Good luck, Cypress! We expect a climb story if it really is that steep. :) And, of course, pictures. :D

I've got to measure some Pittsburgh south side back streets...

Everyone who is not from Pittsburgh is a whiny baby.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05030/448976.stm

"Love recently saw a Duquesne Light bucket truck try to back up the street to reach a broken streetlight. "I guess they gave up till spring." That's when Canton becomes a peak challenge for masochistic bicyclists."

Hehehe.

:lol:

I'd turn around and go get some crampons and a rope.

That road is certainly steep, but it can't be that steep. The Topo USA 5.0 program shows a segment of the road going straight up the tightest group of contour lines. Either they didn't use a very accurate set of line segments to model the road, or the road engineer was drunk when laying out that road. I'm guessing the former.

Just for jollies, here are some Polar stats for the very last minute of Sonora Pass from the east side (did it last Sunday):

Distance: 528 ft.
Vertical: 75 ft.
Grade: 14.2%
Summit: 9624 ft.

The final half mile to the summit is the hardest bit of climbing I've encountered to date. I've climbed steeper stuff for sure, but Sonora is the toughest combination of altitude, steepness, and beat-you-up stair steps I've had the privilege to experience. The final half mile averages 10%, but it gets steeper as it goes, with the steepest bit at the top. Very cruel. I gave it all I had in the final minute and could only manage 6 mph. The legs just wouldn't go any harder.

Hey Ive walked up that hill! And every year a heap of lollies get roled down the hill!

So, I never found "Bridger Hollow" but I found "Bridger Vista" and it was steep, but not too steep. But I DID get a bunch of pictures that I'm putting in another thread.

Sorry to disappoint! :o

The thing is... You've been repeatedly asked to provide more data about that climb (as in: how fast you made the climb, your average speed, your gearing) as well as a link to a map of the road and you keep quiet about that as well. You're obviously not really interested in finding out the actual grade of that road. You're convinced that it's 39% because a little spike in your Garmin graph said so.

--Steve

Mind telling us which thread?

Myaw: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=212167

Then there is Fargo Street in Los Angeles averaging 35% with a 37% pitch near the top. No sidewalks for the peds, just staircases. The LA Wheelmen have a hillclimb there every winter and you get a patch if you make it to the top.

Looks really steep but also short. You will have fun with it I bet. Pictures would be fun for us. When you tell the story be sure not to mention how short the hill actually is!

I seem to remember folks in Pittsburgh had a few trams or funicular railways to get folks up those hills.

Given a short enough distance, it's not that hard to find some insane gradients.

http://www.tailgateramps.com/matt7half.JPG

"Inclines" are what we called them...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duquesne_Incline

Bah, we have dozens of those around here. One is so steep that when I tried to climb it last week my tire spun against the rim and the valve tore clean off. Fortunately the hole was sealed by the rim and I was able to continue. I'm still trying to think of a way to top the bastard up between rides. Suggestions?

Ride with your brakes rubbing. The extra friction will heat up the rim and air in the tube causing it to expand.