Comments on: Haleakala Sufferfest 2007

By: Mikael Liddy

Mikael Liddy — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 02:29:40 +0000

@frank Mahalo. @Gianni beautifully put together report & from the sounds of things, this is a lot closer to the experience I'd go through if I were ever dumb enough to try such a thing!

By: frank

frank — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 00:45:38 +0000

@Mikael Liddy Thanks for the head's up. Restored.

By: Mikael Liddy

Mikael Liddy — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 00:40:10 +0000

Aww man, just saw this on the random articles list & it looks like the article itself has disappeared in to the ether…Merckx-Dammit

By: grumbledook

grumbledook — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 10:45:57 +0000

Well, the numbers are high, but this climb is not the longest or highest.
If you are looking for a real challenge: Paso ChungarÃ¡ to Tambo Quemado in the Andes is 240 km and 4660 m (15300 ft) to climb. The road is completely paved. I’ve never done this on and probably never will. And there might be even more challenging continuous climbs in the Andes.

But anyway: Chapeau! Strong performance! My longest climb was the Stelvio with 24.6 km and 1844 m.

By: mauibike

mauibike — Wed, 18 May 2011 23:06:30 +0000

Aloha Gianni! I have finally read your post. Great read and best describes the climb through 1,000' gains. If you should ever unswear and decide to do the whole thing again, give me a shout. I haven't done the whole route in over a decade. Whenever I start to break rule #5 climbing the switchbacks, I think about the guy from Aspen, who rode the whole thing on a unicycle.http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/506856/One-wheel-wonder.html

By: sgt

sgt — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 22:39:32 +0000

Oh, how I love the “Recent & Random Articles” function! Always a new treat to discover, even after months of sitting in here. Was on Maui in Sept. for my 10th wedding anniversary. No riding, but man, what sweet, sweet roads! I was drooling out the window, dear wife just shaking her head… From what I can tell as a mainlander malihini but frequent visitor to the islands, Maui’s got the others beat by a mile for road riding. No wonder Red Ryder winters there. I’m up for a Cogal on Maui No Ka Oi, just name the date!

PS awesome article, Gianni.

By: Geof

Geof — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 01:07:17 +0000

What a great post. Wonder how I missed it before now. We just don’t have that kind of ride down this way. Lots and lots and lots of hills, many of which are brutish steep, but nothing that requires 4+ hours of constant suffering. More Ardennes than Gavia. I need to get me to Hawaii – or France – or Italy …

By: frank

frank — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:44:53 +0000

@Dan O That sounds like a great climb. I'm going to make a point to hit that this spring.

By: Dan O

Dan O — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:58:27 +0000

@Frank, John….

Hurricane Ridge is an awesome ride – have done it twice, both times with coworker riding pals. It’s basically a 17 mile climb – hard, but not really a death march. Super climber I’m not and I enjoyed it.

Last time I rode it, 2 or 3 years ago, hit on a weekday – no crowds at all. Well worth a vacation day off work. I’ve driven up it as well on weekends, more people for sure. First time I rode up it, was at least 15 years ago. It was a Sunday in October. Summer crowds gone, no fee, little traffic – nice fall day.

It’s in our backyard – well worth the ride.

By: frank

frank — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:59:03 +0000

@john Although I've been to the Tour twice, I agree wholeheartedly about the Giro being way cooler. Better race, more exciting, better climbs. Italy is a better country to race around than France. 3/4 of France is flat. They always have this huge logistical nightmare to get into interesting terrain. Italy, on the other hand, has bad-ass shit everywhere. Very cool.

By: frank

frank — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:56:10 +0000

@Marko You never know, you could have some crazy fucking butt-naked Italian running alongside you with a Gazzetta. That would be pretty cool and worthy of note. Speaking of newspapers, when I was in France in 2003, my trip spanned the entire Tour and I picked up at least one copy of l'Equipe every day. They're all in a box now and it was a hassle to bring them all home, but I'm super stoked I have them. Plus I got some extras on the cool days just cuz. I recommend you do the same. And pick me up a copy, too!

By: Marko

Marko — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:39:05 +0000

Good advice seeing how I probably won’t have any Tifosi to hand me a newspaper to cram up my jersey.

By: john

john — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:52:45 +0000

@frank I have learned the vest lesson the hard way and and I always jam a vest in my jersey pocket unless it is hot out. The weight penalty is negligible and the windproofing is fucking magic, lifesaving. Long ago I watched my wife jam a discarded cardboard fruit crate under her jersey before a descent, insane looking yet that's the desperate lengths people will go to survive a descent. Fashion goes right out the window.

By: frank

frank — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:38:17 +0000

@Dan O I've heard people say that Hurricane Ridge is really busy, but I simply have to make that ride. Disgraceful that I haven't yet.

By: frank

frank — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:36:31 +0000

@john @Marko I second John's advice: if you do one thing and one thing only - it should be bring a vest. Forget your bike before you forget your vest. Going down always sounds easy and fun (and it is fun) but going down is hard work, and it's cold as hell. Which, ironically, is not cold. But descending is very cold. Not warm at all.

By: john

john — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:28:48 +0000

@Dan O Hurricane Ridge, I drove up it. Does that count for anything. I was hungover from a bad halloween party in Port Townsend and I do remember it being steep and unrelenting. Wife had to take a nap in the car at the top instead of hike, bless her. I bet it is steeper than Haleakala. No thanks. Sounds like the Gavia. Get Marko out there for practice.

By: john

john — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:17:23 +0000

@Marko Holy Shiet, the Gavia! That will be a good-un. I've seen some of it from some Giro coverage, going up one side is as wide as a golf cart path, a really nasty upward tilting golf cart path. Once again, jealous feelings. I look forward to reports. Always bring a vest. That's my sage advice for the day.

By: Dan O

Dan O — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 01:24:19 +0000

Nice climb – nice read. Cool story.

Reminds me a bit of climbing Hurricane Ridge here in the Seattle area.

By: Marko

Marko — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:11:16 +0000

Humility and hubris are the same in that they both can only be learned from exprience. Experience is what I lack in cycling which is why it’s fun to live vicariously through the velominati. We’ll see how my ego feels after the Gavia. I’d be happy with a sense of accomplishment.

By: john

john — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 07:15:13 +0000

@Marko Oh yes, Like Frank said, the Dolomites could be your playground, a good place to generate some stories of suffering and shame. I'm jealous of you. I'd rather see Italy/Giro than France/TdF myself. Italian Awesomeness, yes please.

By: frank

frank — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 03:17:08 +0000

@Marko So humble! I fully expect you to be John's Learner by the time you make your pilgrimage to Italia this Spring. Your tales will will carry you into the deepest reaches of the Velominati Archives of Awesomeness.

By: Marko

Marko — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:17:25 +0000

Fun post. Bravo! I only wish I had roads like that around me so I could truly see how much I’m not worthy.

By: john

john — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:04:05 +0000

@frank I have studied under the Master. Luckily I have done other dumb things on two wheels that may be worthy of Velominati. As for JTIII, if he comes over I will keep him in the brewpubs and away from the Crater road. Him doing that ride would be bad for all of us.

By: frank

frank — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 00:01:20 +0000

A masterpiece. John, you have come far in your few short months amongst the Velominati. You have passed the trials and are ready to take on a learner.

If Jim climbs this brute on his fixie, well, I don’t even know what I would do, but it would be really, really embarrassing so as to sufficiently show my respect for the accomplishment.

By: john

john — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:51:45 +0000

@jim Thanks JT. If you want to come out and do this ride on your fixie I'll hand up bottles and buy the pints. You would kill this climb and it would be a good chance to dry out your cycling gear. And yes, this Velominati is a great forum to rant about one's guns and what a rubbish rider someone is, and past tales of greatness(or not).

By: jim

jim — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:57:32 +0000

Yes! Beautiful post. I remember getting this as an email fresh of the keys in 2007 and thinking: there must be an outlet for such tales of glory. Blessed be the Velominati (and also anyone who buys them pints).