longest bicycle descent?

Quoted message said:

What are the longest (not steepest) descents?

That is, where would a lazy fellow get to coast the
farthest? A little pedalling is acceptable, here and there,
but the descent in general has to be steady and steep enough
to allow 15-20 mph coasting, which translates to around a 2
to 3% grade.

I'd think the 38 mile ride in Maui would be in the running.
This page indicates that you have to pedal for 400 yards of
that distance.
http://www.mauidownhill.com/

"Peter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What are the longest (not steepest) descents?

That is, where would a lazy fellow get to coast the
farthest? A little pedalling is acceptable, here and there,
but the descent in general has to be steady and steep enough
to allow 15-20 mph coasting, which translates to around a 2
to 3% grade.

I'd think the 38 mile ride in Maui would be in the running.
This page indicates that you have to pedal for 400 yards of
that distance.
http://www.mauidownhill.com/

We had this thread a few years ago, and I think this was the
winner. From my own experience, though, there is a really long
descent down the Lochsa River near the Idaho/Montana border. It
is 65 miles or so, but a very mild grade -- probably in 3- 4 %
range on average. I have only gone up. The back side of the
Rockies also has some really long descents, although they can get
saw-toothed and require pedalling. -- Jay Beattie.

Quoted message said:

What are the longest (not steepest) descents?

That is, where would a lazy fellow get to coast the
farthest? A little pedalling is acceptable, here and there,
but the descent in general has to be steady and steep enough
to allow 15-20 mph coasting, which translates to around a 2
to 3% grade.

Haleakala on Maui: a 38-mile (61km) road between 10,000' (3050m)
and sea level. Search the newsgroups for ride reports of the climb
and descent.

Mt Evans to Idaho Springs in Colorado drops around 6720' (2050m)
in about 28 miles (45km). If you don't mind a short climb, you can
turn at Echo Lake and go over the Squaw Pass road to Bergen Park,
Evergreen, and down to Morrison. I think that would be about 48
miles (77km), from around 14150' (4314m) to 5800' (1768m). It does
have the climb from Echo Lake to Juniper Pass and a couple of short
uphill sections between Bergen Park and Evergreen, and most of the
grade between Evergreen and Morrison is pretty shallow, requiring
pedaling in many places. But it's still a lot of downhill.

Teide on Tenerife in the Canaries appears to have several roads
between 29-40 miles (47-64km) long going from 7626' (2325m) to
sea level. Anybody ridden there?

--
Michael Fuhr
http://www.fuhr.org/~mfuhr/

On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 18:16:12 -0700, Peter <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What are the longest (not steepest) descents?

That is, where would a lazy fellow get to coast the
farthest? A little pedalling is acceptable, here and there,
but the descent in general has to be steady and steep enough
to allow 15-20 mph coasting, which translates to around a 2
to 3% grade.

I'd think the 38 mile ride in Maui would be in the running.
This page indicates that you have to pedal for 400 yards of
that distance.
http://www.mauidownhill.com/

A couple of weeks ago while on our annual cycling trip to Colorado we
drove Colorado Route 14 from Cameron Pass almost into Fort Collins.
For most of that distance the road parallels the Cache La Poudre
River. While I wasn't paying particular attention to whether or not
the road ever went up, it seems to me it was predominantly down for
well in excess of 40 miles. I suppose I could drag out my "Streets &
Trips" CD and check the mileage, but it's late and I just don't feel
like it tonight.

Any locals know if there are any significant ascents along that route?

jeverett3<AT>earthlink<DOT>net http://home.earthlink.net/~jeverett3

In article <[email hidden]>,

John Everett said:

A couple of weeks ago while on our annual cycling trip to Colorado we
drove Colorado Route 14 from Cameron Pass almost into Fort Collins.

[snip]

Quoted message said:

Any locals know if there are any significant ascents along that route?

As I remember it from earlier this summer, there is one climb near the
top that you can't coast over and many places where the road goes up a
little bit but one can coast over them. However, there is typically an
up-canyon wind in the afternoons, and in the lower parts of the canyon
the grade is often slight enough that you need to pedal against the wind
to keep any reasonable speed.

The Bicycle Tour of Colorado did this stretch of road in 2004, and the
profile is available at the following link. Cameron Pass is the highest
point in the profile, about 30 miles from the start point in Walden, and
Fort Collins is at the end. Ted's Place is about 10 miles from Fort
Collins.

http://www.bicycletourcolorado.com/images/btcimages/images/Profiles/Day6.
htm

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Dave

John Everett wrote in part:

<< ...Colorado Route 14 from Cameron Pass almost into Fort Collins.
For most of that distance the road parallels the Cache La Poudre
River. ...>>

<< Any locals know if there are any significant ascents along that route? >>

I was going to say Cameron Pass to the
Fort but you beat me to it. Must be at
least 70k.

No there are no big climbs that I can
recall but there are some flats
around Chambers Lake.
Cameron Pass is only like
10,200 feet--seems taller.

Robert

Quoted message said:

What are the longest (not steepest) descents?

