Winner's Notebook: Nick Bax on Highway to Heaven Hill Climb

[2007 was the inaugural Highway to Heaven Hill Climb. At 0.8 miles, it's the shortest race on the MABRA BAR calendar. But at 3-5 minutes of pure, unadulterated, lung-searing suffering, it has the highest pain to pedal stroke ratio of the entire season. The best time in 2007 was set by Nick Bax of Hot Tubes Development, who humbled the haughty hill with a time of 3:15.05. With great form coming from Junior Natz, Nick is returning to the hill this year. Here's his advice for flattening the climb.]

Winner's Notebook: Highway to Heaven Hill Climb
Nick Bax, Hot Tubes Development

Highway to Heaven isn't your typical TT. (Unless you do a lot of 1.3km-long uphill sprints, in which case it is typical.) So ditch your disc-wheel and aero-helmet. Instead, pick up the lightest set of wheels you can find. And don't race with a water bottle. You shouldn't have time to drink.

Last year, after pre-riding the course, I mentally divided it into 3 sections. The first section of the course is very steep and has a banked curve in it. The middle section of the course is extremely steep and curved enough that you can't see the top. The third section of the course is steep but it's straight and you can see the finish -- a good source of motivation.

I suggest hammering as hard as you can for the first section, as going fast won't hurt yet. When you reach the second section, just keep pedaling as hard as your legs can handle.

You'll probably be really tired when you reach the third section -- your legs will want to quit. At this point you can take the easy way out and tell your legs that "you're almost there," or you can do what I did: shift into your big ring and grind your way to the finish.

Good luck and make sure to warm up well!

Nick Bax climbing to victory at the 2007 Highway to Heaven TT. (photo courtesy of Roger Eastman)
 

Comments

[HarryF]

Nothing like giving out bad information, so you can win again. Haha, Kidding aside, what did you use for gearing?
I'll be using my only set of cassette 9 speed 11-21 ; 53x39

[HarryF]

Nothing like giving out bad information, so you can win again. Haha, Kidding aside, what did you use for gearing?
I'll be using my only set of cassette 9 speed 11-21 ; 53x39