longest bicycle descent?

In article ,
John Everett wrote:

A couple of weeks ago while on our annual cycling trip to Colorado we
drove Colorado Route 14 from Cameron Pass almost into Fort Collins.
[snip]
Any locals know if there are any significant ascents along that route?

As I remember it from earlier this summer, there is one climb near the
top that you can't coast over and many places where the road goes up a
little bit but one can coast over them. However, there is typically an
up-canyon wind in the afternoons, and in the lower parts of the canyon
the grade is often slight enough that you need to pedal against the wind
to keep any reasonable speed.

The Bicycle Tour of Colorado did this stretch of road in 2004, and the
profile is available at the following link. Cameron Pass is the highest
point in the profile, about 30 miles from the start point in Walden, and
Fort Collins is at the end. Ted's Place is about 10 miles from Fort
Collins.

http://www.bicycletourcolorado.com/i.../Profiles/Day6.
htm



Dave

John Everett wrote in part:

...Colorado Route 14 from Cameron Pass almost into Fort Collins.
For most of that distance the road parallels the Cache La Poudre
River. ...

Any locals know if there are any significant ascents along that route?


I was going to say Cameron Pass to the
Fort but you beat me to it. Must be at
least 70k.

No there are no big climbs that I can
recall but there are some flats
around Chambers Lake.
Cameron Pass is only like
10,200 feet--seems taller.

Robert

John Everett wrote in part:

...Colorado Route 14 from Cameron Pass almost into Fort Collins.
For most of that distance the road parallels the Cache La Poudre
River. ...

Any locals know if there are any significant ascents along that route?


I was going to say Cameron Pass to the
Fort but you beat me to it. Must be at
least 70k.

No there are no big climbs that I can
recall but there are some flats
around Chambers Lake.
Cameron Pass is only like
10,200 feet--seems taller.

Robert

writes:

What are the longest (not steepest) descents?

That is, where would a lazy fellow get to coast the farthest? A
little pedalling is acceptable, here and there, but the descent in
general has to be steady and steep enough to allow 15-20 mph
coasting, which translates to around a 2 to 3% grade.

From the top of the Galibier to Embrun looks to be just about all
downhill, maybe 45 miles? It's a drop from 2646 meters to about 475
meters. I haven't ridden that road past Briancon, so I don't know if
there's any climbing between there and Embrun. Going the other way
from Galibier into Grenoble brings one from 2646 meters to about 250
meters, if my Michelin atlas is correct. I don't feel like adding up
all the little numbers to get the distance, but it looks to be about
50 miles. It wouldn't be all downhill, there'd be streches you'd have
to pedal and a couple of slight rises. I remember it being a long way
down from the top of the Izoard to Guillestre, maybe 20 miles. These
are good quality descents as well as long ones.

writes:

What are the longest (not steepest) descents?

That is, where would a lazy fellow get to coast the farthest? A
little pedalling is acceptable, here and there, but the descent in
general has to be steady and steep enough to allow 15-20 mph
coasting, which translates to around a 2 to 3% grade.

From the top of the Galibier to Embrun looks to be just about all
downhill, maybe 45 miles? It's a drop from 2646 meters to about 475
meters. I haven't ridden that road past Briancon, so I don't know if
there's any climbing between there and Embrun. Going the other way
from Galibier into Grenoble brings one from 2646 meters to about 250
meters, if my Michelin atlas is correct. I don't feel like adding up
all the little numbers to get the distance, but it looks to be about
50 miles. It wouldn't be all downhill, there'd be streches you'd have
to pedal and a couple of slight rises. I remember it being a long way
down from the top of the Izoard to Guillestre, maybe 20 miles. These
are good quality descents as well as long ones.

wrote:

What are the longest (not steepest) descents?

Reading the "on Bush and his crashes" thread from start to finish at one
sitting.

--
Tom Sherman

wrote:

What are the longest (not steepest) descents?

Reading the "on Bush and his crashes" thread from start to finish at one
sitting.

--
Tom Sherman

On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 23:46:00 -0500, Tim McNamara
wrote:

writes:

What are the longest (not steepest) descents?

That is, where would a lazy fellow get to coast the farthest? A
little pedalling is acceptable, here and there, but the descent in
general has to be steady and steep enough to allow 15-20 mph
coasting, which translates to around a 2 to 3% grade.

From the top of the Galibier to Embrun looks to be just about all
downhill, maybe 45 miles? It's a drop from 2646 meters to about 475
meters. I haven't ridden that road past Briancon, so I don't know if
there's any climbing between there and Embrun. Going the other way
from Galibier into Grenoble brings one from 2646 meters to about 250
meters, if my Michelin atlas is correct. I don't feel like adding up
all the little numbers to get the distance, but it looks to be about
50 miles. It wouldn't be all downhill, there'd be streches you'd have
to pedal and a couple of slight rises. I remember it being a long way
down from the top of the Izoard to Guillestre, maybe 20 miles. These
are good quality descents as well as long ones.

Dear Tim,

Maybe the middle entry, the one called Chatelard?

http://ciclismo.sitiasp.it/motore2.a...&come=af&qp=20

or

http://tinyurl.com/5lkuo

Clicking on it shows a relief graph with gradients running
around 35 km (and maybe more, since the graph goes down to
only 700 meters above sea level), but there's an ugly 5km
3.4% climb in the middle.

Carl Fogel

On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 23:46:00 -0500, Tim McNamara
wrote:

writes:

What are the longest (not steepest) descents?

That is, where would a lazy fellow get to coast the farthest? A
little pedalling is acceptable, here and there, but the descent in
general has to be steady and steep enough to allow 15-20 mph
coasting, which translates to around a 2 to 3% grade.

From the top of the Galibier to Embrun looks to be just about all
downhill, maybe 45 miles? It's a drop from 2646 meters to about 475
meters. I haven't ridden that road past Briancon, so I don't know if
there's any climbing between there and Embrun. Going the other way
from Galibier into Grenoble brings one from 2646 meters to about 250
meters, if my Michelin atlas is correct. I don't feel like adding up
all the little numbers to get the distance, but it looks to be about
50 miles. It wouldn't be all downhill, there'd be streches you'd have
to pedal and a couple of slight rises. I remember it being a long way
down from the top of the Izoard to Guillestre, maybe 20 miles. These
are good quality descents as well as long ones.

Dear Tim,

Maybe the middle entry, the one called Chatelard?

http://ciclismo.sitiasp.it/motore2.a...&come=af&qp=20

or

http://tinyurl.com/5lkuo

Clicking on it shows a relief graph with gradients running
around 35 km (and maybe more, since the graph goes down to
only 700 meters above sea level), but there's an ugly 5km
3.4% climb in the middle.

Carl Fogel

wrote:
What are the longest (not steepest) descents?

That is, where would a lazy fellow get to coast the
farthest? A little pedalling is acceptable, here and there,
but the descent in general has to be steady and steep enough
to allow 15-20 mph coasting, which translates to around a 2
to 3% grade.

Carl Fogel

This one is probably not the longest one, but is nice (notice: start:
700m, end: 3400m!!!).
http://www.salite.ch/veleta.htm
I did it this summer and is a must when visiting the South of the Spain!

Francesco