steepest climbs?

thecoloredguy · Jan 10, 2005

I have a 12% for about two miles with two switchbacks on my daily commute to work. The biggest hill around here is 16% for about 2 and a half miles

JRB · Jan 10, 2005

Wow - and I thought I had it bad at 7% for 2 1/2 miles. Oh well, I am a sissy.

LordOpie · Jan 10, 2005

loco said:
Wow - and I thought I had it bad at 7% for 2 1/2 miles. Oh well, I am a sissy.

I'm still proud of you

My steepest climb is out of bed, the rest is downhill.

I can't think of one specific steep climb. The one that keeps coming into my head is Lyons to Ward (NW of Boulder, CO)... fookin' thing is 5% for 25 miles! There's only three little areas to catch your breath.

Heidi · Jan 10, 2005

San Diego had a couple really steep climbs....REALLY! There was a hill I'd hit if I took a round about ride to work that was 28.6%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jacksonpt · Jan 10, 2005

I don't know the grade, but the road to my house is just a smidge under 2 miles with an 800' elevation change. The grade is pretty constant - I tried it once on my HT (with road tires - it's the closest thing I have to a road bike). I wasn't in the greatest shape at the time and managed to do about 1/2 mile. If I were to try it during the summer when I was in better shape, I could probably do about 1 mile or half the hill. Someday I'll get there...

-dustin · Jan 10, 2005

"Super Tioga" - hw 99 north of Pemberton, BC. 13 or 15km of 15%. i wish i still had the info from my HRM.

Tioga Pass, 9mi of 11%

-BB- · Jan 10, 2005

jacksonpt said:
I don't know the grade, but the road to my house is just a smidge under 2 miles with an 800' elevation change. The grade is pretty constant - I tried it once on my HT (with road tires - it's the closest thing I have to a road bike). I wasn't in the greatest shape at the time and managed to do about 1/2 mile. If I were to try it during the summer when I was in better shape, I could probably do about 1 mile or half the hill. Someday I'll get there...

2miles = 10,000ft (about)

800/10,000 = 8/100 = 8%

jacksonpt · Jan 10, 2005

-BB- said:
2miles = 10,000ft (about)

800/10,000 = 8/100 = 8%

Ok, next time keep that crap to yourself. After seeing what some of you are riding, I feel like a wuss wimping out on a measley 8% grade.

chriskaiser · Jan 10, 2005

There are a few good steep and long hills here in Toronto, I don't know what grade, there are a few in my area(the beaches), not to long but very steep. When I am bored I like to pick a hill ride down as fast as I can, turn around and pedal up it as hard as I can and repeat until I cant handle it any more. On my commute to school there is a long descent at the start, which is nice. In the mornings I usually don't really feel like riding up a hill, especially with the mountain bike I am riding for the winter months. But I'm a climber, body type and all, I actually perfer a slight incline rather than a flat road.

JRB · Jan 10, 2005

the Inbred said:
"Super Tioga" - hw 99 north of Pemberton, BC. 13 or 15km of 15%. i wish i still had the info from my HRM.

Tioga Pass, 9mi of 11%

It doesn't count in your truck.

douglas · Jan 10, 2005

jacksonpt said:
Ok, next time keep that crap to yourself. After seeing what some of you are riding, I feel like a wuss wimping out on a measley 8% grade.

so you guys have climbs steeper than the tour??

Q. How are the various climbing categories defined for the Tour de France?

A. The categories are assigned subjectively based on:

length of the climb
altitude difference from bottom to top
average (and steepest) grade
summit elevation
climb's position on the stage (early or late)
width and conditions of the road

After considering all these factors, the Tour's director sportif makes his recommendations after driving over the stage routes a couple of months before the race. Also, the Tour is supposed to be TOUGH, so what might be a Cat 2 climb in Le Tour might be a Cat 1 in another race.

Typically for the Tour, Category 4 is an easy, short climb.
Category 3 is the easiest "real" climb - ie, 5km at a 5% grade.
Category 2 is about as tough as you could ever see here in the states. (Something like 5km at a grade of 8-8.5%)
Category 1 typically a long climb (15 - 20+ km) at a not too steep grade - 5-6%.
Hors Category is long and steep. The altitude difference is at least 1000km and an average grade of 7% or more.

-dustin · Jan 10, 2005

consider the speed at which the Tour guys ride them, though.

chicodude · Jan 10, 2005

I dunno what the grade is, but honeyrun is a nice climb. It goes from 50ft to 1800. there are some steepass climbs that I have yet to do here. Just wait till the snow melts.......

jaydee · Jan 11, 2005

I posted this in another thread, but it probably belongs here. The best climb around here is Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic Mountains in Northern Washington. Starting with your back wheel in the ocean in Port Angeles, you don't quit until you reach the alpine meadows of the ski area exactly one mile of elevation and 17 road miles later. That only averages 6%, but there are a lot of false flats early on. It has some really kicked up sections, especially the last 2 miles. We've had some incredible no-prisoners-taken battles on that one.

