After riding the whole county, I noticed that it is quite a hilly area. The century route is somewhat difficult because of all the elevation change. I decided to put together a list of hardest hill climbs. It turns out, they are all river bluffs. Every river creates a valley that you must climb out of if you're on a bike. Most of them are about 100 feet in elevation. There are few hills that come even close. I ranked them as well as I could, but some choices are arguable.
The Concourse must be in first place. There's no downhill to give you momentum going into the climb. In fact, there's a stop sign on 9th to at least caution you. The turns make it seem harder as you grind your way up--all the other climbs here are straight. The steep grade seems to never end. It only has a lower average gradient than Hall's Mill Hill because of the long run-out after you summit the hill. Keep going until you reach Washington Street to complete the segment. I had to end the segment there to make it long enough for Strava to recognize it. This is the case for most of these segments. The hills themselves are too short to constitute a segment.
Hall's Mill Hill, named for the mill that once operated there at the Middle Fabius River, has the numbers. It has the steepest average climb, and the same maximum grade as the Concourse. We should caution, however, that altitude is the least accurate variable produced by GPS, so some of these grades are questionable, especially when they only appear for one interval. Hall's Mill Hill does have the advantage of a downhill into the valley from the south side. If you maintain your momentum through the flat in high gears, it will help carry you up the grade. Once you crest the hill, keep pushing until you reach Route CC.
White Street climbs the same bluff as the Concourse, but over a slightly longer distance with a lower grade. There is no downhill on the approach, but there is a long flat where you can get your speed up. Washington Street is similar. The average grade is lower but the maximum grade is higher.
Route E has a lot of hills, but the one coming up out of the North Fabius is the hardest. It's the longest climb listed here, though the grade is not that high.
Runners up: Washington and South Streets, La Grange. Also going up the Mississippi River bluff, but not as steep as the Canton climbs.
The statistics follow.
1. The Concourse
Description: In Canton heading west on Lewis Street, up College Hill from 9th Street to Washington Street (the main entrance for C-SC).
Segment length: 0.48 miles
Steepest grade: 12.8%
Average grade: 4.3%
KOM time: 1:52
Elevation change: 110 ft
2. Hall's Mill Hill
Description: Heading north out of Ewing on C, from the bridge over the Middle Fabius River to the intersection with CC.
Segment length: 0.46 miles
Steepest grade: 12.8%
Average grade: 4.4%
KOM time: 2:07
Elevation change: 110 ft
3. White Street Hill Climb
Description: In Canton heading west on White Street, from Route B to 11th Street.
Segment length: 0.53 miles
Steepest grade: 9.2%
Average grade: 3.5%
KOM time: 1:50
Elevation change: 107 ft
4. Washington Street Bluff Climb (Canton)
Description: In Canton heading west on Washington Street, from 4th Street to Hilltop Drive (the main entrance for C-SC).
Segment length: 0.73 miles
Steepest grade: 9.9%
Average grade: 3.3%
KOM time: 2:34
Elevation change: 128 ft
5. Route E Fabius River Climb
Description: Heading west on Route E, from the bridge over the North Fabius River to the summit of the bluff.
Segment length: 0.84 miles
Steepest grade: 4.5%
Average grade: 2.3%
KOM time: 2:42
Elevation change: 104 ft
Runners up: these are good workouts, but not as challenging as the top five.
Washington Street Hill Climb, La Grange, MO
Description: From Main street heading west on Washington Street to the summit of the bluff then right on 7th Street for just a bit. .
Segment length: 0.35 miles
Steepest grade: 9.4%
Average grade: 6.1%
KOM time: 1:21
Elevation change: 114 ft
South Street Hill Climb, La Grange, MO
Description: From Main Street heading west on South Street all the way to 8th Street.
Segment length: 0.41 miles
Steepest grade: 13.4%
Average grade: 5.3%
KOM time: 3:24
Elevation change: 116 ft
Lah's Lim Lih
Description: Heading south toward Ewing on C, from the bridge over the Middle Fabius River to the top of the hill. This is the opposite bluff from Hall's Mill Hill.
Segment length: 0.72 miles
Steepest grade: 11.2%
Average grade: 1.7%
KOM time: 2:24
Elevation change: 72 ft
No comments:
Post a Comment