What is the steepest rd in Sydney?

[goneriding]

Not in Sydney but 400m (AT) 20%+.

http://www.lifecycle.net.au/organised-rides/mt-oreilly-rd-challenge/

[baralah]

My father lives in Greenwood Ave Coogee, it's an insane hill.

And closer to home Georgiana Terrace in Gosford (the bit that runs off Henry Parry) is just plain dumb, my car doesn't even like it in first.

I think Arden St North from Dolphin St, just North of Coogee beach, is longer and even more fearsome. The gradient doesn't really kick in til you pass Bream St.

If you want to check this out, don't bother looking in Google Earth for elevations, or looking them up on http://mapmyride.com - the SRTM3 data for elevations doesn't work very well around coastal areas or places where there are steep changes.

But here's a way you might be able to estimate road steepness. Turn the Google maps streetview (as per link above) using the 90 turn arrows until you looking at right angles to the road. If that's parallel to the gradient, look for the angle that vertical posts, such as power poles, make to the ground - choosing one that extends to car-roof level (where the google map camera was mounted). In the case of Arden st, there's a cutting with a fence that makes angle measurement a snap. I found it reaches about 12 degrees, or approx 21% (near what google streetview labels as 174 Arden St).

If you want some hill challenges, there's more north between here and Bronte Rd. Bronte Rd from the beach west to where Leichardt St joins it is also seriously difficult - averaging about 8% over 1 km, and streetview photo measurement shows a few places around 17% or so.

Another tough one is the hill just west of Waverley cemetery St Thomas St, Woollahra.

Anyone living around here would find plenty of use for granny gears. If you're not too sure if your heart is up to it, Prince of Wales Hospital is nearby and has an excellent cardiac unit.

Lining up posts on Greenwood Ave Streetview indicates a gradient around the 20% mark too, so yes, it is steep - but shorter than the Arden St or Bronte Rd climbs.

It's a bit like Cronin Ave, Penshurst also around 20% for about 120 to 150 m - my poor mum pushed myself and 2 siblings up and down this hill to get shopping from Hurstville when we were newborns, and from 2 years on I walked it regularly. The hills on the Hurstville side of King Georges Rd are also a fair climb.


34 Wattle St, Bowen Mountain is, however, far more fearsome than any of the above. Lining up the posts indicates it's around 20%, and I think that's steeper than any part of Bowen Mountain Road. What makes it more fearsome is that to get there you have to climb constantly from Richmond (about 14 km away) - and you're at an elevation close to 420 m.

However, it's 22km from the nearest cardiac unit (Nepean Hospital) and 14 km from the ambulance station . While it might be a great place to train Cadel Evans' successors, it could not be fairly considered part of metropolitan sydney

I've always wanted to try Arden St. But Man speaking about room for cyclists, that street is like a suicuide street. And have tried Bronte Rd few times, my mate puked when we reached the summit

[humanbeing]

I go up Arden St at North Coogee at least twice a week, usually before 6.30 am. I've never had a problem with traffic but I've heard others have.
The steepest hill around Sydney is the Otford Wall, climbing from Otford to Helensbourgh south of the RNP. Otherwise, Awaba St, Balmoral.
Cheers,
Peter

[Addictr3]

There is a hill near the back of Hornsby when you climb to Bobbin Head, its pretty steep. Not sure what the street is called, leads onto the backroad to Bobbin Head,

[Schmenz]

sherbrook rd or salisbury rd probably

[Addictr3]

sherbrook rd or salisbury rd probably

Yeah prob Sherbrook, its not long but its fairly steep

[jimsheedy]

Riviera rd avalon. short but incredibly steep. It's actually quite difficult to walk up or down. let alone ride.

[Addictr3]

Collaroy there is a killer of a hill, same street as where the Collaroy Movies are; never ridden it. I ride a fair bit of Avalon, Palmy etc. I still think that Hill near Hornsby is the Steepest from a standstill,

[jimsheedy]

next time your heading out to palmy turn left at kevin ave ( just past central rd) then left again at park about 50 mtrs on and start climbing. Let us know what you think.

[Addictr3]

next time your heading out to palmy turn left at kevin ave ( just past central rd) then left again at park about 50 mtrs on and start climbing. Let us know what you think.

Will do..

What about that road heading up from back of Brookvale Public school to Beacon Hill? Not sure on the road, but its a damn killer.

[csy75]

battle boulevard only 9-10% and parriwi road 9%...

will have to test out awaba and collaroy

[Addictr3]

Not in Sydney but recently rode to Lithgow and climbed Doctors Gap, that was fairly steep

Just checked Strava, was 11%

[jimsheedy]

battle boulevard only 9-10% and parriwi road 9%...

will have to test out awaba and collaroy

Awaba is about 16 - 17%

[csy75]

Arden St Coogee, 15% on the weekend....nearly stopped off for dessert at coogee bay hotel but didn't

[Ozkaban]

sherbrook rd or salisbury rd probably

Yeah prob Sherbrook, its not long but its fairly steep

Most probably Sherbrook. Made it up at the beginning of a ride, but when I came around again after 50km I had to walk the last bit

There's a hill in Berowra which is steeper - Acacia. I've measured it at just on 13 degrees, which converts to 20-something percent. Haven't attempted to ride up that yet.

[Ozkaban]

Most probably Sherbrook. Made it up at the beginning of a ride, but when I came around again after 50km I had to walk the last bit

There's a hill in Berowra which is steeper - Acacia. I've measured it at just on 13 degrees, which converts to 20-something percent. Haven't attempted to ride up that yet.

Just found an online calculator. 13 degrees comes out a 23.1%. To measure it I used one of these from my Woodworking shed. Accurate to 0.1 deg


Just zero it at the top of the hill on a long board, then walk down to a likely bit and check again. The long board helps iron out surface variations.

