[Trek_5200]

I just came back from Hincapie in Traveler's Rest S.C. and it got me thinking there are some tough category 2 climbs out there. The two hardest I can recall doing at the moment are Devil's Kitchen and Skyuka Mountain. There may be some others but I'm lacking sleep.
6.3 km Ride Segment in Columbus, NC on Strava

3.8 km Ride Segment in Saugerties, NY on Strava

What else is tough or tougher?

 

[duriel]

Why not HC's??

 

[Trek_5200]

Why not HC's??

If you want to discuss h.c.'s make a new thread. i find h.c. climbs easier to research. It's not my interest at the moment , that's why. I've done a fair number of H.C.'s and believe it or not, i've had more trouble on some cat-2 & 3 climbs

 

[taodemon]

These are the 3 most miserable I've done personally. What usually makes climbs extra miserable is when they have lots of steep pitches. There are many Cat2s I've done that are a steady 7% which I don't find nearly as miserable.

https://www.strava.com/segments/7806678
Once past the lower part of the road where it isn't as steep you have about 2 miles of 10-12%

https://www.strava.com/segments/1489971
This one just seems to play with your mind as it always seems to kick up after next bend and I've always done it after doing a Cat 1 and a Cat 2 before going up it.

https://www.strava.com/segments/752471
This is part of what can be an HC climb depending on where you start out but this is definitely the worst part of it with lots of double digit pitches.

 

[woodys737]

Forgive me Trek_5200...a bit off topic, but what makes any climb tough is the speed. To be fair I can't climb a freeway overpass w/o struggling though. Skinny people

Eat a damn sandwich.

 

[Trek_5200]

Forgive me Trek_5200...a bit off topic, but what makes any climb tough is the speed. To be fair I can't climb a freeway overpass w/o struggling though. Skinny people

Eat a damn sandwich.

I'll agree that doing a climb faster makes it harder, but when the gradient gets into the double digits speed goals morph into just making it up to the top

 

[tomato coupe]

... there are some tough category 2 climbs out there. What else is tough or tougher?

So, you're looking for the toughest climbs of intermediate toughness?

 

[El Scorcho]

So, you're looking for the toughest climbs of intermediate toughness?

That's funny.

Head and shoulders above what you usually bring to the table.

 

[Trek_5200]

So, you're looking for the toughest climbs of intermediate toughness?

not necessarily. most h.c. climbs are simply longer. many cat-2 climbs can be back breakers. i've done some very steep cat 1, 2& 3 climbs. Never done an HC climb that averaged more than 9 tops and usually 7-8 apx. the math makes gradient and distance interchangeable. I'm not sure the pain threshold works that way. ironically i've done more h.c. level climbs than cat-2 ones.

cycling trips naturally include epic climbs but locally we mostly have cat-3 and barely many cat-2's.

 

[bradkay]

How do you know if they are Cat 2 climbs? In Europe the climbs are categorized for the KOM competition in the grand tours. Over here in the US we have very few serious stage races with KOM challenges, so we have fewer passes or mountain top finishes that have been so categorized.

 

[bradkay]

"Never done an HC climb that averaged more than 9 tops and usually 7-8 apx. the math makes gradient and distance interchangeable."

Brasstown Bald in Georgia. It's only a little over 5km long but averages well into double digits. It was used several times in the Tour de Georgia and classified as HC. Lance Armstrong's comment on it was (paraphrasing here): "When we passed the 10k to go sign I was thinking there is no way we are getting up there in just 10k, but when you go straight up the side of the mountain you gain elevation quickly."

 

[Kerry Irons]

So, you're looking for the toughest climbs of intermediate toughness?

Bingo!

 

[Jay Strongbow]

I don't really understand this question and know little about catagorization of climbs but if you want an easier climb that's harder than a harder one all I can think of is do hill repeats on it, do it at the end of a long difficult ride, or use the wrong gearing.

Lincoln Gap in VT is one I can think of that's absolutely brutal but may not be considered such by some formula because its not that long though.

Explore the course | VT Gran Fondo
"With a 24% maximum grade and an average grade of 15%, the east side of Lincoln Gap is reported to be the steepest paved mile in the U.S."

 

[tomato coupe]

not necessarily. most h.c. climbs are simply longer. many cat-2 climbs can be back breakers. i've done some very steep cat 1, 2& 3 climbs. Never done an HC climb that averaged more than 9 tops and usually 7-8 apx. the math makes gradient and distance interchangeable. I'm not sure the pain threshold works that way. ironically i've done more h.c. level climbs than cat-2 ones.

"The math" usually just multiplies the length of the climb by the gradient, so it is really basing the classification on the vertical distance. If you climb 1000m, for example, it will be HC regardless of how long the climb is. Do you think you are more likely to find roads that average 5% for 20km or 10% for 10km?

 

[duriel]

Well if it really get's tough, we could just call it a C3 and turn around! CYA for coffee!

And how do you know what C it is?

 

[den bakker]

How do you know if they are Cat 2 climbs? In Europe the climbs are categorized for the KOM competition in the grand tours. Over here in the US we have very few serious stage races with KOM challenges, so we have fewer passes or mountain top finishes that have been so categorized.

pretty sure it is by strava metric.
cats in any stage race is also determined by when in the race etc. Dauphine Libere has had climbs with higher rating as the exact same climb a month later in the tour.

edit: or we can go old school and determine cats roughly by what gear a car has to drive up it in

 

[upstateSC-rider]

I just came back from Hincapie in Traveler's Rest S.C. and it got me thinking there are some tough category 2 climbs out there. The two hardest I can recall doing at the moment are Devil's Kitchen and Skyuka Mountain. There may be some others but I'm lacking sleep.
6.3 km Ride Segment in Columbus, NC on Strava

3.8 km Ride Segment in Saugerties, NY on Strava

What else is tough or tougher?

Hope you had a good time, I was there also. Heard there was a wreck early on, just glad I worked extra hard to get towards the front ASAP.
Skyuka is rough but all the switchbacks help take the sting out a little IMHO, PM me next time you're in town, we'll hit some other climbs I know of.

 

[jetdog9]

If you're talking about Strava ratings, "Level 2" seems to be pretty broad...

In the Bay Area (mostly South Bay or Peninsula), a few examples are OLH, Sierra, Mt Umunhum, Kings, and Page Mill... all rated "2" but OLH while beautiful is not super tough at least compared to Mt Umunhum which is a death march...

Anyway personally I found Sierra very hard and Mt Um to be ridiculous. OLH, Kings, and Page Mill all much more manageable for me personally.

Edit: + to get to Mt Umunhum you have to go up Hicks first so you've already been sapped a bit.

 

[mik_git]

is this the same as...
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/ge...al-cycling-discussion/where-cat-ratings-fail-convey-dificulty-climb-364693.html

 

[factory feel]

I just ride.