KYW Newsradio 1060 Philadelphia - Council Considers Bill for Scooter Parking in Philadelphia

KYW Newsradio 1060 Philadelphia - Council Considers Bill for Scooter Parking in Philadelphia

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An up and down adventure

(This picture is not of the one in Pa. that I went to, but it gives you an idea of it.)

The dirt was flying, and my earplugs came in handy, at the annual hill climb Sunday at the White Rose Motorcycle Club in Spring Grove, Pa.
If you've never heard of a hill climb before now, you aren't the only one.
I was first introduced to this new form of competition by my boyfriend, who'd seen it once before. The object, riders on motorcycles and dirt bikes that are modified with an extended swing arm for their back wheel gas it up a hill with three "jumps", as they were called. The hill is almost at a 90 degree angle, so the possibility of flipping over backwards or sliding down the hill with your motobike on top of you is very high.
Of course things didn't get that bad, but there were some good falls as riders neared the top which made for an exciting afternoon.
The best was when many riders reached the top and the assistants and paramedics went scrambling out of the way. These bikes don't have gear shifters or brakes, so you have to hustle when one is coming at you, especially since the rider can't slow it down or he goes backwards. Mind you, this hill was about as high as a skyscraper and manmade.
The riders are judged on how quickly they get up the hill, as well as distance. Many couldn't get back the first "jump", which looked like a leveled off plateau, though by the end of the event it was so torn up you couldn't walk across it easily.
One girl was in the competition and she almost had the lead in her class but was bested by someone else, taking in second. Which isn't bad considering how many riders there were (at least 50).
If you're curious to see what this is all about (it's been around in Spring Grove since at least the 30s), the club is located off Hill Climb Road, just look up the White Rose Motorcycle Club. They have another Hill Climb competition in the fall.
Entry fee is $15 a piece for adults and the parking is free, but on the grass. So if you ride your scooter or motorcycle, either drive past the first entrance to get to the blacktop area near the concessions stand (a big white building where the paramedics and firefighters are parked) or bring along a foot for your kickstand.
I also recommend lots of sunscreen, which still didn't prevent a burn for me, but it's better than nothing. You sit on a hillside that's pretty well exposed to the sun, unless you luck out and get there early. The races usually start around noon and are held on Sundays twice a year. You can bring in beer, but no glass bottles and there is a cooler size limit. You do have to go through a security line, but they are pretty decent folk.
You can also walk around the pits and look at the bikes, which is pretty cool.
There is opportunity for an up close look at the bottom of the hill, but be warned: you'll get dirt in your face and there are nitrous fumes.
Also, for the ladies, you might want to bring toilet paper. The toilets are pit toilets in a cement block house, though the men's latrine was flooded and they had to use two portapotties with a rather long line forming. (I guess cause there were more men than women at the event. First time I'd seen that.)
Wish I had pictures, but my camera was dead. Maybe next time.