Colin Sandberg Events

Philly DD canceled for 2010

2010-10-26T14:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry everyone, but I've decided to cancel the Philly Dirty Dozen this year. Thanks to everyone who has attended and helped out in the past, and I will see about maybe bringing it back in 2011.

Colin

Date for 2010 Philly Dirty Dozen: November 6th

2010-08-23T07:02:00.000-07:00

The Date for the 2010 Philadelphia Dirty Dozen is Saturday, November 6th.

The route will return to a shorter distance loop this year. Hills will include most of the same hills with one or two new climbs. More to come!

Colin

Easter Sunday ride

2010-03-11T12:41:00.001-08:00

Everyone!

I am planning a 100 mile ride Easter Sunday @8 AM leaving from Cadence. 4323 Main St. Philadelphia PA in Manayunk. The ride will include lots of dirt roads, fire roads and poor pavement to get ready for Battenkill. Hope you can make it!

Colin

Race report from the 3rd Annual Philadelphia Dirty Dozen

2009-11-07T14:23:00.000-08:00

It was somewhat of a gloomy day last Saturday and the rain refused to move out of the area until about an hour into the ride, which made for a wet day and a relatively small field. We had approximately forty starters and 20 finishers for the 2009 PDD, less than half the number I was hoping for. Still, those that showed up were locked and loaded, ready to ride the toughest hills that Philadelphia has to offer.

The nice and easy warmup on the bike path was slowed up by 2 consecutive flat tires and a pair of broken handlebars. Once we arrived in Valley Forge, the riders were treated to 3 of the longest climbs in the area: Welsh Valley, Jug Hollow and the Paoli Wall. Todd Schwartz stamped his authority on the ride early on by winning all 3 and jumping out to what would soon become an insurmountable lead. Bryan Hitch consistently finished in second place, and in 3rd-5th we saw Nick Maimone, Jay Ziegler and Bob Kehl.

After the 3 "Northwestern Climbs" and a short rest stop, we made our way back towards Conshohocken, stopping along the way at the short but steep climbs of County Line Rd. and Pleasant Ave, followed by Spring Garden St. and the narrow hidden "Col de Bryn Tydden". With wet roads, riders were forced to stay seated to avoid clipping their back wheels on the leaves. Todd Schwartz again dominated the County Line, Pleasant and Spring Garden, but finally showed a chink in his armour as he was pipped at the line by a surging Bob Kehl on Bryn Tydden. The battle for 2nd-5th tightened up as Bob, Nick, Bryan and Jay traded placings.

After the second rest stop, we made our way back down to the bike path before riding the stair-stepped Hart's Lane, the deceivingly tough Hagy's Mill and the brutal cobbles of Port Royal. On Port Royal, only one rider (Jay Zeigler) was able to make it up without dismounting on the wet "kinterkoppen". Todd shot out to an insurmountable lead in first place as Bryan Hitch started to move more solidly into second place.

Crossing the river in Manayunk, the riders rode the steepest grade of the day at the top of La Collina and then wound their way over to the stream crossing and grooved pavement of Righter's Mill. Todd was again pipped at the line by Bryan Hitch on La Collina before conceding 1st place to his teammate Bob Kehl on Righter's Mill.

The finale of the day was the infamous Manayunk Wall, where Todd again displayed good teamwork by helping Bob take 1st place. However, with consecutive 2nd place finishes on the last 2 climbs, Bryan was able to hold on to second place by the skin of his teeth.

The final points standings were as follows:

1. Todd Schwartz: 89 points with 8 wins

2. Bryan Hitch: 48 points with 1 win

3. Bob Kehl: 43 points with 3 wins

4. Nick Maimone: 38 points

5. Jay Ziegler: 23 points with 1 win

6. Ed Vescovi: 1 point

Also: Kyle Eckley: 2 points (DNF)

Michelle Bishop handily won the women's PDD goat trophy by winning all but one climb. Though there were only 2 women to finish, this was certainly no easy feat, especially for a sprinter!

Thank you to everyone who came out and attending the event. I hope that you had a great time and that you will all come back next year and bring friends.

Thank you so much to all the people that helped out:

Dean Molle for leading the riders, blowing the whistle, and keeping everything under control in the pack,

Andrea Walheim for sweeping, My father, Eric Sandberg for keeping me company in the car and taking pictures,

my brother, Rhys Sandberg for helping score,

and to John Angelini for dontating his masterfully crafted homemade chili to the prize list and sending me excellent feedback as well as elevation data.

Pictures are posted on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=157693&id=654524273&ref=mf

Please feel free to email me or comment. Feedback and suggestions are welcomed.

2 Days to go!

2009-10-30T15:12:00.000-07:00

The mountain goat can be yours...

Alright everybody, the Philly DD is 2 days away. After a brief scare with the weather forecast, it looks like it's going to be nice Sunday. Partly cloudy. Low of 43, high of 59. Remember that Sunday is the first day of daylight savings, so don't show up at 6:30.

I rode 12/13 of the course on Wednesday with Dean and I am just making a couple small last minute changes with the route: 1) We will indeed go up Jug Hollow as climb #2 instead of Country Club. 2) After Hagy's Mill (KOM #9) everyone will just come back down and then head over to Port Royal, which will start below the train tracks. Other than that, everything is the same. All I can say is that I am glad I'll be in the car!

