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Dirty Dozen

Well, it is that time of the year again. I just wanted to find out who is interested in doing it. It was a fun/rewarding/tiring experience when I finished it last year. Time to put the clipless pedals back on.


Danny Chew just sent out an email with the details the other day:


The 26rd Annual Dirty Dozen up Pittsburgh's 13 steepest hills will be held on Saturday, November 29th at 10am. Anticipating another large crowd this year, please show up as early as 8-9am to start registration early. Meet at the Washington Boulevard Track (Where the ACA holds weekly criterium races in the summer). I recommend a low gear of 39x27. The route is 50 miles, but will take at least 5 hours because we go neutral between the hills, and there are 3-4 stops atop hills where I offer snacks and drinks.


I plan to go 10 places deep again on each hill this year. Can somebody please drive along the route with me (Still recovering from a recent herniated disk surgery, I will most likely not be riding this year) and take videos of the top finishers on each hill?


Also, new this year, there will be a 3 place prize list for women riders only, but they need to ride up EVERY HILL to be eligible. The breakdown will be:


1st woman - $150

2nd woman - $100

3rd woman - $ 50


Register the day of the event, and there is a $5 entry fee. For a listing of the hills, history of the event, and former winners, go to:


http://www.dannychew.com/dd.html


Please feel free to call me at (412)421-3143 for more info.


igo
2008-11-06 01:59:23

I'm in. It'll be my first.


bjanaszek
2008-11-06 11:48:52

Me too.


reddan
2008-11-06 12:28:52

Worth noting that Dan will be going for the "first recumbent finisher" award this year, which will function as training for next year's attempt on a unicycle.


bjanaszek
2008-11-06 12:52:38

[cue circus music]


reddan
2008-11-06 13:56:42

Reddan -- A unicycle? Brings to mind a recent experience that qualifies among the strangest things I've seen in Pittsburgh. It was a guy on a unicycle riding down the yellow line on West Carson Street, in the vicinity of the Incline. Maybe the center of the road was the safest place for him to be riding, but it struck me as pretty ridiculous. Drivers were definitely doing a doubletake. I lost sight of him when I turned into the Incline parking lot, but I think he continued eastbound, towards downtown.


swalfoort
2008-11-06 14:17:17

I'm slightly more likely to tackle the 2009 Dirty Dozen on a unicycle than I am to ride down Grant on said unicycle wearing naught but a Union Jack bandanna and a banana hammock. Slightly.


reddan
2008-11-06 15:20:23

i plan on riding it. it'll also be my first. are there going to be any training/scout rides that anyone knows of?


hiddenvariable
2008-11-06 19:53:38

The Western PA Wheelmen have been running scouting rides on Sundays. Check their website for info. I believe they are doing the southern hills this weekend (Canton, Boustead, etc).


If you have the time, a very small group of us have been riding the South Side hills at lunch during the week (Sycamore, Welsh, Barry->Holt->Eleanor).


Also, I'm basically not riding anything but DD hills between now and the ride, so email me (bjanaszek/gmail) if you're looking for someone to ride with.


bjanaszek
2008-11-06 20:51:40

since i work from home, i'm free to go for a ride at any time. what time do you guys go and where do you start?


any time i can get to ride hills with folks, i'm happy. my friends have practically given up riding for the year, and never did hills with me, anyway (i believe you know patrick).


hiddenvariable
2008-11-06 22:56:07

We usually meet at the base of one of the hills in the South Side.


There is chatter of a ride tomorrow, around 11:00 AM. Dan wants to do some other hill, but I'm sure we could convince him to do the 3 DD hills that are right there.


You're Dave S., right? If so, I think I have your email address--I can email later and give you details...


bjanaszek
2008-11-06 23:55:23

dave d, actually. hidden.variable/gmail.


hiddenvariable
2008-11-06 23:56:46

Alright, I'm a sucker for peer pressure. Official hills it is.


We might just have to add Flowers-Tesla, if we're gonna get all serious about it. ;-)


reddan
2008-11-07 01:09:41

A ride tomorrow at 11. I would go if I didn't have to work :(


igo
2008-11-07 02:01:50

i would go if i didn't have a date.


it's a bike date, though! so i think that exonerates me a bit. i might do the wheelmen ride on sunday, though. i've never done any rides with them. anyone can just show up?


hiddenvariable
2008-11-07 03:21:44

ok i take that back. i moved the date back to later in the day, and i'll be there at 11.


hiddenvariable
2008-11-07 03:42:20

Re: Wheelmen rides. Yep, just show up...all are welcome. Start times are prompt, so I'd advise showing up 5 minutes early.


