The Steepest Climb In The World: Can We Make It Rideable?

[@gcntech]

Do you know of any climbs you'd like to see Ollie take on?

[@n00bm4str69]

Us Filipino viewers would love to see you do the "Black Wall" challenge here in the Philippines. The gradient at its highest is 35%

[@gordoncharles8372]

Come to sunny St. Lucia...lots of mountain rides for you to enjoy...like Majorca but possibly shorter. BTW I correct my information to read 41.8% not degrees in terms of hill steepness. Ollie we have amazing sandy beaches too....just saying again

[@zimmejoc]

There's one in Hawaii I'd like to see him challenge--Waipio Valley Road. Send him next January. . . . . . P.S. Ollie didn't ask me to suggest a trip to Hawaii in January.

[@stephenrenshaw9500]

Can you make Ollie Everest that climb please 🙂

[@drjwbriand]

get in touch with jeremy and come on over to the usa and do the mt. washington climb. as tough as it gets with a nice coupie hunded yards of dir at the top. you'll have to wait till august though to try to avoid snoe, a constant at least 25mph wind and temps in the 30's! best wishes, enjoyed this video!

[@bluntandy]

I'm pretty sure the hill my dad went up to school both ways was much steeper. Plus it was always raining or snowing and into a headwind

[@ofwolfandmanii]

My grandfather use to tell me his bike never had tires so he rode it on just rims.

[@kacy750]

Andrew! you must be my brother, because my dad did the same thing!

[@uk-expat]

We ‘ad it tough…

[@kratkidokumentarci224]

Bro, wanted so say the same and at the same time i knew so.eone already said it haha

[@zimmejoc]

my dad would do that, but he only had one leg. His other leg was off starting a profitable business.

[@oliviernoir6669]

5:32 Congratulations - it is always hard to imagine how steep a climb is when you watch it on TV, but the bench shot gives a pretty good idea of how brutal it is.

[@gcntech]

It's hard to convey steep ramps sometimes

[@jcnbw01]

"I wasn't trying to get up there fast... I was just trying to get up. The speed you go is the speed you go." - me, pretty much on every climb. Aces climb Oli!

[@Cyclingbusdriver]

Good effort, I went up there the other month, got to the bench and couldn't go any further, it's brutal! Funny thing is I walked up the rest and still ended up 150th out of around 400, clear sign that plenty of other riders have failed

[@MozOnBikes]

2 personal hardest climbs I’ve done that I think are worth considering in the UK. 1st Constitution Hill in Swansea, average near 20% but with serious steep little kickers but the killer is its cobbled nearly the entire length. 2nd are the 2 climbs out of Millook south of Bude in Cornwall, particularly the north bound direction. The road is typically Cornish narrow with debris/gravel in its centre section so you can’t weave side to side for gradient relief for loss of traction. Also in sections it’s soo steep 39% if my wahoo is to be believed that it’s hard to not wheelie or wheel spin. I think I’ve failed this climb over 50% of my attempts. But it sure does reward you on a beautiful summers morning with breathtaking views.

[@halszary6078]

I live on constitution hill and can confirm it's a beast

[@MozOnBikes]

@@halszary6078 I used to as a student, Woodlands and then Oaklands terrace 🤙

[@halszary6078]

@@MozOnBikes Haha nice man, current student and I'm on montpelier. Gotta make the most of having such a gnarly climb on the doorstep haha

[@bobrong9645]

@@halszary6078 I used to live in Montpelier terrace! Have to admit I never tried Constitution hell on my bike and always cheated through Rose hill.

[@JeremyLawrence-imajez]

My Mum used to live at top on Constitution Hill and run up it as a kid to go home. Tough as it is, this climb is much, harder. Constitution Hill is also easier since they repaired it with nice new cobbles and no holes.

[@Alphard_adventures]

Absolutely pissed myself when you tried to start Ollie… thanks I needed that … well done by the way 😂👍🏼 oh by the way when are you planning to Everest this climb 😂😂😂

[@AG-el6vt]

It's a 100m climb, so 'only' 88 laps should do the job!

