From: bhilden@bigriver.Eng.Sun.COM (Bruce Hildenbrand)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles
Subject: Re: Table of Grades of Selected Roads in the Santa Cruz Mtns.
Date: 31 Aug 1992 20:34:06 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, Ca.
Distribution: ba
NNTP-Posting-Host: bigriver

In article <1992Aug27.002326.22411@iscnvx.lmsc.lockheed.com> bushnell@iscnvx.lmsc.lockheed.com (William D. Bushnell) writes:
>I am posting this article for Jobst because I think the information is
>interesting for us statistically-oriented wreck.bikes readers here in the Bay
>Area and because Jobst's news software apparently cannot limit the regional
>distribution of his posts.
>
>ROAD % GRADIENTS IN THE COAST RANGE AND SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Sand Hill Road (at SLAC)                                        4
>Sand Hill Road (west of 280)                                    5
>Sand Hill Road (at CCTA Horse Park)                             3.5
>Sand Hill Road (west of Manzanita Way)                          7.5
>Lower Kings Mountain Road                                       8.5 to 10
>Kings Mountain Road (at Huddart Park)                           7
>Kings Mountain Road (at Archery Range Turn)                     11.5
>Tunitas Creek Road (at upper end)                               4.5
>Tunitas Creek Road (at steep section)                           11
>Skyline Boulevard (long descent to Skylonda)                    5.5
>Highway 84 (at Red Barn)                                        6
>Pescadero Road (Haskins Hill, east side)                        6.5
>Alpine Road (lower)                                             11
>Alpine Road (first steep turn at Mindego Ranch)                 14
>Alpine Road (mile post 2.4)                                     8
>Honor Camp Road (off Alpine Road)                               19
>Page Mill Road (at Los Trancos parking lot)                     19
>Page Mill Road (before Shotgun Bend)                            15.5-17
>Page Mill Road (lower View Area)                                15.5
>Page Mill Road (at Moody Road)                                  14
>Westridge Drive                                                 13.5
>Old La Honda Road (lower)                                       10
>Old La Honda Road (steep right turn)                            16
>Joaquin Road (near end of pavement Alpine Rd)                   17-19.5
>Golden Oak Drive (across from Alpine Inn)                       17.5
>Los Trancos Road (straightaway)                                 18.5
>Montebello Road (lower at start)                                10-11
>Montebello Road (2nd right S turn)                              12
>Montebello Road (1/4 mile beyond Pichetti Winery)               15-17
>Redwood Gulch Road (after first right bend)                     14-18.5
>Bohlman Road (Saratoga)                                         10-13
>                                                                (20 some turns)
>On Orbit Lane (Saratoga)                                        18-23.5
>Divisadero St. (San Francisco)                                  22
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>The measurements above were taken with a 100-inch aluminum beam,
>a decimal ruler and a level to read gradients directly in percent.

Here we go again!  I took exception to this posting when it originally
showed up on the net 2 years ago, I do so again, now!

What the post fails to mention is that the numbers reported here
represent the grade for a short SECTION of road and not the AVERAGE
grade.  Because of this, I find this table very misleading and I think,
if interpreted incorrectly(which will most likely happen, because no
real clear explanation was given for the length over which the measurements
apply) it will lead to people getting a false impression as to the
average gradient of the ascents in the Bay Area.

It seems that Ray Hosler measured the steepest sections of a number of the
Bay Area's popular climbs which does not give a good indication of the
average gradient.  I am sure that Ray had the best of intentions, he just
should have labeled his measured sections as such.

I feel that unless a climb is more of a stair-stepped affair(Page Mill
is the classic Bay Area example) then the average gradient is more
appropriate.  Climbs like King's Mountain and Old LaHonda(East side)
are more like a 7-8% average grade, the steep sections reported
in Ray Hosler's table are short enough to almost be non-existent
(sure you may have to get out of the saddle, but you certainly
are not going to die on them).

Anyway, it is interesting that about 1 month after we have a discussion
about how representing climbs in writing can be misleading, the other side
of that discussion finally offers data that seems to support their original
claim!

Bruce
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles,rec.bicycles.tech,rec.bicycles.misc