Barring disaster, I'll be at the one on Sunday as well. That's gonna be fun: Sycamore, [Crane], Canton, Boustead, and some form of transit back over Mt Washington, probably Southern or something like that.


reddan
2008-11-07 12:07:02

I did an Eleanor Street to Eleanor Street ride today, solo. I live on the one in the North Hills, itself no slacker in the stiff grade department, but I had *no idea* that the one in Arlington had such a grade! Yeeek! Ummm, before I try that one for real, I need to invest in some different gearing!


stuinmccandless
2008-11-10 22:26:57

what would happen if one or more of the streets were closed? boustead, as of tuesday morning, was closed at the bottom, and there was a hole in the road that stretched all the way across. and today, ravine street in sharpsburg was closed at the bottom. there was enough room for a bike or pedestrian to get by the construction, but not 130 bikers.


hiddenvariable
2008-11-13 23:25:58

i could imagine it being like logan st last year where a one bike bottleneck was created by two cars.


that sucked.


steve-k
2008-11-14 00:36:45

I am coming to town Tuesday, anyone want to get together to ride through out the week? email me!


jennalatour@gmail.com


jenna
2008-11-22 19:56:01

Boustead Street is open for traffic as of this afternoon. There are a few steel plates covering up some construction work at the bottom of the hill so cyclists will need to watch out for those. The road condition is terrible with many potholes, cracks and loose pavement. Should make it interesting for Saturday! Weather looks good so far...


hooty2
2008-11-27 01:28:43

i probably should've updated that a while ago. i had seen boustead was open last sunday, on the boustead repeats ride. the road covers didn't seem too slippy, for what that's worth.


ravine, on the other hand, was still closed as of this past sunday. the road is officially closed, but there is a basically one-rider-wide lane on the outside of the fence that surrounds the work. perhaps more importantly, there is an approximately 3" diameter metal tube coming down at an angle over the path. for me on my bike, it's about forehead level, i would guess, though maybe i've been ducking needlessly far. if that doesn't get cleaned up (and it's been there for over a week), it could make for an interesting start to the second hill.


hiddenvariable
2008-11-27 05:06:18

Have fun out there today!


I am not going to ride. I don't think I am in good enough shape this year. The cold temps have made me lazy.


igo
2008-11-29 11:56:40

Great ride again this year. The weather was a bit chilly but bearable. Thanks Danny!


hooty2
2008-11-30 00:11:00

Yeah, that was a sweet way to spend a day.


reddan
2008-11-30 01:52:30

Pictures, pls? Videos? I had to work, so missed everything. Looks like the weather was just about ideal!


stuinmccandless
2008-11-30 05:45:36

i had a whole lot of fun on the first two hills before i ripped my big cog in half and damaged my wheel in the process (no, i'm not at all bitter!).


luckily the film crew were my friends and i had a rack and a ride, and i got to watch the rest of the race. in fact, to anyone who rode it: there's a decent chance we'd like to talk to you, for documentarian purposes, so please email me at hidden dot variable at gmail if you rode and you think you have something you'd like to say!


and also, to put into words something we were all thinking a month ago, congrats once again steevo!


hiddenvariable
2008-11-30 07:49:07

5 in row! Nice work Steevo.


scott
2008-11-30 17:05:13

Thanks to the course marshal/rider and photographer who tried to help me in Etna. I drove up from Virginia, had fun on the first two climbs but couldn't downshift for the third hill. A little walking solved that. Rode in a 12-tooth gear to Etna where we discovered the shift cable had snapped. I'm not sure anyone could climb effectively with a 12-tooth rear gear -- I know I couldn't but it was an easy but disappointing ride back to the start line. As I was leaving I met two riders coming back. One had a flat and lost contact with the group. They were then going to go back out, in reverse, and try to meet up. Hope they made it. Looking forward to next year!


rockpile08
2008-11-30 20:29:23

146 person group rides are pretty awesome.


steevo
2008-12-01 13:34:38

oh, thanks too guys. Good seeing you all there.

pics will be up on chew's site. however there are some on youtube already if you search. also:

http://picasaweb.google.com/chrispopovic/

600 or so pics there to start with.


