Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

MichaelB wrote:

Dazzman wrote:for all of you out training for the TDU up Gorge Rd, if you are looking for a different challenge, try Torrens Hill Rd.....p

No thanks. Have ridden past it and a brief side glance is enough to say no thanks

+1 drove up it once to see what it was like, decided not to tackle it on bike for a while yet.

shiv wrote:

MichaelB wrote:

Dazzman wrote:for all of you out training for the TDU up Gorge Rd, if you are looking for a different challenge, try Torrens Hill Rd.....p

No thanks. Have ridden past it and a brief side glance is enough to say no thanks

+1 drove up it once to see what it was like, decided not to tackle it on bike for a while yet.

Coming down it is a bit hairy too,if you have not got your speed under control when is sweeps to the right it is over the railing and game over the other side of gorge rd.

finally gave Morphett Rd a go today for the first time. The first few rises were not too bad but the very last 100-200 metres was severe! Coming back down was a bit hairy too...

Ben85 wrote:Education road, Happy Valley. Ive never made it to the top. Only tried once though. Only short climb and you dont spend any time in the saddle

Education road is my favorite down hill run - 83.4kph last time! It is a grind going up though.
I rode up Oakridge road in Aberfoyle Park yesterday - that is pretty steep.
Dan

When Im in need of a little suffering I just head up coach road. No ones mentioned it though so maybe it doesnt compare to the rest of these climbs being tossed about

Last time I went up I was using my carbon rims, so braking became a little sketchy



Its a bit fuzzy, but the top number shows the max speed of 90.6 - into a freaking headwind

Yeah, but you're doing 55.7kmh standing still...

ok, kidding.

Coach Road is pretty steep, nice right hander as you come down the hill. Coming up, there's a turn off on the right, takes you down into the valley a bit, hooks over a bridge then starts climbing the other side. Eventually hooks up with the top of Coach via a pretty serious painfest... ever tried that one?

edit: Knox Terrace, according to Google maps, then McBeath Drive.

Thats 55km total trip

Havent tried said route, maybe tonight after my scheduled ride.

For the record, though its probably a little OT, none of these climbs Ive done around Adelaide compare to some of the hurt fests I came accross in France and Italy

90.6 - Woo Hoo!
I haven't ridden coach rd, it sounds fun!

Dan

The only problem with Coach Rd is that its residential and its hard to (safely) control your speed. I had no intention of going that fast, but I had my race wheels on which have carbon braking tracks so it wasnt as easy to slow down.

I in no way would condone riding said road (or any others) with only the intention of exceeding the speed limit. We dont want a pissing competition to start here

Later
B

adelaidecyclist wrote:Check out Tregarthen Rd sometime if you're into the whole frustration thing.

That's where I set my all time fastest speed record of 112.0km/h ! Err I mean 80km/h because that's the speed limit.

A nice little short & steep hill is on I think Sherwood Tce near St Georges/Beaumont. Then get onto Hayward Drv and carry on up the climb to Mt Osmond.
Joins up with the old freeway bike track. Climbing from the bike track side isn't too bad either, but once you've got up the first hill it's easier, better to to come from the other side if you want a decent climb I think.

Another one is Ackland Hill - from the city go Unley Rd, get up to Belair, Blackwood, stay on the Main Rd go through Coromandel Valley and Ackland Hill is a left. Nice road surface. Takes you to Cherry Gardens.
What I normally do then is take a right into Morgan Rd, left into Scott Creek Rd, then through Ironbank to Longwood Rd which brings you into Stirling, so take Ayers Hill Rd to Crafers then come back down the freeway path.

Instead of heading down the crafers bike, turn left after Ayres Hill Rd and descend down Upper Sturt Rd. Lots of twisty descending parts and easy to maintain a high speed. Then it's a small climb into Belair and then another descent down Belair Rd. All up about 15kms of descending.

