The Cycling House Hell Ride Series

Sometime last year, or maybe before that, the guys at TCH had an idea to do a really hard one day ride on mixed surfaces. Kind of like speedwagon, or rocky mountain roubaix, but bigger.  What they came up with was 126mi with 46 on dirt and 8100 vertical feet. starting in Hamilton, MT, climbing over Skalkaho pass, doing the state championship road race course past Phillipsburg, and then back over the pass.



Sounds hard. Last October they did the inaugural hell ride, where about 40 rides braved rain and cold. A pretty big portion didn't make it to the end and there was a serious injury on the way down the pass, so this year they decided to hold it a little earlier in the year, August 16th with the expectation of slightly nicer weather and a bigger and better event.

Unfortunately smoke from wildfires rolled in just before the race, creating unsafe air conditions, and the race was called off. On the plus side, TCH hosted training rides all spring which all fit the theme of the hell ride: long distances, big climbs, and dirt sections. There was also a cumulative points contest and a few good after ride parties.

So while the cancelled hell ride is really disappointing, a lot of people got in a great year of riding due to the training series, and all the riding we did to get in shape for them. Here are some pictures: