awesome / painful climbs in your area

[cody.wms]

Where are the DC/MD/VA folks?

I live at the bottom of the Belle Haven Road hill in Alexandria, where you can see the PPTC riders going up and down all Saturday to get a few vertical feet. But it aint Hurricane Ridge, let me tell you.

I prefer Edgehill Dr, immediately to your north.

[bigbill]

Anderson Hill road is one of my weekend routes. It has a 23% grade immediately after a land speed record descent. The tough part is getting onto the small ring quick enough to keep your momentum. It's the kind of hill that if you stop, you have to ride across the road or have someone push you to get moving again. The descent is fun.

[Elefantino]

For the Floridians, there's always Sugarloaf Mountain near Orlando:



Three-fourths of a mile, and gains a little over 200 feet.
Gradient of the middle section's ~15%.

Sugarloaf is a joke because it's so short. Yet during November's "Horrible Hundred" century people walk it. Flatlander disease.

No, Florida has no good climbs. Floridians who want to climb go to North Georgia (Brasstown or Hogpen) or North Carolina (Mitchell, Grandfather, Snake, George's).

Or we just ride bridges repeatedly.

[Dazza]

hot
humid rainforest
17%
grovel to your heart's content
on Mt Glorious on the hills around Brisbane

[toomanybikes]

Orcas Island- about 3 miles an about 15% in parts...maybe 2000 feet of changeAttachment 18448

Mt baker Highway- about 12-15 miles, maybe 9% in parts....about 3500 feet of change

542?

I grew up right across the Sumas border crossing from there.

We used, as young 'uns, head across the border and ride 542 up to the top.

A lawyer friend of mine in Vancouver has a place in Glacier and wants me to come and do the 542 ride next year. Already committed to the Whistler GF for this year and it's the same day.

[bikinchris]

I think this thread is nice, but I don't have any real climbs to offer. I live in South central Louisiana. The only geographic feature in the coastal prarie known as Acadiana is something known as the Coteau Ridge. it is the ancient bank of the Mississippi River from about 1200 years ago. It gains all of about 30 feet.

However, when I was district rep, I would run the LA state championship road race in Hodges Gardens on the western border of LA and Texas. In the 19 laps of the 5.5 mile loop, the riders would ride over 7000 feet of gain. Two of the hills on the route reach 25% grade. There were no big sprint finishes, because if something larger that a group of two came across together one year, I would just add another lap next year.

[gobuck]

I drove up Mauna Kea once. The road wasn't ridable at the time. I was in a U.S. Army Jeep and we had trouble navigating it a few times.

[dhoff]

For those in the Hudson Valley, a new death ride has opened up. California Quarry in Woodstock used to be mostly dirt from about 1.5 miles (1000 ft) up. They have now paved the next mile. The top and most steep sections are still dirt and steep enough that at times I have needed 4 wheel drive to get a car up. I have not been able to make it yet. at about 3.5 miles total and 2800 ft of gain, it never stops rising at at least 8%. I have ridden up to about 18% but that is before it turns up severely. I am not up to it yet. Rumor is that it runs up to 24-26% in the steepest dirt sections.

I did speak to someone once who said he rode it, dirt section and all said that he found it harder than Mt/ Washington which he has ridden 3 times. Most of the people I have spoken with say it is un-ridable. For the moment, it is for me. Anyone want's to come by for a ride, beers are on me if you make it. I would suggest that like mt. Washington, you get a car ride back down. I will be happy to provide support.

[Saab2000]

Here is a series of shots of the same hill I have climbed hundreds of times. It is in Kanton St. Gallen but starts in Kanton Thurgau. Shortly after the descent it goes back into Kanton Zürich. I love this hill and hope to climb it many times in the future. It's not epic, but it's a good training hill. The pass is called the Passhöhe Hulftegg and it's several miles long, depending on where you start and which side you ride. The side you are seeing is less steep. It's on the north side.

I took these pics a couple months ago during a quick trip over there to retrieve a bicycle. Good trip and great rides, as you can see. They have been posted here before. I'll try to not erase them from my Flickr account......

[christian]

Is Mt. Tom still open? Rumor had it the service road is closed and that they're aggressively enforcing the closure and citing folks for trespassing.

[VeloRyan]

The Iowa Hill climb was going to be my addition also (see stats below from Peter B)

Another climb is Mt Rose (starts in Reno, NV and goes to Lake Tahoe, is roughly 15 miles in length and ~4000' + elev. gain) and if you're feeling it you can do the "LeMond Loop" (as I've heard it called) and do Mt. Rose, Spooner Summit and dive down to Carson City, NV and the climb up to Virginia City and descend back down to Reno. The loop ends up being ~90-95 miles and prolly round bout 10,000+ feet of eleveation gain (this is a rough estimate only).

Iowa Hill is a 40 minute ride from my door, the steepest bit out from the river climbs 1,700 feet in 1-3/4 miles. It's steady 12-15% with pitches to 20%. If you keep going, you'll accumulate another 6,600' over the next 30 miles. A 3 hour ride will get you to the climb out of the canyon from Middle Fork Powerhouse, good for 2,000' in 5 miles. 30 minutes closer is Corkscrew Wall, a monster that ascends 2,200' in 4.5 miles with grades to 18%.

[bironi]

I don't think I viewed this thread the first time around, but it reminds me of the scene from Jaws when the boys are comparing scars. Chicks love scars.

[DarrenCT]

For those in the Hudson Valley, a new death ride has opened up. California Quarry in Woodstock used to be mostly dirt from about 1.5 miles (1000 ft) up. They have now paved the next mile. The top and most steep sections are still dirt and steep enough that at times I have needed 4 wheel drive to get a car up. I have not been able to make it yet. at about 3.5 miles total and 2800 ft of gain, it never stops rising at at least 8%. I have ridden up to about 18% but that is before it turns up severely. I am not up to it yet. Rumor is that it runs up to 24-26% in the steepest dirt sections.

I did speak to someone once who said he rode it, dirt section and all said that he found it harder than Mt/ Washington which he has ridden 3 times. Most of the people I have spoken with say it is un-ridable. For the moment, it is for me. Anyone want's to come by for a ride, beers are on me if you make it. I would suggest that like mt. Washington, you get a car ride back down. I will be happy to provide support.

this could be fun. any chance you can shoot me some details on this?

d

[christian]

Darren, here it is: California Quarry in Woodstock, NY - Google Maps

[joosttx]

Found that the 2011 Rapha Lehigh Valley ride had two tough dirt road cllimbs, most notable the Goat Hill rd climb in which I passed a firetruck slogging it way up the hill. Here is the route


2011 Rapha East Coast Gentlemen's Ride - A bike ride in Breinigsville, PA 18031, US