The world's steepest road climbs!
ColinJ
Posts: 2,218
Prompted by the ongoing discussion about Mow Cop in this thread, I did a search on t'Internet and came up with this - YIKES!!! :shock: :shock: :shock:
PS I just had to change the link because the webpage had been moved.
PS I just had to change the link because the webpage had been moved.
0
Comments
-
"Once a year around 90 mentalists gather at the base of fargo street in los angeles for the fargo street hill climb. they then attempt to scale the hill on a bicycle as many times as humanly possible in a day. This year the winner was a guy called steve gilmore and he managed it 92 times, in the process climbing around 14′000ft in only 15 miles." :shock: :shock: :shock:
Steepest in the UK is supposed to be this road in Harlech at 34%:
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1056180 -
It's 40% in Harlech.
I have done a few at 33%.
There are several little streets in Wales connecting streets that are not graded but suspect are over 33%.0 -
My dad and his brother and sister used to run down that road to catch the train to school. I don't think they ever cycled up or down it though.They did once meet a ,otorbike struggling to climb it0
-
The entrance to my drive is 90%......0
-
-
-
That triple sign is ace
0 -
ricadus wrote::shock:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y24/ricadus/signs.jpg
I can't remember where this is, but I don't want to go there in car.
It's near Besenello in Italy.
Average gradient 17.6% for 7.5km (Hardknott being 15% for 2km)
http://ciclismo.sitiasp.it/altimetria.a ... 21&id=67790 -
Wow.......let me at em.......... :shock:0
-
0
-
I'd need mountain bike gears for that one :shock: !andrew_s wrote:ricadus wrote::shock:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y24/ricadus/signs.jpg
I can't remember where this is, but I don't want to go there in car.
It's near Besenello in Italy.
Average gradient 17.6% for 7.5km (Hardknott being 15% for 2km)
http://ciclismo.sitiasp.it/altimetria.a ... 21&id=67790 -
Mount Duffy in Whistler. Proper ridiculous. You know you're in for it cos at the top and bottom it has warning signs about the extreme gradients! Takes about 1-1hr15mins to climb with harsh switch backs for the first 7km!
Gats0 -
A friend from New Zealand told me about a street in Dunedin which is supposed to be the steepest in the world - I looked it up on Wikipedia, it is called Baldwin Street and has a 35% gradient.
There are some little roads in North Wales that have probably never had their gradient formally calculated. I spent some time working in Bangor and there are some little streets round there that are hard enough to walk up (I didn't take my bike with me!)__________________________
lots of miles, even more cakes.0 -
There are pictures of it if you follow the second link in my original post!J2R2 wrote:A friend from New Zealand told me about a street in Dunedin which is supposed to be the steepest in the world - I looked it up on Wikipedia, it is called Baldwin Street and has a 35% gradient.
There are some little roads in North Wales that have probably never had their gradient formally calculated. I spent some time working in Bangor and there are some little streets round there that are hard enough to walk up (I didn't take my bike with me!)0 -
I aborted this post, and decided to reply after all.
I've been to Baldwin St in person on my brief tour of NZ back in the year 2000. The trouble I have with that street taking the record is that the first half of the street is as flat as a pancake! And the last half is barely a hundred metres long. So maybe they refer to maximum gradient.
There are some streets here [in Tenerife] that would average close to 30% for 1 or possibly 2km!!! :shock: Calle de Chasna comes to mind. I think the record could change pretty soon...
There is no comparison with the "Tierra del Trigo" climb. After 2 years, I'm still yet to attempt to scale this dreaded chasna street... and it is so steep, one dropped chain & you could really hurt yourself. It's too narrow to zig zag up it either. 
I'll be filming one of my videos on that street probably this winter. Either up or down, one way or the other! :twisted: :twisted:0 -
God Damn! :shock:
That collection of streets makes the Macclesfiled Cat & Fiddle look like a gentle warm up :oops:
What do I ride? Now that's an Enigma!0 -
The village I was born in, Glaisdale in N yorks has 3 roads out, all 1in 3 gradients, all of which I could cycle up as a youth on my 10 speed racer. Too be honest that wales road doesn't look as steep as one of them (Limber Hill)
A few miles away is Rosedale Chimney bank which is also pretty formidable, the middle corner of which must by steeper than 1 in 3 and the length and relentless gradient make that a bit of killer to get up.
I did the London to Brighton and peole talk in hushed tones about Ditchling beacon, a mere gentle slope by comparison.
