[LordOpie]

for more than, say, a quarter mile. I say that cuz there's some switchbacks around here that get pretty damn steep.

Until today, I think 8% was mine, but I was dying climbing this long ass road about an hour north of me (near Loveland/Fort Collins). On the return trip of one particularly fairly long stretch (2 miles?), I saw a sign that said "Truckers... 12%..."



What's the steepest you've ever climbed?


PS: I feel for ya flatlanders

 

[Serial Midget]

I have residential hill that is fifteen percent but only one third of a mile, I also attempt a quarter mile grinder that is over eighteen percent but I have never made it to the top on my double but I have done it with a triple.

 

[Will_Jekyll]

Flagstaff is probably the steepest continuous climb I've done. The last mile is in the high teens. By the time you get there you are just about spent also.

I do repeats on the "Wall" in Superior also. It's 18% but I don't think it is a quater mile.

 

[indieboy]

there's a climb here in GA that maxs out at 20% for a good 1/4 easily. that's on hogpen which is the first major climb on stage 6 for the Tour De Georgia. later in the stage on the final climb up brasstown bald, the climb hits 27% at the 2 mile marker :devil:

 

[peter6061]

I don't know if it's the steepest climb I've ever done, but it's one of the hardest.... When you are ten miles from the finish of the Mining country century in Arizona, and have already climbed some 7000-8000 feet, you are hit with a wall with a 10% grade that goes on for a solid mile. Last time I did it, I was wishing for a triple or at least something smaller than a 23 on my cassette.

We'll see if anything compares when I attempt the mountains of misery here in Virginia in about 6 weeks (13000 feet of climbing in about 100 miles)


Why do I do this to myself?

 

[LordOpie]

Originally posted by Serial Midget
...I have never made it to the top on my double but I have done it with a triple.

Of course you can guess, the 12% I did was on a triple and I was hammering in granny shortly after I started the climb. But just a few months ago I would've been walking.


I wonder how steep Flagstaff road near Boulder is?

 

[Heidi]

Originally posted by indieboy
there's a climb here in GA that maxs out at 20% for a good 1/4 easily. that's on hogpen which is the first major climb on stage 6 for the Tour De Georgia. later in the stage on the final climb up brasstown bald, the climb hits 27% at the 2 mile marker :devil:

There is a 20% here too, really tough!

 

[SuspectDevice]

For anyone who knows W North Cackalackey, the steepest little bugger I've yet encountered is the road across the street from the Nantahala Village hotel. Probally 1/2 a mile long, but rediculosly steep, with sand in the corners and so narrow you can't even weave up it...

The most demoralizing climb i've ever encountered is a service road that goes to a buhc of tv and radio towers on top of Mt. Tom in Holyoke MA. It is absolutely straight and has a grade of about 20%, with waterbars every couple hundred feet. 1.25 miles long. It's a totally brutal climb, Even when i was in top top shape (i.e. REALLY GOOD), I still had to stop going up it at least 2 times.
For some reason I always choose to climb it in the rain too.

 

[peter6061]

Originally posted by SuspectDevice
The most demoralizing climb i've ever encountered is a service road that goes to a buhc of tv and radio towers on top of Mt. Tom in Holyoke MA.

I was keeping this road related, but in relation to TV towers, I once did a climb in Phoenix to the TV towers on top of the McDowell mountains.

This road was dirt, but because of the steepness, they had to drop concrete on it from above to create a surface that would be accessable by 4x4. I rode it on my mountain bike years ago(with many stops) and even in my lowest granny(24-~30 at the time) still had my belly well past the handlebars just to maintain my balance. It's easily the steepest thing I've ever encountered, and couldn't even guess on the pitch.

btw, from the area where it gets steep, it's one mile to the top. The people that work up on top get there by helicopter.

Any other AZ monkeys ever attempt this or have an idea on the pitch? This was in the mid nineties and the land to access it may be developed over by now, but you used to be able to get there from a back road in Fountain Hills, or McDowell Mountain Park(Pemberton Trail - kind of)

 

[jon cross]

continuing with the NW Cackilacky....
where is Nantahala Village hotel? I live in Banner Elk, but I'm pretty new to the area and have never heard of it.

