Riders find proof is in the pedaling: Hundreds seek entry in Horribly Hilly bike ordeal.

Byline: Tom Held

Feb. 27--More than a few cyclists have lost the battle with gravity on the final climb of the Horribly Hilly Hundreds. Legs cramp, pedals slow, wheels stop, and both rider and bike topple into the ditch -- all in front of the waiting crowd at the finish line in Blue Mound State Park in Dane County. Something about risking that sort of public ignominy must be attractive, however, given the demand to enter the 2006 Horribly Hilly. About 50 riders signed up during the early registration through Active.com and 950 or so filled the remaining available slots within five days of the registration opening. Since the ride filled, more than a dozen…