Whores/Horse/Hors Category

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Dougie
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Postby Dougie » 26 Jul 2011, 13:31

I really haven’t ridden enough whores to categorise them, I didn’t even know there where categories! Then again, it could be that I haven’t ridden enough hills to categorise them as whores. Chatting with the Bunch on Sunday morning, the general consensus was that a there was clarity around the climbs categorised 4 through 1 on the sphincter scale.

It was determined that the sphincter scale is measured by the number of seconds paused between the involuntary clenchings of one’s derriere du peloton when riding up one of these hills in fear. Four seconds betwixt each clench just provides mild discomfort where as 1 second matches the cadence when you are out of the saddle and seriously multi tasking to prevent soiling. With a little research and help I am sure that one could categorise some hills around Sydney that match the profiles laid out in the recent Grand Boucle.

What I am most keen to discover is. Is there a true whores category climb in Sydney. OK OK! I know we don’t have an Alp (Huez or Who Does?) or a Pyrenee (what’s the singular for this) but surely there is something short and steep that could be “scarlet woman” like in its style and presentation. Tell me where she is. I am keen to ride her. She can have her wicked way with me and toss me aside spent, when she is done. (my goodness it's hot in here, cigarette anyone?)

Cheers Dougie

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Toff
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Postby Toff » 28 Jul 2011, 00:55

Keep it down Dougie. This is a family website.

Many of the Hors (French for "outside", meaning so hard that they lie outside of the classification scale) climbs are actually not that hard. They have an outside category because of their historic significance, rather than anything else.

There are lots of steep climbs in Sydney, but you need a long climb to count as an Hors climb. Awaba street Balmoral is nice and steep, but only goes for about 2km. Climbing from the bottom of the Spit Bridge up towards Seaforth is longer and nearly as steep, so that might count.

I'd say the closest to Hors climbs for uninterupted pain are some of the National Park climbs. Bobbin Head to Turramurra, or the switchbacks as you climb out of Akuna Bay are two long evil climbs. Galston Gorge too. There are similar climbs around RNP too.

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jimmy
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Postby jimmy » 28 Jul 2011, 08:07

Keep it down Dougie. This is a family website.

Many of the Hors (French for "outside", meaning so hard that they lie outside of the classification scale) climbs are actually not that hard. They have an outside category because of their historic significance, rather than anything else.

There are lots of steep climbs in Sydney, but you need a long climb to count as an Hors climb. Awaba street Balmoral is nice and steep, but only goes for about 2km. Climbing from the bottom of the Spit Bridge up towards Seaforth is longer and nearly as steep, so that might count.

I'd say the closest to Hors climbs for uninterupted pain are some of the National Park climbs. Bobbin Head to Turramurra, or the switchbacks as you climb out of Akuna Bay are two long evil climbs. Galston Gorge too. There are similar climbs around RNP too.
I'd say none of the above.

The category of a climb is based on 4 factors. The length, gradient, quality of the road, and the position in the stage. The last is why you might see a climb as a Cat 1 one year, and then HC the next. The first year, it's the first climb in a stage, and in the next year, it's the finish line.

Awaba Street is only 600m long, most of the climbs around Sydney are only about 3-4km long at the most, and their gradient is something like 4% or so. If you did something like the four gorges, and then did Awaba, that may classify as a HC, simply because it's still very brutal. Bulli Pass maybe if you did it as part of the 150km loop down that way. Some of the climbs down Wollongong way up the escarpment may rate high, because they are fairly long and steep.

James

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Dougie
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Postby Dougie » 28 Jul 2011, 14:06

sorry. my apologies.

cheers D

timyone
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Postby timyone » 30 Jul 2011, 02:59

lol!! man dougie I loved reading your post!!! I read it on my phone and didnt reply at the time! but yeah!! seriously keep up the good work :D I am no help on the climbs :D how about we rate the flats :D

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Dougie
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Postby Dougie » 30 Jul 2011, 13:03

not big on rating real estate, but i'll give it a go. there's some nice flats on marrickville rd. i'd give it a 3. if the garden nicer it would get a 2.

anyone else wish to rate the flats? what's next, the team time trial as i attempt to get me, the bride and the kids down the stairs and out the door of the common area before the spring loaded light switch plunges us into darkness?

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Simon Llewellyn
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Postby Simon Llewellyn » 30 Jul 2011, 14:05

You know this is a good question & I reckon that the Stanwell park climb at the end of the fixie century could be classed as a Hors category climb if not a Hors category ankle snapper on a fixie based on position & difficulty in the ride & challenge on a fixie. There's probably a few cat 1 & Cat 2 ankle snappers leading up to it too.

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Dougie
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Postby Dougie » 30 Jul 2011, 14:15

good on you Simon. I am glad ww are getting to the root of the post.

Possible Hors Categorie
Awaba St
Stanwell park

There's a road off Morrision Rd putney that hits 22%
Who's got something?

timyone
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Postby timyone » 30 Jul 2011, 14:27

that hill at Coogee? there's a hill in Marrickville that might be the steepest thing I know, though I haven't tried it on a bike (theres a similar one near Maroubra, but no idea how to explain where, its near the cemetery)

The one in Marrickville is on Illawarra Rd opposite Steel park.

There is a hill near Mosman that is hard too, it has a roundabout half way up[ it, I wanted to put a club race on there, then we have coffee at the bottom :D

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mikesbytes
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Postby mikesbytes » 30 Jul 2011, 17:21

The one in Marrickville is on Illawarra Rd opposite Steel park.
Wallace st

That is steeeeep, but its short

rhys
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Postby rhys » 02 Aug 2011, 14:49

The one in coogee. Dundas st, behind the surf club. Makes awaba seem easy by comparison - my Garmin rated it around 22% for most of its length, the rest about 15 to 17%. I've never completed it without a pause, but I'm terrible at climbing.
Last edited by rhys on 03 Aug 2011, 16:42, edited 1 time in total.

Rainbow
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Postby Rainbow » 02 Aug 2011, 21:14

Barker St, Randwick is fun. I am determined not to stop and end up one of those I regularly see walking their bikes up the hill.

What about picturesque climbs, or those laden with delicious fruitful trees to replenish you as you climb? Once, riding from Nowra to Bundanoon I ran into the blackberry bushes on the side of the road to feed myself in to nourishment and came out covered in blood from those pesky little thorns... the fruit was amazing! Poor Lindsay looked very concerned.

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AlexD
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Postby AlexD » 02 Aug 2011, 22:20

I'm still getting to know Sydney and am on the lookout for more climbs.

The toughest I know of so far is out of the Audley valley, heading south into the RNP. It's not as steep as some of the short eastern beaches ones, but it's constant. I'm yet to do the Bulli Pass or Galston though - they should be good too I think.

I get the impression that there's nothing near Sydney that really compares to the French Alps though. Is there anything close in Tasmania?

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jimmy
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Postby jimmy » 03 Aug 2011, 06:17

If you want to test Awaba St, come out with the Renegade Group on 20th August, that's where we're going.

James

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Postby orphic » 03 Aug 2011, 08:12

I get the impression that there's nothing near Sydney that really compares to the French Alps though. Is there anything close in Tasmania?
I haven't done all of Tassie but I reckon the hill that goes up to Moina is pretty nasty.

But maybe that was just my dead legs talking... And the fact that Bob had a bit more weight on him than he should have.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/69330119

Probably the hardest day I've done to date. I think I only cracked a million times on that route. We'll blame the Penny Century for that.

rhys
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Postby rhys » 03 Aug 2011, 16:45

I think Mt Wellington in Hobart is pretty long and steep. Alex I climbed out of Galston with Ev and Johno one Saturday and it wasn't too bad. Long-ish, but not too steep.
A guy I know has been to france/italy to ride most of the HC climbs and he says the only one that compares in Australia is Mt Baw Baw which I *think* is in Victoria.

Richard
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Postby Richard » 03 Aug 2011, 17:16

My top 4 nasty local climbs that I have experienced (Haven't ridden Baw Baw or Mt Wellington)

Jamberoo to Saddleback Lookout - not overly long but very steep in sections and the final kick to the lookout is over 20%

Back of Falls Creek which climbs from Omeo to Falls Creek. This is part of the Alpine Classic Extreme 250km course and its a shocker if its hot. Some sections are steep.

Mt Hotham - A long climb but it is last few kilometres that are steep and if its windy then its full on. Its also part of the ACE 250 course.

Bulli Pass - If its hot then this is a stinker

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fenn_paddler
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Postby fenn_paddler » 03 Aug 2011, 18:13

Mt Wellington isn't that hard. Quite long but nothing really steep. The main point to remember is how cold it often gets at the top and how numb the hands get on the way down.

Henri Roberts Drive up Mt Tamborine on the Gold Coast Hinterland is the hardest hill I've done. Very easy to wind the bike computer past 100 on the way down. Even for a crap descender such as myself.

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utopia
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Postby utopia » 10 Aug 2011, 21:34

Try heading doing Akuna anticlockwise and taking a detour to Cottage Point and back up.

For other pain fetish options look in here : http://www.cycle2max.com/bike-hill-clim ... rials.aspx


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