So a few weeks back my sister did a running race near where we live (this year it was self-timed, honor system only). While it’s far from a marathon, it’s also no Saturday morning 5k Fun Run; I’ll let the description speak for itself:
The Squam Ridge Race is a 12.2 mile race that traverses a majority of the Squam Range crossing three summits [actually it’s four] with amazing views of Squam Lake and the surrounding watershed with about 3000 feet of elevation gain. The race is mostly single track with 1.8 miles of pavement, 0.5 miles of dirt road, 1.3 miles of double track, and 8.6 miles of single track trail. The path up to the top of Mount Percival is a challenge to runners with its many stone steps and rugged terrain, averaging a 15% grade for 1.8 miles.
Indeed, “the path to the top of Mount Percival” consists of many stone steps and probably a dozen ledges where you really ought to be using your hands, too. That’s hard with a bike on your shoulders. In fact, just short of the summit there’s a sign: Summit via caves 0.1 mi / Summit via cliffs 0.1 mi with arrows pointing opposite directions in front of a 30' rock face.
So why not see how fast I can do it on my bike? “How hard can it be?” I said.
Well, I was able to ride the first ~3 miles pretty easily, including the dirt and paved road portions of course, as well as the first ~mile of singletrack, until it started to get steeper. And honestly, even on the “easy” stuff I felt like I was slower than a decent runner, or even just me hiking without a bike. So I knew intuitively I’d be slower than a fast runner. But by how much? And would I be faster than my 41-year-old sister who, while a decent athlete, is not a competitive trail runner?
Well here’s a hint:
I took that picture - one of only a few - at the top of Percival, which is not even halfway, at 1:08 on my watch (elapsed time). The fastest runner ever on the course was 1:37 to the finish. I regularly ride a large section of the course on my bike and I know it takes me 20+ minutes down from the top of three peaks over on the ridge from Percival. Ah, well. I had fun doing it and only had one minor crash where I ground my shins into a rock just a little. Okay honestly, it’s because I walked back to do a fun rock challenge a second time, and didn’t have the speed to make the move I wanted to. I bled for my mistake.
I never stopped for a break, but I came to a stop lots of time getting on and off the bike, or carefully walking it down a 6' drop or something. It might have taken me 30 seconds to get up or down something that a runner would have hopped over in two strides. It was an interesting demonstration of what I already thought to be true: that a bike can’t beat a runner on anything approaching rugged or technical terrain. Even on the “fast” downhill parts, I’m probably not going more than 20mph, which is pretty darn fast on a singletrack hiking trail with trees very close on both sides. But for every minute I’m going twice as fast as a runner, there are 20 minutes on the way up where it’s the other way around. And I’m a fast climber on my bike. Now the question is, how fast could I run it? BAAHAHAHAHA who am I kidding, I hate running.
tl/dr: It took me about 2:28 to ride (and carry) my bike over a rugged running race course that a very fit man ran in 1:37. My sister was closer to 3h so I got her, but not by as much as I thought.