Up the ante with a difficult road ride:

The Notch Road (Rte 108)to the peak of Smugglers’ Notch in Stowe, Vermont is steep and winding. It is not for beginners. Think twice before attempting to conquer this with your single gear beachcruiser or even a mountain bike. However, if you are a road rider, this will be a killer morning.

The elevation gain is approximately 2,000 feet over a little less than 10 miles if you start from the junction of 100 and 108 in downtown Stowe. Consider a very early ride to minimize the number of cars you’ll share the road with. Regardless, take it slowly on the way down. The top bit is chock full of switchbacks and sightseers in cars not looking at the road.