# Bridgewater, 20-50 miles road bike routes with climbs?



## terminus123

Hi, I'm on the USC Cycling team, and atm am in CA. I'm going back to Bridgewater, NJ for the summer, and I still want to keep in good condition for next racing season. I'm looking for any good road bike routes with these traits:
-starts and ends in Bridgewater
-20-50 miles
-climbs, would be awesome if there were 3000-6000ft climbs. 
-would prefer to have scenic route

-thanks!


----------



## AlanE

Head to the area north of I-78 and west of I-287 and you can't go wrong. Very scenic, light traffic, good roads, and moderately hill. You won't find any 3000-6000 ft climbs in NJ (the highest point is only around 1800 ft) but you will find plenty of steep climbs of about 500 ft. 

Check out njbikemap.com for some maps of the area. Also, there are plenty of clubs and teams that ride in the area if you don't want to venture out on your own.


----------



## terminus123

sweet, thanks so much! is it possible if you could show me it in mapmyrides or something? also what clubs might you recommend that's rides at/around Bridgewater?


----------



## fasteddy

njbikemaps are great, Team Somerset rides in that area gooflr both for some good routes


----------



## AlanE

Here are some nearby clubs. Note that most of these clubs are for the most part comprised of middle-aged recreational riders, but their fastest groups are still pretty strong. 

Western Jersey Wheelmen - My club. Mostly weekend rides: http://www.bikewjw.org

Bedminster Flyers - Wednesday evening rides out of Far Hills: http://www.bedminsterflyers.com/index.html They have some routes on their website. Sounds like you might enjoy the Seven Hills of Attrition.

Morris Area Freewheelers - wide variety of rides: http://www.mafw.org/

Century Road Club of America: informal (no license required) club races, primarily Wed. evening time trial & Thurs. evening handicap road races. I also saw that thay have a hill climb time trial this coming weekend. http://www.centuryroadclub.com

Central Jersey Bicycle Club - http://www.cjbc.org/
If you're still around in September, try their Hillier Than Thou time trial

Besides that, there are local teams and shops that should be able to hook you up with some fast rides. Check out the Somerset Wheelmen, Liberty Cycle, Watchung Wheelmen, and Colavita, as well as Rutgers & Princeton teams.


----------



## BergMann

*Round Valley & Southern Hunterdon Co. are fantastic*

I am alumnus of the UCSB racing team who lives in Flemington (20mi SE of B.water), and the side roads of southern Hunterdon county are amazingly scenic and virtually devoid of traffic (If I can get out to do my standard 2hr ride mid-day, I sometimes only see 3 or 4 cars).

The first loop I'd recommend would be to drop down into the Solberg Airport area and pick up Pulaski or Dreahook Road west towards Round Valley Reservoir.
There's a fantastic loop around the Reservoir (Dreahook Rd to 629 to Railroad Ave to Mountain Rd), Google maps says that loop would be a 40 miler back to the center of Bridgewater township. My guess is that you'll pick up 1500-2000 ft of climbing on that loop due mostly to the climbs around the reservoir.

As others have said, you're going to have a hard time finding 6000 feet of climbing in just 50 miles. Most climbs around here are over 500ft hills and less than a mile long. The max. 1800ft for NJ cited above is all the way up in the NE corner of the state, so a 600ft hill is a big one for local standards.

If you're serious about climbing though, and want Flemish style "Bergs" with extended ramps of 14-16%, PM me and I'll show you where the good stuff is in the "Golden Triangle" between Flemington, Frenchtown, & Lambertville.
You'd probably want to drive down to Flemington, but given a 25-30 mile loop, I could easily find you a half-dozen 500ft climbs w/ average gradients of 8%+, and if you were feeling frisky we could do them twice!
I used to climb the Costal Range in CA on a daily basis back in college, and while the climbs in the Santa Ynez were a lot longer, I can't remember any paved climbs that touched grades anywhere near 15%.


----------



## AlanE

A frequent poster to these forums named Ken Roberts seemed to have an obsession with hills in NJ. So much so that he put together a website dedicated to the subject. 
http://www.roberts-1.com/b/u/nj/hills/index.htm

I can't say I agree with the "Golden Triangle" comment above. The area of Flemington, Frenchtown, & Lambertville is nice, but not particularly hilly. If it's hills you want, head north of I-78.


----------



## thegock

*Brisk ride with climbing*

Try the Saturday morning ride out of High Gear Cycle in Stirling. Call the shop for time. Lot of racers.


