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Talk of the Major Taylor race made me want a list of all the best training hills in the Boston area. Start listing and add % grade if you can. Not sure I know what an 18% grade looks like, but tell me if anything you list is close. I can only think of two:
The Belmont Hill
Summit Ave, Brookline
Oak Hill in Harvard 14% at highest
Pinnacle Hill Harvard 9-11%
East Bare Hill/Armstrong Rd. Harvard 10-11%
Baldpate Hill Rd. Newton 12%
Hill Rd. Boxborough 5-10% (3 hills)
Have fun,
Robyn
Heartbreak Hill from Newton/Wellesley into Chestnut Hill...I don't remember that being any fun but it does have wide shoulders...
karen
Heartbreak Hill is my "need a quick ride in the morning" ride: it is long and steady, and yes, has good shoulders. Summit Ave in Brookline is going to be on my training list: I'd say that at it's worst it is near or at 18%. How did you get all those grades, Robyn!? I'm impressed. I'll have to search those hills out.
Highland Ave off of Mass Ave in Arlington is good, as are any streets between Highland and Park Ave, off of Mass Ave--they head straight up into the Heights ending at Gray Street in many cases.
Eastern Ave, at the top of Highland Ave, going past the Brackett Elem. School to the Watertower. Steep grade. This street and Highland were the downhill portions of the cycling race in 2000 that sadly resulted in the death of Nicole Rinehart of Saturn.
Anyone going to join in for the Major Taylor?
-s
Yikes! You people scare me.
The grades are from our garmin software that we use to plan rides when we lead trips. But, we use it just to map out routes for ourselves, too. Then you know in advance how much pain you are going to be in!