I feel good about that. That's an awesome effort and you are more than welcome to brag. Well done sir

prooftheory

Insert generic plaudit here.

Coluber42

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmontgomery87

Awesome blog post. Thanks for sharing.


I'm from southwest va and have spent some time snowboarding in west virginia. Seneca Rocks is such a pretty area, looks like you hit it during some great times for good foliage.

Yes, it's really gorgeous. The photos completely do not do it justice in the slightest. Last year wasn't so great for foliage, because when I got back through that stretch between Elkins and Seneca Rocks on the return it was raining/snowing. But the weather was better this year, and the foliage was excellent. I grew up in DC, and we went skiing at Canaan Valley and Blackwater Falls when I was a kid. I remember this one time we were driving up that road between Seneca Rocks and Elkins on the way there and there was really thick fog and snow on the ground, and my dad had a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel and my sister and my stepmother were freaking out. When I did the same ride last year I got the route for the first time at the start, and I was the only rider, so I really didn't know where I was going to end up, but I recognized that road when I saw it, even in the dark. It was pretty cool to find myself going through there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by europa

Yer fuggin nuts ... and that's a compliment

Well done sir

You mean "ma'am"... but I won't argue with the first part

LeosLeader

Very awesome, thanks for sharing.

hairnet

Love it

bpr

this is just so awesome

stilltooslow

I'm in awe! (AND a little envious as well!). I do plenty of fairly long, hilly fixed rides, but nothing even close to that! I keep a 46x16 on my fixed, but recently built up a SS for longer, hillier rides with a 50x18, which is identical to your partner's 42x15 ratio, so I guess I'm on the right track.

Anyway, great job!

xDICEx

Thanks for sharing this! Good job on both the accomplishment and the writeup!

carleton

Amazing!

bmontgomery87

Those roads are pretty nasty during the winter. We rode up to Canaan a few years back and hit some black ice at 5 in the morning. Needless to say everyone in the car was then awake and ready to get to the resort.

Glad you had a good ride.