2005 DD Photo by Steve
Mellon on Cover of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Newspaper:
Joe Ross Running up Canton Ave. Against 2004 & 2005 DD Winner Steve
Cummings.
The Steepest
Streets in The World website: Verifies Canton as the steepest!
Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette Article on Canton Avenue: The Steepest (37%) Dirty
Dozen Hill.
Article on Canton Avenue:
text only
Dirty Dozen Route Map: With All
13 Hills Listed.
Dirty Dozen Route Directions:
Written by ACA Official Mark Powder.
HISTORY
OF THE DIRTY DOZEN
In 1983, Dan & Tom Chew and Bob Gottlieb wanted to
showcase Pittsburgh's
steepest and toughest hills in one ride, never getting more than 10
kilometers
away from the center of the city. So on Saturday December 17, 1983, the
first Dirty Dozen ride was held in 27 degrees F with snow flurries.
Among the
5 starters were Oscar Rattenberg and Ron Reider, but only Dan, Tom, and
Bob
finished. Dan & Tom were deemed the two strongmen of the ride. The
5 place
points system was first used in 1988 when 13 starters showed up. The 10
place points system was first used in 2007 when 131 riders started. When
Tom
Chew moved away from Pittsburgh in 1985, Dan Chew took over as the ride
organizer. Back in the early years (the 80's) a macho attitude
prevented any rider
from using gears lower than a 42x24. In recent years, the ride has
gotten easier
due to lower gearing and several of the hills being paved (asphalted)
which used
to be rough cobblestone or wavy blacktop killing what little momentum
the rider
had. The highest low gear ever used by a Dirty Dozen winner was a 42x23
by
Dan Chew in 1988. The highest low gear used by a Dirty Dozen finisher
was a
42x21 by Justin Walker, Mark Colenbrander, and Phil Rhodes. In recent
years,
riders have used a 39x32 gear which makes the ride much less taxing on
the rider's
upper body.
THE HILLS
|
1. | Center Ave./Guyasuta
Rd. in Aspinwall | |
2. | Ravine St./Sharps
Hill in Sharpsburg | |
3. | Berryhill Rd. between
Saxonburg Blvd. and Middle Rd. | |
4. | High St./Seavy Rd.
in Etna | |
5. | Logan St. in Millvale |
|
6. | Pigg Hill/Rialto St.
across from the 31st St. Bridge | |
7. | Suffolk/Hazelton/Burgess
Streets on Northside | |
8. | Sycamore St. on Mt
Washington | |
9. | Canton Ave in Beechview |
|
10. | Boustead St. in Beechview |
|
11. | Welsh Way on the
Southside | |
12. | Barry/Holt/Eleanor
Streets on the Southside | |
13. | Flowers Ave./Tesla
St. in Hazelwood |
DIRTY DOZEN WINNERS AND WEATHER
|
Year | # of Riders
| Winner(s)
| Weather - High Temp. in *F
|
|
1983 | 5
| Danny & Tom
Chew |
27 | Snow Flurries |
|
Jan-84 | 4
| Danny Chew |
34 | Partly Sunny |
|
Oct-84 | 5
| Doug Grauel |
50 | Sunny | |
1985 | 6
| Lane
Rodgers &
Danny Chew |
54 | Rain |
|
1986 | 8
| Bob Gottlieb |
52 | Sunny | |
1987 | 7
| Danny Chew |
50 | Rain | |
1988 | 13
| Danny Chew |
64 | Partly Sunny |
|
1989 | 20
| Danny Chew |
51 | Partly Cloudy |
|
1990 | 20
| Danny Chew |
55 | Partly Cloudy |
|
1991 | 17
| Gunner Shogren |
32 | Partly Sunny |
|
1992 | 8
| Josh Smith |
34 | Cloudy - Sleet |
|
1993 |
|
NOT
HELD IN 1993 |
- |
- |
|
1994 | 15
| Rob Acciavatti |
34 | Cloudy |
|
1995 | 16
| Rob
Acciavatti |
43 | Cloudy
- Light Drizzle | |
1996 | 22
| Johnny Knotts |
44 | Rain - Fog |
|
1997 | 29
| Danny
Chew |
52 | Periodic
Light Rain - Fog | |
1998 | 34
| Johnny Knotts |
63 | Sunny | |
1999 | 54
| Ryan McDermitt |
50 | Mostly Sunny |
|
2000 | 28
| Rob Acciavatti |
33 | Cloudy/Snow |
|
2001 | 47
| John Oshlick |
65 | Partly Sunny/Windy |
|
2002 | 39
| Justin Pokrivka |
38 | Cloudy/Rain/Snow |
|
2003 | 8
| Danny Chew |
35 | Cloudy/Snow/Windy |
|
2004 | 44
| Steve Cummings |
57 | Mostly Sunny/Windy |
|
2005 | 51
| Steve Cummings |
42 | Mostly Cloudy |
|
2006 | 125
| Steve Cummings |
66 | Sunny |
|
2007 | 131
| Steve Cummings |
36 | Variable Cloudiness |
RIDERS WITH 3 OR MORE DIRTY DOZENS TO THEIR CREDIT
| Danny Chew | 25 |
| Mark Hess | 15 |
| Tom Chew | 12 |
| Bob Gottlieb | 10 |
| Warren Delraso | 10 |
| Billy Kanarek | 9 |
| John Brockenbrough | 8 |
| Eric Dobratz | 7 |
| Ray Russell | 7 |
| Ron Lutz | 7 |
| Steve Downing | 7 |
| Ryan McDermitt | 6 |
| Bryan Routledge | 6 |
| Johnny Knotts | 6 |
| Mark Nicoll | 6 |
| Bob Berg | 6 |
| Matt Eaton | 6 |
| Steve Cummings | 5 |
| David Petrou | 5 |
| Joe Ross | 5 |
| Jody Lobert | 5 |
| Richard Zawacki | 5 |
| Marty Schneider | 5 |
| Tim O'Toole | 5 |
| Max Bergholz | 5 |
| Josh Smith | 5 |
| Jay Wolkof | 5 |
| Kurt Kraus | 5 |
| Joe Vallese | 4 |
| Mark Briercheck | 4 |
| Eric Hodos | 4 |
| Jeff Grimm | 4 |
| Ed DeLuca | 4 |
| Mike Culley | 4 |
| Henry Dimmick | 4 |
| Ryan Borcz | 4 |
| Rob Acciavatti | 4 |
| Oscar Swan | 4 |
| Joe Papp | 4 |
| John Evanko | 4 |
| Mitch Mabrey | 4 |
| Phil Rhodes | 4 |
| Mike Stubna | 3 |
| John Heffner | 3 |
| Greg Ellis | 3 |
| Todd Edmunds | 3 |
| Jeremy Cornman | 3 |
| Scott Dismukes | 3 |
| Edward King-Smith | 3 |
| Bill Ehler | 3 |
| Lance Kennelty | 3 |
| Bob Andra | 3 |
| Jonathan Fox | 3 |
| Andrew Mor | 3 |
| Josh Friedlander | 3 |
| John Minturn | 3 |
| Rob Gaus | 3 |
| Bill Gottberg | 3 |
| Tom Banchy | 3 |
| Roger Brockenbrough | 3 |
| Greg Rymer | 3 |
| Adam Pollock | 3 |
| Dan Latt | 3 |
| Gunnar Shogren | 3 |
| Jerry Pflug | 3 |
| Jamey McCalla | 3 |
| Adam Goldstein | 3 |
395 different people have ridden
the
Dirty Dozen over the past 24 years. |
|