[@Alphard_adventures]

Come on Ollie get this Everested 👍🏼😂

[@robertkee7534]

So you are normal after all, well done for trying and trying again. That was Ridiculously steep. That is steeper than my roof, it's only 33%

[@gcntech]

Maybe we should try send Ollie up your roof next?

[@AG-el6vt]

Fair game Ollie, a 35/33 gear ratio is still harder than my own compact 34/34 :D You needed a gravel/MTB drivetrain!

[@xosece]

Ollie is a hero. That's something road bikes are lacking imho, easiest gears for climbs like that. My road bike is also 34/34 but on some place I'd be grateful to have something more akin to 34/50, it's mountainous (1035m, 1100m mountains at most), but it's very hilly

[@Seppster58]

Well done Ollie!!! I have gained so much respect for you over the year or so I have subscribed to GCN. Always shows us the lighter side of things even if the challenge is tough. ❤

[@danproposkanovovski]

You're a beast. The hardest I've done is 1km at 12% average (maxing out at 25%) and that was hell. Can't imagine a road that's 50% steeper.

[@quarkonium3795]

Where I live we have a very similar road except it’s 1.5 km, 13% average, and 25% max (steepest quarter mile was around 18%). I could feel my heart beating through my ears an the blood rushing past my face was deafening. I was moving at about 5 kph and it took nearly all of my energy to keep upright (and I was using a 34-32 gear)

[@cg.maniac]

Well you guys need to visit the Himalayas. Some places we have slopes that have almost a 100% gradient 😂... Thanks to the fact that the entire region is a sinking zone and our roads often sink...

[@AlistairLattimore]

@Ollie, out of interest what gear ratios do the two hill climb pros use as a comparison?

[@cg.maniac]

@@AlistairLattimore I use a 36 front and 46 back for climbing. But the main issue is that there isn't mutch traction while climbing the hill and also if there is enough traction then the front wheel starts rising making the bike wanna tip over backwards. So it's kinda scary and also I haven't been able to climb slopes higher than 70%. I once encountered one at 86% and I tipped over and fell 😂

[@Montebaldoo]

@@quarkonium3795 i can understand you, i have done 0.7 km at 13% (39-30 gear) i was so out of energy that i decided to stop when i mistook a tree for a man

[@johnwaugaman358]

Canton Ave., Pittsburgh, 37% and cobblestones! See Dirty Dozen, Pittsburgh

[@hughdearnley8043]

Still way overgeared. I find that mountain bike gearing of 38-24 front and 11-40 rear is suitable for myself, an older but fit recreational rider. Road bikes are commonly sold with gears only slightly lower than pro racers, but I put out less than half their power

[@Tethysmeer]

True, I plan to build a road bike with 46/30, 11-36. Want high cadence climbing.

[@pbandjosh]

Agree completely. 53/39 is just not enjoyable, for me, for recreational riding, and I'm quite fit. I don't need to go 80kph downhill, but I do like to be able to climb without exploding my knees. In past couple years I sold my oldschool 53/39 with 11-28 bike and now have a gravel bike with 46/30 and a 34T cassette. I have yet to need a higher gear than 46-11 even descending on pavement, but man do I love the 30-34. My new road bike will be a compact double with a 34 or 36 rear cassette.

[@QwertyUser1983]

50t-11t rear and 22t-32t front on my Kloss Enroute, a retro roadbike. That the only way I can travel anywhere in my hometown in Bogor, Indonesia. No flats here. ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶

[@michaelb1761]

@@QwertyUser1983 That's even bigger gearing than my mountain bike, 11-42t rear and a compact 36/26 on the crank, which is what I used for the steepest climb that I've ever tried, and it was definitely not as steep as the one in this video.