That is, where would a lazy fellow get to coast the farthest? A
little pedalling is acceptable, here and there, but the descent in
general has to be steady and steep enough to allow 15-20 mph
coasting, which translates to around a 2 to 3% grade.

From the top of the Galibier to Embrun looks to be just about all
downhill, maybe 45 miles? It's a drop from 2646 meters to about 475
meters. I haven't ridden that road past Briancon, so I don't know if
there's any climbing between there and Embrun. Going the other way
from Galibier into Grenoble brings one from 2646 meters to about 250
meters, if my Michelin atlas is correct. I don't feel like adding up
all the little numbers to get the distance, but it looks to be about
50 miles. It wouldn't be all downhill, there'd be streches you'd have
to pedal and a couple of slight rises. I remember it being a long way
down from the top of the Izoard to Guillestre, maybe 20 miles. These
are good quality descents as well as long ones.

Quoted message said:

What are the longest (not steepest) descents?

Reading the "on Bush and his crashes" thread from start to finish at one
sitting.

--
Tom Sherman

Tim McNamara said:

Quoted message said:

What are the longest (not steepest) descents?

That is, where would a lazy fellow get to coast the farthest? A
little pedalling is acceptable, here and there, but the descent in
general has to be steady and steep enough to allow 15-20 mph
coasting, which translates to around a 2 to 3% grade.

From the top of the Galibier to Embrun looks to be just about all
downhill, maybe 45 miles? It's a drop from 2646 meters to about 475
meters. I haven't ridden that road past Briancon, so I don't know if
there's any climbing between there and Embrun. Going the other way
from Galibier into Grenoble brings one from 2646 meters to about 250
meters, if my Michelin atlas is correct. I don't feel like adding up
all the little numbers to get the distance, but it looks to be about
50 miles. It wouldn't be all downhill, there'd be streches you'd have
to pedal and a couple of slight rises. I remember it being a long way
down from the top of the Izoard to Guillestre, maybe 20 miles. These
are good quality descents as well as long ones.

Dear Tim,

Maybe the middle entry, the one called Chatelard?

http://ciclismo.sitiasp.it/motore2.aspx?sid=9594b8de77024ab2a4c319542f0ceaaf&lingua=eng&filtra=galibier&pagina=1&lista=false&da=az&url=tutte&R2=V1&come=af&qp=20

or

http://tinyurl.com/5lkuo

Clicking on it shows a relief graph with gradients running
around 35 km (and maybe more, since the graph goes down to
only 700 meters above sea level), but there's an ugly 5km
3.4% climb in the middle.

Carl Fogel

Quoted message said:

What are the longest (not steepest) descents?

That is, where would a lazy fellow get to coast the
farthest? A little pedalling is acceptable, here and there,
but the descent in general has to be steady and steep enough
to allow 15-20 mph coasting, which translates to around a 2
to 3% grade.

Carl Fogel

This one is probably not the longest one, but is nice (notice: start:
700m, end: 3400m!!!).
http://www.salite.ch/veleta.htm
I did it this summer and is a must when visiting the South of the Spain!

Francesco

"Jay Beattie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

... From my own experience, though, there is a really long
descent down the Lochsa River near the Idaho/Montana border. It
is 65 miles or so, but a very mild grade -- probably in 3- 4 %
range on average.

That would be an elevation change in the range of about 10,300 to
13,700 feet over that distance. I expect your estimate of the grade is
a bit high. I would also expect that if it is a road following a
river, it may be any easy cruise but is probably not truly
"coastable."

DR

"DirtRoadie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Jay Beattie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

... From my own experience, though, there is a really long
descent down the Lochsa River near the Idaho/Montana border.

It

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

is 65 miles or so, but a very mild grade -- probably in 3- 4

%

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

range on average.

That would be an elevation change in the range of about 10,300

to

Quoted message said:

13,700 feet over that distance. I expect your estimate of the

grade is

Quoted message said:

a bit high. I would also expect that if it is a road following

a

Quoted message said:

river, it may be any easy cruise but is probably not truly
"coastable."

True. At a 3-4% grade it would gain way too much elevation. So
much for personal recollection. This used to be part of the
Bikecentennial route, so it should be documented somewhere. --
Jay Beattie.

[email hidden] wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

What are the longest (not steepest) descents?

That is, where would a lazy fellow get to coast the
farthest? A little pedalling is acceptable, here and there,
but the descent in general has to be steady and steep enough
to allow 15-20 mph coasting, which translates to around a 2
to 3% grade.

Carl Fogel

It ain't Maui, but Highway 138 on the north side of Crater Lake,
Oregon, descends 6300 feet in 65 miles. It was featured on this year's
edition of Oregon Bicycle Ride: http://www.oregonbicycleride.org . My
wife and I got to the first rest stop on the last day in one hour- a
distance of 30 miles.

Jeff

[email hidden] wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

What are the longest (not steepest) descents?

That is, where would a lazy fellow get to coast the
farthest? A little pedalling is acceptable, here and there,
but the descent in general has to be steady and steep enough
to allow 15-20 mph coasting, which translates to around a 2
to 3% grade.

