Gradient

ozzy jr

As you enter Enniskerry from Monastery Road and turn right heading in the direction of Glencree, there is one steep hill. I've been cycling up it a lot lately and each time I do it I've been wondering what the gradient is, or to be more precise how would it compare to the climbs in the Tour de France.

Now I know this small section of hill is only a couple of hundred meters, and I don't think for a minute I'd be shooting up the Alps, but I'm just curious as if this small section would be what the riders in the tour would have to face for a few hours a day.

Can anyone answer?

boege

I know the section of road you mention but I dont have the gradient to hand (I assusme others will dial in?). My guess is that it is in the 15+% category.

In most cases the section is steeper that what you will find in the Tour. A better estimation of tour stage gradients is the section along upper/lower Lough Bray. I know there are exceptions which some will cite but they are that.

What makes the tour stages so challanging for the riders is that
a. They last anywhere between 10-20km,...or more:eek:
b. You may have 3-4 of such climbs in a 200+km stage.

I have watched the tour live from the side fo the road and cycled some of the routes after. Alpe D'Huez is very steep for the first 2km but I did it on its own. Try it after 160km and 3 similar mountain passes?:eek:

The nearest I got to a live tour stage was Col Du Coumbiere where I did a 140km route inclding the Col. The last 2km to the col are 12% and I was doing it with my son in 34C heat. I pride myself in being able to grind up most mountains but I ground to a halt for 30 seconds about 1km from the Col that day...mostly cos my bike could not go slower than 5km/hr:D

A year later I watched Contador attack on this section and they were saying that he was clocking 30km/hr on this section. This was the famous stage where Lamond estmated that Contador must have been putting out average power of circa 500W which he alleged was (unaided) humanly impossible. More steak please!:)

funnights74

Just out of curiosity i'm wondering what is the steepest gradient in Ireland? :rolleyes:

velo.2010

boege wrote: »

A year later I watched Contador attack on this section and they were saying that he was clocking 30km/hr on this section. This was the famous stage where Lamond estmated that Contador must have been putting out average power of circa 500W which he alleged was (unaided) humanly impossible. More steak please!:)

Wasn't that the climb up to Verbier in 2009? Sportsscientists.com did various calculations on what Contador might have achieved that day and while not agreeing on an exact figure, they reckoned it was lower than the estimates previously quoted. Sure they were all flying that day in any case, Schleck at 40s down and even a 'fat' and under-trained Armstrong who only lost 90 odd seconds.:rolleyes:

I wonder has the Ozzy jr. tackled 'The Wall', assuming thats not the climb he's talking about? Now that is steep!

ozzy jr

velo.2010 wrote: »

I wonder has the Ozzy jr. tackled 'The Wall', assuming thats not the climb he's talking about? Now that is steep!

Where's that?

velo.2010

Here,
http://maps.google.ie/maps?hl=en&ll=53.163549,-6.191654&spn=0.015026,0.114927&t=m&z=14&layer=c&cbll=53.163526,-6.191681&panoid=B6TFbTeYioSNX3OhQSMqFA&cbp=11,149.86,,0,-1.87

ozzy jr

velo.2010 wrote: »

Here,
http://maps.google.ie/maps?hl=en&ll=53.163549,-6.191654&spn=0.015026,0.114927&t=m&z=14&layer=c&cbll=53.163526,-6.191681&panoid=B6TFbTeYioSNX3OhQSMqFA&cbp=11,149.86,,0,-1.87

Nope, haven't been up it. If it's worse then the hill I mentioned in the first post, I'll be struggling. The only reason I make it up the Enniskerry hill is I can't get my shoes off the pedel's quick enough to stop. It's either keep cycling or fall!

smacl

ozzy jr wrote: »

Nope, haven't been up it. If it's worse then the hill I mentioned in the first post, I'll be struggling. The only reason I make it up the Enniskerry hill is I can't get my shoes off the pedel's quick enough to stop. It's either keep cycling or fall!

In and around 20% at it's steepest, but much of it is less than that. Personally, I find the bottom bit of it (market Onagh on the map) tougher than the top bit. Another stinker in that general area is the climb from Cunard back up to the Military road[/url]. Longer than the wall and again hitting 20% in spots. While you're in the area, there's also the Devil's elbow which is a 'short-cut' back to Glen Cullen just before Enniskerry coming from the Glencree direction. Also worth a go is Kilmashogue lane, though it's a dead end unless you take the Coilte track cross country to Tibradden.

All doable but for me at least, pretty challenging.

daragh_

smacl wrote: »

In and around 20% at it's steepest, but much of it is less than that. Personally, I find the bottom bit of it (market Onagh on the map) tougher than the top bit. Another stinker in that general area is the climb from Cunard back up to the Military road[/url]. Longer than the wall and again hitting 20% in spots. While you're in the area, there's also the Devil's elbow which is a 'short-cut' back to Glen Cullen just before Enniskerry coming from the Glencree direction. Also worth a go is Kilmashogue lane, though it's a dead end unless you take the Coilte track cross country to Tibradden.