[@QwertyUser1983]

@@michaelb1761 Well, 100 kg round me + 10 kg weekly groceries + 15 kg bike with pannier cage rack, Those big gearings are super helpful (*♡∀♡)

[@UloPe]

To me it’s always surprising when you convert the incline percentage to degrees it doesn’t *sound* so bad (e.g. 20% is just over 11°) yet when you stand at the base of a 20% hill it looks like a freaking wall…

[@bigmichael6156]

and 100% is 45°

[@AJackal]

@@bigmichael6156 Thanks, I never looked at like that, and it seems obvious to me now 😄

[@nikispaniki]

Don’t they say snow won’t stick to a face over 70*? On top of a 40* ski slope it always looks like a cliff. I think cycling up steep climbs is one the hardest athletic pursuits one can do. A 20% hill is brutal

[@Kommentierer]

I was once on a really steep climb on gravel in my lowest gear (34-36). Grip was not the problem, but the low gear made me bringing so much torque to the wheel, that my front wheel would take off sometimes.

[@jrvaden]

Hills are a big reason I went with the GRX group set. 46-30 chainring and 11-34 cassette.

[@yengsabio5315]

You have strong legs with the available gear ratio you have, mate!

[@Schradermusic]

You can go 46-34 in the front and 11-34 in the back with Shimano 105. I have it set up like that on my Cyclocross bike.

[@drjwbriand]

you'te a trooper bro! i've got a bike set up only for climbing with an old campy daytona rd wih the 11-34 and a 26 front ring. i can haul my 265 lb carcass up almost anything with that set up-well almost anything!

[@yengsabio5315]

@@drjwbriand That still is a heavy load, my mate! Wow!

[@mathewrose2951]

To be fair, 2% can be unrideable if there's enough rotting leafmeal covering the surface of the road. That road was still unclimbable until he busted out the broom.

[@yengsabio5315]

Indeed!

[@gcntech]

Is the broom the best value for money tech upgrade we've ever used?

[@sethgriffiths6539]

Would love to see "the Feather" attempt that and leave a KOM throw down!

[@gordoncharles8372]

OLLIE....you mentioned suggesting a steeper climb somewhere warm....on the island of St. Lucia in the Caribbean we have a short hill in a community development which registers at 41.8 degrees on my element bolt at its steepest point. You are welcome to visit, confirm and attempt it. Ps I have a mountain bike with a 32 front and 52 rear in case you need it...just saying Regards Gordon Charles

[@GCNuser123]

sounds incredible!

[@janvanrookhuijzen8309]

Degrees or %? If 41,8 degrees it's an amazing challenge even with a 32/52.

[@gordoncharles8372]

@@janvanrookhuijzen8309 Good question...I would have to check my wahoo bolt...however this bike computer registers gradient is what I read...and I did it twice for good measure

[@gordoncharles8372]

@@janvanrookhuijzen8309 Ok I can confirm that it is 41.8% my error

[@janvanrookhuijzen8309]

@@gordoncharles8372 still crazy steep!

[@anttitapio4145]

1:07 If I wouldn't be told I would guess that that is a flat with a little bump on it...it is ridiculously steep climb. How did they pave it? Poured melted asphalt from the top? 😳

[@gordoncharles8372]

LOL if you are referring to our 41.8% hill in St. Lucia it is paved with concrete not asphalt and its about 100m

[@JeremyLawrence-imajez]

More to the point. Why did they pave it over? It's not like it's a usable road.

[@markc17]

I've tried twice and couldn't keep the front wheel on the tarmac, lost all steering then just toppled sidewards in one of the gullies. The physics of it seemed even tougher than the effort to be honest.

[@ThisIsJoe07]

Ollie - well done with the Rifleman’s Creed and Full Metal Jacket paraphrased quote… “… there are others like it, this one is mine. “ That is also how I feel about my bike, there are others like it, but…😁

[@rushi7312]

I'd have brought a mtb there... It'd have been much easier gears. I went up well over 20% roads, but they never where longer than a hundred meters. I live in Belgium after all.

