2025 Ultra Low-Key Hillclimbs

2025 Schedule

Register to ride

*Note: you must register before you ride!

1. Fill out the 2025 registration form
2. Click the Strava button to authorize us to grab your data automatically from Strava. We won't share your info beyond the results on this site. Not necessary if you did this last year.
3. Update your Strava location settings (if necessary) so you are not hiding your map visibility for every ride. Otherwise, if you start or end your ride near the segment, we may not be able to see it.

Registered Riders

Rules

• All riders are expected to follow the rules of the road.
• All riders are expected to wear helmets.
• All riders are expected to ride without headphones in both ears.
• Drafting other Low-Key riders is OK. Please do not draft riders that are not participating. Please do not draft vehicles.
• Any efforts must be made at any time during the open window Thursday through Sunday (Tuesday through Sunday on Week 9). This is to optimize for participation, while attempting to minimize the impact of weather fluctuations. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.

Timing

• Timing will be captured via Strava.
• If multiple attempts are made on the segment during the open window, the best time will be captured.
• To help out with scoring, please consider joining our Strava club. Make sure your Strava activity is public ("Who can see? Everyone!"), and that in Privacy Controls " you have "Hide the start and end points of activities no matter where they happen" turned OFF.
• If you aren't a member, or maybe don't even use Strava, you can time yourself with a stopwatch and send an image to the coordinator.

Scoring

Individual week scoring

• Median times will be calculated for the entire pool riders (separate median for male and female riders).
• Each rider will receive a score for each individual week in which they participate. This score will be calculated as a ratio of their time relative to the median time.
  • score = 100 × ( median time / rider time )
• Scores for the week will be published in Age Groups as well as overall (Male and Female).

Overall scoring

• Individual scores will be added to establish an overall score for the series for every rider.
• Overall scores will be calculated after each week. The number of “counting weeks” will equal the number of total weeks so far divided by two, rounded up.
  • Example: after week 3, your top 2 scores count toward your overall score.
  • Note: this means to maximize your overall score at the end of the series, you need to participate in at least 5 of the 9 weeks!

Team scoring

• Team scores are calculated by adding the top three scores from each team for a given week.
• Overall team score is calculated using the same number of weeks as individual overall scores.
• The scoring is done in this way so smaller teams aren't penalized for not having a large number of riders, yet large teams aren't penalized for including slower riders. If a team of three fast riders adds a slower rider, that slower rider's scores will be discarded rather than count against the team. On the other hand, a team of three fast riders will not be penalized for not recruiting slower riders from other teams.
• A rider's team can change during the year: the team receiving the rider's scores for a given week is the team the rider rode with that given week. If the rider changes teams the next week, the prior team keeps the points for when the rider was on that team.

100% Club

The 100% club consists of riders who've climbed every climb in the series. Dedication!

Categories

• Riders will be placed into Age Groups based on their stated gender and age on the final date of the series.
• Age groups:
  • Men under 30
  • Men 30 - 34
  • Men 35 - 39
  • Men 40 - 44
  • Men 45 - 49
  • Men 50 - 54
  • Men 55 - 59
  • Men 60 - 64
  • Men 65 - 69
  • Men 70+
  • Women under 30
  • Women 30 - 34
  • Women 35 - 39
  • Women 40 - 44
  • Women 45 - 49
  • Women 50 - 54
  • Women 55 - 59
  • Women 60 - 64
  • Women 65 - 69
  • Women 70+

Social

• Check out photos from this year (and add yours!). Check the weekly results pages for additional albums shared.
• Join our Google Group. This is our main method of communication.
• Join our Facebook Group. Meet some of our members! Throw shade! Share photos! Nominate your favorite cafe near a climb.
• Join our Strava Club. This helps us with scoring each week. We will also use this platform to coordinate mass starts.

Mass starts/group rides

• We will try to coordinate mass starts for each week, for whoever feels like coming. This may happen on one or both of the weekend days.
• Being at the mass start is not required. You may do the ride on your own at any time during the open window.
• Mass starts will be coordinated through the Strava Club.
• Unless otherwise stated, mass-starts will typically start around 10am near the start of the segment.
• Mass starts are meant to be casual and social. Meet your hill-climbing community.
• Please be courteous. Remember that the people around you may be at different bike handling skill levels.
• Riders are also encouraged to organize group recon rides through any of the social media.

Volunteering

• Ride Leaders: This would just involve being present at a designated time and place for the mass starts, announcing that you’re leading the roll out, and generally just wrangling people together to start. If you are interested in leading a ride, please fill out this form.
• Photographers: Pictures are always appreciated! A shared photo album (google) will be created where anyone can share their photos. If you have your own album to share, please contact the coordinator to post on the site.