What's the steepest hill / mountain / mineshaft you've climbed?

[wepn]

I'm always looking for the steepest climbs no matter where they are. I've climbed some steep ones but when I think about it, what is steep? Whatever it is to you, for me anything above 20%. The steepest I've climbed is Tullouch Rd, Broughton Vale NSW AU- Tall Ouch Road 30+%. Going up was fine but coming back down was freaky. It was a 40ºC day and the bitumen was soft & sticky which only became evident on the descent. Almost went over the bars several times.

How steep is your steep?

 

[Husky430]

Can't work out how to find out what the gradient is, but used to ride up a hill in Lismore, Nth NSW called Cynthia Wilson Drive and that was a killer, especially the 2nd half. Mind you that was on a pedal bike training for the QLD XC series many moons ago, would be much easier with motor assist now though

 

[HikerDave]

I'm always looking for the steepest climbs no matter where they are. I've climbed some steep ones but when I think about it, what is steep? Whatever it is to you, for me anything above 20%. The steepest I've climbed is Tullouch Rd, Broughton Vale NSW AU- Tall Ouch Road 30+%. Going up was fine but coming back down was freaky. It was a 40ºC day and the bitumen was soft & sticky which only became evident on the descent. Almost went over the bars several times.

How steep is your steep?

View attachment 18115

24 percent long grade at a motorcycling area which I could barely ride. Next steepest was 20 percent. Any grade over 15 percent is pretty unusual for me.

 

[davarello]

Steepest sustained climbing for me in Christchurch NZ would be up through Vic Park with sections 24-29%, most vertical bit I can find I've climbed on Strava is a 34% section on the Bridle Path - basically a wheelie and prostate exam combined

 

[wepn]

Can't work out how to find out what the gradient is, but used to ride up a hill in Lismore, Nth NSW called Cynthia Wilson Drive and that was a killer, especially the 2nd half. Mind you that was on a pedal bike training for the QLD XC series many moons ago, would be much easier with motor assist now though

I know Cynthia Wilson Drive. That's steep. 23% max. Mapometer is good for gradients.

 

[Husky430]

Thanks for that WEPN, yeah figured it would be up there in steepness. Remember a mate riding down it and pulling out and overtaking cars along the way!!

 

[Zimmerframe]

I'm glad I'm not the only stupid person who likes finding silly climbs ...

There's a few round here but strava's not always hugely accurate on working out the gradients ..

28%, but haven't summoned up the energy to come back up yet. It's on the cards, keep meaning too .. Maybe this weekend !

0.3 km E-Bike Segment in Saint-Aignan, Bretagne, France on Strava

27% .. really gnarly .. it's either rock garden or roots and tightly hemmed in with trees - Only tried it once and had to carry the bike most of the way - so not actually enjoyable at all as a climbing challenge.

0.3 km E-Bike Segment in Saint-Aignan, Bretagne, France on Strava

One of the first ones I tried when starting out earlier this year .. it's only 18%, but the bottom section is 70-80% in places - quite evil and had me on my back a couple of times . Haven't tried that one again ..

0.5 km E-Bike Segment in Saint-Aignan, Bretagne, France on Strava

Looking back over the year, it seems I generally go back to the 20% ish ones, but if it's more than that, previous painful experiences tell me not to bother again

 

[gwing]

Steepest climb I've ever done is about 110%. Not on a bike though ...

 

[steve_sordy]

About 70-80 degrees. It was really tough for all of its 6'!

 

[Zimmerframe]

About 70-80 degrees. It was really tough for all of its 6'!

Cheeky ! it was 4cm !! and a very difficult 4cm !

 

[steve_sordy]

Cheeky ! it was 4cm !! and a very difficult 4cm !

Our posts crossed in the ether.
I wasn't referring to your 70-80% epic climb in Saint-Aignan, but my 70-80 deg climb up all of 6' wall of packed earth in Sherwood Forest. I had a good run at it, or I wouldn't have managed it!

 

[Zimmerframe]

but my 70-80 deg climb up all of 6' wall of packed earth in Sherwood Forest. I had a good run at it, or I wouldn't have managed it!

Not easy with all those lunatics firing arrows all over the place. I had a short climb like that I struggled and failed at for weeks, eventually tried a higher gear out of curiosity, so much easier - slightly faster once you're on the steep bit, harder to spin up, less front lift to balance out - A competent rider would do it with ease, but a muppet has to try different things to compensate !

 

[DrStupid]

This one is my nemesis.