Notes

2009-10-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

Timetable: Meet at Cadence to sign in and make your [optional] donations to the ride expenses. We will leave promptly at 8 AM. This year's ride will be significantly longer than last years because of the addition of 3 climbs in the Valley Forge & Paoli area. Hopefully everyone will enjoy the nice easy warm up out the bike path, but riders that expect to complete the ride should expect to be done between 1:00 PM (14 mph avg.) and 3:00 PM (10 mph avg.). I hope that everyone will finish, but if you are not able to complete the whole ride there will be opportunities to shortcut home after climbs #4, #7 and #10.

Weather: Right now, the forecast for Sunday is very good: Sunny, low of 46, high of 61. Hopefully this forecast remains, but in the event of inclement weather the ride will take place no matter what. Dress warmly and in layers. I will have my car, so you can dump any clothes you want to take off in my car.

Rest Stops: There will be rest stops after climbs #3 and #7. You are welcome to throw extra clothing in my car at any time, but please do not ask me for food or water except at the scheduled rest stops.

After finishing the KOMs: Please make sure that once you complete each KOM you get out of the way of other riders and traffic. In particular, climbs #3, #4 and #13 finish on busy roads so keep your head up. I have done everything in my power to try to reduce the amount of time waiting around after each climb, so be ready to leave as soon as the last rider finishes each climb.

Transition rides: The rides from climb to climb are neutral, so please respect this. There will be a volunteer leading the group. This person will be responsible for keeping the group on the right path and blowing the whistle at the start of each climb. Do not pass the ride leader until the whistle is blown or you will be disqualified! If you are not riding for points, please allow those that are to ride towards the front and have an unobstructed path. If you have a flat tire or a mechanical problem, let one of the volunteers know so we know to wait for you.

Ride at your own risk: Follow the rules of the road. This is not a sanctioned ride. You are riding on open roads. If you are injured or cause an accident the organizer will disavow all knowledge of your existence

Prizes: There will be trophies and prizes for the first place male and female riders, but you must finish all climbs for your points to be counted. There will also be beer at the finish for all that wish to partake.

Late changes & route maps

2009-10-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry everybody, but after yesterday's pre-ride I am making a couple changes:

- Climb #1 will now be Welsh Valley Rd. in Valley Forge
- Down Jug Hollow, not up it
- Climb #2 will be Country Club Rd.
- No more Hillside/New Delhaven St.
- Feed stops at KOM #3 and KOM #7
- The mapmyride route had been modified and all 13 climbs are listed as individual routes:

Route
Climb #1: Welsh Valley Rd.
Climb #2: Jug Hollow Rd.
Climb #3: North Valley Rd. (Paoli Wall)
Climb #4: County Line Rd.
Climb #5: Pleasant Ave.
Climb #6: Spring Garden St./Spruce St./Pine St./Riverview Ln.
Climb #7: Bryn Tydden Dr.
Climb #8: Hart's Lane
Climb #9: Hagy's Mill Rd.
Climb #10: Port Royal Ave.
Climb #11: Jefferson St./Ashland Ave./Price St./Rockland Ave. (La Collina)
Climb #12: Righter's Mill Rd.
Climb #13: Levering St./Lyceum Ave. (Manayunk Wall)

Pre-rides

2009-10-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

If anyone is interested, I will be doing a partial pre-ride on Sunday the 25th at 9 AM and a full pre-ride on Wednesday the 28th at 1 PM. All are welcome. Both rides meet at Cadence. Sunday will be to work out any kinks in the route and then Wednesday will be pretty much straight through.

History of the Event and changes for 2009

2009-10-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

The Philadelphia Dirty Dozen began in 2007 and was modeled after Danny Chew's famous Dirty Dozen in Pittsburgh. The 2007 Philadelphia edition included the following climbs: La Collina, Flat Rock Rd., Hollow Rd., Righter's Mill, Rose Glen, Rebel Hill, County Line Rd., Hughes Rd., Spring Garden St., Barren Hill, Hart's Lane, Port Royal and the Manayunk Wall. Approximately 50 riders started the ride, which was won by Cat. 1 road racer Mike Stubna by 3 points over John Minturn.

The 2008 edition was considerably bigger and badder. Only 7 of the original 13 climbs remained. Flat Rock Rd., Hollow Rd., Rebel Hill, Rose Glen, Hughes and Barren Hill were scrapped in favor of the more challenging Righter's Ferry, Waverly Rd., Brynn Trydden, Pleasant Ave., Delhaven St. and Hagy's Mill Rd. as well as an even more challenging route up La Collina and Spring Garden Street. The 2008 edition had 80 starters and was won handily by pro mountain biker Harlan Price over David Hoyle.

For 2009, the ride becomes even more challenging. Righter's Ferry and Rose Glen were deemed unacceptably easy for such a ride. Though riders will have a nice long, easy warm up on the Schuylkill River Bike path, they will at the end be treated to two climbs new for this year: the seemingly never-ending Jug Hollow Road followed shortly by the ever-steepening Paoli Wall before heading back towards Conshohocken. This year will surely bring an even bigger crowd of participants along with better support and organization.