Multi map of Chimney bank showing gradients - I do recall the "Milk Race" as the tour of Britain was known then went up it one year.
http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&X=470000.973147717&Y=495000.915893495&width=700&height=400&gride=471705.973147717&gridn=496899.915893495&srec=0&coordsys=gb&db=freegaz&addr1=&addr2=&addr3=&pc=&advanced=&local=&localinfosel=&kw=&inmap=&table=&ovtype=&keepicon=true&zm=0&scale=25000&right.x=5&right.y=144Bianchi Infinito CV
Bianchi Via Nirone 7 Ultegra
Brompton S Type
Carrera Vengeance Ultimate Ltd
Gary Fisher Aquila '98
Front half of a Viking Saratoga Tandem0 -
if you've got back copies of ctc mag they did a feature about 2 years ago on steepest climbs. mentioned this one in nz0
-
"THE WORLDS STEEPEST ROAD CLIMBS", say it in an American voice and you've got yourself a TV show!
There's a road in the Lake Districk going west across to Wasdale from Langdale which is has some steep bits. Can't remember where it is though and can't find it on the map.It's all good.0 -
Especially for Colin J in Hebden Bridge.
You have one or two crackers on your doorstep. I actually find the Church Lane ascent from Hebden Bridge to Blackshaw Head is tougher for a short period than Hardknott/Wrynose.
I have run up the 40% in Harlech, but that was before I started biking. Now im tempted to got back and try it!0 -
Maybe not the steepest, but the hill up into Caerwys in N Wales off the A541 is a challenge, esp after 85 miles in the saddle.
Ditchling Beacon on the L2B is more of a challenge because of all the numpties who get off and walk, but don't leave a way through for the rest of us. Scuse me please. Scuse me. Coming through, please. Stay left please. Please jump over the hedge out of the way and take your stupid bike with you...0 -
Makes Mont Ventoux look like a walk in the park! Me struggling up Mont Ventoux for the first time! Done it 3 times since (each way up) without stopping. This seems like a lifetime ago! http://img208.imageshack.us/i/snapshot2 ... 45552.tif/0
-
Yes, it's pretty tough and I've mentioned it before on BikeRadar, for example here.kenchapman wrote:Especially for Colin J in Hebden Bridge.
You have one or two crackers on your doorstep. I actually find the Church Lane ascent from Hebden Bridge to Blackshaw Head is tougher for a short period than Hardknott/Wrynose.
I have run up the 40% in Harlech, but that was before I started biking. Now im tempted to got back and try it!
Horsehold Road on the opposite side of the valley is a road-to-nowhere (for a road bike) but is a worthy challenge too. Access it from the road up from the Co-op on Market Street.
Top of Horsehold Road climb 0 -
Scanuppia...Itally...have a look...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulJsjynZEZc
Fancy that?....no I think I'll stick with Hardknott & Rosedale Chimney.
In the UK the steepest I've ever encountered are in the Lakes and the NY Moors....true 33%ers....
I know Harlech has a 40% gradient but theres some small climbs also in the NY Moors which offer similar gradients...
For decent sustained bouts of steepness...then surely it must be Rosedale Chimney for the UK....it has a 33% average gradient for 400meters in the middle section....
I'm gonna have a pop at a hill in N Wales this year...its called Church Hill...coming out of Glyn Ceriog...thats supposedly very steep aswell.....steepest climbs in the UK Ive did...
Rosedale Chimney, Hardknott, Wrynose, Boltby Bank, Honister, Park Rash, Black Brow from Grosmont, and whilst maybe not as steep the prize fo unrelenting steepness must goto Bwlch Y Groes....and a Climb in the NY Moors called caper Hill aint far behind...all horrible...
But theres a climb in Wales...its a dead end job upto a lake...from Trefriw...it looks a sod...3 kms at 15% average...0 -
ChrisInBicester wrote:Maybe not the steepest, but the hill up into Caerwys in N Wales off the A541 is a challenge, esp after 85 miles in the saddle.
i can remember being scared as a kid coming down that hill in the 70's in my Grandpa's Datsun Cherry on the way back from the caravan hoping that the brakes would work. But I can remember tractors struggling to get up the road opposite going up Moel y Parc as a nipper-
http://www.multimap.com/world/GB/Wales/ ... ld/Caerwys
chevron heaven!! Would love to try that on a bike instead of a push chair.0 -
What is the steepest climb close to manchester?
Or the steepest climb in the peak district?0 -
Winnats is only like 23%.0
-
some of you guys are nuts riding up those 'things'. am sure I'd get a nose bleed!
anyone know of any good hills in 'sunny leics'? the best one I tackled was one near bradgate park, but it wasn't close to some of those! I'd just like to know so I can avoid!"I spend my petrol money on Bikes, Beer, Pizza, and Donuts "
http://www.flickr.com/photos/38256268@N04/3517156549/0 -
I suspect steepest be that max or average grade is fairly unknowable the little lane that connects the unheard off village to another unheard off village nr my folks place in south wales is 19% average grade, i suspect there are tons of nasty grades which are unknown to all but the very local.
i'd treat steepest hill in wales/uk etc claims with a touch of salt to be honest. I'm more than a little suspicious that the steep ones are found in tourist hot spots, I don't in any way dought that they are steep but i do wonder if there aren't worse around.0