Beech Mtn is 11% average for 6k with sections topping out at around 18%. Some of the driveways at the top are probabyl 25-30, but at that point its not really a climb anymore, its more of a ramp up to the house.

 

[splat]

Want some climbs
here is a List !

http://www.torelli.com/kom/top_climbs.htm

 

[-dustin]

this is what austin has to offer: http://homepage.mac.com/craigrowland/AustinHills.20030902.pdf

 

[indieboy]

Originally posted by jon cross
continuing with the NW Cackilacky....
where is Nantahala Village hotel? I live in Banner Elk, but I'm pretty new to the area and have never heard of it.

Beech Mtn is 11% average for 6k with sections topping out at around 18%. Some of the driveways at the top are probabyl 25-30, but at that point its not really a climb anymore, its more of a ramp up to the house.

i did a collegiate road race there a couple of weeks ago that finished climbing up beech. it sucked!!! espically since there was snow on the ground at the top and ppl were all skiing n shiet while we were climbing


yo suspect!! that was the climb we drove up wasn't it? the one you were going to make me do some testing up.....that little bastard was pretty ugly!

 

[SuspectDevice]

Originally posted by jon cross
continuing with the NW Cackilacky....
where is Nantahala Village hotel? I live in Banner Elk, but I'm pretty new to the area and have never heard of it.

Beech Mtn is 11% average for 6k with sections topping out at around 18%. Some of the driveways at the top are probabyl 25-30, but at that point its not really a climb anymore, its more of a ramp up to the house.

Banner Elk is a fair bit removed from the Bryson City area where that climb is.
Out in your neighboorhood there are some incredibly great climbs just over the tn border. One In particular starts by leaving Johnson City and eventually summits a nice notch after 5 miles of brutal switchbacks. The descent down the back side is loose gravel until it gets to pavement. They use the climb in the stage race up there in Johnson City. So much fun, especially the descent.

 

[cliffster5]

Not sure about the percent of grade but local to me there's a hill climb in the Santa Cruz mountains called Alba Rd. It climbs 2000 ft. in 3.9 miles and absolutely works you with many long out of the saddle sections. Some of the switchbacks have to approach 20% I'm thinking.

 

[-BB-]

Originally posted by Heidi
There is a 20% here too, really tough!

What is the grade of that one hill in the San Francisco road race?

I used to have to climb that all the time.

 

[JRogers]

There's one of about 17% pretty near me. I've probably hit some steeper stuff but that's the steepest where I know the number. I have a triple but can do it with the middle ring. It's a pretty short section of about an 8 or so mile climb.

 

[eric strt6]

Originally posted by cliffster5
Not sure about the percent of grade but local to me there's a hill climb in the Santa Cruz mountains called Alba Rd. It climbs 2000 ft. in 3.9 miles and absolutely works you with many long out of the saddle sections. Some of the switchbacks have to approach 20% I'm thinking.

Cliff

Alba is 13% [avg] Felton empire is 14% but your favorite and mine is Jamison Creek road avg grade for the first 2 miles is 11.8 which tops out at 14.2% over the last mile. total climb for 3 miles is 1500 lung busting feet

 

[monkeywench]

"Only open to bicycles during annual race. It is widely considered one of the most difficult climbs in the world due to the steep grade (12% average grade, with stretches up to 22%), powerful winds (winds exceeding 75 mph are common), and cold temperatures (down to 20 degrees F). Also -- about 30% of the climb is unpaved (dirt). "

Drove support for my 'other half', in 2002. Watching the racers/riders hit the wall at the end-- where it's 22%-- ouch!

Awesome climb!

 

[MtnbikeMike]

Baldy road 15% for the last 1/4.

 

[JOJO]

Originally posted by Will_Jekyll
Flagstaff is probably the steepest continuous climb I've done. The last mile is in the high teens. By the time you get there you are just about spent also.

I do repeats on the "Wall" in Superior also. It's 18% but I don't think it is a quater mile.

I hate that hill "the Wall"...unfortunately its practically around the corner from me so I feel obliged to climb it at least once a week......

 

[Heidi]

26% - and I almost died.