Originally Posted by
waters60
Hardest is subjective! The hardest based on distance and elevation was Diabolical Double in Western MD. 125 miles 16,500' elevation. My goal was to finish and I felt great at the end. Many others will describe hardest in terms of the toll taken on the body. That would be Skyline Drive in my cramping days. Almost comical having hams and quads cramp do badly I could only fall over as any attempt to swing a leg over the top tube would have given the cramps free reign. It took almost two hours for them to subside so I could ride back from Skyland to Front Royal!
My hardest to date would be Diabolical Double's baby brother, Masochistic Metric.
Only 8,000 ft. of climbing. The worst cramping I've ever experienced. I had to walk a couple times and actually toppled over on the limestone climb because my legs hurt so bad. I can't wait to do it again this year. This time with a compact crank!