Road Cycling · Public discussion

climb % and difficulty

Guess Who · 2003-07-22T21:40:29+00:00

A few years ago I was staying on Beech mtn. and down and up it. This was before Lance's comeback ride on it, but after the Tour DuPont. Loved seeing Lance's name on the road and reading about it in Lance's book. It certainly was tough for me, took me 30 minutes for 3 miles. I looked it up today on the net and supposedly the elevation goes up 1450 feet in 3 miles. I know it's shorter than the climbs in the tour, just curious how the climbing angle compares. Thanks

Started by Guess Who · 22 July 2003 · Last activity 23 July 2003 · 8 posts · 684 views

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Original section: Road Cycling
Published: 22 July 2003
Last activity: 23 July 2003
Original author: Guess Who
Posts: 8
Discussion status: Public discussion
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Original post
Guess Who
Archived post

22 July 2003, 21:40 UTC #1

A few years ago I was staying on Beech mtn. and down and up it. This was before Lance's comeback
ride on it, but after the Tour DuPont. Loved seeing Lance's name on the road and reading about it in
Lance's book.
It certainly was tough for me, took me 30 minutes for 3 miles. I looked it up today on the net and
supposedly the elevation goes up 1450 feet in 3 miles. I know it's shorter than the climbs in the
tour, just curious how the climbing angle compares.
Thanks

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Nick Burns
Archived post

22 July 2003, 22:00 UTC #2

"guess who" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
A few years ago I was staying on Beech mtn. and down and up it. This was before Lance's comeback
ride on it, but after the Tour DuPont. Loved

seeing
Quoted message said:
Lance's name on the road and reading about it in Lance's book.
It certainly was tough for me, took me 30 minutes for 3 miles. I looked it up today on the net and
supposedly the elevation goes up 1450 feet in 3 miles. I know it's shorter than the climbs in the
tour, just curious how

the
Quoted message said:
climbing angle compares.
Thanks
If your climb goes 483' per mile (5280 feet), that means 483/5280 = 9.15% average grade. Most climbs
in the Tour are longer but average around 7%. There are plenty that are steeper though.

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Antti Salonen
Archived post

22 July 2003, 22:00 UTC #3

guess who said:
A few years ago I was staying on Beech mtn. and down and up it. This was before Lance's comeback
ride on it, but after the Tour DuPont. Loved seeing Lance's name on the road and reading about it
in Lance's book.
Quoted message said:
It certainly was tough for me, took me 30 minutes for 3 miles. I looked it up today on the net and
supposedly the elevation goes up 1450 feet in 3 miles. I know it's shorter than the climbs in the
tour, just curious how the climbing angle compares.
That's an average gradient of about 9%. Most big climbs in the grand tours have a slightly lower
average gradient, but as you say, they are often a lot longer. Of course many famous climbs have
sections which are steeper than that 9%.
-as

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Guess Who
Archived post

22 July 2003, 22:20 UTC #4

"Antti Salonen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
guess who said:
A few years ago I was staying on Beech mtn. and down and up it. This was before Lance's comeback
ride on it, but after the Tour DuPont. Loved

seeing
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
Lance's name on the road and reading about it in Lance's book.
Quoted message said:
It certainly was tough for me, took me 30 minutes for 3 miles. I looked

it
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
up today on the net and supposedly the elevation goes up 1450 feet in 3 miles. I know it's
shorter than the climbs in the tour, just curious how

the
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
climbing angle compares.
That's an average gradient of about 9%. Most big climbs in the grand tours have a slightly lower
average gradient, but as you say, they are often a lot longer. Of course many famous climbs have
sections which are steeper than that 9%.
-as
there were steeper sections of my climb too, but no way I could have gone too much further.

Report
Guess Who
Archived post

22 July 2003, 22:40 UTC #5

Thanks Nick and Antti! "Antti Salonen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
guess who said:
A few years ago I was staying on Beech mtn. and down and up it. This was before Lance's comeback
ride on it, but after the Tour DuPont. Loved

seeing
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
Lance's name on the road and reading about it in Lance's book.
Quoted message said:
It certainly was tough for me, took me 30 minutes for 3 miles. I looked

it
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
up today on the net and supposedly the elevation goes up 1450 feet in 3 miles. I know it's
shorter than the climbs in the tour, just curious how

the
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
climbing angle compares.
That's an average gradient of about 9%. Most big climbs in the grand tours have a slightly lower
average gradient, but as you say, they are often a lot longer. Of course many famous climbs have
sections which are steeper than that 9%.
-as

