The 2012 Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series............

2012 BUTTE HILL CLIMB TIME TRIAL SERIES INFORMATION:

Hi Everyone! So, we are starting up the 2012 Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series again on Sunday, January 1st with the Humboldt Hill Climb Time Trial! The Series will visit various climbs around Butte County(see events and tentative dates below). There was a similar Series done years ago here in Chico - 1981 or 1982 - by Tom Devol and Jeff Smith, who owned Cyclesport bike shop at the time. So, we decided to revive the old Hill Climb Series.......with a few additions and route changes. Below is a list of the very tentative events with dates. It should be mentioned that these dates could change depending upon other events going on. And, of course......the weather! Rain will NOT cancel - but snow and ice will.

17 events - 144 miles - 33,000+ feet of total climbing - held over a 5-month period from January through the first weekend of June 2012! Bound to be a very challenging, epic and memorable Series. Sure - there will be some pain and suffering - but it's the good kind! :)

Note: The Chico Hill Climb Time Trial Series will be back in September 2012 - starting with The Cohasset Hill Climb Time Trial!

How does it work???
Below is a list of the 17 Events in the 2012 Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series. Each climb has been given a rank based upon feedback from some well-known riders in the area (and climbers in particular - yes, I know - everyone is different, but this is just a low-key have-fun series, so no big whoop). Hors Category and Category 1 climbs are the hardest, with Category 3 being.......let's not say easiest.......let's say........not quite as hard as Category 1! Points will be awarded to the participant finishers in each Hill Climb Time Trial - the folks with the most points at the end of the Series, wins the overall title in their respective categories........along with the coveted Butte Hill Climb Champion Trophy. The Butte Series will go from January 1st, 2012 through the first weekend of June 2012. This Series follows a progression over 5 months - starting with the "easier" Category 3 climbs early in the year to get your legs ready and all warmed-up.....building up to the Category 2 climbs....then Category 1....and ending with the biggest Hors Category climbs (Hors Category = Beyond Category). The FINAL Time Trial in the Series - the brutal Jonesville Time Trial/Road Race is the ONLY "Double" Hors Category climb in the Series and will be held the first weekend in June.....with the Series Awards Ceremony the following day. This entire Series should help you take advantage of those springtime miles - and get you ready for those hilly spring and summer Centuries, rides and races. Never done a Time Trial before? No problem - it's just you against the clock.....go your own pace and just do what you can out there! There are ALL levels of riders out there when we do these Hill Series Events - from Pros, to guys like me who take 2 days to climb Humboldt Road, and everyone in-between.......so, just come on out and test yourself, and go your own pace! The events are FREE to enter - and all are welcome - just come on out and give it a shot! You can do one event - a few events - or all 17 - totally up to you. Use the Series for training, racing, a little competitiveness, to test your fitness from month-to-month, to have fun & meet other riders....whatever you would like to do out there! Don't be intimidated - the Time Trials are very welcoming to new riders....and the riders themselves who take part are just the best folks out there!

Registration: Starting times for the events are normally consistent - 8:30AM registration opens, 1st rider takes off at 9:01AM - and we will go in 1-minute intervals. So, rider #1 takes off at 9:01am....rider #2 at 9:02am.....rider #3 at 9:03am....and so on and so forth. The "Starter" at each Time Trial will start you off, and I will be at the finish of the Time Trial to record your time and finish photo/video. I usually set up registration by 8:30am at the Start location of the Time Trial - you just need to check in with me, sign in on the "Start" sheet at the time/place you would like to start - and that's it! Donations are always very welcome and appreciated in order to keep the events going, but are never ever necessary to race in these events. I will call out the starting order at the beginning of the Time Trial - and the Starter will set you off on the Time Trial, one-by-one, in 1-minute intervals. If you miss your start - or are late - don't worry - you will just be placed as the last rider to start, so don't panic - you will, essentially, get a re-start. However, the Starter MUST be present during your re-start.

