I did the Stelvio in 2005 (east ramp). 6000ft in 15 miles ... pic shows the top half.
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That looks pretty amazing. That one and others are featured on this site:
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/08/dangerous-roads-of-world-part-4_06.html
This looks pretty amazing too.
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Some of Britain's steepest here:
http://www.everydaycycling.com/edc/news/news2008/20080804_school_of_hardknotts.aspx
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Aye, the Stelvio has to be right up there.
Ventoux isn't too bad - although I may re-assess that thought after I've done the [url= http://www.clubcinglesventoux.org/ ]cingles[/url] in a few weeks...
Well cycling back up to Arc1800 from Bourg St Maurice on a 42lb DH bike after missing the last Funicular back up (damn that lovely cafe near the train station) ranks it as a pretty difficult climb in my books.
😉
[url= http://www.alpineroads.com/passes.php ]This site[/url] lists loads of Alpine passes.
so the hardnott is 2km long with 2 insanely steep bits but Angliru 8miles long but not as steep. so which is harder to climb?
One of the hardest road climbs I've done around here (South Wales) is the Blorenge - from Abergavenny over to Blaenavon. Having said that I was on a standard chainset at the time, 39/26 or so. It's a great climb and those who know call it a mini Alp d'Huez, cos it's shaped a bit like it in places.
*disclaimer: I know the real Alp d'Huez is way longer etc etc - I have ridden in the Alps.
"Ditchling Beacon is probably the most failed climb due to all the donkeys on the London to Brighton.... "
I cycled up it for the first time on Sunday morning.
There were loads of photographers standing at the top.
"Word's got round!" I thought, as I wheezed my way up the final steep bit.
It turned out there was a sportive finishing at the top and I'd rather spoiled it all by looking like I was the winner (from a distance).
Did the Tourmalet last year, and that was difficult enough for me.
Hoping to make it to Mt Ventoux for the tour stage this year, so it will be interesting to compare them.
That i've ridden, the bonnette / rastefond in france - 16 miles or more long and at 2750m high enough to have given me altitude problems.
Cormet de Rosalind can't be that steep managed it on a 36lb meta with super tacky high rollers; and a guy on a ss. would have loved my road bike though!! 😀
Ok the highest road pass is I think is this 3,400m in the Siera Neveda. You start at about 700m. But you may exclude it as it a road but not tarmac
[url= http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Col=Pico-de-Veleta&qryMountainID=4755 ][/url]
http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Col=Pico-de-Veleta&qryMountainID=4755
The heighest point I have cycled to in Europe is the Pic de Midi, 2,600m. I think I Started at Barege about 1000m. But its not that steep.
http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Col=Pic-du-Midi&qryMountainID=7042
Any way this website rates this as the hardest. 1,300 metres in 7.5 Km!!!!!!
http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Col=Scanuppia---Malga-Palazzo&qryMountainID=3597
1,300 metres in 7.5 Km!!!!!!
I did Ventoux last year. Lovely ride up the Bedoin side, I still have the postcard by my desk! If someone tells me it's the hardest I'd be chuffed, but I think it isn't! Same gradient all the way on ultra-smooth road, amazing. If you can spin a granny for 2 hours you've got it made.
If you can spin a granny for 2 hours you've got it made.
So my chances on 39x25 after doing 150k in the heat chasing frenchmen are approx nil?
How wonderfully insular to suggest the Bealach Na Ba!
Shurely you mean [i]pen[/i]insular
Anotherdeadhereo. - You are clearly in a different league from me!
I was Rohloff actually. After the first 5KM, once the gradient settled to unrelenting UP, I stuck with 19 to 22" gear all the way. Some roadies hauled past.
If you can pull 39x25 (on 700c? - that's 45") up Ventoux, then I take my hat off. You've got deeply impressive legs! Good luck 🙂
Ok the highest road pass is I think is this 3,400m in the Siera Neveda.
Blimey, that's high enough to have to start worrying about altitude! Or at least, to feel the effects of it.
I rode up the road out of the Rhondda (another South Welsh classic btw) with a mate. He was pulling away all the time and got to the top a good 5 mins before me. He was riding 39/25 tho and was apparently really hurting when he got to the top - he had no choice but to ride that fast 🙂
I've driven up a road in the US that goes over 4000m. Admittedly it starts at 3000m or so, but I bet 1000m of climbing at that altitude is hard (it certainly is on foot).
Actually it has more height gain (and 30 miles!) than that if you start further out:
http://www.mountevans.com/Mount-Evans-Things-Bicycling.HTML
Not especially steep, but long and high altitude!
[i]I did Ventoux last year. Lovely ride up the Bedoin side, .......Same gradient all the way[/i]
are we talking about the same Ventoux? From Bedoin it varies between 2.7 and 10.8%?
"Ditchling Beacon is probably the most failed climb due to all the donkeys on the London to Brighton.... "I cycled up it for the first time on Sunday morning.
It turned out there was a sportive finishing at the top...
I wonder if that's the lot I came across - I rode from Brighton over Devil's Dyke going north and met a load of numbered roadies somewhere between Horsham and Hayward's Heath.
well mine was the col de Jeux Vert from Les Linderats to Avoiriaz on a 40 lb+ down hill bike in a thunderstorm because the bloody frenchy's shut the lift. I like hill climbing normally on my road bike but that was pure pain
Outside of Europe I have wridden up Mosquitoe pass 13,185ft (4,000m) with full panniers. Its all off road and that was hard work. But I was well acclimatised
mushark - [url= http://www.puncheur.co.uk/route_details.htm ]route is here;[/url]
looks like a nice ride, actually.
were you in mostly red lycra?
I saw someone wearing that just near Stanmer
Ho Andyp
"are we talking about the same Ventoux? From Bedoin it varies between 2.7 and 10.8%? " Yes I think we are.
I was disregarding the shallow bits at the start which are just the warm up really. What struck me most was just how remakably even the whole thing was. In 22KM of riding there was just one flat part which was about 50 Metres long outside a restaurant, before the rocky limestone section at the top. Other than that there were scarce opportunities to go up or down just one gear.
mushark - route is here;looks like a nice ride, actually.
were you in mostly red lycra?
I saw someone wearing that just near Stanmer
I was near Warninglid at the time so was them.
I was not in red....
ignoring the 2% bits, it varies between 6 and 10+. Definitely possibilities for changing up and down (unless you're in dead bottom from the very beginning 😉 )
I climbed chimney bank on my big chainring, on 53x25...it was not that hard.
Col Du Grande Colombiere is a tough one.