Report
Steve Blankensh
Archived post

23 July 2003, 01:21 UTC #6

FYI - just ran a quick profile of Beech with TopoUSA; it averages 10% over about 3 miles, but has
some sections in the high teens to around 20%, especially in some of the upper switchbacks. Short
but steep, and of course in DuPont it always was the finishing climb of a long day in the mountains.
Roan Mountain's another good climb up in that area that they did in DuPont as well; about three
times as long as Beech, it was ranked as a UCI Category 1 climb early in the stage to Beech Mtn.
Rode the RR that finishes on top of Roan back in June (got spanked) and a teammate who'd been in the
Alps last year said it was about like the climb to La Plagne.
"guess who" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Thanks Nick and Antti! "Antti Salonen" <[email hidden]> wrote in

message
Quoted message said:
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
guess who said:
A few years ago I was staying on Beech mtn. and down and up it. This

was
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
before Lance's comeback ride on it, but after the Tour DuPont. Loved

seeing
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
Lance's name on the road and reading about it in Lance's book.
Quoted message said:
It certainly was tough for me, took me 30 minutes for 3 miles. I

looked
Quoted message said:
it
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
up today on the net and supposedly the elevation goes up 1450 feet in

3
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
miles. I know it's shorter than the climbs in the tour, just curious

how
Quoted message said:
the
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
climbing angle compares.
That's an average gradient of about 9%. Most big climbs in the grand tours have a slightly lower
average gradient, but as you say, they are often a lot longer. Of course many famous climbs have
sections which are steeper than that 9%.
-as

Report
Guess Who
Archived post

23 July 2003, 01:41 UTC #7

Steve-- I thought there were some seriously steep parts (especially those switchbacks). Congrats on
your ride. alan
"Steve Blankenship" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
FYI - just ran a quick profile of Beech with TopoUSA; it averages 10% over about 3 miles, but has
some sections in the high teens to around 20%, especially in some of the upper switchbacks. Short
but steep, and of

course
Quoted message said:
in DuPont it always was the finishing climb of a long day in the

mountains.
Quoted message said:
Roan Mountain's another good climb up in that area that they did in DuPont as well; about three
times as long as Beech, it was ranked as a UCI

Category
Quoted message said:
1 climb early in the stage to Beech Mtn. Rode the RR that finishes on top of Roan back in June
(got spanked) and a teammate who'd been in the Alps last year said it was about like the climb to
La Plagne.
"guess who" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Thanks Nick and Antti! "Antti Salonen" <[email hidden]> wrote in

message
Quoted message said:
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
guess who <[email hidden]> wrote:
> A few years ago I was staying on Beech mtn. and down and up it. This

was
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
> before Lance's comeback ride on it, but after the Tour DuPont. Loved

seeing
Quoted message said:
> Lance's name on the road and reading about it in Lance's book.
> It certainly was tough for me, took me 30 minutes for 3 miles. I

looked
Quoted message said:
it
Quoted message said:
> up today on the net and supposedly the elevation goes up 1450 feet

in
Quoted message said:
3
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
> miles. I know it's shorter than the climbs in the tour, just curious

how
Quoted message said:
the
Quoted message said:
> climbing angle compares.
That's an average gradient of about 9%. Most big climbs in the grand tours have a slightly
lower average gradient, but as you say, they are often a lot longer. Of course many famous
climbs have sections which

are
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
steeper than that 9%.
-as

Report
Guess Who
Archived post

23 July 2003, 01:41 UTC #8

that Topo USA is a very cool program. "Steve Blankenship" <[email hidden]> wrote
in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
FYI - just ran a quick profile of Beech with TopoUSA; it averages 10% over about 3 miles, but has
some sections in the high teens to around 20%, especially in some of the upper switchbacks. Short
but steep, and of

course
Quoted message said:
in DuPont it always was the finishing climb of a long day in the

mountains.
Quoted message said:
Roan Mountain's another good climb up in that area that they did in DuPont as well; about three
times as long as Beech, it was ranked as a UCI

Category
Quoted message said:
1 climb early in the stage to Beech Mtn. Rode the RR that finishes on top of Roan back in June
(got spanked) and a teammate who'd been in the Alps last year said it was about like the climb to
La Plagne.
"guess who" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Thanks Nick and Antti! "Antti Salonen" <[email hidden]> wrote in

message
Quoted message said:
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
guess who <[email hidden]> wrote:
> A few years ago I was staying on Beech mtn. and down and up it. This

was
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
> before Lance's comeback ride on it, but after the Tour DuPont. Loved

seeing
Quoted message said:
> Lance's name on the road and reading about it in Lance's book.
> It certainly was tough for me, took me 30 minutes for 3 miles. I

looked
Quoted message said:
it
Quoted message said:
> up today on the net and supposedly the elevation goes up 1450 feet

in
Quoted message said:
3
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
> miles. I know it's shorter than the climbs in the tour, just curious

how
Quoted message said:
the
Quoted message said:
> climbing angle compares.
That's an average gradient of about 9%. Most big climbs in the grand tours have a slightly
lower average gradient, but as you say, they are often a lot longer. Of course many famous
climbs have sections which

are
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
steeper than that 9%.
-as

Report

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