Your steepest gradient

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  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    roger merriman wrote:
    ......it's on of the 100 greatest climbs and a savage if short hill.

    That narrows it down to one of a hundred :lol:
    Faster than a tent.......
  • sbbefc
    sbbefc Posts: 189
    Calpol wrote:
    Todays stage of Tirreno saw something I haven't seen before. Pro's come to a stop on a climb and require a push to get going. At one point I noticed a Blanco rider with one foot down pushing himself along. Brutal. 30% apparently.

    walk.jpg

    Is there a strava segment for this?
  • seanorawe
    seanorawe Posts: 950
    Calpol wrote:
    Todays stage of Tirreno saw something I haven't seen before. Pro's come to a stop on a climb and require a push to get going. At one point I noticed a Blanco rider with one foot down pushing himself along. Brutal. 30% apparently.

    walk.jpg


    What channel can you watch it on?
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  • adamwood92
    adamwood92 Posts: 32
    Hardknotts pass, 33% in places.
    nay denner rickta
  • AnneBr
    AnneBr Posts: 4
    seanorawe wrote:
    Calpol wrote:
    Todays stage of Tirreno saw something I haven't seen before. Pro's come to a stop on a climb and require a push to get going. At one point I noticed a Blanco rider with one foot down pushing himself along. Brutal. 30% apparently.

    walk.jpg


    What channel can you watch it on?

    It's been on Eurosport. I think it's the last stage today, and it's a timetrial.
  • nickel
    nickel Posts: 476
    Fford Pen Llech in Harlech is the steepest road in the UK I think, Its only about 250m long but reaches 40%, rode it last summer and the 40% hairpin was like a cliff.

    200632_10152019859810156_2013104821_n.jpg

    Toughest climb though? Bwlych y Groes, took every bit of 34x25 to get up, relentlessly steep!

    http://app.strava.com/segments/1147400
  • nick1972
    nick1972 Posts: 144
    deswahriff wrote:
    Cudham Hill in Kent....only short but 25 - 30 % in places (you know when you feel the front wheel lifting up)...brutal little thing.....

    I've done this one. Its short but brutal..
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Nickel wrote:
    Fford Pen Llech in Harlech is the steepest road in the UK I think, Its only about 250m long but reaches 40%, rode it last summer and the 40% hairpin was like a cliff.

    200632_10152019859810156_2013104821_n.jpg

    Toughest climb though? Bwlych y Groes, took every bit of 34x25 to get up, relentlessly steep!

    http://app.strava.com/segments/1147400

    Haven't ridden the Ffordd Pen Llech one (or seen it) but would agree of the Bwlch y Groes, for a long and sustained steep gradient I suspect it is about the hardest in the UK. mroli on here has done all the 100 greatest climbs and I think he reckoned the Bwlch was the toughest for gradient whilst Bealach na ba was the toughest of all. This is only based on driving both the Bwlch and Hardknott, I've never had a chance to ride them.

    Steepest I've done is either the Hafod (from Llangattock towards Brynmawr) or the Station Road / Rhiwr Road in Clydach. I'm not sure what the maximum gradient is but they both have long (half mile plus) sections up around 20% and some ramps that are steeper. Both are absolute bar stewards for anyone with a standard chainset!
  • mcjimbob
    mcjimbob Posts: 24
    bompington wrote:
    Pitroddie? Hardly, that's one of my regular commuting routes, although I prefer Kilspindie (next road along) as it's longer and higher ;-)
    Really can't see where Pitroddie is 27% TBH.

    These hills are just a stones throw away from where I am based.

    Pitroddie is a wee bit of a brute, Kilspindie is tough, Rait is the nicer of the three as you get a wee break where it levels off. The bit on Pitroddie that strava claims is 27%, I'm not convinced about at all - there's a section at 15% a bit further up which destroyed me the first couple of times I rode it.

    IMHO the toughest in our area, is Craigowl Hill. Strava has parts of this at 25% and I can believe it on this one. If you stop here for a break you are cow-fodder!
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    Rolf F wrote:
    roger merriman wrote:
    ......it's on of the 100 greatest climbs and a savage if short hill.

    That narrows it down to one of a hundred :lol:

    Point taken! Rhiwr/cuckoo in the 2nd book, much easier of late since it has fresh Tarmac down!
  • Stedman
    Stedman Posts: 377
    adamwood92 wrote:
    Hardknotts pass, 33% in places.
    Hardknott is mine, although I did tack up it so it was probably more like 25% max. I suspect that over 25% this starts to get purely academic as riders will select less steep sides of bends and there is a high eliminate of riding these in a zig zag fashion.

    It is not the effort that I find difficult, but the technical aspect of trying to balance the bike in all four directions. Because of this, I tend to find a mountain bike easier to ride up very steep hills, even in the same gear as my road bike!
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    roger merriman wrote:
    Rolf F wrote:
    roger merriman wrote:
    ......it's on of the 100 greatest climbs and a savage if short hill.

    That narrows it down to one of a hundred :lol:

    Point taken! Rhiwr/cuckoo in the 2nd book, much easier of late since it has fresh Tarmac down!

    Didn't know that, I haven't seen the 2nd book yet - must get it. I also didn't realise Rhiwr had been re-surfaced, the last time I was there I was coming down it which is worse than going up!
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    Pross wrote:
    roger merriman wrote:
    Rolf F wrote:
    roger merriman wrote:
    ......it's on of the 100 greatest climbs and a savage if short hill.

    That narrows it down to one of a hundred :lol:

    Point taken! Rhiwr/cuckoo in the 2nd book, much easier of late since it has fresh Tarmac down!

    Didn't know that, I haven't seen the 2nd book yet - must get it. I also didn't realise Rhiwr had been re-surfaced, the last time I was there I was coming down it which is worse than going up!

    Well it's been resurfaced this century which is recent for a lot of the lanes those parts, does tend to resemble a stream after heavy rain, but it's a lot better than it was!

    Used to ride down it with knackered kids bikes and shoddy U brakes etc, watching the forks judder under load, mind you some kids did and still do go down brake less bar a foot jammed between frame and tyre, young indestructible fools!
  • Crispyapp
    Crispyapp Posts: 344
    borisface wrote:
    Chick Hill East Sussex - only short but hits 42% for a few feet according to Strava

    http://app.strava.com/segments/649889

    Sorry but I can't believe that at all. 42% is that even rideable? I doubt it is....
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  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Crispyapp wrote:
    borisface wrote:
    Chick Hill East Sussex - only short but hits 42% for a few feet according to Strava

    http://app.strava.com/segments/649889

    Sorry but I can't believe that at all. 42% is that even rideable? I doubt it is....

    It looks a decent climb but even the sign at the bottom (which tend to be based on an exaggeration of the steepest gradient) only say 25%. From looking at it on street view I doubt it goes much steeper than 20% to be honest - quite a long distance at a steep gradient though by the look of it.
  • Cheshire Cat
    Cheshire Cat Posts: 309
    Brian B wrote:
    Have to disagree with your quote as I think Hardknott from Boot is tougher than any other climb in the Lakes or the rest of Blightly. :twisted:

    Hardknott has the pleasure of a flattish section in the middle, allowing some recovery, unlike Rhinos (from the Langdale side) which is a constant gradient - and you can see virtually the whole road, that is more soul destroying than anything as you know what is coming.
    “Faster, Faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death.” Hunter S Thompson

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