Carl Fogel

It ain't Maui, but Highway 138 on the north side of Crater Lake,
Oregon, descends 6300 feet in 65 miles. It was featured on this year's
edition of Oregon Bicycle Ride: http://www.oregonbicycleride.org . My
wife and I got to the first rest stop on the last day in one hour- a
distance of 30 miles.

Jeff

Jay Beattie said:

"DirtRoadie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Jay Beattie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

... From my own experience, though, there is a really long
descent down the Lochsa River near the Idaho/Montana border.

It

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

is 65 miles or so, but a very mild grade -- probably in 3- 4

%

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

range on average.

That would be an elevation change in the range of about 10,300

to

Quoted message said:

13,700 feet over that distance. I expect your estimate of the

grade is

Quoted message said:

a bit high. I would also expect that if it is a road following

a

Quoted message said:

river, it may be any easy cruise but is probably not truly
"coastable."

True. At a 3-4% grade it would gain way too much elevation. So
much for personal recollection. This used to be part of the
Bikecentennial route, so it should be documented somewhere. --
Jay Beattie.

it's still on adventure cycling's transamerica route. from lolo pass
outside of missoula to the downhill section from powell junction to lowell.
i just did this westbound (downhill) summer of 2002 and it's more like 1-2%.
it's definitely not coastable but it's pretty consistently downhill from
powell junction to lowell for about 65 miles.

http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/transamerica.cfm?pg=detail&s=3

not that i wasn't happy to be going downhill since it's the longest stretch
on the transam w/o services. and one of the prettiest.

mackenzie pass in the cascades was pretty long westbound and so was the whole
chief joseph pass section also on the transam. the fastest was white bird,
idaho (also west bound).
--
david reuteler
[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

Tim McNamara said:

Quoted message said:

What are the longest (not steepest) descents?

That is, where would a lazy fellow get to coast the farthest? A
little pedalling is acceptable, here and there, but the descent in
general has to be steady and steep enough to allow 15-20 mph
coasting, which translates to around a 2 to 3% grade.

From the top of the Galibier to Embrun looks to be just about all
downhill, maybe 45 miles? It's a drop from 2646 meters to about 475
meters. I haven't ridden that road past Briancon, so I don't know
if there's any climbing between there and Embrun. Going the other
way from Galibier into Grenoble brings one from 2646 meters to about
250 meters, if my Michelin atlas is correct. I don't feel like
adding up all the little numbers to get the distance, but it looks
to be about 50 miles. It wouldn't be all downhill, there'd be
streches you'd have to pedal and a couple of slight rises. I
remember it being a long way down from the top of the Izoard to
Guillestre, maybe 20 miles. These are good quality descents as well
as long ones.

Dear Tim,

Maybe the middle entry, the one called Chatelard?

http://tinyurl.com/5lkuo

Clicking on it shows a relief graph with gradients running around 35
km (and maybe more, since the graph goes down to only 700 meters
above sea level), but there's an ugly 5km 3.4% climb in the middle.

I've gone up that in the other direction, from St. Michel de Maurienne
up to Galibier. From the Galibier side, that "ugly climb" ((which is
the Col du Telegraphe) would be barely noticeable- you'd coast up a
fair amount of it and a 3.4% climb is not so much to climb. It's
much tougher going up the other side of Telegraphe. ;-)

(DirtRoadie) said:

"Jay Beattie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

... From my own experience, though, there is a really long
descent down the Lochsa River near the Idaho/Montana border. It
is 65 miles or so, but a very mild grade -- probably in 3- 4 %
range on average.

That would be an elevation change in the range of about 10,300 to
13,700 feet over that distance. I expect your estimate of the grade is
a bit high. I would also expect that if it is a road following a
river, it may be any easy cruise but is probably not truly
"coastable."

He mentioned that he only rode it going up, so that means the estimate's going
to be on the high side.

Ron

"RonSonic" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On 31 Aug 2004 05:46:51 -0700, [email hidden] (DirtRoadie)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"Jay Beattie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

... From my own experience, though, there is a really long
descent down the Lochsa River near the Idaho/Montana border.

It

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

is 65 miles or so, but a very mild grade -- probably in 3- 4

%

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

range on average.

That would be an elevation change in the range of about 10,300

to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

13,700 feet over that distance. I expect your estimate of the

grade is

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

a bit high. I would also expect that if it is a road following

a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

river, it may be any easy cruise but is probably not truly
"coastable."

He mentioned that he only rode it going up, so that means the

estimate's going

Quoted message said:

to be on the high side.

Always! I will never get an inclinometer or altimeter for fear
of learning that all my 2000 foot climbs are only 1000 foot
climbs -- or that my 10% climbs are only 7%. I was totally
bummed out after buying my first Avocet cyclometer in the early
'80s and finding that my long rides were not as long as I thought
by about 15%. I have no electronics on any of my bikes, but I
may go back to racing next year and buy a cyclometer just to keep
myself honest about speed and distance. -- Jay Beattie.