[@rushi7312]

@Nicoco you don't know Belgium well. The northern part (Dutch speaking -> Flanders) is really flat indeed. But the southern part of Belgium (French speaking -> Wallonia) has a much more diverse terrain. There's a limestone plateau carved with valleys of various sizes. The highest point is just shy of 700m. If you want to have an idea of what some parts of Belgium look like, you can search "Dinant" or "Viroinval".

[@rushi7312]

@Nicoco it most likely does^^ You won't find 10km climbs here, but short and steep ones you will. Something else you might know about Belgian cycling is "Le mur de Huy" which is regularly included in "Le tour de France". We have quite a few features like that, tho it's not around each and every corner. You have to know them.

[@djrlloyd]

Nice camera work at the end with Ollie coughing and wheezing under a sign saying ‘Quiet Lane’. “Ollie mate, can you just recover silently please?” 😂😂

[@skooterbrah]

You guys should have brought Blake Sampson along for the ride... Now that would have been really interesting.

[@katherinelangford981]

Whoah. And i felt gassed on my first ride of the season today when we had to cross a FLAT grass path that just turned to mud. Quads were on fire and I could barely breathe. Walked because we got stuck. Y'all are beyond next level at GCN. Pure power houses.

[@Mububban23]

4:08 kudos to the editing team, the music was *chef's kiss* perfection for the beginning of that little montage 😀

[@satellitetvIreland]

There are 2 great climbs in Cork City, Ireland St. Patrick's hill which is relatively short and Fair hill which is a lot longer. Would love to see you attempt both

[@son-tchori7085]

Shimano FC-RX600-11 46-30T + MicroShift SB-M110 MicroShift CS-G113 11-46T + Shimano RD-M8000-SGS (or Shimano RD-M9050-SGS)

[@faithfuljohn]

Have you heard of the Waipio Valley hill (in Kona Hawaii)? It elevates 270 metres in 2km, it averages 25% grade peaking at 45% at points. It's proposterous

[@craigfullbrook7219]

Sorry to break it to you Ollie, I walked up Bramford Clough today quicker than you cycled up it. I will happily admit it was a near death experience, taking this course record on Strava was hard work and I’m sure it’ll be short lived! Chapeau for taking on the climb it is indeed savage!

[@DMcTyke]

Good effort, but were you wearing your cycling shoes and carrying your bike over your shoulder?

[@craigfullbrook7219]

@@DMcTyke no I wasn’t but rather cycle up that hill than walk it again this video or pictures don’t do it any justice

[@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188]

With my old-timer, superlight carbon 33 gear MTB, I had some very steep hills (one pawed) in woods near my former home, and in the lowest gear, fearing to fall backwards going up (I couldn't even start on a flat road in those gears, and obtain enough speed to be able to ride!), I could just manage to go up, with my lungs outside! Also with a huge wear on chain and chainwheel.

[@307weasel]

There's always the Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea climbs in Hawai'i, evidently they're the longest and hardest (respectively) climbs in the world. They're even on the same island, so you can try for both on the same trip!

[@ShimmeringOrb]

I’d like to see Ollie try the actual, Guinness Book of Records, steepest st in the world - Baldwin St, Dunedin, NZ. Not so pretty or warm but it would be fun to watch Ollie flounder on that one also.

[@davidslater6672]

Great effort Oli, and many thanks for your Bambi on ice impression at the beginning😅

[@johnkinder9041]

Superb video, well done Ollie. Loved the failed starts in the beginning.

[@thomasmcginnis3783]

"There are others like it, but this one is mine." Ha-hahhhhh! That made me laugh out loud. Great tribute.

[@60lbsofcrazy]

Since you are looking for hard climbs somewhere warm and sunny, I've got 2 for you on the Big Island of Hawaii. 😁 - Waipio valley road climb. Maybe easier than this one in length and gradient (~1mile long, average ~20% gradient) but pavement is beat up and there are water bars for drainage. - Mauna Kea. From the Hilo side, 42.6 miles (68.5km), 6% average gradient. Climbs from the beach to 13767 feet (4192m).

[@Bazza1968]

I've just upgraded (Carrera TDF in Tourney!!) to a Vitus Razor Disc Sora 50/34 equipped bike and when it arrived I took off the 11-32 rear mech and cassette and replaced it with a 12-36 and a Deore RD-M592.....This mech has a capacity of 45T so could happily take an 11-40 cassette (In fact it does take an 11-42 Microshift Advent cassette, just no big ring to big cog nonsense, which will be going on it when we take our annual jaunt to Applecross and I'll finally attempt the Bealach Na Ba)

[@brannmacfinnchad9056]

Bravo. My meager offering is the Hatcher's Pass Summit in Alaska. 1.5 miles of 13% avg, washboard gravel. This is the last bit of 5 miles with 700m elevation gain (the rest is paved). Maybe send Si for that one...gorgeous ride, about 15 miles of backcountry gravel road in Willow, passing by old and current gold mines.

[@piotrkol91]

Wow that is BRUTAL! There is a climb in Poland near me - not as steep but a bit longer. 1km at an average gradient of 20% and a 100m long section of steady 30% gradient in the middle. It is ridiculously hard to ride the entire climb without stopping. I sort of can but at the same time can't imagine going up 36,5% :) Cheers from "Rzeźnia w Laskowej, PL" :)

[@xosece]

which drivetrain do you have if that's not asking much? And on what kind of bike?

[@piotrkol91]

@@xosece Standard Ultegra 6800: a 52/36 crankset and a 11-28 cassette. Managed to do the whole thing on my third try, had to bail on the first 2. My average speed up that climb is 7km/h and it's pretty tough to keep upright hehe :) Cheers!

[@xosece]

@@piotrkol91 that's impressive! Sometimes I wonder how some people make it. Something I miss in road bikes is having more options for easier gears, something like having the typical road bike chainring (34-50T or whatever) but something along the lines of 48T or 52T in the sprocket. While I prefer to grind rather than spinning, at certain hills, I'd be still grinding in a 34-48 gear....

[@johnmofBristol3623]

This "road" is a white on the Ordnance Survey map so I'm not sure if it counts as a road. There is a sign saying cyclist should dismount which also maybe disqualifies it. As it is probably not a road in the strictest sense then I can't think why Ollie wouldn't use a mountain bike? I would have thought that would be a more suitable sort of bike for the task, well done for trying and you certainly won't catch me having a go!. P.S. if this doesn't really qualify as a road it would certainly open up a lot more possibilities. I would like to see Ollie try the extended version of: Bealach na Bà in Wester Ross, Scottish Highlands. It would make a great trip on expenses, great views and would the basis for a great video. Pedalsure have a list of UK steepest actual roads Bealach na Bà included KOM time: 27:23: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4eQY2hno56Arbc

[@robbiedevine8518]

hat's off to you for doing it in that gear ratio. I've done sustained 36% on forest service roads in the US on a mountain bike, but we were running a 22 cog up front (aka granny ring) and a 36 in the back. I think my knees would explode going above 1:1

[@gibfear]

Trooper Lane, Halifax... Still waiting for you guys to come and do that, it might not be as steep as this but it's cobbled and much longer! You could do a day in 'Fax... Trooper Lane, Shibden Wall (Lee Lane), The Buttress (Hebden), Old Lane (Luddenden), Hepptonstall Rd, Horsehold Road (Hebden) You'd have a right day out - Trooper is the big one though (imho)

[@scottrider7271]

I am in Taiwan... lots of 9-20% sustained climbs.... I run a SRAM 11-36 cassette and a 52/34 Dura ace crankset... YES IT WORKS....needed the long cage r8000 rear mech... works perfectly for up and fast down.

[@ravennexusmh]

Not sure what the average is but the climb from Prestatyn to gwynesgor peaks at 33% . It's a proper effort to keep the front wheel on the ground job If you start at the bottom near the traffic lights it's a nice long gentle climb to start for about half the 1mile distance limbing 100ft before it gets steep. The last half a amile climbs about 420ft

[@The_Cotswold_Engineer]

Amazing effort Ollie 👏 chapeau! You need that GCN bike with helium in the frame, and a bit of porridge for rear end compliance!!😜👍😁😁😁

[@kjwalpole]

I did a climb with very similar stats by the entrance of Partnach Gorge, Garmisch. Like you, I've ridden many of the big climbs but this was the hardest I've done. Took a whole day for my breathing to feel normal again!

[@90DatteRo]

That is a pretty steep one!

[@SteveWeltman]

Ollie should consider riding 3 hills in the Palos Verdes peninsula in California. You can go south on either Crenshaw Blvd and have some fun on that climb (about 3 miles of climbing at about 20-22% closer to the top) and then descend on Hawthorne Blvd towards the Pacific ocean, make your way to Palos Verdes Drive East and concur the switchbacks (about 17-25% for 2.5 miles of climbing). And it's moderately warm for the summer. Have fun climbing! I'll bring my bungee cords so I can follow you.

[@peterthomas8053]

Loved it. When Ollie says "can't clip in", I had flashbacks to Matt.🙄😂

[@tonyhoff86]

I want that sign-off every time.

[@garysladek9110]

Ollie you are my hero. i have only watched you try and start, epic!

[@billkallas1762]

I used to have a climb (20% for 1 km) at the turnaround of a fast group ride. I'd be the last up, every week, because I'd do it in a 39x23 (low gear) to stress my legs.

[@davidetranquillini4864]

sorry to say,but the hardest clmb out there is the Scanuppia,Trentino,Italy.best wishes for all you are doing👍👍

[@GCNuser123]

😉

[@238949]

So funny but so lovely to see Ollie make a twit of himself and let us see it on camera , love that man

[@MrJcpollo]

Fun challenge! Ditch the roadie shoes and slap on SPD's. It took me decades to realize the obvious: the double sided SPD's pedal interface is hard to beat. You would have launched within the first couple attempts. And yes I now ride SPD's all the time and could care less what the roadie fashion police thinks. :) Glad you made it up! Thanks for the fun video! And really... ditch your look cleats ;)

[@georgehugh3455]

Thanks, Ollie, for this climbing vignette - it was hilarious!

[@cmpremlap]

36.2% at it’s steepest, all on dirt. Another is 41% section on maybe a 1/4-3/8 mile overall climb, feels like eternity and you will taste you lungs. All Mountain bike climbs. Brother, we feel your pain. You are a machine. Nice job! We have some real leg busters here in SF Bay Area. The first one I mentioned is a dirt climb that is roughly 800’+ (maybe 900’) gain in about 1 mile. Probably 6 other climbs that are ridiculously difficult and will make you pray for death ☠️ as well. Good times! 😃

[@mitchrich5015]

“I probably should have swept this bit’. Literal lol 😂

[@accolade37]

I will probably never attempt a climb like that, but I learned a few things about bike technology and trail building from watching this video. Thanks!

[@apm9507]

Hand this challenge to GMBN and EMBN too!

[@ethanmcaulay8886]

Next weekend we will be tackling the much-postponed "King of Road & MTB" challenge up Phu Thap Boek mountain in Petchabun, Thailand. Average gradient of 14%, max of 28%, for a full 17km with 1455m of elevation gain. No down, just up. Ticks all your boxes, Ollie: hard, long, steep, and a hot climate. Come give it a go!

[@stevenrimmer2982]

HWY 308, Osaka, Japan. Heading east - 2.5km, long stretches @ 20%, some short stretches @37.5%, never dropping below 15% for the whole thing. Aptly nicknamed the dark pass! There are many vids on youtube for this one. It's on my bucket list.

[@jonathanbenn2241]

Long time touring cyclist. Have ridden bikes weighing 50+ pounds up some long climbs. My triple chain set has a 26 tooth granny running to a 11-34 cassette. You should try some truly low gears sometime.