The slope calculator (angle meter app from play store) says its 36% slope, but I'm a dumb ass, so who knows.

Its climbs about 220 ft. according to the gps but I havent measured how long it is... I will try tomorrow to measure the length.

This thing is kicking my ass every day, and I keep going back for more. Its starts from a creek bed with no chance for a run in, and climbs up to the top of the ridge, heading mostly straight up.

My son climbs it in the turbo, 4 wheel drive, 180 hp, Raizor easy as pie.

What I've found, is I have to navigate by balance more than steer. If I weight the front... I spin out at the rear. If I weight the rear enough to get traction, the front just wanders around until I hit a tree, or lose heading and start back down.

I liken it more to riding a unicycle, than a bike. I've got bikes with various size/width tires, chain stays, wheel bases blah blah blah. The result is always the same... me on my ass at the bottom.

 

[DrStupid]

Here is run up to it

 

[Gigs]

• Distance1.02km
• Avg Grade16%
• Lowest Elev88m
• Highest Elev250m
• Elev Difference162m

Just under 8 minutes on the Levo. Need to try on the Rocky Mountain C70

 

[Pukmeister]

Old Winchester Hill last Sunday near Droxford, I tried to ride up a steep narrow trail to the top via a 90 degree sharp left turn to join SDW with no run up and stalled, had to push it uphill a bit then remount and struggle grinding away to the top. Was working hard to shift weight forwards over the bars to prevent lifting whilst trying to also find rear tyre grip. Impressed with my bikes climbing ability which easily exceeds my skill level.

 

[njn]

mineshaft?

 

[wepn]

mineshaft?

Ok maybe not a mineshaft but if I found one I’d be tempted. Love the crazy gradient details!

 

[Pukmeister]

I forgot to add, I climbed Salt Hill on the South Downs Way in one go on the same ride. No way could I get up that on my old analog bike without dismounting and walking. Its steep, long, narrow and covered in roots and loose rocks, plus lots of ramblers coming down it. Emtb climbing ability is something else !

 

[steve_sordy]

Not easy with all those lunatics firing arrows all over the place. I had a short climb like that I struggled and failed at for weeks, eventually tried a higher gear out of curiosity, so much easier - slightly faster once you're on the steep bit, harder to spin up, less front lift to balance out - A competent rider would do it with ease, but a muppet has to try different things to compensate !

I don't pedal up it! I get up to speed and go straight at it. Lift off the saddle, brace, the fork compresses hugely and then I'm teetering on the top. Then I pedal!
So far, I've not fallen backwards. I have extra motivation now that the bike is heavier.
Riding it in the opposite direction was the first hazard because of the bumpy slope leading up to it. If I got the saddle dropped , I ran out of leg strength and speed . If I got the gears and speed right I didn't have enough time to drop the saddle. It's easier on an emtb.

I was with my grandson (aged 10 at the time) and as he rode towards it, two riders ran towards him gesticulating that he stop. (Because you can't see the drop on the other side and they were trying to help). When he did it in both directions they were speechless. He'd had plenty of practice, but I couldn't help grinning.

 

[DrStupid]

Nemesis according to Strava.
I know that 56% grade cannot be correct. This must have been recorded as I was falling down the sumbotch!
I attempted 3 times today, and each time I failed in a different place, and failed just once each time. I am learning to keep calm, stay in the seat as long a possible, and let the bike do the work. This is definitely a first or second gear climb on my Trance e+, in Full Power Mode, peddling like a banshee with the rear tire at 18 PSI. All of the fails today were from loosing grip, as I couldn't keep the heading on the "good line.' My heart rate is spiked near the top around 158 so this is about all I can dish out.

My GPS app says it's 200 feet up to the top, Strava says a little over 100? It really matters not to me. I will "clean it" one of these days as I am getting better.

I have learned, it's way better to fall up the hill, than down it! LOL.

 

[DrStupid]

The thread seems to be dead for a spell, and I hate to post on top of my own post, when I'm only talking about me... self loathing aside. I, I, I, I climbed it today, and twice yesterday with no fails.

Let some air out of fork+ Lock-out rear shock=billygoat

 

[steve_sordy]

The thread seems to be dead for a spell, and I hate to post on top of my own post, when I'm only talking about me... self loathing aside. I, I, I, I climbed it today, and twice yesterday with no fails.

Let some air out of fork+ Lock-out rear shock=billygoat

Yeyyyyyyyy!!

Good idea about locking out the shock, as it alters the attitude of the bike.