RESULTS: I will try my best to have results & photos out from each Time Trial within a 24-hour period, as well as the Updated Overall Standings in the Series after each event. Sometimes life gets in the way, but I don't foresee that happening this next year. The results will be posted at www.ChicoBike.com, Twitter, Facebook and Google+. Photos and videos will be posted on Flickr, Google+, Facebook and YouTube.

EVERY competitor who starts and finishes an event receives an additonal 3 points PER event. It should also be noted - there may be additional points awarded for "adverse conditons" - known as "misery points". One year, we had an absolute freezing cold downpour of rain at the Centerville Time Trial and I awarded everyone 3 extra points for "adverse conditions"........but, again, this is a big "might" and the conditions would have to be atrocious. I follow a basic rule-of-thumb - if I am miserable...we're awarding extra points. ;) ANY person who helps me start the riders off at the events receives an additional 3 points(minimum) for volunteering - I usually only need 1 or 2 people, and can always use the help.....and you can still race the event - just be the last one out of the starting gate and you'll be good-to-go!

PARTICIPANT CATEGORIES: The following categories will be offered for the 2012 Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series. The winner in each category will receive the 2012 Butte Hill Climb Champion Trophy, along with Bragging Rights.........as well as any stuff we can get to give away as prizes. The Top 3 in each category will receive trophies. Not sure what Category you should enter?? Not a problem - just come on out and we'll talk about it. In fact, many riders see how their first Time Trial goes before deciding what Category they should/could enter(with approval from the Race Director). So, no worries:

Category "A" - Advanced & Intermediate

Category "B" - Intermediate & Novice

Category "C" - Beginners, Clydesdales & Slower climbers(like me)

Women's Category

Masters 50+ Category

Juniors (Looking at 10 to 16 years of age for this particular Category, but may be changed depending upon who shows up!).

***In addition - The rider who has the MOST points in the Series will receive the "Grand Champion's" Plaque as well.

As usual, sandbaggers are strongly discouraged (a "sandbagger" would be a Category "A" rider entering a Category "B" event - must be totally obvious to the Race Director). The Race Director has the right to reclassify you at any time, with reason. Also, if there are a lot of folks in one particular category, we may split those up into sub-categories, if needed. In turn, if nobody - or very few folks are in one category - we may eliminate it and add an additional category where the numbers allow it(these could include a Tandem Category, a Mountain Bike Category, a Fixed Gear Category, various Age Categories, etc.). At the end of the Series, we will have an Awards Ceremony at a local establishment or at another R.A.C.E. event to honor the participants and winners/placers in the Series. I hope to have some 2012 Butte Hill Climb Time Trial Series T-shirts & Posters to give out as well to the top placers/participants, but will be dependent upon my extremely limited budget.


The Point Breakdown for placings is as follows:

Hors Category(Beyond Category) Climb = 40-36-34-32-30-28-26-22-20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2-1-1-1 (In other words, 1st place in an Hors Category Time Trial gets 40 points, 2nd place gets 36 points and on down the line - every person who competes and finishes in the event gets at least 1 point).

Category 1 Climb = 30-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2-1-1-1 (1st place in a Category 1 Time Trial gets 30 points, 2nd place gets 26 points and on down the line - every person who competes and finishes in the event gets at least 1 point)

Category 2 Climb = 24-20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2-1-1-1(The winner of a Category 2 climb gets 24 points, 2nd place gets 20 points and on and on)

Category 3 Climb = 20-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2-1-1-1


The Time Trial Courses: Below is a list of the Time Trial courses, the very tentative dates, and their listed difficulty category. Reasons for a change in dates include snow and ice on the climbs, a change in the R.A.C.E. calendar or Rodney being ill or out-of-town, etc. So, take the dates with a grain of salt, for now. Many of the climbs are held on Saturdays - but they could easily be switched to Sundays if there needs to be a change. The distances and elevation gains on each of the listed climbs are approximations only:

Sunday, January 1st - Humboldt Road Time Trial - Cat. 3 - approximately 3.4 miles & 700 feet of climbing.

