Originally published on Cycling News
Tim Johnson has become the first cyclist to climb Mount Washington, the tallest peak in Northeast US, during the winter. On February 2, the Redbull sponsored rider climbed the 4,685 feet to the summit on a fat bike in temperatures as low as -28 Celsius with gusting winds.
Mount Washington Auto Road is one of the most notorious ascents in US bike racing, used annually for the Mount Washington Bicycle Hill Climb in New Hampshire since 1973, and as an auto race course since 1904.
ADVERTISEMENT
The climb is 12.2 kilometres and its infamously brutal slopes average a 12 per cent grade, with a maximum of 22 per cent. Tom Danielson holds the record for the mid-August event with a time of 49:24 set in 2002. Other former winners include Tyler Hamilton and Phil Gaimon.
Johnson is also a two-time winner in 2000 and 2001, when his fastest time was 53:31. With special permission from Mount Washington officials to ride up Auto Road this winter on a fat bike, Johnson completed the 4,685 feet of climbing in 1:45:48 in wind speeds reaching 49 mph.
Steep pitches
Dangerous conditions
It's been emotional
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
via BikeRadar All the latest from BikeRadar.com http://ift.tt/1OxVGxz
No comments:
Post a Comment