What's your best bike climb?

[gregpark]

Was reading the longest hike thread and it reminded me of bicycle climbs I've done. I love to climb and even though I'm not built for it I'm bullheadedly determined to pedal up all these mountains. In the SF bay area I think I've climbed pretty much all, some many times. Diablo, Tamalpais, Hamilton, St. Helena. I guess Haleakala in Maui was the most rewarding because I had never seen a bike going up, just down. Later I found out there's an annual race to the top. Started out at the beach 84° and 3 hours later got snowed on at 10,025 ft. summit. Called my wife at the 3/4 mark to come pick me up at the top. No way I wanted to decend. I'm sure I would've run out of brakes before the bottom. Who else? I'll bet there are some of you who have done the Death ride out there.

[LWJ]

Maybe 2000' on a mountain bike? I'm weak.

[herr_oberst]

There's a local event here in Portland called DeRonde; its about 8000 feet in about 45 miles. Checked that off the books.

A few years ago I did a tour in Yellowstone, 512 miles and 22300 feet in 7 days. Good times!

[aigel]

Death Ride at 15k and 129 miles in one long day
Training for Death Ride I did a Cinco De Mayo weekend on Mount Diablo. Climbed it 5 times in 2 days. That's also >15k. I have also done Mount Hamilton numerous times from both sides but never multi-ascends. From the tri valley that's 8800 ft total climbing.

[gregpark]

Diablo is no slouch. 5 times two days, I'd be whooped

[look 171]

The Levi Ride in Santa Roas. First time I done it, It kicked my teeth in. I normally don't do these fun rides but these guys sucked me into it. Now we do it yearly. I honestly don't know how many feet of climbing but I sure felt it? I think it was something like 9000' combined for the long rides. I did lots of hill work for the next few. Still, like LeMond said, " The stronger you are, the faster you go and it hurts just as much". I think that maybe my most elevation hill climb.

Locally, I use to do Mt Baldy and that's 5-6000' straight up.

Edit:

Did I tell you guy, I HATE hills.

[aigel]

Originally Posted by gregpark

Diablo is no slouch. 5 times two days, I'd be whooped

I camped on the mountain, so I could stop and have lunch, get some rest and take my time. The first day was okay, but on the second day I was glad it wasn't seis de mayo weekend!

On the first day on the third ride, a lady up top complimented me for riding up and that she didn't know it was even possible to ride up so much elevation. I told her it was my third time that day. She finished talking to me quickly ... I think she thought I am either FOS or insane. It is interesting how non athletic people view such activities.

I love climbing. You are also rewarded with a fun down hill ...

[gregpark]

Yeah, people think you're crazy and they're right. On my climb up Haleakala I heard it all, mostly "you're going the wrong way!" from all the tourists who get a van ride to the top and do the guided decent with jackets on astride disc braked mountain bikes. One woman at the top asked "how old are you?" "52" and she glared at her husband. Near the summit a local couple looked at me like I was nuts so I asked "dis da way to Paia?" they laughed like hell. I love to climb but these days at 66 I look more like a bowler

[VillaRicaGA911]

The race to the top of little cottonwood canyon in Salt Lake City, road on a local club team during the time I was stationed just outside of Salt Lake in the army. Watched 2 fellow and much more talented team members ride off into the distance, both went on to win stages/wear colored jerseys in the grand tours in later years. Still get a slight twitch when thinking about that climb... or the day I just decided to go ride up Mt Evans in CO. (Highest paved auto road in the US) fun times..........

[fanaudical]

When I lived in eastern Washington, one of my favorite things to do was to look around, find a water tower, and try to get to it without a map. Once I found it, I'd go find the next one. Lots of short-duration climbing on those rides but nothing like what you guys have ridden. Steepest with some duration that I think I've done is the grade heading north of Lewiston, ID (~2200 ft in ~7 miles)

[Tishabet]

RAMROD (Ride Around Mt Rainier in One Day), ~150 miles and ~10,000ft of climbing. Lived to tell the tale, but no great desire to do it again.

[Tobra]

Angela did the death ride I think. Rode on some trails west of Salem OR, not that far, but a lot of elevation change, 30 or 40 miles, but had to be 8000 to 10,000 feet up and down. Rode all over the bay are, Mt Tam, all over the headlands, wore out a lot of tires. Commuted by bicycle in SF four years. Was hard to find pants that would fit

[jhynesrockmtn]

Originally Posted by Tishabet

RAMROD (Ride Around Mt Rainier in One Day), ~150 miles and ~10,000ft of climbing. Lived to tell the tale, but no great desire to do it again.