Bring your compact cranks, your 27t cassettes, your inhalers and your barf bags!

Facebook

2009-10-16T18:06:00.000-07:00

Check out the 2009 PDD page on Facebook. BTW, Facebook is a great way to promote events...

Route

2009-10-14T15:43:00.000-07:00

This years route is published on Map My Ride. You will note that the distance is significantly longer this year. This is because we will begin with a nice easy ride out the bike path. The first KOM isn't until mile 20. 11 of last year's 13 climbs are still there, but I have added 2 new challenges: Jug Hollow Rd in Valley Forge and Valley Rd. in Paoli. Here is the full list:

1. Jug Hollow Rd.
2. North Valley Rd a.k.a "The Paoli Wall"
3. County Line Rd
4. Hillside/New Delhaven
5. Pleasant Ave.
6. Spring Garden/Spruce St./Pine St./Riverview Ln.
7. Bryn Trydden Dr.*
8. Hart's Lane
9. Hagy's Mill Rd.
10. Port Royal Ave.
11. Jefferson St./Ashland Ave./Price St./Fairview Ave a.k.a. "La Collina"
12. Righter's Mill Rd.
13. Levering St./Lyceum Ave. a.k.a. "The Manayunk Wall"

* Due to the fact that Bryn Trydden Dr. is a narrow private drive with a turn around at the bottom, only riders that have scored points in the first 6 climbs will go in the first wave of riders. Riders must start at the bottom with one foot on the ground.

3rd Annual Dirty Dozen: Event Details

2009-10-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

November 1st, 2009: 7:30 AM. Come ride up the 13 most challenging climbs in the Philadelphia area. Riders will meet at Cadence (4323 Main Street) at 7:30 AM and be on the road by 8 AM. We will ride easy from climb to climb and a whistle will be blown at the bottom of each climb.

The Rules: Riders will race to the top, with points for the top 5 up each climb (5-3-2-1). The one with the most points wins. Note: Riders must finish all climbs to be eligible for the overall standings. We will regroup at the top of each climb and we will stop at climbs 4 and 9 for refueling.Water and some food will be provided, but if you need anything special, bring it yourself.

Admission is free, though a $3 will be welcomed (donations will help to pay for food, water, vehicle escort and prizes)Volunteers are still needed. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Colin at (330) 647-3977 or csandberg@cadencecycling.com

Date for 2009

2009-08-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

Save the Date! Mark your calendars! The Date for the 2009 Philly Dirty Dozen will be Sunday November 1st, 2009, leaving from Cadence at 8:00 AM sharp! Meet at 7:30 AM for check in. More details to follow.

Cue Sheet

2008-11-04T15:31:00.000-08:00

As requested, here is the Cue sheet for the Philly DD...

Start 4323 Main Street
Right Kelly Drive
RightFalls Bridge
Right Neill Drive
Cross City Ave onto Presidential
Right Monument
Right Righter's Ferry
U turn Bottom of Righter's Ferry. Start KOM #1
Right Into Laurel Hill Cemetary
First Right up Switchback
First Left Up Switchback
KOM #1 Top of Hill
Left to exit Cemetary. Follow Exit signs
Right Belmont
Left Jefferson (after gas station). Start KOM #2
Bear Left Ashland
Right Price
Left Rockland
KOM #2 Rockland Ave. at fire hydrant
Left Highland
Right Ashland
Turns Into Mary Watersford
Left at T. on Conshohocken State
First Right Righter's Mill
First Right North Woodbine
First Left Fairview
CAREFUL rough pavement on Fairview Coming down hill
Left at T on Conshohocken State
Stay Straight Mill Creek Rd.
Hard Right Righter's Mill
Cross Water across road. Start of KOM #3
KOM #3 Righter's Mill at Greaves Rd.
Right Greaves
CAREFUL Rough pavement on Greaves Coming down hill
Right Conshohocken State
First Left TSO Conshohocken State
Bear Left Mill Creek Rd.
Left at T River Rd.
Dismount Loose stones over contruction on River Rd.
Left over tracks on Waverly. Start of KOM #4
KOM #4 Waverly and Briar Hill Rd.
Keep going Waverly
Right Youngsford
Left Lafayette
Right Stony Lane
Right Spring Mill
Bear Left Bryn Trydden
CAREFUL Narrow Descent on Bryn Trydden
U turn on Bryn Trydden at Bottom of Hill. Start of KOM #5
CAREFUL Speed bumps on Bryn Trydden Rd.
KOM #5 Bryn Trydden and Aloha
Rest Stop #1 Bryn Trydden Rd.
Right Spring Mill
Right Conshohocken State
CAREFUL Fast Descent into Conshohocken
Right Front Street
First Left Ford Street. Start of KOM #6
Right Pleasant Ave.
KOM #6 Pleasant Ave at crest
U turn Pleasant Ave.
Right Ford Street
Right Matson Ford
Right Hillside. Start of KOM #7
Left New Delhaven
Right Overlook Lane
KOM #7 Overlook Lane at Speed Bump
U turn Overlook Lane
Right New Delhaven
Left Balligomingo Rd.
Left 320 South (South Gulph Rd)
Right Matson Ford
Right County Line. Start of KOM #8 at bottom of hill
KOM #8 County Line and Upper Gulph
Right Upper Gulph
CAREFUL Fast Descent on Upper Gulph
Left Matson Ford
Right Morehead Ave.
Right Spring Garden. Start of KOM #9
Bear Right Merion Hill
Right Spring Garden
Cross Through trees (narrow crossing) onto Rene rd.
KOM #9 Rene Rd.
Rest Stop #2 Rene Rd.
Left Valley Rd.
Right Prospect Hill
Left Mount Pleasant
Left Meadowbank
Left Conshohocken State
CAREFUL descent into Conshohocken
Right Fayette St. bridge into East Conshohocken
First Right Elm St
First Right Harry Street
First Left Bike Path
Cross onto River rd.
Left Hart's Lane. Start of KOM #10
KOM #10 Hart's Lane at top of second crest
Right Barren Hill Rd.
Right at T on Ridge Ave.
Right Manor Rd.
Left Hagy's Mill. Start of KOM #11
KOM #11 Hagy's Mill before gate
Cross Gate TSO Hagy's Mill
Left Spring lane
Right Hagy's Mill
Right Port Royal
Left Eva
Right Shawmont
Bear Right TSO Shawmont
Right Nixon at bottom of hill
Right Port Royal. Start of KOM #12
KOM #12 Port Royal at top of steep section (200m after cobbles)
Right Eva
Right Shawmont
Bear Left Umbria
Right Leverington
Left Main St.
Left Levering
Right Cresson St.
Left Levering. Start of KOM #13
KOM #13 Lyceum and Dexter
Rest Stop & Finish

