30% grade

[bronk]

I ran into this killer climb in the Lake District in northern England (believe it or not) about 2 weeks ago.

Let's see pics of your nasty climbs.

[Steve in SLO]

I'll try and dig one up, but the steep ones are the ones I try and forget.

[Steelhead]

I heard Carlton Reed podcasting about that ride/climb last week while listenting to The Spokesmen podcast. Sounds tough. Known to make grown men cry.

[znfdl]

Is the telephone booth for ambulance calls?

[Cantdog]

Riding Lincoln Gap in Vermont two days ago my Garmin 705 says it tips up to 30%. Not even fun. Harder than the last time it seems.

[bronk]

a couple more shots.

[Louis]

Where's the 30% section?

[johnnymossville]

that sure doesn't look like 30% to me. maybe there's a steep part we don't see in the pics? I guess pictures can be deceiving but still.

[chuckred]

Let's see pics of your nasty climbs.

From here...
http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee291/chuckred/Mt%20Evans%206%2015%2008/IMG_0408.jpg

to here:http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee291/chuckred/Mt%20Evans%206%2015%2008/IMG_0419.jpg

Squaw Pass Road to Mt. Evans. (you can see the road crossing the face of the peak in the distance...)

Almost 35 miles climbing, 7300 feet. There are a couple of short breaks on the way up.

[dookie]

Almost 35 miles climbing, 7300 feet.

i bet the descent rocks!

[old fat man]

Riding Lincoln Gap in Vermont two days ago my Garmin 705 says it tips up to 30%. Not even fun. Harder than the last time it seems.

yeah, lincoln almost had me in tears. especially in the rainy 40 degree temps

[Ti Designs]

The steepest climb we have in the Boston area is 29% which doesn't even get into the top 10 for San Fran - and I call myself a climber???

[mike p]

Pic's of hard climbs are so deceptive, they never look that bad. Even on TV hard TDF stages don't look that bad at all. Hard to get proper prespective.

Mike

[Elefantino]

Canton Ave., Pittsburgh.

Dirtiest of the Dirty Dozen.

Carnage.

Failure.

[mike p]

That one even looks bad in photo!!

Mike

[false_Aest]

Canton Ave., Pittsburgh.
Dirtiest of the Dirty Dozen.
Carnage.
Failure.

Looking forward to trying my hand...er legs... on that a few times before Thanksgiving.


Hey Ti, where's that steepness in Boston located?

[thwart]

Well, I thought the hills around here were nasty...

Another shot of Canton Ave, and some info:
Canton Avenue, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Beechview neighborhood, is the steepest public street in the United States, and possibly the steepest street in the world. It has a grade of 37%, meaning that for every 100 ft (30 m) of horizontal distance traveled, the elevation changes by 37 ft (11 m).

The next contender is Eldred Street in the Highland Park district of Los Angeles, California, at 33%. Pittsburgh's Dornbush St. is just under 32%. Filbert Street and 22nd Street in San Francisco both claim a maximum gradient of 31.5%.

Outside the United States, Baldwin Street in New Zealand has an officially-recorded grade of 35%. Baldwin Street is listed by the Guiness Book of World Records as the world's steepest street.

[MattTuck]

Where's the 30% section?

Maybe it's in metric.


;)

[uno-speedo]

Fargo St. Climb in LA., 32%

http://lawheelmen.org/fargo.htm

I think the record goes to a street in NZ.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_Street,_Dunedin

Here in San Diego we have a 32% st.

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1999/apr/15/can-you-make-list-steepest-streets-san-diego/

[Louis]

Wow! I get to experience 20% sections on every one of my rides from home and so I know how much fun that is, even with my low-geared triple.

Seems to me that in addition to the obvious lung and leg busting issues, another factor has to be keeping enough weight over the rear wheel so you get enough traction. You want to stand, but when you do the tire just spins...

[Peter P.]

Pic's of hard climbs are so deceptive, they never look that bad.
Mike

I think this pic captures the steepness of the hill-it's not a climb but a mountain bike descent and it's all gonads-off-the-back-of-the saddle steep and those rocks are the size of your head.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3358/3544753230_19e92e80ac_o.jpg

[sailorboy]

I'm proud to say I cleaned it on only my 2nd attempt...Daniel Chew tribute moment--I think every year when we the Dozen gets there he talks about how he went and did it like 30 times in a row or something...when he was younger. Anyone know if he has gotten back on the bike since his surgery?
[QUOTE=thwart]Well, I thought the hills around here were nasty...

Another shot of Canton Ave, and some info:
[I][COLOR=Navy]Canton Avenue, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Beechview neighborhood, is the steepest public street in the United States, and possibly the steepest street in the world. It has a grade of 37%, meaning that for every 100 ft (30 m) of horizontal distance traveled, the elevation changes by 37 ft (11 m).

[QUOTE]

[dookie]

I think this pic captures the steepness of the hill...

is that local to you? if so, where? i spent some time in middletown.