Biffidus wrote:

rustychisel wrote:Oh, there is undoubtedly a steeper road somewhere, lots of them in fact. Next time you're in the Eastern suburbs ride up Kensington Road, through the Hallett Road roundabout, keep going, through the next roundabout, keep going up... swing right, oh, that's steep

Do you mean this one? I can't make out the gradient on the sign but it looks pretty steep.

Managed it last night (needed a couple of rest breaks)

man that is steep. The Edge 305 says a rise of 159m over 1.27km.

And yep, there is a 15% gradient sign on the way down.

Anyone know the gradient for Checker Hill, from each side?

Try `www.cycle2max.com or hillclimber.com, both are great websites with heaps of detailed climbs around adelaide and the world. Gives you altitudes, gradients, ans will even work out average watts and vertical metres climbed per minute

Wino wrote:Anyone know the gradient for Checker Hill, from each side?

Had a go at this on friday,not sure of exact gradient,but pretty tough.Harder than corkscrew,as it goes straight up at the steepest pitch,almost intimidating.

Ben85 wrote:Education road, Happy Valley. Ive never made it to the top. Only tried once though. Only short climb and you dont spend any time in the saddle

Oooooooh yeh! My parents place was down the bottom of that hill..... only ever rode up it on my mtb (years and years ago) and that was only to the 90 degree left hand bend!

Wino wrote:Anyone know the gradient for Checker Hill, from each side?

elevation and gradient data recorded by a Garmin 705 heading east from Little Para Rd to Forreston Rd.
I would suggest you smooth out the data at the 1.6km mark as that is as far as I got and I walked the last 200m

The data on the online sites is not suitable for close examination as it is interpolated data from a grid taken every 90 metres. 90 meters is a long way when on quickly changing terrain.

Thanks for that. Thats impressive. 18% !! I think I would even have trouble WALKING the whole way.

I'll stick to trying to conquer Fox Creek for the time being.

Where is Checker Hill? Ive made it up corkscrew so this could be a next challenge. Maybe. When Im feeling brave. Maybe

Its a country road between Little Para Rd (Kersbrook) and Forreston Rd (Forreston). Basically out near Gumeracha. Its always on the TDU and even a few of the pro's struggle - just a little.

It doesnt look that steep in the car, give it a go!

it is steep very steep i just manage to ride all of it from the forreston side with a few stops but gave up after about 100 m from the kersbrook side. i swear it took me 15 min to walk the remaining like 600 m. very hard but good fun

I get concerned about going down the western side. If my speed gets too high my weight (a Clydesdale) means that the brakes might stop me from going faster but they will not slow me down.
It is not a hill I enjoy. If I work hard climbing, I like to get my thrills with a good fast and flowing decent.

Wino wrote:Its a country road between Little Para Rd (Kersbrook) and Forreston Rd (Forreston). Basically out near Gumeracha. Its always on the TDU and even a few of the pro's struggle - just a little.

i've been there - cool place!

Clydesdale Scot wrote:means that the brakes might stop me from going faster but they will not slow me down.
It is not a hill I enjoy. If I work hard climbing, I like to get my thrills with a good fast and flowing decent.

very true

I think it's Sherbrook Rd in Belair(?) that has a sign on it as 18% I think. Just a short hill, but steep!

My old loop was nice and hilly.

Start at Stirling, go to Crafers BP, turn right up to Mt Lofty Summit Rd, follow to Greenhill Rd. Left and down Greenhill Rd, left at Portrush Rd, Left at Glen Osmond/Freeway, Left at Sunnyside, left at Glynburn, Right at Greenhill Rd, Left at Hallett Rd, Right at Kensington, Left at the shops (forgot rd name), right at Magill, Left at Norton Summit, follow that back to Greenhill Rd, Left on Greenhill Rd, Right on Piccadilly and back to Crafers, Left at Roundabout and around into Stirling. Never had a computer when I rode it so no idea of distance, but a nice hilly ride with great suburban and country scenery.

I've just moved to Melbourne and I live 50m from a road sign that says 22% (Morris Rd, Upwey)!! I just got my bike back together yesterday, but it's not going to be a kind hill just 50m from a cold start!!!