steevo
2008-12-01 13:36:31

next year i wont be jobless and broke and i shall return! i miss pittsburgh. good job steevo.


zak_47
2008-12-01 20:54:46

thanks zak


wish i had a record of all the names chew has called you and places that you have been from.


kovelev from Seattle etc. haha


steevo
2008-12-02 15:55:28

Is this for 2009? Or was this the info for 2008?


derek
2009-09-28 16:20:08

Oops! Must be for 2008 because it says Saturday, November 29th—November 29th 2009 is a Sunday. Anyone have info on this year's DD?


derek
2009-09-28 16:23:11

Nothing official yet, but assume the Saturday after Turkey Day.


The WPW will be running some training rides beginning Real Soon Now, the South Side lunch time rides should also begin shortly (read: when I actually get my go-fast bike in one piece again).


bjanaszek
2009-09-28 16:30:56

First Wheelmen scouting ride (led from the rear by Yours Truly) will be Saturday, October 10th, starting at 8 AM by bike rental on Jail Trail. I'm planning on a ride each Saturday, same time, same location, until the weekend of the DD.


Here's the overall plan (subject to change, contents may settle, do not eat, this side towards enemy):


10/10: Center, Ravine, Berryhill, High

10/17: Rialto, Logan, SHB, Sycamore

10/24: Sycamore, Welsh, BHE, Tesla

10/31: (Halloween Dirty Dozen...I think costumes and photography should be encouraged!) Sycamore, [Crane], Canton, Boustead

11/07: Center, Ravine, Berryhill, High, Logan, SHB

11/14: Rialto, SHB, Sycamore, Welsh, BHE, Tesla

11/21: Start with Center and ride as many as there is time/interest for


[Edited to add:] Check the WPW calendar for the gruesome details.


reddan
2009-09-28 16:45:03

I just tried riding up Barry/Holt/Eleanor yesterday. Has Barry always been one way above Mission St. and we just ignored the sign, or is that a new development?


alankhg
2009-09-28 17:51:14

I just tried riding up Barry/Holt/Eleanor yesterday. Has Barry always been one way above Mission St. and we just ignored the sign, or is that a new development?


The former.


bjanaszek
2009-09-28 18:00:50

once upon a time i thought i could do this on a SA 3speed... now i don't think i can do it on any bike.. i don't know if i've become wiser or lazier


imakwik1
2009-09-28 19:40:26

I remember watching you weave up High St on the S-A...I seem to recall you did ok up until that sharp left at the top of the steep bit...


reddan
2009-09-28 20:06:16

Practice helps. I might try it this year.


I know Federal Street on the North Side isn't a D.D. hill, but a couple of weeks ago I made it up that w/o pausing. A month ago, I climbed Suffolk/Hazelton/Burgess though had to pause four times. A year ago I thought Negley was unconquerable but last week climbed it on a bike w/o a granny gear.


stuinmccandless
2009-09-28 20:28:49

I'm thinking that when the Sturmey-Archer S3X comes out we might well have the first fixed-gear finisher.


alankhg
2009-09-28 20:49:14

You should try it, Stu. It's all kinds of fun and social and stuff. Oh, and a bit hilly in spots.


reddan
2009-09-29 03:26:28

i'm tempted to be the first single speed finisher... i could do that i think... 28x20 gearing...


imakwik1
2009-09-29 15:20:11

imakwik1: Better work on your spin, because there's also 50 miles or so of riding interspersed, and you need to keep up.


alankhg
2009-09-29 16:12:22

at 33mph through the tunnels


steevo
2009-09-29 19:45:27

i'm not trying to win the thing... not saying its practical, but i think its definately possible, a lot of its downhill anyway.


imakwik1
2009-09-29 21:34:47

whats the group average? 15ish? considering the downhills and uphills (both places i think i'd be able to keep up fine) how much time am i really spending spinning at 120 (i can loose some ground on the flats)


imakwik1
2009-09-30 00:41:47

Dunno. Last year, not having trained much, I was feeling like I was about to be dropped by the end on a geared bike.


alankhg
2009-09-30 03:09:43

It could be done on a single speed with some fairly low gearing (low enough to get up canton). Staying with the group in between hills would be somewhat hard.


I remembered I had a tough time staying with the group on the ride out to the last hill. ~18mph on flat was killing me after all the hill climbing.