Cheers,
Dave

[familyguy]

Collaroy there is a killer of a hill, same street as where the Collaroy Movies are; never ridden it. I ride a fair bit of Avalon, Palmy etc. I still think that Hill near Hornsby is the Steepest from a standstill,

Alexander St. Cracked 80km/h down it in the late 80's on my old Miyata. Young and stupid? Check!

This gives you an idea of the upper part, which is decently steep. Its not long, less than 1km top to bottom, but you rarely see people climbing it.

Jim

[fatherofmany]

Not sure if it's been mentioned yet, Rothwell Rd Turramurra - 33°44'16.93"S 151° 7'2.19"E for google earth. Rode it the other day (thankfully on the Suzuki), it's short and steep and taken from the Kissing Point Rd end, left into Monteith, left at the bottom into Montrose St then right , no runup. I remember driving it many years ago in a little hatchback, in the rain and spinning the front wheels all the way up.

And for those wanting to punish themselves even more after a Mt White climb, turn left at Mt White into Morgans Rd After about 3 and a bit km you get to a part which drops about 70m in a km including a short stretch that's about 30m in 200m. Keep riding for a break in Wendoree Park. Be careful there is some loose stuff due to trucks tearing up the surface a bit of late (building going on) Not sure if there's any water for refill but there may be at the RFS. Then you get to turn around and climb back out.

FoM

[Addictr3]

Collaroy there is a killer of a hill, same street as where the Collaroy Movies are; never ridden it. I ride a fair bit of Avalon, Palmy etc. I still think that Hill near Hornsby is the Steepest from a standstill,

Alexander St. Cracked 80km/h down it in the late 80's on my old Miyata. Young and stupid? Check!

This gives you an idea of the upper part, which is decently steep. Its not long, less than 1km top to bottom, but you rarely see people climbing it.

Jim

Will take pics tomorrow, I'll climb the bast...

[Sweeper59]

If the road is paved, then there's bound to be a limit in its grade.

I'm a Road & Traffic Engineer, and the steepest road I have designed was 25%. It was a narrow, private accessway which served a couple of properties. We had to build it from concrete and place horizontal grooves at 10cm intervals to help with vehicle traction.

The local Council standards recommends a maximum grade of 14% for all new local roads, although we have a couple of older roads at around 20%. Buses and trucks struggle to get up these grades.

The absolute maximum for driveways is 25%, although I recall a builder taking on Council and eventually getting approval to build a driveway at 30%. I've seen this place, and it's ridiculous. The owners can't park on the driveway because their car doors are difficult to open. They can't control their garbage bins and can't get businesses to deliver anything. I saw a guy deliver firewood to the property, but he couldn't get his trailer up the driveway, so he dumped the load out in the street. The poor owner had to carry it up to the house - a couple of logs at a time.

[Addictr3]

If the road is paved, then there's bound to be a limit in its grade.

I'm a Road & Traffic Engineer, and the steepest road I have designed was 25%. It was a narrow, private accessway which served a couple of properties. We had to build it from concrete and place horizontal grooves at 10cm intervals to help with vehicle traction.

The local Council standards recommends a maximum grade of 14% for all new local roads, although we have a couple of older roads at around 20%. Buses and trucks struggle to get up these grades.

The absolute maximum for driveways is 25%, although I recall a builder taking on Council and eventually getting approval to build a driveway at 30%. I've seen this place, and it's ridiculous. The owners can't park on the driveway because their car doors are difficult to open. They can't control their garbage bins and can't get businesses to deliver anything. I saw a guy deliver firewood to the property, but he couldn't get his trailer up the driveway, so he dumped the load out in the street. The poor owner had to carry it up to the house - a couple of logs at a time.

30% that is insane. So the owner likes to climb every day then?

[DaveOZ]

I had a 30% driveway down to a house in gymea bay. It was long too. Front wheel drive cars could not get up it. Bins lived at the top. Never tried to ride up it, walking was hard enough.

[fatherofmany]

Doesn't count as a road but I know a guy in Terrigal who has a driveway with part of it at > 1 in 3 (33% = crazy). It originally stopped well below the house to a landing at a 'comfortable' 20% with about 40 stairs up to the house (which themselves are uncomfortable) and that's how they got it approved. Later they put a bend in it (to keep the landing car spot) and sent it up the hill at the ridiculous slope. It has another bend to straighten it out and meet the house and the insides of the bends are just dumb, I haven't measured it but the centre of the drive is 1 in 3 so the inside corners are lots more. But.. he drives up it night or day, rain or shine (a subaru liberty awd) and reverses down it. I walked it but chose the outside of the corners and it wasn't easy.

[Ozkaban]

Not sure if it's been mentioned yet, Rothwell Rd Turramurra - 33°44'16.93"S 151° 7'2.19"E for google earth. Rode it the other day (thankfully on the Suzuki), it's short and steep and taken from the Kissing Point Rd end, left into Monteith, left at the bottom into Montrose St then right , no runup. I remember driving it many years ago in a little hatchback, in the rain and spinning the front wheels all the way up.

I rode down Rothwell and up Monteith one morning looking for a good way from Fox Valley Rd to Kissing point road. I thought I was going to explode getting up Monteith. What a stupidly steep hill. Mind you, coming down Rothwell, I had the brakes on pretty much full and was worried about not making the dead 90-deg corner at the bottom. I stay on the other side of the highway now to the top of kissing point rd

[csy75]

i was reading a cycle mag today on this years TDF....the steepest ever in terms of gradient etc....some 20to 25% sections....one about 6.8 km up to that grade...ouch!