Kim's story: Climb to the Clouds

BaseCamp athlete Kim Pzegeo shared her experience at the 2025 Climb to the Clouds bike race in Massachusetts.

Last year I made it my mission to find semi-local rides that would challenge me with some serious climbing, and I ended up loving the grind (well, mostly). So when this year's Climb to the Clouds rolled around, there was no way I was skipping it!

The route is a century that takes you up Mount Wachusett in the first half. Last year I tackled it mostly solo with one other rider, but this time there was a whole group rolling at my pace, and I even ran into a friend at the start who was joining the same crew. We started as a big bunch, split a bit once the rolling terrain kicked in, but caught and dropped many for what I thought was a fun and relaxed finish.

Even with the chill group vibe, I knew I wanted to test myself on the climb. It's not exactly a monster by mountain standards (this is Massachusetts, after all), but it still packs a punch, and wow, it felt tougher than I remembered! When I checked my data later, though, I was stoked to see I snagged a new PR and even put out higher power than last year. Not bad at all, especially considering I'd done a 2.5-hour ride the day before—not my usual pre-ride strategy!

All in all, it was a great day on the bike and a solid confidence boost after a slower spring start. Can't wait to see how the legs handle this climb in the years to come.