Suggestions?

2008-11-03T08:22:00.000-08:00

While the ride is still fresh in our minds, I welcome any suggestions that you may have for the Philly Dirty Dozen. This year, the course was changed significantly and we added a support car. I got good feedback on both of these things. For next year, I believe that the course will remain relatively similar. The only climb I have doubts about is #1 (Righer's Ferry/Laurel Hill Cemetary). I would also like to start the ride a little earlier (~8:30) so that we will hopefully have a few more finishers.

Thank You!

2008-11-03T08:12:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all the people who helped out yesterday, without whom this would not have been possible....

- Turn Marshalls: Kyle Eckley, Fred Billet, Louis Secreto
- Whistle Blower: Andrea Walheim
- Food/Water/Candy Buyer: Michelle Bishop
- Chili Chef: John Angelini

Also, thank you to all the participants. We had over 80 starters this year!!!

Results!!

2008-11-03T06:27:00.000-08:00

1. Harlan Price: 87 Points (8 1st places)
2. David Hoyle: 34 Points (1 1st place)
3. Bob Moskal: 14 Points
4. Jay Dodge: 12 Points
5. Pat Walters: 11 Points
6. Tyler Bauer: 6 Points
7. Sean McLaughlin: 5 Points
7. Lenny Clipper: 5 Points
9. Bob Piacine: 1 Point
9. John Eorio: 1 Point

Also, the following riders scored points, but did not complete all climbs
- Charlie Zamastil: 41 Points (1 1st place)
- Tyler Wren: 16 Points (2 1st places)
- Louis Secreto: 13 Points (1 1st place)
- Todd Schwarts: 1 Point

Please let me know if you think that there is an error in any of these results.
Thank you-
Colin

Date Clarification

2008-10-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the confusion, everyone... the date for the Philly DD is Sunday, November 2nd, 2008.

The Philadelphia Dirty Dozen, a Classic in the Making

2008-10-07T09:23:00.001-07:00

The Dirty Dozen...

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band...

The Pittsburgh Dirty Dozen...

The Philadelphia Dirty Dozen...

Get Ready for the 2nd edition of the Philadelphia Dirty Dozen!. This year's route will include 7 of last year's climbs plus 6 new climbs. Steeper! Longer! More Grueling than before!

When: Sunday, November 2nd, 2008. 9:30 AM sharp

Where: Leaving from Cadence Cycling & Multisport Centers, 4323 Main St. Philadelphia, PA 19127

What: The Philadelphia Dirty Dozen is a 42 mile ride consisting of 13 challenging climbs in Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties. The format is a points race, with points going to the top 5 (8-5-3-2-1) up each climb. A whistle will be blown at the start of each climb (rolling start) to signal the start. Riders will regroup at the top of every climb and ride slowly to the next climb. Local riders will be familiar with many of these climbs, but many will be climbs not typically ridden. All riders welcome.

Rules: Riders must start and finish each climb to be counted in the final results. Point disputes must be resolved before the start of the next climb. Riders may be disqualified or relegated at the discretion of the organizer for starting the climb early, for dangerous behavior or for any other reason. This is meant to be a fun event. Please be courteous and respectful of other riders as well as cars on the road and local residents.

Entry Fee: $0 ($3 donation requested to pay for support vehicle, food and beverages)

Advice: A compact or triple crankset would be ideal for this course, with a lowest gear of 25-27 in the back. Some of these climbs are very steep! (Maybe not as steep as in Pittsburgh… but it will be a good warmup)

Prizes: TBD

History: The Dirty Dozen was started by former RAAM winner Danny Chew in Pittsburgh in 1983. Every year (except 1993) Danny has been organizing the event, usually held the weekend after Thanksgiving. Winners include former professional cyclists Rob Acciavatti, Gunnar Shogren and Josh Smith. More recently, Steevo Cummings has won the 2004, 2005 and 2006 and 2007 versions. For more information, go to http://www.dannychew.com/ Note: 2007 Philadelphia Dirty Dozen winner Mike Stubna has placed 2nd in the last 2 editions of the Pittsburgh Dirty Dozen.