 

[DrStupid]

I knew about locking out for slogging good climbs, but for technical climbs I thought the shock was helping... apparently not. The fact that this is a granny gear climb at about 4 mph, maybe means the shock is not needed and the tires can absorb the trail junk. Either way, I'll be experimenting.

 

[DrStupid]

Oh yeah...

Thank you... thank you very much.?

 

[steve_sordy]

I knew about locking out for slogging good climbs, but for technical climbs I thought the shock was helping... apparently not. The fact that this is a granny gear climb at about 4 mph, maybe means the shock is not needed and the tires can absorb the trail junk. Either way, I'll be experimenting.

I agree that suspension settings matter and that you should experiment. The shock helps to maintain grip when travelling over bumps at speed. This is not really a big problem when travelling slowly. Locking out is there to prevent pedal bob when climbing. But it does not alter the attitude of the bike under load. My shock does not have a lockout, nor even a compression damping lever. What it does do is sag under dynamic load well into its travel, more so than the fork does (this is of mild irritation to me). This unbalances the bike when climbing. I believe that what would fix it would be to alter the spring curve so that it does not sag quite so much after the normal sag point. So I will be experimenting with adding some rings to the shock. I haven't done it so far because most of the time the shock performs well. But now I'm trying to get up unfeasibly steep climbs I need to do something different.

My mate says to drop the saddle and climb. It works for him, but not for my dodgy knees. I have to climb while seated.

 

[DrStupid]

I agree that suspension settings matter and that you should experiment. The shock helps to maintain grip when travelling over bumps at speed. This is not really a big problem when travelling slowly. Locking out is there to prevent pedal bob when climbing. But it does not alter the attitude of the bike under load. My shock does not have a lockout, nor even a compression damping lever. What it does do is sag under dynamic load well into its travel, more so than the fork does (this is of mild irritation to me). This unbalances the bike when climbing. I believe that what would fix it would be to alter the spring curve so that it does not sag quite so much after the normal sag point. So I will be experimenting with adding some rings to the shock. I haven't done it so far because most of the time the shock performs well. But now I'm trying to get up unfeasibly steep climbs I need to do something different.

My mate says to drop the saddle and climb. It works for him, but not for my dodgy knees. I have to climb while seated.

The knees I'm currently using seem to be ok with it, and I will agree with your comrade about lowering the seat. I run the dropper almost bottomed out, and its a short set to begin with. I stay seated until I feel the tire start to spin up, then pull myself up out of the saddle bringing the bars with me, taking all the weight off the front. At this point the front wheel is only barely on the ground, or slightly off the ground, and all of the weight is on the rear tire. I cannot maintain this posture very long, as it is exhausting and I must balance the thing while trying to get and keep forward momentum. These moments seems to be the critical points in th e climb. As soon as I have gained some traction... I'm back in the saddle trying to recover some energy for the next spin up. It sounds like a lot but it all over or all a yard sale in about 30 seconds.?

 

[Varaxis]

The climbs I encounter tend to be limited by traction, since the dust and sand gives out under the slightest amount of pressure due to being at the angle of repose. I can climb up far steeper pavement as long as my gearing is low enough, but dirt is another story.

This is more like a 30% grade climb, which is a mere 15 degree angle. I just picked the steepest part registered by Strava. xD

Fast mountain DH for reference... funny when I end up riding up steeper stuff and descending the tamer side. xD

The latter is the one I found more challenging, since it had more traction issues that I couldn't do anything about. The rock in the one above gave traction...

This is the view of it just a fraction of the way up. I was nervous even mounting my bike to ride back down, to try again, since there was hardly any traction. *Camera pointing a bit downwards

 

[themonkster]

I rode a hill called the rake local to me the specs are.

• Length – 0.9 km
• Average gradient: 12%
• Max gradient: 23%
• Height gain: 98 m

I rode this on my normal XC bike and was seeing all-sorts of stuff by the end absolutely dripping with sweat.

Tried it on the E'b and it was still a pain in arse.

 

[Blue Moon]

I rode a hill called the rake local to me the specs are.

• Length – 0.9 km
• Average gradient: 12%
• Max gradient: 23%
• Height gain: 98 m

I rode this on my normal XC bike and was seeing all-sorts of stuff by the end absolutely dripping with sweat.

Tried it on the E'b and it was still a pain in arse.

The Rake is a pain in the arse when you meet cars trying to squeeze past each other and neither wants to give way. It really pisses them off when I scoot between them. I’m in the “Shoulder” having a pint ? by the time they appear at the top. No Eco or Tour though EMTB is a must.