Fixed is out. No way would that work!


igo
2009-09-30 03:16:45

The official word from Danny Chew is in; the 27th Annual Dirty Dozen will be on Saturday, November 28th, starting at 10 AM at the Oval. (Danny recommends showing up between 8-9 for registration.)


Entry fee is $15; apparently, tee-shirts will be a new feature this year. Also, there's prize money for the ladies; $150 for first, $100 for second, and $50 for third. The men will have to be satisfied with a sense of accomplishment and some munchies atop 3 or 4 of the hills.


reddan
2009-11-11 03:55:46

I think I'll give it a shot. I ride up Darraugh to Trees Hall from South Oakland at least twice a week. I'd say that's training enough.


joeframbach
2009-11-11 14:25:20

I might be up for it this year if the weather is good. I need to get the t-shirt...lol


igo
2009-11-11 15:46:45

Once again, I'm going to be out of town. Nuts, I need to do this thing before I get too far down my sedentary senescence slide. I ride up Hazelwood three days a week, but that's not nearly training enough.


lyle
2009-11-11 17:15:57

@Lyle: If you're interested, I'm running a Dirty Half-Dozen this Saturday the 14th(Sycamore, Canton, Boustead, etc.), and a "start at the beginning and ride until we get sick of 'em" DD ride the following Saturday the 21st. Prompt 8 AM start at the Jail Trail bike rental by 1st and Grant; see the Wheelmen calendar for details.


reddan
2009-11-11 17:39:48

Look forward to Saturday Dan...had a blast last week. Think I may just be able to swing this thing.


mfac84
2009-11-13 01:14:25

dan, are you still planning on doing a ride tomorrow? what time and where? i have finally gotten to a few hills over the past few weeks, and would like to see what i'm capable of.


i'm planning on being out sometime between 8am and 12 noon.


hiddenvariable
2009-11-21 01:33:46

@HiddenVariable -


Dan had to cancel the ride he was leading this morning. It's been updated on the WPW calendar. Have fun out there if you hit the hills.


hayduke
2009-11-21 11:31:18

You guys wanna do me a favor? The more people that show up to this thing the more lawless it gets. Share the road cuts both ways, eh? Thanks.


mayhew
2009-11-25 18:18:15

This was probably the most fun I've had on a bike in Pittsburgh. 180 cyclists clogging the Liberty Tubes = classic. I'm now going to lay down and hurt some more.


mfac84
2009-11-29 01:10:00

So how many people showed up? Who won? Any amusing traffic tie ups?


igo
2009-11-29 02:56:04

180 people... I guess it was the new record. Can't think of any amusing traffic tie-ups in particular. They were all pretty amusing to me.


mfac84
2009-11-29 03:35:06

Best traffic part ever:


Riding inbound on evergreen through milvalle. Right

where you have to stop, but traffic coming from

"downtown" millvale does not stop... There was

a cop sitting with his lights on.... blocking

traffic for us!


steevo
2009-11-29 13:48:44

so,uh...did you win again?


erok
2009-11-29 16:24:57

barely


steevo
2009-11-29 17:18:51

I woke up pretty early, around 7:30, and while getting dressed I had a change of heart and went back to sleep for another 4 hours. Sorry guys.


joeframbach
2009-11-29 20:25:55

Y'all hear that a guy finished on a fixed gear?


alankhg
2009-11-29 22:32:21

sometimes i have this problem where i think that being a bicycle commuter who rides about 50 miles a week entitles me to attempt rides normally done by real cyclists who train all year but still drive cars. then i end up eating trolley tracks in dormont, getting left behind, and accepting a ride through the tubes in a maintenance truck.

you people are physically and mentally amazing.


vegbreath
2009-11-30 06:57:30

I hope you're ok! I assume you crashed at the top of Boustead? How on earth did you talk PennDot into a ride thru the tunnels? Did they say anything about us?


mayhew
2009-11-30 14:05:13

haha. i was standing there on the sidewalk outside the tunnel looking totally confused; and this dude walked out of the tunnel and waved me over. i click-clacked across west liberty, and he's like, "Yeah, they went through about five minutes ago. Throw you bike in the back of the S-10, I'll drive you through."

I told him about the ride and tried to figure out where the next hill was by looking at my official shirt, but I don't know anything about the south side and couldn't find Walsh.


And yeah, up in dormont after boustead. I had pretty much given up by then anyway, so it was nice that my bike, too, decided it was the right time to sit down.


vegbreath
2009-11-30 14:45:53

that sucks todd. Sorry man.


The kid who finished on a fixed gear totally had his legs unclipped on the downhills.... thus making it a single speed in my book.


steevo
2009-11-30 15:45:00

The kid who finished on a fixed gear totally had his legs unclipped on the downhills.... thus making it a single speed in my book.


Either way, props to that guy.


Adaptability counts for something and having to unclip and keep your feet out of the way of the pedals is not quite like coasting on a SS.


Congrats to all you guys who finished. Hell, congrats to the guys who even started.


Mick


mick
2009-11-30 16:16:30

Heh, it's still quite an accomplishment. Did he have brakes other than his drive train?


rsprake
2009-11-30 16:46:09

The kid who finished on a fixed gear totally had his legs unclipped on the downhills.... thus making it a single speed in my book.


That was me. And come on Steevo, putting my feet up did not make it a SS. My junk had to take the full impact every time I hit a bump, not to mention the loss of control I had riding without my feet on the pedals. Those things are distinctly fixed gear. It would have been a ton easier and different on a SS. Trust a me. And the race is not on the downhills away.

Congrats on the win.


montana
2009-11-30 16:49:55

Todd- i have that problem too. props for trying this ride, i've never done that


erok
2009-11-30 16:52:00

What gear ratio did you use?


bjanaszek
2009-11-30 18:13:02

I am always amazed how nice the PennDot (and construction guys in general) are around here.


Sorry you crashed and got left. That really sucks. Is your bike OK? Are you ok?


mayhew
2009-11-30 18:15:37

Putting your feet up is accepted practice for fixed-gear mountain biking, why not for the dirty dozen?


dmtroyer
2009-11-30 19:30:41

39x20 to answer you question B.


mayhew
2009-11-30 21:46:13

39x20 to answer you question B.


Grazie.


Ouch.


And something to shoot for, I guess.


bjanaszek
2009-11-30 21:47:05

There is no way I would make it up canton with that.


igo
2009-11-30 21:57:00

Vegbreath: I'm pretty much a dilettante when it comes to sport cycling & I finished on an old beater $100 mountain bike (it gave me lower & easier gearing than most of the serious roadies). Good on you for trying-- you may well get it next year if you feel like it, & I hope you had a good time stretching your boundaries.


alankhg
2009-11-30 23:36:59

Steevo: I'm worried about the cannondale optimo after that crash, but I think there were two or three other folks with the same frame. Maybe I should just talk with those riders to see if they're in the market for something new and want to unload. And congratulations on the win. I saw you finish with a handful of guys in front of you on Rialto and got worried for you and your crown.


Carbon freak me out, but I was saying that a few months ago about aluminum frames. There's a little dent in my top tube, but the carbon fork seems fine. I'm just really glad that everyone behind me was able to react quickly enough to make sure I didn't cause a pile up.


And I'm fine physically, but still mentally unsure; just like always. My hill failures were on the few hills that I had actually seen before (Canton, Logan, Rialto [which, despite freaking me out because of its proximity to Route 28, was probably the easiest on the day]), and the hills where I went in with no clue were, while not easy, absolutely possible. Does anyone have any good reading recommendations for Breaking Mental Barriers, on a bike or otherwise? Or am I just hard-wired to freak out and defeat myself?


vegbreath
2009-12-01 05:55:46

Does anyone have any good reading recommendations for Breaking Mental Barriers, on a bike or otherwise?


Ever hear of the Stockdale Paradox? Thoughts of a Philosophical Fighter Pilot, by James Stockdale, would cover it - straight from the horse's mouth.


sloaps
2009-12-01 12:55:47

the mental barriers are the hard part, the hills are easier. My advice, don't look up, don't stop, pedal fast/ breath slow.


thelivingted
2009-12-02 22:43:27

ahh, that's my problem. i usually pedal slow and breath fast


erok
2009-12-02 23:00:32

i was there at the start and on my way up Guyasuta had a malfunction - still trying to figure out if it was mechanical or mental.


by the time I worked it out, the field was long gone. i'm going to just call it a red shirt year and hope to return in twelve months bigger, stronger, faster . . .


way to go to everyone else. i'm inspired!


lou-f
2009-12-02 23:21:19