# Steepest hills



## iraform

I always hear the grade of a hill expressed in percentages - it's an 8% grade or 12% or something like that. But that means nothing to me. Can anyone tell me the approximate grades for some of the steeper stretches in the NYC area, so that I can put these numbers in perspective? I'm thinking of the two little hills past the lighthouse under the GWB Bridge; the stretch of Riverside Drive off St. Clair Pl. (129th St.) near the Hudson River Path; Harlem Hill in Central Park; the short stretch of 155th St. between the bridge and Broadway; or even that long, steep climb on River Road in NJ that leads to Alpine.


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## ManicMan

http://www.mapmyride.com/

Just click on map new ride, if it wants you to log in hit cancel. Just plot a course along the hill you want to check it and in the "info and tools" box in the top right check the "show elevation" box. It should give an elevation profile for the area you selected, with a color guide of the gradient.

NOTE: the shorter the area your looking at is, the more you'll see about it. So put the start and end at the bottom and top of the hill in question.


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## veloduffer

Grade is measured by elevation per 100 feet (7% is 7 feet of hill per 100 feet in distance). While some of the climbs are steep, they are short (less than a mile).

Here's a list of the climbs near NYC:
http://www.nycc.org/resources/re_regional_grades.html

There are longer climbs that in total have less grade BUT may have sections that rise 14%. These are tough to climb as your speed is already low and if you're tired, you'll need that extra exertion just to keep moving, let alone maintaining the same pace. These are more prevalent in the Catskills and certain areas near Westchester and northern NJ. See here:

http://www.roberts-1.com/bikehudson/r/m/climbs/steep/index.htm#more_Catskills

and if you want to challenge yourself, take a look at this ride which includes Devil's Kitchen (Platte Cove):

http://www.northeastcycling.com/catskills_tour.htm


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## iraform

Thanks for the links, ManicMan and Veloduffer. Just what I was looking for.


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