All doable but for me at least, pretty challenging.

Of all of those I've found Kilmashogue the hardest. I did it for the first time a few weeks ago at night. There is something about cycling uphill in the dark, not knowing when the torture is going to end that saps the soul. Especially when you are watching the people you started with turn into tiny blinking lights in the distance.

The bottom bit of the 'Wall' from Onagh is in very poor condition which makes it tricky.

seamus

That entire trip from Enniskerry to Johnnie Fox's via the Devil's Elbow is a fairly epic piece of climbing. Old long hill is long, but that route is hard. If I'm ever doing a short run, I always try to get that road in to maximise the amount of work I've done.

Haven't tried Kilmashogue purely because it goes nowhere, but I imagine it's a bitch.

LCRC_BAX

The Torr Head Road from Cushendall to Ballycastle must be 20-25% in a lot of places. It's a series of relatively short, very sharp climbs over four or five headlands jutting out into the sea.

Did it last year on the Gaints Causeway Sportive and it was savage. A lot of people were finding it difficult to even walk up it, let alone ride up. The views made it a bit more bearable though.

I heard the tour of Ulster went over it one year; one way to blow the field apart!

smacl

daragh_ wrote: »

The bottom bit of the 'Wall' from Onagh is in very poor condition which makes it tricky.

I've been running 32mm marathon supremes, which are grand on bad surfaces but do add that extra weight. I find circuits around Knockree to be a nice alternative to the sally gap on very windy or icy days, but the surfaces aren't great for road tyres. Kilmashogue I find hard going up and plain scary coming down, which is why I typically take the fire roads over to Tibradden and the back of Marley.

Starting to use the road bike more now on 25mm durano pluses, so surface will become more of an issue.

elduggo

velo.2010 wrote: »

Wasn't that the climb up to Verbier in 2009? Sportsscientists.com did various calculations on what Contador might have achieved that day and while not agreeing on an exact figure, they reckoned it was lower than the estimates previously quoted. Sure they were all flying that day in any case, Schleck at 40s down and even a 'fat' and under-trained Armstrong who only lost 90 odd seconds.:rolleyes:
!

Andorra I think. Wasn't it also the stage where Armstrong famously said that Contador's number were greater than anything he'd ever managed in his 'prime'.

daragh_

I've Gatorskins on the Roadbike so no fire roads for me. We've been doing Ticknock and Kilmashogue repeats on Thursday nights and I'm without a doubt the worst descender. Coming down those hills in the dark is mental.

What about that climb that CramCycle was talking about for the Boards Hill Climb? Near kilmacanogue somewhere? I seem to recall a horrible ramp was mentioned.

smacl

The terms Kilmashougue and repeat do not appear in the same sentence for this humble soul.

Any of the reasonably direct routes from Newtown Mt Kennedy to Roundwood involve some steep climbs, as does the back road up the sugarloaf.

daragh_

Didn't say I actually managed a repeat Got halfway up the second time and bailed.

Red Lane - must give it a go.

Hmmzis

daragh_ wrote: »

I've Gatorskins on the Roadbike so no fire roads for me. We've been doing Ticknock and Kilmashogue repeats on Thursday nights and I'm without a doubt the worst descender. Coming down those hills in the dark is mental.

What about that climb that CramCycle was talking about for the Boards Hill Climb? Near kilmacanogue somewhere? I seem to recall a horrible ramp was mentioned.

Ticknock is great for descending when you have some light outside. It's my favourite place for maxing out gears . Kilmashogue is crazy descending even in the sunniest and driest days.

boege

elduggo wrote: »

Andorra I think. Wasn't it also the stage where Armstrong famously said that Contador's number were greater than anything he'd ever managed in his 'prime'.

I thought initially I had got this wrong as I was in France watching it live at the time and reading French newspapers after. I think Velo2010 is correct in that the Lemond calculation is in connection with Verbier attack but Contator did attack on the Columbiere a few days later.Pished Armstong off no end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i291M_Q8Mqc

Keep_Her_Lit

If you nip across to Blighty on the ferry you can "enjoy" a claimed 33% on the Fred Whitton Challenge :eek:

letape

Does anyone have a name for the climb from Enniskerry in the OP's original post? Myself and my mates called that "the wall" when we first cycled it?

smacl

letape wrote: »

Does anyone have a name for the climb from Enniskerry in the OP's original post? Myself and my mates called that "the wall" when we first cycled it?

The wall typically refers to upper half of Ballinagee hill, connecting the road from Powerscourt waterfall to mid way up the old long hill. That bastard of a ramp out of Eniskerry going towards Glencree is traditionally referred to as That bastard of a ramp out of Eniskerry going towards Glencree.

coastwatch

letape wrote: »

Does anyone have a name for the climb from Enniskerry in the OP's original post? Myself and my mates called that "the wall" when we first cycled it?

I think the official name for that hill is Kilgarron Hill, but SMCL's name will do for me. It's on the 185 bus route, Bray- Enniskerry. I've haven't taken that bus, but often thought it must be a fairly hairy experience driving a double decker down that hill in icy conditions :eek: