Hills. I hate them. What Would Dirt Do?

[Tim Kelley]

@eminva 20677 wrote:

Not to diminish your efforts (and kudos on your KOM! I won’t tell Tim, I swear!), but I think the hill up to Jefferson is steeper. Try it at least and see what you think.

Liz

If someone sets it up on Strava, I’ll ride both and let you know which KOM was harder.

[americancyclo]

@Tim Kelley 20739 wrote:

If someone sets it up on Strava, I’ll ride both and let you know which KOM was easier.

fixed that for ya. KOM gobbler.

[eminva]

I yield to consularrider’s superior technology.

But more hills are good, no? Just keep doing them both and don’t worry about which is steeper, I guess.

Liz

[DaveK]

@americancyclo 20741 wrote:

KOM gobbler

Oh dear.

[consularrider]

Actually, I probably need to walk up that hill both ways because it’s too hard to keep a steady eye on the GPS readout. Now that Tim’s going for the KOM, I’m sure we’ll get an expert opinion. For me, both are tough, but I’ve started doing them a couple of times a week instead of staying on the W&OD through that section. Maybe I should increase it to every day?

[jrenaut]

Maybe it’s the thought of tonight (and tomorrow’s) Dogfish Head tap takeover at Lou’s City Bar (Mmmmm, 90 Minute and My Antonia), but I’m strangely invigorated by dragging the kids up 19th St in Adams Morgan today. And I even had to come to a complete stop at the sign halfway up.

It probably helps, too, that I had a bunch of courteous drivers today (Except the WMATA truck trying to jump the light at 16th and U and blocking the bike box, but when I yelled, “HEY!” in my “Dad with misbehaving kids” voice, he half-heartedly apologized and I think I amused a pedestrian who had to explain to his companion what had just happened.

Anyway, good day to be on a bike, or a hill. Preferably both. And beer. Or something to that effect.

[vvill]

@jrenaut 21290 wrote:

Anyway, good day to be on a bike, or a hill. Preferably both. And beer. Or something to that effect.

Agreed! Enjoying a bottle of Sierra Nevada Torpedo right now. As for the bike/hill part, yeah, I wussed out today and actually drove my car part of my commute*. Still leaves the Rosslyn hill climb on the way home at least.

* which is actually great motivation for commuting more when you’re in stop-and-go traffic at 7:45am

[rcannon100]

Being a tad bit worried about my knees, particularly with the new clipless lacking good float, I was pleased to see the following recommendation from a site discussing cycling knee problems: “avoid excessive hill work”

Woo Hoo! No more hills…. wait…. Custis Trail. 😡 Do you think we could get ArlCo to finally implement the Arl BAC recommendation to bulldoze and level the big Custis Trail hill? That or maybe we could get like a chairlift type thing, only for bikes (I think its called “a bus”)

[Joe Chapline]

@rcannon100 21299 wrote:

Do you think we could get ArlCo to finally implement the Arl BAC recommendation to bulldoze and level the big Custis Trail hill? That or maybe we could get like a chairlift type thing, only for bikes (I think its called “a bus”)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j1PgmMbug8

[rcannon100]

That is SO COOL. Arlington BAC – Tell ARLCO to get one of these!!!!! That ‘ill get you your gold standard

[Mark Blacknell]

@rcannon100 21305 wrote:

That is SO COOL. Arlington BAC – Tell ARLCO to get one of these!!!!! That ‘ill get you your gold standard

Heh. Somewhat more seriously – I can’t fathom people actually making real use of this, if installed. The folks that can manage the dexterity/coordination required to use it are probably a 95% overlay of the people who spin up the hill anyway.

[elcee]

@consularrider 18844 wrote:

The Glencarlyn section has three tough climbs, two are the 4MRT and one is the road from up from parking by the bathrooms to Jefferson. If you are heading east on the W&OD you take the first right after passing under Arlington Blvd, this climb on 4MRT isn’t so bad, maybe 10 to 12%, but if you take the fifty or so feet on the access trail up to Harrison St, I’ve had a reading of a 30% grade and then you’ve got another half block climbing up Harrison. The other two climbs are heading west, if you take the road up from the parking it is longer and not quite so steep, I think I got a reading of about 20% or so at its worst. The 4MRT next to that tops out at about 25% in the middle of the climb.

