For those who have been, do you have any info to impart about what to expect. I'm going Lake Placid in a couple of weeks and am looking forward to charging up the hill. I know you have to go either before the toll road opens or after it closes but does anyone happen to know when that is? What kind of times were you finishing in? How long did the descent take? What kinds of gears were you pushing? Is a 39/25 enough? Is the road surface good?
Thanks for the help
Anthony Accardi
Whiteface
For results of the race go to http://www.coolrunning.com/results/04/ny/Jun19_2004Wh_set1.shtml But your conditions will probably be different.
The toll booth closes five or six PM. But you can ride to the toll booth for about 3 miles of ascent. The road surface is good with occasional heaves. The descent is 8 miles so if you go 20 mph you do it in 24 minutes. But you will probably go faster. At 30 mph you will do it in 16 minutes. Be careful to go to the right of the toll booths on the descent. Carry warm clothes for the descent.
The toll road is open to cyclists from 6:30pm onward. You'll have to dismount and scoot under the barriers. There are several 1/4 mile sections of 10%+. It's a gorgeous, gorgeous climb if the weather's good. The descent has some hidden potholes which can be difficult to see in the late evening light. Enjoy!
does it open to cars? I'm an early riser (rider) and may chose to scoot up it in the am instead. Thanks again for the info.
Anthony
"Early Season: May 22 - July 2 Open: 9am - 4pm
Mid-season July 3- September 6 Open: 8:30am - 5pm
Late Season September 7 - October 11. October 19 & 20.
Open: 9am - 4pm
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