1996 Low-Key Hillclimbs!

The 1996 Low-Key Hillclimb Series will take place from 05 October to 28 November, on consecutive Saturdays leading to the finale on Thanksgiving Day. All levels of rider and bike are welcome -- the point is to have fun during the off-season, not high-intensity competition. Results, with team and individual scoring by rider-assigned category, will be posted to the internet. Each week registration will be from 10:00am to 10:20am and is only $3. Contact Kevin Winterfield at 408-226-4753.


05 October 1996; Low-Key Hillclimb #1: Montebello Road. The 1996 Low Key Hillclimb Series opens with a return to last year's opener, Montebello Road. Register from 10:00 to 10:20am at the Stevens Creek Dam parking lot off Stevens Creek Road in Cupertino. Ride will be a timed mass-start event starting from the base of Montebello Road and finishing at the gate at the end of the pavement. Registration fee is a measly 3 bucks.

12 October 1996; Low-Key Hillclimb #2: Page Mill Road. Low-Key returns to Page Mill for another assault of its undulating slopes. Sign in from 10:00am-10:20am at the Park and Ride near the intersection of Page Mill Road and Interstate 280. Ride will be a timed individual-start event, beginning near the Park and Ride and ending near Skyline Blvd. All types of riders and/or bikes are welcome. Entry = $3.

19 October 1996; 1996 Low-Key Hillclimb #3: Mount Diablo (aka Kev's favorite). Sign in from 10:00am-10:20am for a 10:30am start at the Athenian School (On South Gate Rd. 1/2 km from Diablo Rd). From I-680 take Diablo Rd. exit East. Follow road until South Gate Rd. Do not park on South Gate Road or at Athenian School! Park on wide section of Diablo Rd.! The route will climb to the top of South Gate Road, then continue right up Summit Road to the summit. A beautiful climb indeed! Entry = $3.

26 October 1996; 1996 Low-Key Hillclimb #4: Kings Mountain Road. Sign in from 10:00am-10:20am for a 10:30am start at the old Woodside Store at the corner of Kings Mountain Road and Tripp Road in Woodside. Ride will be a timed mass-start event starting from the base of the climb up Kings Mountain Road and finishing at Skyline. The grade is fairly steady and averages 7.1%. Entry = $3. Please park near the Woodside Rd/Canada Rd intersection and pedal to the start.

02 November 1996; 1996 Low-Key Hillclimb #5: West Hwy 84 and W Old La Honda. Sign in from 10:00am-10:20am near San Gregorio Road near intersection of Highway 84 and Stage Road for an individual time trial along and up Highway 84 and up West Old La Honda to Skyline. With considerable flat road in addition to the terminal climb, flatlanders as well as pure climbers can do well. Entry = $3.

09 November 1996; 1996 Low-Key Hillclimb #6: Bohlman - On Orbit - Bohlman. Sign in at corner of Bohlman Road and Sixth Street (one block south of intersection of Sixth and Highway 9) in Saratoga by 10am for a 10:30am individual-time-trial start. Experience levels of pain you didn't think were possible as you grapple with what may be the most challenging long climb in the south Bay Area. Bring a low gear...or walking shoes. Send hate-mail to Dan. Entry = $3.

16 November 1996; 1996 Low-Key Hillclimb #7: East Alpine Road & Joaquin Road Meet at Alpine Road and Portola Valley Road in Portola Valley for a 10:00am-10:20am registration. Riders will follow the paved, lower section of the Alpine Road climb to the intersection with Joaquin Road (just before the gate at the end of the paved section of eastern Alpine Road). Then, they will turn onto Joaquin for the final steep climb to the finish. Entry = $3.

23 November 1996; 1996 Low-Key Hillclimb #8: Hicks - Loma Almaden Road. This week the Low-Keys tackle what is probably the second-most brutal one-two punch in the Bay Area, following only Bohlman and On Orbit. Park at the Park and Ride on the corner of Camden Rd/Coleman Rd. Make sure your life insurance is paid up for this one. Register from 10:00am to 10:20am for a 10:30am start. Entry = $3.

28 November 1996; 1996 Low-Key Hillclimb #9: Mt Hamilton Road. Another breathtaking climb with fantastic views. This is the finale of the 1996 Low-Key Hillclimbs. Sign in from 10:00am-10:20am for a 10:30am mass start from the intersection of Alum Rock Avenue and Mount Hamilton Road in San Jose. The finish is at Lick Observatory on the summit. This is the longest climb in the series, but the grade is gentle, and there is some intermediate descending. Formal Awards Ceremony will follow (black tie not required, but it couldn't hurt). Entry = $3. Parking is available near the start and at nearby Alum Rock Park. Congratulations! You've completed the '96 Low-Key Hillclimb Series!

1996 LOW-KEY HILLCLIMB SERIES
5 Oct 96 - 28 Nov 96

an exciting, fun, and challenging
series of climbs up nine of the Bay Area's
most beautiful mountains

WHAT:

This is the Second Annual Low-Key HillClimb Series - an informal, low-key, fun, motivating, and challenging set of weekly climbs around the Bay Area.

The series is open to every type of rider regardless of ability or climbing goals. The only prereq is that you LOVE to ride your bike!

Our experienced team of low-key volunteers will start ya, record your time (if you wish), feed you at the end of each climb, and keep track of how you and your team are doing in the series via our high-tech web page (Of course if you don't have a team, that's cool too...remember, there are no restrictions regarding who can ride...other than LOVING to ride your bike.)

Check out our Web Page at....

And, get this, as a new feature this year, we'll hold special `how to climb' sessions before each climb to teach you the `secrets of climbing'. We guarantee that you'll find these sessions beneficial regardless of your climbing goals.

WHO:

YOU! Yes, you! Anyone, of any ability, is MORE THAN WELCOME to be a part of this series. You can do it for fun, you can do it for fitness, you can do it for speed, you can do it for the love of doing it...bottom line is: if you breath and have a bike you're perfect! (hey, we had a runner last year...so you really don't need a bike...).

WHEN:

Every Saturday morning from October 5 to November 28. Registration is from 10:00-10:20 each week. The climbing begins at 10:30.

ENTRY:

Registration is just $3 plus any donation you want to give to help support `low-key' events like this! We'll probably have another fantastic original design T-shirt from the `Master of Low-Key T-shirts' Dan Connelly for about $12.

CATS:

Last year we had some categories which were really fun to watch ....so, we're bringing them back this year (hey, we'd be fools not to!). And, if you haven't figured it out already, you don't have to ride in a category...in fact, you can actually make up your own category (which is a really good way to guarantee victory at the end of the series). Some of the categories for 1996:

  • Team - very very popular last year
  • 100% Club - exciting to watch to see who can do all the climbs!
  • Most Improved Male/Female
  • Tandem - NEW for `96
  • Fastest Boy/Girl - NEW for `96 - probably break by age groups
  • Fastest Male/Female - probably break this by age groups as well
  • Recumbent - NEW for `96 - really cool to watch them climb
  • Unicycle - still looking for the unicycle climber

SCHEDULE:

Our crack `low-key' staff has come up with a great schedule for this year's series. We took the favorites from last year and added a few new ones we thought you'd enjoy.

Date Climb Coordinator
05 Oct Montebello Kevin Winterfield, Low-Key
12 Page Mill Road Todd Schmidt and Clarke Stanley
19 Mt Diablo Ken Hernandez, Valley Spokesmen
26 Kings Mountain Kevin Winterfield
02 Nov West Hwy 84/W Old La Honda Gordon Good (AV) w/ Clarke Stanley
09 Bohlman-On Orbit-Bohlman Mark Caragio, Alto Velo
16 dirt Alpine Wayne Smith and Liz Benishin, AV
23 Hick's - Loma Almaden Kevin Winterfield, Low-Key
28 (Thu) Mt Hamilton TurkeyDay Classic Kevin Winterfield, Low-Key

VOLUNTEERS: We're always looking for people to help out coordinating one of the climbs (or more if you really are into it like the `low-key' staff is!). Volunteers get to ride the rest of the series for free!
FOR MORE INFO: Contact Kev Winterfied at 408-226-4753. And, please check out our cool website at .

...another quality event from your cycling friends at Low-Key.