I did RAMROD in 2008 or thereabouts. I agree with no great desire to do it again sentiment.

My buddies and I did Mt. Lemmon in AZ as a fun trip and training ride for RAMROD. Spectacular scenery and quite the descent.

https://pjammcycling.com/climb/156.Mt-Lemmon

[gregpark]

Originally Posted by look 171

The Levi Ride in Santa Roas. First time I done it, It kicked my teeth in. I normally don't do these fun rides but these guys sucked me into it. Now we do it yearly. I honestly don't know how many feet of climbing but I sure felt it? I think it was something like 9000' combined for the long rides. I did lots of hill work for the next few. Still, like LeMond said, " The stronger you are, the faster you go and it hurts just as much". I think that maybe my most elevation hill climb.

Locally, I use to do Mt Baldy and that's 5-6000' straight up.

Edit:

Did I tell you guy, I HATE hills.

Ah, the Gran Fondo. That's a long tough one on some crappy roads too. I'm done with those century rides, too much for an old man. Levi is best friends with a "kid" I get to ride with on occasion Andrew Talansky. Another retired pro rider. Andrew married the daughter of a long time friend of mine and they lived a mile from me. They moved to Tahoe and he's into triathlons now but when he was riding for Garmin Cannondale we would ride up valley on his rest days to get a coffee. Those guy's rest day rides are a normal ride for us mere mortals. Unbelievable how those pros can climb a hill, I swear they're aliens

[crb07]

Done Six Gap in Georgia four or five times, just over 100 miles and about 12k feet of vertical.
Did a bunch of climbs in Europe, made it up Alp Duez in one hour, only twice as long as the pros, lol.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by aigel

I camped on the mountain, so I could stop and have lunch, get some rest and take my time. The first day was okay, but on the second day I was glad it wasn't seis de mayo weekend!

On the first day on the third ride, a lady up top complimented me for riding up and that she didn't know it was even possible to ride up so much elevation. I told her it was my third time that day. She finished talking to me quickly ... I think she thought I am either FOS or insane. It is interesting how non athletic people view such activities.

I love climbing. You are also rewarded with a fun down hill ...

I once hit about 50 mph coming down off of Green Pond Mtn near my home. I did NOT feel good about my tires and didn't even want to think about my brakes.

[gregpark]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

I once hit about 50 mph coming down off of Green Pond Mtn near my home. I did NOT feel good about my tires and didn't even want to think about my brakes.

You're nervous flying down a hill on a bicycle? why? just because you're basically naked on super skinny tires and brakes that take forever to stop you? Ha ha I know the feeling. I feel much safer on my motorcycle than my bicycle

[Jolly Amaranto]

This is about the longest hill anywhere near my place where I ride. It is just an overpass over a railroad. Basically flat lands with a few levees along the Brazos River.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by gregpark

Ah, the Gran Fondo. That's a long tough one on some crappy roads too. I'm done with those century rides, too much for an old man. Levi is best friends with a "kid" I get to ride with on occasion Andrew Talansky. Another retired pro rider. Andrew married the daughter of a long time friend of mine and they lived a mile from me. They moved to Tahoe and he's into triathlons now but when he was riding for Garmin Cannondale we would ride up valley on his rest days to get a coffee. Those guy's rest day rides are a normal ride for us mere mortals. Unbelievable how those pros can climb a hill, I swear they're aliens

Oh yeah, I remember Talansky. Lot os those guys are from Nor Cal and Colorado that are great riders. I think it has to do with having those big hill they climb jsut to get coffee.

I don't know how they find them, but they find these monsters. I have been at this for a long time and raced at the club level since I was a Jr back when it was USCF. Now, over the age of 50, there's no power coming our of my legs when the pack starts to get off the saddle and get over the hump. I use to love these rollies and put down the "hurt". I have ridden with a couple of guys that made it to the back up Olympic team back then. This was when bike racing was a dark horse sport. They climb over a 6500' pass only to turn around to come home - just for fun. Those were 80 mile days. I don't do those with them anymore but I am still faster then most guys in the 40s on our training rides. That's if I put in the miles. As we get older, we must keep riding to keep healthy. I know a couple of old dogs I rode with in their mid 60s and they can still keep up with the whippersnappers on our training rides. Tough SOBs that can still take a lot of pain.

[gregpark]

Funny how addicted to pain one can get. I used to do a lot of group rides but not so much anymore, the new young guys always want to turn it into a race.
And yeah, it's a healthy habit..... until you get run over by a bread truck :^)