Saturday, January 7th - Centerville Time Trial (From Covered Bridge to the gravel) - Cat. 3 - approximately 6.6 miles & 1,300 feet of climbing.

Sunday, January 15th - Cherokee Time Trial - Cat. 3 - (Start at Coal Canyon Road - across from Wheelock Road - and go up Hwy. 70, turn right at Cherokee Road) - approximately 4.8 miles; 1,100 feet of climbing.

Saturday, January 21st - Neal Road Time Trial - Cat. 3 - approximately 8.3 miles & 1,400 feet of climbing.

Saturday, January 28th - Pentz Road Time Trial - Cat. 2 - approximately 5.8 miles & 1,200 feet of climbing.

Saturday, February 11th - Clark Road Time Trial - Cat. 2 - approximately 7.7 miles & 1,700 feet of climbing.

Saturday, February 18th - Coutolenc Time Trial - Cat. 2 - (Just stay on Coutolenc) - approximately 6.8 miles & 1,600 feet of climbing.

Saturday, February 25th - Lunt Road Time Trial(From Coal Canyon Road) - Cat. 2 - approximately 8.1 miles & 1,600 feet of climbing.

Saturday, March 17th - Cohasset-to-Store Time Trial - Cat. 1 - approximately 5.1 miles & 1,600 feet of climbing.

Saturday, April 7th - Honey Run Road Time Trial - Cat. 1 - approximately 5.3 miles & 1,600 feet of climbing.

Saturday, April 14th - Dark Canyon Time Trial - Cat. 1 - approximately 4 miles & 1,600 feet of climbing.

Saturday, April 21st - Table Mountain Time Trial (Wildflower Century Side) - Cat. 1 - approximately 5.3 miles & 1,600 feet of climbing.

Saturday, May 5th - Lomo-to-Jonesville Time Trial - Cat. 1 - (starts at Hwy. 32 at entrance to Butte Meadows - ends at parking lot in Jonesville) - approximately 10.2 miles & 2,100 feet of climbing.

Saturday, May 12th - Vilas Road Time Trial - Hors Category - (From Nicalog to the end of Vilas) - approximately 7 miles & 2,400 feet of climbing.

Saturday, May 19th - Lovelock-to-Inskip Time Trial - Hors Category - approximately 10.4 miles & 2,800 feet of climbing.

Saturday, May 26th - Cohasset-to-Gravel Time Trial (from Nicalog to the end of Cohasset Road) - Hors Category - approximately 9.4 miles & 2,900 feet of climbing.

Saturday, June 2nd - The Jonesville Time Trial/Road Race (a Mass Start event) - "Double" Hors Category - approximately 35.5 miles & 6,200 feet of climbing.

17 Events
144 Miles
33,000+ feet of climbing
Held over a 5-month period from January 1st, 2012 through the first weekend of June 2012. Consistency will be key to winning the Overall Series. This should provide you with plenty of good climbing and get you ready for some great Century riding, the Death Ride and some spring/summer races!!

One note: Any rider caught giving grief to the Promoter, the Timers or the Starters of these events will be automatically disqualified from - not only the event - but the entire Series. So, do what ya always do, and just have fun with the Series - it's no big whoop, we're just out there having fun and getting some good fitness!!! (No no - we've never ever had a problem with getting grief - just wanted to state it so it will continue to just be a fun event for everyone involved!!). AND - Helmets are MANDATORY at all events!

This Series is FREE to enter - so come on out and take advantage of some, or all, of these Time Trials this Spring 2012! Although donations are always appreciated, they are never necessary to enter these events - I just want y'all out there testing yourselves on your bicycles and having fun! Hope to see you out there - and I will have more details, maps and information as we get closer to the events.


Rodney........
R.A.C.E. - Rodney's Amateur Cycling Events
Chico, California
www.ChicoBike.com
~Grassroots bicycle racing events~