August 14, 2011. My second Adirondack Mountain Club Ididaride in just as many years. In its sixth rendition, the route starts at the Ski Bowl in North Creek, NY, passes the Gore Mountain access road, and continues on a punchy 75 mile loop through downtown Speculator and Indian Lake. Now, I’ve been riding competitively and recreationally for several years and consider myself to have grown away from my early ‘fly and die’ days as a cyclist. That said, a 75 mile ride with a hair over 6,800 feet of climb is nothing to scoff at. If you’ve never ridden the route before, the numbers may seem daunting, especially if you are in the early years of your cycling obsession. Rest assured, the ADK Ididaride is nowhere near the four hours of grueling pain you would expect. Keep in mind, this is a group ride! People stop and smell the flowers, mosey on through the four rest stops, and light up the proverbial cigarette. With several hundred riders now participating yearly, not only is this a great fundraiser for the club, but you are 100% guaranteed to find other riders cruising at your pace; life is easy! This twisty, rural loop is the ideal venue for making friends, meeting future training partners, adventurists, and thrill seekers. Anyone with the fortitude to look at a punchy 6,800 feet and chuckle is precisely the kind of people life is about meeting, and they all ride bikes!
For those looking for the hill descent of their lives, without all of the trepidation of a 55 mile warm up, the organizers also provide transportation to Indian Lake for a 20 mile bee-line back to the Ski Bowl. If you’re still looking for your climbing legs, however, or just want to get fast in as little time as possible, I highly recommend doing this route in the opposite direction, climbing North Creek Hill. You may cry the whole way up, as the ascent is not for the faint of heart, but the gratification will be worth every tear. For those looking for the chance to feel the sensation of descending at Mach 2 with your hair on fire, North Creek Hill is the place to be. With a relatively unaggressive grade, the length of the descent drives your speed. Go as fast or slow as you like and are comfortable with, but know the hill is something to be largely marveled at and is the definition of a cheap thrill (worth every penny). For those looking to push themselves, this is a strikingly easy location to push 50+ mph.
An easy, rolling grade along the Hudson River through North Creek for the remaining five miles, riders finally feel the advantages of descending into the valley, and have plenty of time to recount their own North Creek Hill descent stories. Upon arrival back to the Ski Bowl, the ADK Mountain Club graciously provides a full barbeque and ice cold beer to returning riders. I can’t imagine any other way to spend a Sunday morning in early August.
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