By Marty Basch

Have the itch to crank up another White Mountain pass?

Then try the new Crank the Crawford scheduled for Saturday, September 11.

The Mount Washington Valley Velo Club and Wildcat Mountain Alpine Education Foundation (a.k.a. Wildcat Ski Team) are teaming up on the nearly 18-mile time trial with some 1200 vertical feet in elevation gain. A fund raiser with a $50 entrance fee, it will help support youth cycling and skiing.

Like Crank the Kanc but not

For the past 26 years, valley riders and other competitors have made the May Crank the Kanc time trial up the Kancamagus Highway a very popular early season event. The May field was filled in about eight hours.

Intervale's Phil Ostroski, the Kanc race director, says this new race should give local riders a chance to enjoy a different, very challenging bicycling event.

"I think an event like this helps raise bicycle awareness of the entire area," says Ostroski.

Like the Kanc event, the Crawford ride is a non-licensed event and is likely to attract a field of both serious and recreational riders.

According to Ostroski, the addition of another cycling event builds upon the other road and mountain bike events in the valley like the summer mountain bike series, Mount Washington races, the series' at Great Glen Trails, 24 Hours of Great Glen and Bike for Books.

"This is another way to use the valley's natural resources," he says.

The time trial begins from Matty B's in Bartlett and goes up Route 302 to the Eisenhower Wayside past the top of Crawford Notch. The last mile has a 13 percent grade.

The race field is capped at 200 and includes both individual and three-person team

entrants. The only way to register is through bikereg.com. There are no walk-in opportunities.

"I think one of the things that drove this idea was the popularity of the Crank the Kanc," says Vaughn Harring an avid cyclist and member of the Wildcat Ski Team's board of directors. "That attracts every kind of rider from the very serious to guys like me who are in their mid- to late-40s and say, 'Let's try this thing.' I think there will be some competitive cyclists to people who just want to beat the guy next to them or the guy they ski with in winter."

Let’s get it started

On race day, teams leave at two minute intervals beginning at 8:30 a.m. while solo riders are spaced 15 seconds apart starting at 9 a.m.

Categories include a 13 to 17 teenage group right through the AARP veteran "Older than Dirt 75+" division sure to attract a handful of devoted and well- traveled locals.

"Crawford Notch is a really good climb," says Ostroski. "It is a different notch and a different venue than the Kanc, a really pretty place. There is also some new pavement that's been added in the last couple of years. There's also a wide shoulder."

Support

"We couldn't do this without the support of the people in the valley and the sponsors," says Harring. "We want to do this right and run it safely. We want people to have a good time while also raising funds."

Registration opened August 1.

"This is another opportunity to have another citizens racing event available to anyone out there who would like to do it with proceeds going to youth athletic causes in the valley," says Ostroski.

So get cranking up Crawford.