[DavidR]

I have done this ride that Louis is talking about. No fun at all when you coming back! I can not think about 30%.

[Dan Le foot]

i bet the descent rocks!

I actually liked the climb better. Only 28 miles from Idaho Springs.(7000'climb)
Descent was cold and bumpy. (So bumpy my computer went flying and never found.).
Dan

[Dan Le foot]

From here...
http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee291/chuckred/Mt%20Evans%206%2015%2008/IMG_0408.jpg

to here:http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee291/chuckred/Mt%20Evans%206%2015%2008/IMG_0419.jpg

Squaw Pass Road to Mt. Evans. (you can see the road crossing the face of the peak in the distance...)

Almost 35 miles climbing, 7300 feet. There are a couple of short breaks on the way up.

chuckred didn't say that the ride to the peak is at 14,000' on Mt. Evans.
The final switches hit 10% in the last mile. Oxygen mask comes in handy.
Dan

[scrooge]

Squaw Pass Road to Mt. Evans.

.

I really need to bite the bullet and do that this summer. Do you know when the road opens up?

[Peter B]

<snip>
Outside the United States, Baldwin Street in New Zealand has an officially-recorded grade of 35%. Baldwin Street is listed by the Guiness Book of World Records as the world's steepest street.

I can vouch for Baldwin Street. It's mighty steep.

The last photo is local. A few years ago the county shaved the top, bringing it from 34% down to 31%, since folks couldn't drive up it in the winter. Mercifully it's pretty short. And I usually am riding the loop DOWN!

[chuckred]

I really need to bite the bullet and do that this summer. Do you know when the road opens up?

Three biggest hints:
Pick a nice day, start early, and bring warm clothes and long finger gloves for the descent - It's always cool - cold on top!

Also, as Dan LeFoot mentioned - the descent is not trivial. Narro,exposed edges, big pot holes (seemingly bottomless), sharp hairpins and large frost heaves combined with as much speed as you dare.

[ericspin]

Imagine living in the house with the Buick in the drive (Elefantino pic). Uh..........no thanks.

Looks like a good spot for my new build that will sport 30-40-50 up front and 13-29 in da back. :banana: Thus almost 1:1. Following RudAwkning's suggestion on this tranny (no comments) build.

Anyway, awesome hill!

[soulspinner]

Is the telephone booth for ambulance calls?


Its for my 911 call after I walked up... :)

[Ozz]

Who's doing this ride in 4 weeks? Tour de Blast

[Nathanrtaylor]

and I thought Burkhalter Gap Rd. outside of Chattanooga was bad:
2 miles straight of 10% followed by 200 yards of close to 20%.

I don't see how the asphalt doesn't just pile up at the bottom of some of these inclines.

[GuyGadois]

Not the steepest (23%) but Cat's Hill in Los Gatos is tough because the crit has you do it 12 times (in my category)!

Short Video of the hill during the crit: (http://gallery.me.com/danspeirs#100549/MVI_0486&bgcolor=black)

I am about 4th or 5th in the teal/black and white jersey

http://gallery.me.com/danspeirs/100549/IMG_0485/web.jpg?ver=12414187330001

[sloji]

Great videos and pics. Having been on the road with you it's humbling to think how far back I would have been...

[JStonebarger]

The steepest climb we have in the Boston area is 29% which doesn't even get into the top 10 for San Fran - and I call myself a climber???

Huh? Where's the 29% grade near Boston? Clearly I'm missing something...

[konstantkarma]

Don't forget the mountain goats on the road!
Really, I once completed a moonlight ride to the top of mount Evans, and was coming down at a good clip. My fingers were really cold and I was having a hard time holding the brakes. I rounded a turn, and there was a whole herd of mountain goats on the road. Naturally, I waited for them to clear out, and warmed my hands before continuing. Good times!


Three biggest hints:
Pick a nice day, start early, and bring warm clothes and long finger gloves for the descent - It's always cool - cold on top!

Also, as Dan LeFoot mentioned - the descent is not trivial. Narro,exposed edges, big pot holes (seemingly bottomless), sharp hairpins and large frost heaves combined with as much speed as you dare.

[Tom]

A couple more difficult hills around here, the Polar claims they sustain 9%-12% for the better part of a mile and then do stretches up to 17%, which while they are testy I can't believe are that steep. The toy's new to me and I haven't gone over to some of the ones that make your front wheel come off the ground yet, and I am wondering if anybody has any idea if the Polar ones are just guessing or they are accurate?

[embod]

We did the Squaw / Floyd Hill loop this weekend. Stopped at Echo Lake and a women said the road to Evans was just cleared. In fact I was going to do it today given the warm temps at home (8,200'), then the clouds rolled in...Too late. This weekend they open up to cars.

[Peter P.]

is that local to you? if so, where? i spent some time in middletown.

Meriden-Hubbard Park.