Old Freeway Path Leads To...

by76
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Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby by76 » Wed Apr 28, 2010 10:21 pm

Which road does the old freeway bike path hit if you go past the bollards at the end and come to the end of the path (left turn going up, right turn going down)? I think it is Mt Lofty Rd / Mt Lofty Scenic route, but not really sure as I was just looking for another hill.
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alltorque
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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby alltorque » Wed Apr 28, 2010 11:54 pm

yeah if you go right, you go down a bit towards a roundabout then if you go left from there, it's straight up Mt Lofty Summit road which is a fairly steady climb...or if you continue on after the bollards there's a few options through the back streets...Blackburn road is one of them...short but sharp climb that's guaranteed to get that heart rate pumping!! check it out on google maps

kiwigeo
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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby kiwigeo » Thu May 20, 2010 7:54 pm

Carry on through to Stirling and you'll find my driveway...I can barely get up it in lowest gear! On the plus side..theres always cold beer waiting at the top!

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Solirossi
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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby Solirossi » Thu May 27, 2010 4:23 pm

what is the best way to get to the old freeway path? Do you go on the path at the bottom of the new freeway then turn off at devils elbow and climb up the old freeway itself? or is it a path? Iv never ridden up there but would be interested to do so.

brauluver
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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby brauluver » Thu May 27, 2010 5:50 pm

Solirossi wrote:what is the best way to get to the old freeway path? Do you go on the path at the bottom of the new freeway then turn off at devils elbow and climb up the old freeway itself? or is it a path? Iv never ridden up there but would be interested to do so.
Yep, take the path to the left just after motel.Follow it up and under the crossover to devils elbow, then it's straight up the old road, with a kerb or barrier between you and the non existant traffic.On the way down you can use the whole left side of the road, both lanes with confidence.

by76
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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby by76 » Thu May 27, 2010 9:15 pm

Its a decent ride too if you don't mind some hills. There is one section just before the mountain bike park that seems to kick up pretty steeply (near the lookout) - does anyone know what gradient it is at that section?
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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby brauluver » Thu May 27, 2010 10:28 pm

Dunno, but it's the only bit I get out of the saddle for.
I'd done that ride a coupla times and felt good, then I tailed a fit dude ona whizz bang euro carbon jobbie, from the toll gate one day.he broke from me twice and I caught him up, but he finally dropped me with an out of saddle concerted effort on that rise.I learnt a lot about how to tackle that ride from his display that day.Last time I did it I nailed it and passed everyone I encountered.
Must get up there soon, again, it's been too long since the thrill of the descent from Lofty.
When are you planning to do it solirossi?
It's an 80 ker return from my place, so would be another 20 odd fro you.

Solirossi
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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby Solirossi » Fri May 28, 2010 10:31 am

thanks for the info guys, brauluver i am thinking of going for a ride on sunday morning, its my only day off this week and I wan to get out on the road, as to if im feeling fit enough for that loop im not entierly sure. Ill see how i feel tomorrow and let you know.

CliffG
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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby CliffG » Fri May 28, 2010 12:33 pm

There is one section just before the mountain bike park that seems to kick up pretty steeply (near the lookout) - does anyone know what gradient it is at that section?
According to my gps logs its a smidge under 9% at koala corner. Not so bad, if you haven't blown up completely by then.

Mentally I break the climb up into thirds and work on getting each section paced right. Tollgate to Devils elbow, Elbow to koala corner, koala corner to bollards.
Unforunately somedays there seems to be a fourth third slipped in there somewhere. :(

rustychisel
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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby rustychisel » Fri May 28, 2010 1:33 pm

I would suspect your GPS is too coarse an instrument to be entirely accurate. Most of the climb would be around 7% but where Koala Corner scoops out there's a short section of much more like 12%

by76
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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby by76 » Fri May 28, 2010 2:05 pm

Around 11 - 12% is what I heard a couple of guys saying last weekend as they went past me (just what I wanted to here after the dozen or so beers from the previous night were trying to put together a rapid exit plan). Been up there a few times and breaking the hills into sections seems to be the best theory, and I think luckily the really steep sections are only short. Is coming up Greenhill rd to mt lofty steeper than the freeway path? Feels it going down but hard to compare without having ridden up greenhill.
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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby rustychisel » Fri May 28, 2010 2:26 pm

after the lumps getting up to Hallett Road the main Greenhill Road climb is a solid 8~9% and there's nowhere to have a breather. It's pretty tough... 3 x repetitions of that is not as hard as Mt Ventoux. Greenhill Road is also pretty narrow and the cars whizz along it so is rated as pretty dangerous by lots of riders. Many people I know won't go down it either cause they say the armco and dropoffs are too dangerous... whatever. When the road is in good repair it's a nice ride (but it isn't at present, if I recall from last time I came down it).

split_city
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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby split_city » Sat May 29, 2010 1:38 am

The trek up to Mt Lofty along the old freeway. I remember it well. I used to ride from Marion, up Goodwood, then Cross Rd, the freeway and then the old freeway. Not bad with a mountain bike. You "roadies" have it easy :lol: I haven't done that ride for over a year. I would love to try again, but the wife is expecting our first born child in a few weeks. No bike riding for a while :(

alex
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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby alex » Mon May 31, 2010 10:53 am

rustychisel wrote:after the lumps getting up to Hallett Road the main Greenhill Road climb is a solid 8~9% and there's nowhere to have a breather. It's pretty tough... 3 x repetitions of that is not as hard as Mt Ventoux. Greenhill Road is also pretty narrow and the cars whizz along it so is rated as pretty dangerous by lots of riders. Many people I know won't go down it either cause they say the armco and dropoffs are too dangerous... whatever. When the road is in good repair it's a nice ride (but it isn't at present, if I recall from last time I came down it).
agree that greenhill rd is a bit iffy going up (gotta pick the right time of day) and a bit bumpy coming down at the moment, the cracks are opening up again, the (car) braking points are getting a bit lumpy and could do with a bit of work but it probably wouldnt even be noticable in a car so not much of a chance that any of it will be smoothed out any time soon
if i get killed while out on my bike i dont want a 'memorial ride' by random punters i have never met.

