In less than a week, we folks in the good ‘ole You Es of Ay will be celebrating that wonderful holiday where everyone gorges themselves on too much food and then either sleeps, watches football, or falls asleep while watching football. That’s right, I’m talking about Thanksgiving. This year, like most, I’ll be playing the role of pilgrim and allowing others to take care of me and make sure I don’t starve. Luckily, I won’t have to wear a hat with a giant buckle on it.
Instead of spending this holiday with my family, I’ll be traveling to Pittsburgh to spend the day with Jared, Caroline, and a cavalcade of other vagabonds that happen to venture into western PA. Oddly enough, Thanksgiving isn’t intended to be the highlight of my trip. That will come in the form of me, a bike, and thirteen of the steepest hills Pittsburgh has to offer. It’s a little bike race/ride known as the Dirty Dozen.
For close to thirty years, cyclists have gathered on the Saturday after Thanksgiving to test their grit by racing and riding the DD. Cyclists race to the top of each hill, but then wait for everyone else before continuing on to the next hill therefore making it both a race and a ride. I think at this point it’s important for me to point out that I will NOT be in the group that is racing. I will be in the group that is merely trying to survive, and in this case I do mean survive. Granted, I’ve said that in the past when talking about rides or races but in this case I truly mean it.
See, the hills in the DD are beyond steep. I don’t think any hill is less than a 20 percent grade with the steepest, Canton Avenue, topping out at 37 percent. Did mention it’s also cobblestone? Well, it is. One of the rules of this little Saturday morning spin is that all hills must be ridden. Therefore if you fall or stop or cough up a lung and put down a foot, you have to go to the bottom and start over. I’m not entirely sure why I agreed to participate in this test of pure insanity but this year I will be thankful if I get back to the SC with my legs still attached.
Instead of spending this holiday with my family, I’ll be traveling to Pittsburgh to spend the day with Jared, Caroline, and a cavalcade of other vagabonds that happen to venture into western PA. Oddly enough, Thanksgiving isn’t intended to be the highlight of my trip. That will come in the form of me, a bike, and thirteen of the steepest hills Pittsburgh has to offer. It’s a little bike race/ride known as the Dirty Dozen.
For close to thirty years, cyclists have gathered on the Saturday after Thanksgiving to test their grit by racing and riding the DD. Cyclists race to the top of each hill, but then wait for everyone else before continuing on to the next hill therefore making it both a race and a ride. I think at this point it’s important for me to point out that I will NOT be in the group that is racing. I will be in the group that is merely trying to survive, and in this case I do mean survive. Granted, I’ve said that in the past when talking about rides or races but in this case I truly mean it.
See, the hills in the DD are beyond steep. I don’t think any hill is less than a 20 percent grade with the steepest, Canton Avenue, topping out at 37 percent. Did mention it’s also cobblestone? Well, it is. One of the rules of this little Saturday morning spin is that all hills must be ridden. Therefore if you fall or stop or cough up a lung and put down a foot, you have to go to the bottom and start over. I’m not entirely sure why I agreed to participate in this test of pure insanity but this year I will be thankful if I get back to the SC with my legs still attached.
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1 comment:
I lived on one of those super old cobbled streets when I was little- enjoy!
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