I'm on the wait list for The Tour of The Battenkill, and asks this board's opinion on what to expect. What tires should be used, as well as gearing.

Will be my sixth coming up - 3 in the 40+, one in the cat 4and second in the 50+. 25's are the ticket for Battenkill. I've done all 5 of mine on Michelin ProRace 700x23's on Campy Eurus without a flat so far. 25's would be better most years, but I'm too cheap to buy a set for this single race. Any reasonable durable tire/tube combo will do - would leave the Conti Supersonics, etc, at home (as well as the lightweight tubes). Nice cushy tubulars - 24/25 mm would be nice also. The impact of the unpaved roads depends on the weather. No need for anything particularly exotic, good handbuilts on box section rims or something similar are ideal. If there's been light rain anytime in the week before, the pave' gets packed down and becomes just like regular road. 2008 was unseasonable hot and dusty, like cyclocross in shallow sand in a few parts. The pro race was a week later than the Pro Am one year. We had good weather, they had rain and the pave' parts looked like a high speed muddy cross race. Gearing is a matter of personal strengths and weaknesses - I'm a bigger (6'1" 170) guy with a roleur/TT type build and can climb well stedily at threshold but am not an explosive climber. I run a compact with an 11-25 in the back. First couple of years did it with a standard and a 12-26. The profiles are online and should help you make the right decision for yourself.
Hope you get in - it's a great race !
PS - if you're in one of the heavily populated categories (40+, 50+, they mostly fill up within minutes. I have an annual ritual of having a desktop and two laptops on the registration page ten minutes before registration opens and start clicking away a minute or two before. Lots of guys do the same.

Done it. Doing it. Not as ridiculous as everyone claims.

I used an 11-28 with a standard last year and never used the 28 personally. Using 52-36 with a 25 this year. Rolling 23c tubulars on 808s. Ran Gatorskin clinchers last year with latex tubes. Will make the call the day of the race this year, but I would gladly ride carbon wheels if it was like last year (dry, soft pack, no real loose gravel, no wind).

@ldamelio: If you are from Buck's County, and familiar with the "Covered Bridges Ride"; Would you say that the climbs are about the same in intensity (others describe it as "punchy")? I did CBR in 2011 and thought it was one of the best organized rides I've ever done. I don't think I saw 20 cars that day! And the marshalls were stationed at major intersections and kept things safe .

I ran a 12-29 Campy 11 speed with 39x53 up front. Wheels: Reynolds DV46 UL Tubular with Continental Sprinter Gatorskin tires. Every cog was used that day due to the nature of that course!

In my arsenal is a set of Mavic Ksyrium SSC Sl circa 2003 (currently mounted) and a set of Reynolds RZR (which stays home). The Mavic's would be my backup.

Tip: If you decide to do The Covered Bridges Ride, brown bag your own post ride food because pickles and Veggie burgers just don't cut it!

I ride those roads in Central Bucks every day (actually just got off the bike !) although I've never done the organized sportif. Some of the climbs at Battenkill are slightly steeper (Juniper Swamp) or longer (Stage Road) than central Bucks County, but it's more or less similar terrain overall. Its a race and not a sportif so pick gears that you can bang on at threshold for a while. Great article in Road Magazine this month reviewing the power files of last years 40+ winner. As the other poster said, the terrain is challenging but not insane - the competition dictates the difficulty more than the terrain. The Hell of Hunterdon is a sportif on March 31 that many use as a tune up - at the front, it's an unofficial race that is a great a training goal before tapering for Battenkill.

Funny coincidence: I just got an email from Amy the registrar for Battenkill. In essence it states that near race day, people who signed up sometimes cancel. So if that's the case, I may be able to line up at Battenkill.

Hill repeats, intervals , good diet and rest are on order! Hope Mother Nature cooperates.

Yes, since registration is five months prior to the event, some folks wind up with schedule conflicts, etc. and don't make it. i'm not sure how deep into the wait list they go. I know that they've added cat 4 fields closer to the event in the past. Good weather to train in this neck of the woods this week !

Hey these guys are doing a webcast on how to tackle Battenkill

http://www.hunterallenpowerblog.com/

Cheers