Originally Posted by
Steamer
Riding in western and central PA doesn't involve any huge mountains (our longest distinct climbs are in the area of 1500 feet), but the total climbing over the course of a route that doesn't take pains to avoid climbing usually ends up somewhere in the 60 to 100 feet per mile range. Routes take their toll in the form of a large number of hills in close succession, some of which are steep* (* I define steep as anything over 10% or so).
Tell me about it. Last year I did a self-contained cross-PA tour. Actually started in Warren, OH. Rode to Franklin, PA, picked up the Allegheny River Trail to Emlenton and then took PA Route V to Bloomsburg before turning south to Philly. There were a couple of stretches during two days where there were endless ups and down. I'd get to the top of one hill only to see the next climb not that far off in the distance. I hate that sort of climbing. I would rather have a longer, more gradual hill than short, steep hills one after the other. Physically and psychologically draining. When I headed south from Bloomsburg towards Centralia it was nice to have a sustained climb where you get some sort of rhythm, but the bigs ups and downs eventually started again.