One of the issues with the 41st St climb is that it is two or three times longer, probably averaging around 15% and then you hit the 28% grade when you have to turn right onto the path which is slightly longer than the path to Harrison in Glencarlyn.

Well, I finally got to try this infamous climb from 4MRT to Harrison St., and I have to say that I found it easier than 41st St. On 41st, I’m less able to keep a smooth rhythm, as the road is dusty, rough, wet, or a combination of the three. (Not to mention the occasional car coming down the hill.)

For the hill-aficionado, there is a short but very steep road on the 4000 block of 22nd Street North, just off Military Road across from Cherrydale Library. It’s narrow, rough, and the sharp right turn is guaranteed to kill any momentum.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=4000+22nd+Street+North,+Arlington,+VA&hl=en&ll=38.899183,-77.107769&spn=0.007164,0.009688&sll=38.899139,-77.107745&sspn=0.001799,0.002422&oq=4000+22nd+stre+arlington+va&hnear=4000+22nd+St+N,+Arlington,+Virginia+22207&t=m&z=17

[consularrider]

@elcee 22461 wrote:

Well, I finally got to try this infamous climb from 4MRT to Harrison St., and I have to say that I found it easier than 41st St. On 41st, I’m less able to keep a smooth rhythm, as the road is dusty, rough, wet, or a combination of the three. (Not to mention the occasional car coming down the hill.)

For the hill-aficionado, there is a short but very steep road on the 4000 block of 22nd Street North, just off Military Road across from Cherrydale Library. It’s narrow, rough, and the sharp right turn is guaranteed to kill any momentum.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=4000+22nd+Street+North,+Arlington,+VA&hl=en&ll=38.899183,-77.107769&spn=0.007164,0.009688&sll=38.899139,-77.107745&sspn=0.001799,0.002422&oq=4000+22nd+stre+arlington+va&hnear=4000+22nd+St+N,+Arlington,+Virginia+22207&t=m&z=17

Yesterday I took the back way up through Glencarlyn to Harrison St. It’s also a drive way from Harrison down to the parking areas of the park at Shelter #1 and just a little longer than than the “S” curve up from the restrooms. The steepest grade registered on my Garmin was 27%.

Saturday I was riding back from Poolesville and debating about whether to challenge 41st St after crossing Chain Bridge, I had gone down Glebe on the way out. Instead I wimped out and went through Geogetown, crossed the Roosevelt and climbed Lee Highway from Lynn St to Scott St. One of these days…

[TwoWheelsDC]

Holy crap…just did N. 24th/Upton in North Arlington. Worst hill ever. Strava says it’s not as bad as 41st St. but I did them both within about 20 minutes of each other and Upton seemed way worse. I thought about getting off and walking, but probably would’ve had a hard time unclipping before I fell over, so I had to push through it, nearly giving myself a coronary in the process. Maybe I’ll try it again when it’s not 100 degrees and see if it’s easier.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=24th+st+and+n+upton&hl=en&ll=38.902214,-77.116009&spn=0.001645,0.006968&sll=38.902224,-77.116181&sspn=0.001826,0.003484&hnear=24th+St+N+%26+N+Upton+St,+Arlington,+Virginia+22207&t=m&z=18&layer=c&cbll=38.902212,-77.11601&panoid=juSlzC_T6iL4JQYBCS5aIA&cbp=11,289.21,,0,13.16

[Tim Kelley]

It’s the coming around the corner and seeing that wall that smacks you in the face. You also have to decide if you cut the turn short and hit the steeper pitch, or do you take it a little wider, cover more distance, but have a less steep pitch…

I’ll be getting that KOM back soon.

[Author]

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