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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby arkle » Mon May 31, 2010 3:59 pm

If you really want to feel inadequate have a look at this http://www.cycle2max.com/bike-hill-clim ... spx?id=925

arkle
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MichaelB
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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby MichaelB » Tue Jun 01, 2010 9:09 am

arkle wrote:If you really want to feel inadequate have a look at this http://www.cycle2max.com/bike-hill-clim ... spx?id=925

arkle
The quickest I have done it is 47:14, but that is to the base of the Mt Lofty Lookout turnoff.

My goal each time doing it is to pass someone, at least one person 8)

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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby brauluver » Sun Jun 06, 2010 2:03 pm

arkle wrote:If you really want to feel inadequate have a look at this http://www.cycle2max.com/bike-hill-clim ... spx?id=925

arkle
Went up for the first time in ages today.
Rolling start at lights to bollards in 29 mins.
Who's next?

got a wet tail but :roll:

CliffG
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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby CliffG » Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:32 am

brauluver wrote: Went up for the first time in ages today.
Rolling start at lights to bollards in 29 mins.
Who's next?

got a wet tail but :roll:
Sub 30 to the bollards - Nice 8)

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Dahondude
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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby Dahondude » Mon Jun 07, 2010 1:06 pm

25.5 min is my best time but that was a few years back. At the moment I am happy to do it around the 28 min mark but hoping to drop this by a few minutes before the trip to Europe :D
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MichaelB
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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby MichaelB » Mon Jun 07, 2010 2:36 pm

Hmmm, I'd love to do it sub 30. The gauntlet has been thrown .....


BTW, what is the road going up to Mt Osmond like in terms of climb % and space/traffic ? Have ridden past it many a time, but never gone up it ?

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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby arkle » Mon Jun 07, 2010 2:46 pm

Now I feel like a total loser. I can't even get below the 36 minute mark.

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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby rustychisel » Mon Jun 07, 2010 3:43 pm

MichaelB wrote:Hmmm, I'd love to do it sub 30. The gauntlet has been thrown .....


BTW, what is the road going up to Mt Osmond like in terms of climb % and space/traffic ? Have ridden past it many a time, but never gone up it ?

You can go up it either way, from freeway path or via Burnside (Caithness Road) so I assume you mean the former. It's steep. narrow at the top, and there's a few cars on it most of the time you'd be riding it since it essentially services quite a few residences there now. Gradient I'd suggest 10~12% peaking around 14% but not for long. Climb itself might be 1 1/2km then another km or so across the top. Plunging descent with 2 switchbacks into the gully. If your brakes aren't up to it just forget it (I'm serious!!!). Fun little ride. At the bottom after the 2nd switchback, either go straigh down to Sunnyside Road or roll 400m then look for a street with a sharp incline on the right (Caithness). That'll take you to the bus terminus area on Dashwood Road above Devereaux Rd.

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Dahondude
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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby Dahondude » Mon Jun 07, 2010 4:24 pm

arkle wrote:Now I feel like a total loser.

arkle
How so? Most of the Adelaide population wouldn't even be able to ride a bike to the start of the Old Freeway, let alone all the way to the top! Even at my best time I was still 7 minutes slower than the record, that's more than 2 minutes per sector (I divide up into 3 parts - Traffic Lights to Devils Elbow (aim for sub ten minutes), Devils Elbow to Eagle on the Hill hotel (aim for sub ten minutes) and EOTH to the Bollards (aim for sub 8 minutes)). I still cant fathom how others can ride almost 25% faster for the entire climb....
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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby alex » Mon Jun 07, 2010 4:51 pm

MichaelB wrote:BTW, what is the road going up to Mt Osmond like in terms of climb % and space/traffic ? Have ridden past it many a time, but never gone up it ?
from which side? from the bikeway its not so bad, the steep bit feels like fox creek road, ie steep and 10-12% but doesnt last too long

from the beaumont side it is just brutal and imo similar to corkscrew road in how much it hurts
if i get killed while out on my bike i dont want a 'memorial ride' by random punters i have never met.

brauluver
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Re: Old Freeway Path Leads To...

Postby brauluver » Mon Jun 07, 2010 7:18 pm

Dahondude wrote:
arkle wrote:Now I feel like a total loser.

arkle
How so? Most of the Adelaide population wouldn't even be able to ride a bike to the start of the Old Freeway, let alone all the way to the top!
Too right! Most non cyclists I tell about a ride up there, just roll their eyes and tell me I'm a masochist :roll: , lazy pricks don't know what they're missin.
27 K's warm up distance to get to start(with warm up hills en route) and then roll into it.
I'm a string bean lightweight(67) whose total on road weight(me, bike, extras) is just below 80 kg.
Climbing is something I enjoy as well.
I'm a pi$$ poor sprinter.(chicken legs)

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