Saint Thomas

OK, so I have never ridden the Pyrenees. But, I have ridden Saint Thomas. Any place with hills so steep that I must walk might as well be the Pyrenees to me. Bring mountain biking shoes because unless you are Lance or a mountain goat, you are going to walk too!

After three visits to Saint Thomas I was ready to write off this island as possibly the worst cycling in the Caribbean. The hills just seemed impossible, the road surfaces poor, and the police seemed very unfriendly towards cyclists. Then, on my fourth visit, I decided to join the somewhat infamous group ride out of Charlotte Amalie (the capital city).

The group meets at 6:00 AM in front of Wendy’s on Sunday mornings. The dozen or so riders seemed to be a mix of locals and transplanted Americans. Most of the bikes did not have triple cranksets so I felt a false sense of security as I looked down at my 28/25 granny gear. It seems that my biggest mistake in the past was to head east out of town. This time we headed west towards the airport. I was warned in advance that we would be climbing “a bitch of a hill” called Crown Mountain somewhere near the airport. The first few miles on Route 30 were flat. Some of these guys were comfortable on aerobars even in heavy traffic.

St. Thomas uses the British system of driving on the left. Having done this before, I tried to shift mental gears and get used to looking back over my right shoulder for traffic. It seemed to come back quickly. The group mostly rode two abreast and just let the traffic have to deal with passing.

We made a loop out to the airport and back on flat roads, then I saw the hill. I looked at it and said to myself “no problem” and was able to keep pace with the others. About halfway up I asked the rider next to me if this was “The Hill”. He laughed and said “ not yet”. Wonderful. By the end of the day I realized that when someone from Saint Thomas tells you there is a steep hill ahead, it is an understatement!

Saint Thomas sits only 40 miles from Puerto Rico and covers an area of 32 square miles. The population at this writing is 56,000. As a U.S. Territory, the dollar is in use everywhere. I was surprised to see that prices were comparable to home for most items. The island is a lush green. Wild flowers grow along side the road, and you are never out of view of the turquoise bays and blue ocean below.

As we began The (real) Hill, I set my Speedzone Pro to measure the incline percentage. The problem with twisty roads is that you cannot judge how high a hill really is. I was out of the saddle even before the first curve and my computer was reading 18%. Two guys were attacking the hill so hard I figured that the top must be near. Wrong. We were at 22% when my wheel lifted a bit from the road. As I ground to a stop I was relieved to see others were walking behind me. But, half of the group was still riding. As I walked what appeared to be the steepest section, my computer peaked at 26%. Yikes. At the top, my heartrate had been max’d out for most of the one mile climb. The view of Saint John’s and the St. Thomas coastline was amazing, definitely worth the pain. I was buoyed by the thought that if this was the worst the island could dish out, I could hang (walk) with these guys.

I was told we were going to turn right onto route 301. It was at this point I was truly shocked by two things….1) we were no where near the top of the climb, and 2) I could not imagine riding the first 100 yards of Route 301. Again, a couple guys led the way and grunted their way up. I figured that it would be embarrassing not to give it a try so I pushed off, for all of about 50 feet! The next couple miles up Crown Mountain Road, onto Route 33 and Lionel Berry Scenic Drive were brutal. On the brief occasions I could look down I was astounded at how high we were. In total I walked at least three times getting to the top.

We rode around St. Peter’s Mountain which revealed a poscard view of Magens Bay, once called one of the worlds top ten beaches by National Geographic Magazine. These days the beach is so full of tourists and busses, it should be avoided. The road surfaces were much better than I had remembered, and the cops were waiving a friendly “hello” when they saw us. I was glad I had given Saint Thomas another chance.

Our ride moved onto Skyline Drive, Donoe Bypass, and looped back to Chalotte Amalie. The total distance was 28 miles but the ride time was well more than 2 hours! The descents were steep, steeper than the climb to the top. At one point the riders got off their bikes and walked down a short steep section of road! At this point, I knew not to question whatever these guys did. This section was so steep that my Sidi soles slipped on the pavement. I made a mental note to wear my Northwaves with better rubber soles next time. When we reached the ocean I stopped to feel my rims. They were so hot from constant branking that I am surprised they were not glowing!

So, would I recommend Saint Thomas for cycling? Not really. Sure, if you happen to be going to the island, take a bike with you. You will see the best views in the Caribbean. However, I would never make a trip to Saint Thomas for a cycling vacation. I feel more like I “survived” rather than “enjoyed” the riding. The whole thing was a humbling experience. How those guys rode those hills with double chainrings I will never know.

Bring on the Pyrenees!