----------



## BergMann

Well, "Golden Triangle" was sort of in ironic scare-quotes. But since I'm a climber who lives in S. Hunterdon Co., I've personally sought out every climb between route 78, the 206 and the Delaware, and there are some brutally steep climbs here.
Did you ever get off the major highways when you rode in this neck of the woods? The secret is to "surf" the lip of the Delaware river valley.
Ever ridden Federal Twist Rd? Pine Hill? Byram-Kingwood? Thatcher's Hill? Locktown-Seargentsville? Upper Creek? Cherryville Hollow?
All average gradients of +8%, with max pitches in around 12-16%, and a mile or more in length.
There's some great hilly terrain up in the Peapack & Gladstone, Tewksbury Township & Lockwood Gorge areas as well, and while I've admittedly only done 1/10 the riding between Routes 78 and 80 that I've done south of the 78, my general experience over a couple hundred rides is that the roads carry at least double the traffic, and while I've found some climbs longer than those mentioned above, I've found few that are as challenging when it comes to gradient.
At any rate, I'm not selling real estate down here: let the OP ride wherever he can find hills!
Oh, and thanks for the posting of Ken Roberts' site.
I ride once a week in the Morristown area, and am always looking for new climbs I haven't tried yet!


----------



## AlanE

Yes, I've ridden every one of those hills. Numerous times. I live near Clinton and when I'm in the mood for an easy ride, I head to the South Hunterdon area. Not looking to be argumentative here, but you exaggerate the difficulty of those hills. Sure, there are some steep sections, but nothing approaching 500' of climbing. Here's some data from TopoUSA

Federal Twist: 365' gain, 6% avg., 13% max
Pine Hill: 200' gain, 11% avg., 14% max
Byram-Kingwood: 303' gain, 8% avg., 10% max
Thatcher's Hill: 365' gain, 5% avg., 13% max
Locktown-Sergeantsville: 155' gain, 5% avg., 12% max
Upper Creek: 200' gain, 4% avg., 10% max 
Cherryville Hollow: 390' gain, 3% avg., 5% max (technically outside your triangle. add Cherryville-Stanton at the top for another 100')

Here are some others that "surf the lip" of the Delaware River Valley:
Tumble Falls: 360' gain, 10% avg., 24% max (I think TopoUSA exagerates that last stat)
Tumble Idell: 300' gain, 6% avg., 15% max (note that 15% section is gravel)
Stompf Tavern: 360' gain, 5% avg., 12% max (also gravel)
Kingwood Station-Barberton: 365' gain, 6% avg., 12% max (also gravel)
Fairview: 385' gain, 5% avg., 10% max

While I could go on and on about the hills north of your triangle that are much more challenging (refer to Ken's data), closer to your area are some tough climbs that "surf the lip" on the PA side of the river. Checkout Uhlerstown Hill (across the river from Frenchtown) and get back to me.


----------



## thegock

*OK, Mr. USC Cycling team...*

Term,

Generally speaking I would ride west and stay north of 78 for the best climbing. South of 78 is more rolling farm country. Definitely check out NJBikemap.com (Dustin J. Farnum is the schizzle). http://www.njbikemap.com/njmap/7-maps/boundbrk.pdf

Here is a suggested route: Go west along Washington Valley Rd that crosses 206 and turns into Burnt Mills Rd that T's out into Rattlesnake Bridge Rd. They were milling RSB this weekend so it shoud be as smooth as a baby's...by the time you see it. There you go right and up to Lamington Rd, crossing over Rt. 78. Go left on Lamington Rd and follow to Oldwick Tpk/Rt 517 where you turn right (North) to the center of Oldwick.

Stop at the general store for a croissant cuz the flat warmup is over: we are gonna climb. Continue North to the first intersection and turn right on Homestead. The first left in a quarter mile is Fox Hill Rd. The Garmin said 23% on the first steep pitch today until it changed to 24%:cryin: . I think the Garmin was giving me an "internet slope" however I did notice some front wheel levitation there and both my legs are cramping now. Follow Fox Hill to the end and go left back south down Oldwick Trpk/517, a screaming two mile descent. Go right when you get just past the Oldwick general store then go right on Rockaway after you cross a bridge. A left shortly thereafter will put you on Bissell, a two mile climb.

At the top (end) go right on Cokesbury Rd. and go straight onto Water when the road curves left at the bottom of the hill. Go left at Longview to the top. Go left @ top then follow road down a dangerous descent. At the mandatory stop sign at the bottom go right(East) on 512 and follow about 10 miles of rollers. After the steel grate bidge you jog right/turn left to stay on 512. The final descent after you cross over 206 is a screamer. Then you turn right at the stop sign in Peapack Gladstone. Turn right past the train station at the next stop sign continuing less than another mile to Coco Luxe bakery on right (pick me up a couple of pastries here-Best Bakery in NJ:thumbsup: ?) going left there on Willow. 

Follow Rd over bridge and keep left, climbing Campbell/Clark. Somewhere halfwayup this climb, you have to go right. At the end of Clark, go left and the road will change names several times but stay on it. Go right at stop sign on Bernardsville Rd (CR 525) and continue through the center of Bernardsville across Rt. 206. Go 3 miles on Mt Airy Rd and left at the light (still Rt 525)crossing under 287. This will pass over Rt 78 again and after five or so miles eventually turn into Martinsville Rd, a dangerous descent, which T's out into Washington Valley Rd in Martinsville. 

Check this route on NJBikemap.com and print out the applicable quads before you go out. Might be 48 miles. Some of the climbs are 400+ vf and you can check the pitches on Ken Roberts excellent page http://www.roberts-1.com/b/u/nj/hills/index.htm. Report back.


----------



## BergMann

Nice suggestion by thegock! 
Think I need to check out those climbs by Oldwick myself!
I've done a fair amount of "bushwhacking" above the 78, but I seem to have missed some of the steeper climbs like Fox Hill, although I have been up and down Cold Springs Rd. nearby, which if memory serves is a helluva fun descent.

The Stirling & Peapack area is also nice, & it definitely fits the OP's wish for a scenic route.
A quick detour over Ravine Lake is also well worth the effort once you're in that neck of the woods.


----------



## BergMann

At risk of going slightly off topic (some of these climbs are more than 25 miles from Bridgewater), in the interest of scientific inquiry, I'd like to return to AlanE's post:
One of life’s many ironies: I spend my first 15 years as a rider training on climbs on the West Coast & in Europe with thousands of feet of vertical gain, only to find myself now having a “non-argumentative” discussion (;~>) about the humble little hundred-foot-hills of NJ. But since it would seem we both have more than a passing interest in these little hills, so I’ll insert a “not to be defensive” disclaimer here and see if I can do your post justice in my reply.
While I’m open to data that may contradict the measurements I’ve been able to collect, I would like to defend myself from the charge of deliberate misrepresentation by recalling that I wrote that most climbs around here "go over 500ft hills." While my second reference to "500ft climbs" may have been an unfortunate choice of words, I never made the claim that all climbing here begins at sea level, so implicit in my previous post was the assumption that your elevation gain on any given climb will be <500ft.
Now for the mea culpa: I rattled off my initial list of climbs & stats from the “visual memory,” of having ridden all of these climbs with a Ciclosport HAC4 & a bubble-inclinometer on my handlebars. A preliminary look at my own altimetry logs suggests that making a blanket claim of 8% average gradients was probably too high, but my “road level” measurements still come in above your software-generated topo stats. By the same token, for the climbs I was able to identify browsing a few regular training logs, 12-16% max gradients look to be right on spot.
I'm not familiar with TopoUSA, but a quick Google search suggests it’s a desktop ap that can calculate gradients off of scanned USGS topo maps, right? What’s the resolution on the maps used by your tool? Elevation measured in 10ft increments? I ask because this might explain the discrepancy between the numbers your software produced & and those I’ve repeatedly logged with my 3-ft resolution altimeter while riding those roads in the real world.
Another situational irony: I have a brand new Garmin Edge 500 sitting on my desk, which I bought primarily so I could use GPS mapping in conjunction with a 1-ft resolution altimeter to double-check the HAC4 database I've built up over the years. Most folks familiar with the HAC4 I’m replacing know that it's a far from perfect tool (just as Amazon reviewers of TopoUSA seem to have more than a few reservations regarding its reliability), but the interesting thing about the HAC4’s altimeter-based incline calculations, is that they correspond perfectly with gradient readings provided by the bubble-inclinometer that I've set up & calibrated with a 6ft spirit level & goniometer (and for that matter with those provided by a Sigma Rox 9 altimeter I had on loan for a couple months last season).
I'm going to try and post a couple of screenshots I did specifically of HAC4 elevation & gradient profiles for Thatcher's Hill & Federal Twist Rd., & you can let your eyes be the judge.


----------



## BergMann

Oh, & forgive the German Hactronic interface above.
For all those who don't read German, "Mittel" = average


----------



## AlanE

TheGock, Good call on Rattlesnake Bridge Rd. Went through there today and they were just starting to lay down the new asphalt. Should be ready by the weekend. Can't say I agree with your CocoLuxe rating, but it's not bad. They could use more outdoor seating though. I prefer Oldwick GS, or even the Cider Mill up by Hacklebarney.

Terminus123, As TheGock & I originally said, if you want to ride challenging hills from Bridgewater, head north of I-78 & west.

BergMann, Apology accepted.


----------



## BergMann

thegock: how many total feet of climing did the Garmin record over that 48 mile ride?

AlanE: since I'm just getting into this GPS stuff, and am geniunely curious, what is the resolution of the topos on TopoUSA? 10 ft increments? 
Have you ever done your own field testing with altimeter / inclinometer to double check TopoUSA's numbers?


----------



## thegock

*d/k*

Berg,

Didn't ride that exact route (just Fox Hill Rd.), because I started from home about 14 miles east of Bridgewater. I ride all of these climbs regularly and I would guess @ least 3-4k vf. 

Term,

Bridgewater is a great place to live if you want to be close to riding/climbing country. The climbs that I picked are the stash. Others might pick differently. Enjoy.


----------



## BergMann

thegock said:


> Didn't ride that exact route (just Fox Hill Rd.), because I started from home about 14 miles east of Bridgewater. I ride all of these climbs regularly and I would guess @ least 3-4k vf.


You in Watchung? I used to ride over in that neck of the woods every Saturday.
Really dug the terrain from Stirling westward. Saturday rides now start from Morristown, so my exploration of northern climbs continues...


----------



## AlanE

AlanE: since I'm just getting into this GPS stuff said:


> I'm not sure what the resolution is for TopoUSA. I have an older version - 3.0. It displays contour lines at 20 ft. intervals, but still produces results between the lines. Perhaps by interpolation. Regardless, I would suggest that to come up with a meaningful measure of the max. grade of a hill you need to measure the steepness of a significant section rather than the steepness on a 1 ft. section. Otherwise you might only be looking at a bump in the road. And for bottom-to-top vertical gain, TopoUSA is good enough. How precise to you really need to be?
> 
> As for field testing? No. I don't have an altimeter / inclinometer. I don't even use a computer on any of my bikes. I'm not a luddite, I'm just not into the whole performance measurement thing. I just like to ride.


----------



## thegock

*Pm*

Bergmann, 
Just sent u a pm.
T


----------



## BergMann

AlanE said:


> How precise to you really need to be?


Ha! This from the man who's calling my hand on +/-2% discrepancies! :smilewinkgrin:
I've got no problems with someone building a counter-argument with a data set, but come on, when someone trumps the accuracy of those numbers with proof of better metrics, be man enough to admit it!
Seriously though, for non-cartographers, this stuff clearly falls under the rubric of "for-the-sheer-joy-of-knowing."
I understand the no-tech approach to riding: when I got done with college racing, I tossed my computer in the trash & did spent several years riding without worrying about the numbers.
I now enjoy revisiting old rides I did both here and abroad, & logging them with the altimeter. It's always interesting to see how my recollection of the difficulty of a climb or course stacks up against the empirical reality of the terrain.

FWIW, the HAC4 provides real-time readouts while riding, but logs in 20 second intervals. The gradient "peaks" you see on the profiles above are thus effectively averages of a "significant section" of road covered - roughly 15 vertical feet - between log intervals. These numbers jive with the real-time readouts on both the HAC4 and inclinometer, which on a climb like Federal Twist hover for an agonizingly long time in that 14-17% range.


----------



## AlanE

BergMann, Dude, Whatever. Obviously I've touched a nerve. I have no problem accepting that your numbers are superior to mine, especially since you owned up to exaggerating your initial claims. Kind of reminds me of how at the end of a group ride, everyone compares their stats and the group agrees to go with whoever has the highest numbers. Everything else is just chalked up to calibration error. 

Since you're "serious about climbing", enjoy the "Flemish style bergs" (I always thought a Flemish berg was an unpaved hill as in the Tour of Flanders, or did you really mean Flemington style?) while you "surf the lip" in your "Golden Triangle" so that you can proclaim "I'm a climber" (ironic scare-quotes added for emphasis).


----------



## BergMann

C'mon man. What comes around goes around. If you want to dish out the critique & "tough love" then learn to take a little in return.
You ridicule someone for self-identifying as a climber but then drop barbed & pretentious lines about riding south to ride climbs like Federal Twist when you're "in the mood for an easy ride." Even if that's a statement of fact in your mind, devote a little self-reflection to how it comes across.
I'm an ex-MTB marathon racer who used to race on the European circuit. You don't line up for races with 10,000ft+ of climbing unless you can climb.
If clydesdale rec rider with a good kick calls himself a "sprinter" in a discussion of how or where he likes to ride, I don't assume he frontin' like Mark Cavendish, but rather that he's just speaking to his his relative strengths (and implicit weaknesses) as a rider. N'uff said.

A final note on semantics & cycling terminology:
Berg = Flemish for "hill." A steep, short hill to be specific.
Belgium, like Jersey, doesn't have any real mountains to speak of: max elevation = 2270ft.
Races like Flanders feature lots of short, steep hills, and the most famous of those aren't unpaved, they're cobbled.
To anyone who assumed I was claiming that South Hunterdon was a new-world paradise of cobblestone climbing, I extend my most heartfelt apology.


----------



## AlanE

Like I said, whatever. I'm very impressed with your credentials. But it's too nice a day to dwell on it. I'm going out for a nice easy spin.

Signing Off & Heading South


----------



## HouseMoney

terminus123 said:


> -starts and ends in Bridgewater
> -20-50 miles
> -climbs
> -would prefer to have scenic route


http://connect.garmin.com/activity/30734025

Here's a ride I did a few days ago. The middle part of the ride is from Bridgewater west out to Cokesbury/Lebanon/Tewksbury. (Rattlesnake Bridge Rd is ripped up for re-paving, so I took River Rd West to Cowperthwaite to get back to Burnt Mills on the way back east). Once out in this area, you could also try Cokesbury Rd (up to Califon), Philhower, Guinea Hollow, and/or Longview (short & steep). Bissell Rd is the long climb in the middle of my ride.

To further add to it, you could hit south of 78 before heading north. As mentioned, you could ride near Solberg Airport and make your way to 629, crossing over 523 and take this climb up around Round Valley. Stanton Mountain Rd off of Stanton Rd (629) is a nice, steep climb of about a mile followed by a descent which loops you back down to 629, where you could re-trace your way back up 629 and continue around the reservoir.

There are some nice climbs heading out towards High Bridge as well.


----------



## Cfrone1

*njbikemaps...the man!*



fasteddy said:


> njbikemaps are great, Team Somerset rides in that area gooflr both for some good routes


njbikemap.com are, in my opinion, fantastic and as thorough as they get!

If you wanted to meet the man behind the site, he is Dustin Farnum, head mechanic at Efinger Sporting Goods in Bound Brook. Stop in and speak with him about the maps and site. They even have his entire map printed out and on the wall in the store, so he can point stuff out to you there. Great guy, really informative, and fun to speak with!


----------



## Princeton_Tiger

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the Sourland Mountains region, approximately midway between Princeton & Flemington, not too far from Bridgewater. It's a very popular & really nice area to ride, with several routes to the top. Probably somewhat less than 500 ft climbs, but a good workout nontheless.


----------



## BergMann

Princeton_Tiger said:


> I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the Sourland Mountains region ...


The area around Sourlands is pretty, and the approach from Princeton via Cherry Hill Rd is a nice ride, but the problem with getting down there from Bridgewater is you've got about 14 miles over pancake-flat Hillsborough Township to get there on rather monotonous, straight, & congested roads.
If the OP really wants to do 3000ft+ of climbing in <50 miles, and wants them to be scenic as well, he's best off heading North and/or West as the other posters have suggested.


----------



## Princeton_Tiger

*Bridgewater to the Sourlands*

Bridgewater is a big township, so getting to the Sourlands really depends on where you're starting from. If you're in the western part of the township, here's a route from Milltown Road to the base of Zion Road (which is probably the biggest climb there). It's only about 7 miles over a scenic lightly traveled road with a few good rollers.

http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=123154

If you're in the eastern part of Bridgewater, BergMann is right, you'll do better heading NW.


----------

