Lithuania

Anyone know what the grade is on this hill?

rapidcarbon

are you talking about the one in shirlington area? That hill is tough but short,

linux_author

- pretty darn steep! (used to live on Walter Reed between King and Four Mile Run)...

:-)

cc_rider

Been up that hill a few times, but the last time was before I had my inclinometer.
Next time I'm riding that part of Arlington I'll check it out for you and post.

phillydcbiker

I did that hill a few times. It's fun coming down but the light at the bottom sucks!

Lithuania

yeah its real short but I think its the steepest in the area if I am not mistaken. The hills on telegraph road are tough ones too. What else is tough around here.

cc_rider

Mistaken
Try 41st street in Arlington from Randolf down to Chain Bridge. Part of the official bike route. Shorter and MUCH steeper than Walter Reed.

And I think Idlywood from Route 7 west toward Gallows Road may be steeper. And prossibly Rebecca Drive in the Hollins Hill section of Alexandria.

Lithuania

well now i know.

there is a section on van dorn right where it crosses under 495 that might be as steep if not steeper then walter reed. It is way way shorter the WR though.

Guest

Well, you can always try Arlington Ridge- start at S. Glebe and Arlington Ridge and start climbing. At the top, you can hang a right and ride down 23rd Street to Eades. Then turn right on Eades and head back to S. Glebe. Turn right on Glebe and take it to Meade. Take a right on Meade and ride down to that stop sign and turn left. I want to say that's 28th St, but I can't remember. But ride that street all the way to Army Navy Drive. Turn right on Army Navy Drive, and ride out to 23rd St. Turn right on 23rd St. and start climbing again... that's a big ole hill that takes you back to the top of Arlington Ridge and 23rd St. That's the first hill you climbed.

You can actually make that one big ole nasty hill climb loop. For some variation, when you climb 23rd St, you can turn right onto Prince (I believe... where Oak Ridge Elementary School is) and climb that really nasty steep hill to the top where the school is. Pass the school and ride that street around. It takes you to the top of 23rd at Arlington Ridge.

That can hurt.

Koffee

Lithuania

thanks koffee. I forgot about army navy. I climbed whatever hill that goes up to the golf course years ago but have totally forgot about it since.

does anyone know the grade of any of these hills? I just want to use them for perspective when I am reading about the big climbs in races.

Guest

I have no idea of the grade of the hills. They are short and steep... but they do the job if you do several of them or use it as a loop.

Army Navy is nothing really- just a slow, not very steep climb. Use it as a means to an end to get to 23rd St.

Koffee

cc_rider

Yesterday I was riding back on the W&OD and thought of your question while waiting at the light at Walter Reed. Rode 2/3 ways up the hill and back just to check the grade.

Don't have the equipment for figuring average grade of the whole hill, but according to my inclinometer the main part of the hill is 12% with two parts of it at 14%.

I'll try to check out some of the other hills listed later when I get a chance.

Lithuania

awesome i was just thinking about this thread today. I started getting nervous that this hill really wasnt all that steep and I was just more of a wuss then I really am.

Does anyone know of any sustained climbs like maybe 5% grades any where close?

cc_rider

From Chain Bridge up Chain Bridge Road / route 123 to Mclean. About a mile climb. I made a mental note of the grade when I rode it a few weeks ago, and I think it was about 5%.