Warnings: This is not a closed course. Riders ride at their own risk and they must obey the rules of the road. The organizer will not be held responsible for any incidents or accidents that may occur. That said, we will try to have one person at the top scoring the points and another person at any turns or intersections on the climb. Once you are finished each climb, get out of the way of the other riders and out of the way of the traffic. Do not go back down the climb until all riders have finished. Slower riders are encouraged to start at the back so as not to interfere with the points competition.

Notes on Bryn Trydden Rd. Climb #5: Bryn Trydden Rd. is a private, dead end road that is extremely narrow. Riders will have to go to the bottom and turn around before going up. Riders will go in waves, with the first wave only of riders that have scored points on the first 4 climbs. Please be especially respectful of the residents of this road.

Contact Info: Contact Colin Sandberg at capninsano42@msn.com or (330) 647-3977. Updates and course notes will be posted at http://colinsandbergevents.blogspot.com/

Climb List:
1. Righter’s Ferry/Laurel Hill Cemetery
2. La Collina
3. Righter’s Mill Rd
4. Waverly Rd.
5. Bryn Trydden Rd.
6. Pleasant Ave.
7. Delhaven St.
8. County Line Rd.
9. Spring Garden St.
10. Hart’s Lane
11. Hagy’s Mill Rd.
12. Port Royal Ave.
13. The Manayunk Wall

Route Map:

2008 Philly Dirty Dozen
Find more Bike Rides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

PDD #2 is on! November 2nd!

2008-08-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

Philly Dirty Dozen #2 is on! Save the date: Sunday,November 2nd, 2008 @ 9:00 AM, leaving from Cadence in Manayunk. More to come!

Call for hill ideas

2007-12-16T07:41:00.000-08:00

For 2008 I would like to take out some of the easier climbs and add some more difficult ones. As I see it, the 6 tough climbs that I would definitely leave in are La Collina, Righter's Mill, County Line, Hart's Lane, Port Royal and the Manayunk Wall. I would definitely like to add Delhaven St. off of Balligomingo Rd and Bryn Trydden behind the Spring Mill Country Club. I am also considering Pleasant Ave. in West Conshohocken and I am interested in including a couple climbs in the Valley Forge area. Any ideas?

Rough outline for 2008:

#1: La Collina
#2: Righter's Mill
#3: Bryn Trydden
#4: Pleasant Ave.
#5: County Line
#6: Climb in Valley Forge?
#7: Climb in Valley Forge?
#8: Delhaven St.
#9: Hart's Lane
#10: Port Royal
#11: Valley Green Rd?
#12: Climb in Manayunk?
#13: Manayunk Wall

Pittsburgh DD writeup

2007-12-09T06:11:00.000-08:00

Check out Chew's write up plus photos from the Pittsburgh Dirty Dozen.
Barb "Barbarella" Howe also has a good write up on her cyclingnews.com diary.

Pittsburgh Tribune Review article

2007-11-26T05:11:00.000-08:00

Saw this article, mentions the Philly DD.

PDD Videos

2007-11-14T14:51:00.001-08:00

Coutesy of Jason Cole...

Points

2007-11-08T13:54:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay, but here are the final points from the ride: (modified 11/9/07)

Men:
1. Mike Stubna: 59 points
2. John Minturn: 56 points
3. Joe Reynolds: 37 points
4. Tyler Wren*: 27 points
5. Justin Woulfe: 27 points
6. Charlie Zamastil: 9 points
7. Chris Pagoda: 7 points
8. Bob Kehl: 7 points
9. Guy's Rider?: 5 points
10. Brady Gibney*: 5 points
11. David Hilton: 3 points
12. Colin Barry*: 3 points
13. Lauren Fahnestock: 1 point

Women:
1. Maria Collazo: 90 points
2. Annie Malouin: 77 points
3. Andrea Walheim*: 26 points
4. Julie Davis*: 7 points
5. Jennifer Chun*: 6 points

* Did not finish ride

Thank you & suggestions

2007-11-05T07:45:00.000-08:00

The Philadelphia Dirty Dozen was a huge success and I want to thank everyone who showed up. The weather did not completely cooperate and it was 46 degrees and rainy at the start, but it got a lot nicer throughout the ride. Congratulations to the winners, Mike Stubna and Maria Collazo and also a big thank you to Ryan Oelkers for leading the riders from climb to climb and to Jason Cole and Fred Billet for riding with me from climb to climb and turn marshaling.

I will have points posted soon and I will try to post any videos and pictures that people send me. I hope this can become an annual event and I welcome any suggestions anyone may have to improve the ride in the future. So far, suggestions have been:

- Drop Barren Hill
- Add Waverly Rd.
- Add New Gulph Rd.
- Add Delhaven St. (off of Balligomingo rd)
- Official sprint point in the middle of the ride
- Record names of all finishers
- Take a picture of all finishers
- Prizes for the winners
- Spring event in addition to the fall event
- Support vehicle with food & beverages
- Colin should race it & get someone else to score the points
- Danny Chew should ride out from Pittsburgh and race it
- Band at the finish
- Keg at the finish

Preride Videos uploaded

2007-11-02T14:32:00.001-07:00

OK, I know that it's late and the ride is tomorrow morning, but here is the helmet cam video from Wednesday, broken down climb by climb. Sorry that the video is at an angle for the first 10 climbs, I didn't realize what was going on until the end of the ride.

Climb #1 (La Collina)

Climb #2 (Flat Rock)

Climb #3 (Hollow Rd)

Climb #4 (Righter's Mill Rd.)

Climb #5 (Rose Glen)

Climb #6 (Rebel Hill)

Climb #7 (County Line)

Climb #8 (Hughes)

Climb #9 (Spring Mill)

Climb #10 (Barren Hill)

Climb #11 (Hart's Lane)

Climb #12 (Port Royal)

Climb #13 (Manayunk Wall)

Weather, video, advice

2007-11-01T16:38:00.001-07:00

First, it looks like it will be a nice day Saturday for the ride. The forecast is sunny and temps in the 50s. So, bring light booties, light full finger gloves, leg warmers, arm warmers and maybe a vest.

I rode the course yesterday with Annie, Maria and Andrea and got some good helmet cam footage of all of the climbs. Unfortunately, I am having trouble uploading this to youtube at the present time. I'll keep working on it though.

General advice for the ride: Don't blow yourself up on the first couple climbs. It will be a long day, and if you overdo it early, it will be a really long day. I believe that the winners will be the most consistent riders, but they won't win every climb.

Climb by climb advice:
#1 (La collina): This starts out at a moderate grade and doesn't get that steep until you make the left turn on Rockland. Stay on someones wheel until then. Once you hit Rockland, it will pitch up quickly and get steeper towards the top when you pass Price St. I would put this as the 3rd hardest climb. #4

#2 (Flat Rock): You will come into this with a lot of momentum, so the more you can avoid braking in the descent the further your momentum will carry you. This is not one of the hardest climbs, but it is a steady grade and gets a bit steeper at the top. Just set a pace you can maintain for 3 minutes or so and settle in. I rate this climb as #8

#3 (Hollow Rd): Again, not one of the hardest climbs, but it starts out steep and if you go too hard at the beginning you will be struggling the rest of the way. Set a high enough pace that you can stay with the competition but don't blow up early on. Once you get past the first 200 meters it will get steadier and from there just settle into a rhythm, Once you make the right turn on Hagy's Ford, you are almost there. I rate this climb as #9

#4 (Righter's Mill): This climbs starts out with a stream crossing, so if you don't want to get wet unclip both pedals and put your feet in the air as you cross. Don't hit your brakes. The road will get steep quickly and stay steep. The other challenging element here is that the pavement is grooved and your tires will be wet, so you will at least need to keep your weight back and possibly need to stay seated. The KOM will be right after the steep part ends. I rate this climb #3

#5 (Rose Glen): The climb will start right after the bridge and though it is not that steep it is tough to get into a rhythm. Try to stay with your competition until the end. Once you make the left turn on Maple Hill up to the park, you will actually go downhill a bit before the road pitches up again. Someone strong could attack before the turn and sustain it until the top.

#6 (Rebel Hill): This is not one of the hardest climbs, but very few people have done it before, so you won't know exactly what to expect. After the left turn there are 3 switchbacks before the top. Once you reach the third, go for it. I rate this climb as #10

#7 (County Line): Not a long climb, but steep the whole way. Watch out for people detonating here on the steep pitches and don't get caught behind them. The KOM is right at the stop sign, so watch out for traffic as you come through. I rate this climb #5.

#8 (Hughes Rd): A longer steady climb. Get into a rhythm here and try to stay with other riders. If you are feeling like you went too hard in the earlier climbs, this could be a good one to sandbag. I rate this climb as #12.

#9 (Spring Mill): This climb is tricky in a few ways. First, it starts right at a busy light in Conshohocken, so watch out for traffic and be ready to clip in and go right away. The climb starts steep, levels off a bit before turning into the development and then gets steep at the top again. Once you make the right turn you are almost there. I rate this climb as #7.

#10 (Barren Hill): The longest climb of the day but the least steep. If you are feeling good you can big ring most of this and if you are feeling bad it is one to sandbag. Watch out for traffic and stay to the right here because this is a busy road. If you can, stay behind other riders in their draft. Once you pass Hart's Lane the road will pitch up and you are almost there. The KOM is just before Ridge Ave. I rate this climb as #13, but I wouldn't be surprised to see some people blow up on it.

#11 (Hart's Lane): More elevation gain than Barren Hill and 1/2 a mile shorter, so you know it's going to be tough. There are two distinct kickers at the end. Before the last one the road will go down a bit before pitching up. Save a little bit, and then as soon as you see the road descend a little go for it because you are almost there. I rate this #2.

#12 (Port Royal): This is in my opinion the hardest climb of the day. We will start on River road under the tracks. When you go over the tracks, make sure to keep your wheel perpendicular. make the left turn towards the bike path and then the right turn onto the cobbles. On the cobbles, try to stay seated and maintain your momentum. Watch out for riders that have fallen over or may decide to walk it. Keep pedaling and when you hit the pavement stand up and go for it.

#13 (Manayunk Wall): After Port Royal, the wall probably won't seem too bad, but as the last climb of the day you will most likely be pretty tired. The road doesn't get steep until the turn, so don't blow yourself up before then. Once you hit the turn, put it in your easiest gear, stand up and go for it. Last climb of the day, so leave it all out there. There will be a band and a keg at the top. Well, not really, but that would be pretty cool. Maybe next year :) I rate this climb as #6.

Hope to see y'all on Saturday.

New Route Map & Climb Stats

2007-10-28T11:07:00.000-07:00

Here is the data on the climbs. I wouldn't make too much of the max grade since the Topo software may not be exactly right.

#1: La Collina: 0.45 miles, 220 ft elev. gain, 9.3% avg. grade, 14% max grade

#2: Flat Rock Rd: 0.46 miles, 273 ft elev. gain, 11.2% avg. grade, 12% max grade

#3: Hollow Rd: 0.76 miles, 271 ft. elev. gain, 6.8% avg. grade, 18% max grade

#4: Righter's Mill: 0.53 miles, 232 ft. elev. gain, 8.3% avg. grade, 14% max grade

#5: Rose Glen: 1.1 miles, 273 ft. elev. gain, 4.7% avg. grade, 12% max grade

#6: Rebel Hill: 0.51 miles, 167 ft. elev. gain, 6.2% avg. grade, 16% max grade

#7: County Line: 0.39 miles, 203 ft. elev. gain, 9.9% avg grade, 14% max grade

#8: Hughes Rd.: 0.85 miles, 202 ft. elev. gain, 4.5% avg. grade, 12% max grade

#9: Spring Garden: 0.72 miles, 291 ft. elev. gain, 7.7% avg. grade, 17% max grade

#10: Barren Hill: 1.56 miles, 268 ft. elev. gain, 3.3% avg. grade, 7% max grade

#11: Hart's Lane: 1.07 miles, 320 ft. elev. gain, 5.7% avg. grade, 12% max grade

#12: Port Royal: 0.94 miles, 326 ft. elev. gain, 6.6% avg. grade, 19% max grade

#13: Manayunk Wall: 0.59 miles, 238 ft. elev. gain, 7.6% avg. grade, 17% max grade

PDD route changes: stream crossing: yes, private property: no

2007-10-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

OK, I rode part of the course this morning... on my fixed gear. First off, not a good idea. There was more tacking going on than the America's Cup on a calm day.

For climb #1, we are going to modify the route up La Collina a little. We will go right at the restaurant and then turn left up Rockland St. to the KOM at Highhland.

Climb #4 will now be Righter's Mill Rd. After Hollow Rd we will come down Conshohochen State and instead of making a hard right at the bottom of the hill on Mill Creek we will keep going past the light, and turn right on Righter's Mill. There is a little stream crossing here, but it is totally rideable. The road gets pretty steep and the pavement is grooved after the first part. There is a church at the top around the KOM. Afterwards, we will go back down the hill a bit, left on Greaves, right on Conshohocken State and left on Mill Creek to Rose Glen for climb #5.

The old climb #6, Cedar Ave. in Conshohocken is out. It is pretty steep, but not all that long and being that it ends in someones driveway it was the first to go.

I was seriously considering Bryn Trydden rd. but I don't want to piss off the locals too much being that there are a bunch of private property climbs. However, this is one I highly recommend riding if you get the chance to ride on your own sometime. Very epic!

A couple other notes:

- I will update the route profile soon and post it here.
- I hope to pre-ride the course again next week with Annie and get some helmet cam footage of the climbs
- I will post a little description and my advice for each of the climbs
- If there is anyone out there that would like to do the ride but not compete, I could definitely use an extra body to sit half way down the climb, tell people when to turn, and watch out for traffic of course. I will ride ahead of the group and score everyone at the top. Hopefully if I have a 5 minute head start, no one will pass me :)

Might change climb #4/5

2007-10-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about adding one of 2 climbs to the PDD. The first possibility is to add Righter's Mill Rd, which comes off of Conshohocken State and goes over the stream. If we do this climb, we will come down Conshy State after the Hollow Rd Climb and turn right onto Righter's Mill. I will take out the Cedar Rd. climb in West Conshohocken if we do it.

The other climb is Bryn Trydden, which you can get to by heading down towards the river on Spring Mill rd, going past the country club and turning left. You will go into a col de sac and down the climb, pull a 180 and head back up. It is an awesome climb that probably no one has done before. Only problem is that it is very narrow, has 2 speed bumps and it is private property, so we may piss of the locals if we have 100 people racing up their driveway.

Any thoughts?

PDD Course Map & Profile

2007-10-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia Dirty Dozen: November 3rd, 2007 @ 9:30 AM

2007-10-18T12:44:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia Dirty Dozen
Saturday, November 3rd, 2007. 9:30 AM sharp leaving from Cadence Cycling & Multisport Centers, 4323 Main St. Philadelphia, PA 19127

Description: The Philadelphia Dirty Dozen is a 40 mile ride consisting of 13 challenging climbs in Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties. The format is a points race, with points going to the top 5 men and top 5 women (8-5-3-2-1) up each climb. A whistle will be blown at the start of each climb (rolling start) to signal the start. Riders will regroup at the top of every climb and ride slowly to the next climb. The organizer will try to mark the start of each climb and the 200m to go mark. Local riders will be familiar with many of these climbs, but many will be climbs not typically ridden. All riders welcome.

Entry Fee: $0

Great Advice: A compact or triple crankset would be ideal for this course, with a lowest gear of 25-27 in the back. Some of these climbs are very steep! (Maybe not as steep as in Pittsburgh… but it will be a good warmup)

Prizes: First Place: Greatest Climber in the World; Second Place: First Loser, Third Place: Should train better

History: The Dirty Dozen was started by former RAAM winner Danny Chew in Pittsburgh in 1983. Every year (except 1993) Danny has been organizing the event, usually held the weekend after Thanksgiving. Winners include former professional cyclists Rob Acciavatti, Gunnar Shogren and Josh Smith. Most recently, Meredith Group/GPOA/Cannondale’s own Steevo Cummings has won the 2004, 2005 and 2006 versions. For more information, go to http://www.dannychew.com/

Warnings: This is not a closed course. Riders ride at their own risk and they must obey the rules of the road. The organizer will not be held responsible for any incidents or accidents that may occur. That said, we will try to have one person at the top scoring the points and another person at any turns or intersections on the climb. Once you are finished each climb, get out of the way of the other riders and out of the way of the traffic. Do not go back down the climb until all riders have finished.

Other Notes: This is meant to be a fun event. Competitiveness is encouraged, but please be respectful of the other riders, the event organizer and traffic. Point disputes must be resolved before the start of the next climb. Riders may be disqualified or relegated at the discretion of the organizer for starting the climb early, for dangerous behavior or for any other reason.

Contact Info: Contact Colin Sandberg at capninsano42@msn.com or (330) 647-3977. Updates and course notes will be posted at http://colinsandbergevents.blogspot.com/
Route Description

Main St. to Bridge. Left on Belmont Ave.

#1: La Collina. Penn Avenue (becomes Ashland at Price S.) from Belmont to Mary Watersford. Don’t turn right on Price.

Right on Mary Watersford at top of climb

#2: Flat Rock. Flat Rock Rd. from Mary Waterford to Hidden River

Right on Hidden River. Right on Sprague. Right on Hollow Rd. Be careful on descent (cars coming off of 76) Under overpass & U-turn.

#3: Hollow Rd/Hagys Ford. Hollow Rd from River Rd. Right Turn on Hagy’s Ford to top of hill.

Right on Hollow Rd. Right on Conshohocken State (Rt. 23) Hard right on Mill Creek Rd. Left on Rose Glen.

#4: Rose Glen: Rose Glen to Maple Hill. Left on Maple Hill up to turn around at park.

Back down Maple Hill Rd. Left on Rose Glen. Right on Youngsford Rd. Left on Stony Lane. Hard Right to stay on Stony Lane. Left on Spring Mill. Right on Conshohocken State Rd. Down to Bottom of Hill. Stay straight on Front St. Left on Ford St. Right on Cedar Ave.

#5: Cedar Ave to dead end.

Back down Josephine. Right on Ford St (becomes Matson Ford) Right on Gulph Rd. Right on Rebel Hill

#6: Rebel Hill: Rebel Hill to Lemonton. Left on Lemonton Way. Lemonton to Timothy Cir.

Back down Lemonton. Right on Rebel Hill. Left on Old Gulph Rd. Left on Matson Ford. Right on County Line

#7: County Line: County Line Rd. from Gulph Creek Rd. to Upper Gulph.

Left on Upper Gulph. Right on Hollow Rd. Turns into Gypsy Lane. Left on Hughes.

#8: Hughes Rd from Gypsy Lane to Weadly Rd.

Right on Weadley Rd. Right on Gulph Rd. Right on Swedeland, quick right on Gulph. Left on Balligomingo. Right on Front St. Stay Straight through light on Spring Garden.

#9: Spring Garden St from Conshohocken State to top of Hill. Bear Left on Merion St. Careful at start of climb going through light.

Back down hill. Right on Ford St. to cross river. Right on Bike path. Bike Path to Train Station. Left on Station. Right on Elm St. Bear Right to go up Barren Hill

#10: Barren Hill from Elm St. to Ridge. Careful of traffic. End of climb is at Stop Ahead sign before Ridge.

Right on Ridge. Right on Manor Rd. Manor Rd to bottom of hill. Right on River Rd. Right on Hart’s Lane.

#11: Hart’s Lane from River Rd. to Kinder Rd (top of last ascent before Barren Hill).

Right on Barren Hill. Right on Ridge. Right on Manor Rd. back down to bottom of hill. Left on River Rd. Left over tracks towards bike path.

#12: Port Royal (cobbled climb) from River Rd. (bottom of hill before tracks) to Eva St.

Right on Eva St/ right on Shawmont. Bear Left on Umbria. Right on Leverington. Left on Main St. Left on Levering.

#13: The Manayunk Wall. Levering St. Right on Cresson St. Left on Levering. Levering to Pechin.