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Observatory Hill Challenge

Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2014 9:49 pm
by Peter M
All,

Due to my lack of ascension skills, I have taken to riding Observatory Hill.

The Challenge is this:

How long does it take to do five(5) ascents of the observatory? The timer starts at the gate and finishes when you have crossed the fire hydrant at the top parking lot five times.

Rules:
1. No kamikaze descents, just basic free wheeling.

Time to beat: 59:11 (fifty nine minutes, eleven seconds)

Who is up to it?

I did this twice last week (1:01:30, 59:11)

There are lots of speedy climbers. Great way to improve going up hill..!

Peter M :shock:

Re: Observatory Hill Challenge

Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2014 9:54 pm
by Stéphane Tran
Challenge accepted.

Re: Observatory Hill Challenge

Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 1:08 pm
by AlW
Stéphane Tran wrote:Challenge accepted.
No surprise there.....

Re: Observatory Hill Challenge

Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 4:13 pm
by mlawless
I'll play, but only because I did the Strava Hill Challenge last month!

My times were:
1. 55'59" (did 8 repeats with Ian who couldn't control himself and did 9 :roll: )
2. 58'30" (did 6 repeats)

(I am estimating the times as I was recording roundtrip laps from the gate at the bottom of the hill. Depending on the times posted by everyone, I reserve the right to revise the times above to better reflect my theoretical performance!)

Re: Observatory Hill Challenge

Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 4:34 pm
by John D
Hmm....this could make for an interesting alternative to next Sunday's usual ride. Meet at Fairfield Bucky's as per usual, then ride to the Goose and take Interurban to West Sannich and then do repeats of the Observatory.

Who's in?

J.

Re: Observatory Hill Challenge

Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 4:55 pm
by katew
I'll see you your paltry five Observatories and raise you this:

http://www.strava.com/activities/159226256

10 in exactly 2:00:00.

(Thought I wasn't looking, eh?)

Re: Observatory Hill Challenge

Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 7:57 pm
by barton bourassa
If we don't go to Salt Spring, I am in!

Re: Observatory Hill Challenge

Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 8:48 pm
by AlW
I see a silly summer equinox challenge developing here....

Re: Observatory Hill Challenge

Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 9:21 pm
by Peter M
Nicely done...!

I did 5 trips up today on 58:34. I have to raise my game and do 10 in 2 hours...!

:shock:

Re: Observatory Hill Challenge

Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2014 4:10 pm
by Stéphane Tran
Challenge completed: 47:23.

Next challenge: 5 Mt. Dougs in 1 hr.

Re: Observatory Hill Challenge

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 10:16 am
by shawnc
Stéphane Tran wrote:Next challenge: 5 Mt. Dougs in 1 hr.
Challenge accepted and completed, in 44:28

I went from the gate to the garbage can beside the rock wall and back to the gate. If you do it before noon there's no vehicle traffic!

Re: Observatory Hill Challenge

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 12:51 pm
by Stéphane Tran
shawnc wrote:
Stéphane Tran wrote:Next challenge: 5 Mt. Dougs in 1 hr.
Challenge accepted and completed, in 44:28

I went from the gate to the garbage can beside the rock wall and back to the gate. If you do it before noon there's no vehicle traffic!
Wow, that's a great time! I'm going to try this week.

Re: Observatory Hill Challenge

Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2014 2:57 pm
by Stéphane Tran
Mt: Doug x5 in 42:55. Now excuse me while I take a 2-day nap.

Re: Observatory Hill Challenge

Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2014 5:11 pm
by FairweatherMike
Vas iss all zis liddl GIRLYMAN stuff vis 5 or 10 observatories. Ven iss sumbody going to do ze EVEREST challenge?

OK, enough SNL Arnold. if the observatory climb is 130 metres, then to Everest it (8848m) would require 68 repeats. Might as well make it 70 to account for any rounding errors... Who's in?

Re: Observatory Hill Challenge

Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2014 6:05 pm
by roadflasj
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5231

Full distance for 70 repeats: 308km. I have a difficult time thinking about the effort to complete that route. Perhaps 15-16 hrs in the saddle?

Re: Observatory Hill Challenge

Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 12:41 pm
by shawnc
Stéphane Tran wrote:Mt: Doug x5 in 42:55. Now excuse me while I take a 2-day nap.
Chapeau!

You inspired me to give it another go; I dug deep and did it in 40:58. I had to whimper home in my small chain ring after that.

Re: Observatory Hill Challenge

Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 5:47 pm
by EricS
I thought I'd have a go at the Mt. Doug Challenge:

Got 1 repeat done in 22:35

The zig-zagging back and forth added about 2km to the distance though, so my speed was still huge.

Had to lie down in the road for a while about 2/3 of the way up.

Then walk for a spell.

I will do the other 4 repeats over the next 4 summers.

Eric

Re: Observatory Hill Challenge

Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 6:06 pm
by EricS
On a similar note, the topic of "Everesting" came up on Sunday's ride, and it was decided to combine the Everest Elevation attempt, with the Silly Solstice Century to create the "Really Very Silly Solstice Bestest Everestest Ride Thingy".

885 laps of Beacon Hill Park. 1400 or so km. If TripleShot's eldest rider can do this (London-Edinburgh-London), we should all be able to pound this out over the longest weekend of the year (48 hours at 30km/h allows for a couple of pee breaks)

(note: The above is based on the claimed elevation gain of 10m/lap, which I think may be a bit generous. With an 8m/lap gain, we would need to do 1100 laps (or about 1770 km, which is just plain too silly))

What's really funny about this proposition… some of you are actually thinking about it.

Eric

Re: Observatory Hill Challenge

Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 11:08 pm
by Stéphane Tran
shawnc wrote: Chapeau!

You inspired me to give it another go; I dug deep and did it in 40:58. I had to whimper home in my small chain ring after that.
Nicely done Shawn! We should ride together sometime.

Re: Observatory Hill Challenge

Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 10:14 am
by leftcoaster
The above is based on the claimed elevation gain of 10m/lap, which I think may be a bit generous
From riding 100 laps last year on two occasions, the total elevation gain both time was about 780 metres, or about 7.8m/lap.