We also have about a 3 mile climb here that has long sections of 23.5%. It's all you can do to keep the pedals going and not spin out or die. 39x26 just isn't enough. but it's all I have.

bigevilgrape · Jan 11, 2005

I have the privlage of finishing every ride with a decently steep mile long hill. Its joyous and makes cool downs imposible since i live at the very top of said hill.... unless I want to ride around the parking lot, or you count carrying my bike up the stairs as a cool down.

Gambo · Jan 14, 2005

Gibraltar road in santa barbara .The ride is not very long, just under 30 miles. But it has a full 4660 feet of climbing! The Gibraltar climb from Mountain Road to La Cumbre Peak (elevation 3840 ft) is 8.9 miles long and averages 7.0%. Luckily there are a couple of places where it evens out. Most of the climbing averaged 8.0% and peaked at about 12.0%. The road conditions are marginal on Gibraltar and worse on Painted Cave and Old San Marcos Pass Roads. The descent down Painted Cave hit 21% on the switchbacks this is one of my favs.

But the hardest is Figueroa Mountain rd. in Santa Barbara back country. It will take all of you got and more. Check out what this guy thinks about it. http://www.uspsprocycling.com/featurefile/rv_2004jan28.htm The Discovery team is there now thay are staying 15 min. from my house training. :cool:

After I descended that mountain the second time I literally turned around and shook my fist at it. These climbs take on a personality. When you feel good and your just ticking up the mountain, you see the climb as a friend, someone who is helping you. When your legs are smashed from the grade and you body aches from white knuckling the decent you want to kick that climb in the butt.

dhriderII · Jan 16, 2005

i dont know the grage of this one road we generally climb, its called sky line, and by the end of it, 6 mile climb maybe more i forget the #'s but u feel like your face is rubbing the front wheel, your heart maybe your arms are gonna explode witch ever gives out first. completely killer for what im used to

bigevilgrape · Jan 16, 2005

On one of our club rides there is a hill that is nicknamed agoney... uber steep and just keeps on going. If we're only rideing as one group instead of A and B i opt to go around with the old doodes instead of getting droped and finishing in the dark.

lanman · Jan 16, 2005

Last year I went for my first real road ride on the Kangamagus highway in New Hampshire...It's a 10 mile climb to the highest point on the highway from Loon Mountain, starting at 9% for 7 miles, and ending with a lovely 12% for 3, needless to say i was in the small ring on my triple, and second to largest cog in the back for 2 miles, it was hell but I did it!!! Then I hit 46 mph on the way back down!

mkspecialsauce · Jan 16, 2005

I have to agree with Gambo that Figueroa and Gibraltar are by far the two of themost gnarliest and EPIC :thumb:

rides that I have ever done. When I did it I bonked :drool:

hardcore on the climp up on Gibgraltar but was relieved that this nice family had some beer water (from an ice chest with empty beer cans thrown in it) for me to rejuvinate on for the way down which is equally as gnarly as the way up. Both epic ride that change your idea of what tought is.

sanjuro · Jan 16, 2005

Not that I would have ridden it, but the Angliru climb in the 2002 Vuelta De Espana, is considered to be the hardest climb in Europe. The reason why I remember is the winner of the stage and the Vuelta that year, Heras, used a triple!!! How many pro riders do you know used a triple crankset in a race

Taken from cyclingnews.com

The Angliru is back! This fearsome climb, first used in the 1999 Vuelta, has been the bane of many riders. 12.9 kilometres long at an average of 9.6%, the Alto de l'Angliru gets much steeper at the halfway point. A maximum gradient of 23.6% will see riders fitting some very large sprockets on their rear wheels.

P.S. They also raced that day in the pouring rain. Fun, eh?

BigStonz · Jan 18, 2005

43# DH rig up a 550'vertical ski run -1 mile. I usually do this twice, then head up to my house..another 300 vert' in a 1/2 mile.
There was a stretch on the Bicycle Tour of Colorado this year on Day 1 that was short, but brutal....the ride over Trailridge Road on day 2 was pretty silly. I think it was something like 5000' vert to almost 13,000'.

bikenweed · Jan 27, 2005

Redwood Gulch and Bohlman, in Saratoga, CA, both are around 20% grades. Over the summer I'd climb one or the other on my weekly training loop. The northern California bay area has a ton of sweet, steep climbs. Check this out: http://www-graphics.stanford.edu/~lucasp/bike-grade.html

cliffster5 · Feb 17, 2005

Heidi said:
San Diego had a couple really steep climbs....REALLY! There was a hill I'd hit if I took a round about ride to work that was 28.6%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Heidi, that wouldn't happen to be Via Capri, one of the ascents going up to the top of Mt. Soledad would it? It starts from the UCSD/Torrey Pines north side of the base and is pretty much a mile long wall of pain.

Thighmaster · Feb 22, 2005

Ahh yes Via Capri, that is a nice thighbuster of a climb.......

steepest climbs?

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