[@ajc_7]

0:00 the "previously on gcn" gets me everytime, so funny, watched it 5 times over and over again 😂😂!!

[@billmmckelvie5188]

Have you done Gold Hill, in Shaftesbury? At 25% & cobbled it should be very interesting to see how you do? Plus you have to wear a flat cap, tweed plus twos and carry a pack of Hovis biscuits in your saddlebag!

[@TheNovaNorm]

WOW!!! Well done, mate!

[@mateagoston8145]

This might be the hardest road climb, but you can always find harder off road climbs that are perhaps road bikeable.

[@richardmcnally2056]

Outstanding. And if we die from a heart attack on our bike, that’s not so bad compared to all the other slow and horrible ways available to the average person. Never stop.

[@TheBClark88]

I've walked up this (before it was re-paved) and that hurt - props for getting a bike up it!

[@krokatoamonster7365]

Nice! Come to San Francisco, CA US where it is very hilly with some grades are 30% or more; but views are great. Just watch out for the cycle jackers and muggers in some parts of the city & you’ll be ok.

[@s23bho38]

Well done our kid. Proper champion is it.

[@chadmyles-theclevelandcyclist]

Now that is very interesting 🤔. For me the climbs get easier when I go higher in tire pressure and narrower in tire width. There is this hill that runs through the center of Chagrin Falls that everyone calls “Pumpkin Hill” because on Halloween students of that town will steal pumpkins and roll them down the hill. It’s not a particularly long climb but very steep. It feels like I’m going straight vertical on this climb. To ride it I’ve always had to go into easiest gear. A 34t in the front and 32tin the rear on my endurance road bike and 34t in the rear on my commuter/gravel bike. When I switch to 25mm tires on my endurance road bike from 28mm, now I can climb the hill in my 28t in the rear with two larger cogs to spare.

[@MilesCobbett]

In Santa Cruz CA hills ( old former Redwood logging trails now blacktopped) in the 1970's I prided myself on climbing every road on my TDF Ferdi Kessels Reynolds 531 racing bike,frame #32. Front Campy chainset 53-41, rear Malliard cluster was a 13-21. I trained 400 miles a week on the steepest roads I could find up and down our coastline

[@kingymusic]

Fair play Ollie!! Not sure if it's steeper but I know in the video with Jess & Dan Evans she asks him at around 4:53 if he thinks it's as steep as Abdon Burf in the Midlands which is a climb Simon Warren hails as one of the worst climbs he has ever had to put his foot down on. I've not ridden it myself but I've walked up it and I can honestly say it's horrendous. Would love to see Ollie give that a bash.

[@ZoaStousDromous]

0:33 I'm currently 130Kg and im glad because i have the exact same gears and i struggle on climbs above 9-10% so its good to hear that really fit riders have similar issues too! 😉

[@chrisnumnuts8671]

myself 114.305kg I no the feeling

[@da14a49]

58kg here and 9-10% for a km still hurts a lot

[@gabordusa]

Try Punta Veleno over the Lago di Garda, from Assenza! It has the steepest 5 kms in Europe. Although the view is amazing, just as the surrounding area.

[@durianriders]

Penang Hill is the steepest paved road in the world. I got the KOM on it in 2019 and still have it 3 years later. The main danger is coming down. The rotors or rims often explode. It is a 33min climb.

[@andycotton162]

I know this challenging road as I don't live far from it, so when at the start, you said about getting better tech, I was expecting you to turn up with an e-bike!

[@wilhelmtaylor9863]

As a mechanical engineer and cyclist I have wondered what is the gradient where the speed you can maintain is equal between cycling and on foot. For example, I have gone up the 520 steps of the Köln Cathederal that tourists are allowed at a speed that I KNOW is impossible on a bike. Also, you often see guys running along side cyclists in the Tour de France on the hills. Maybe 36.5° is that magical transition? Now go and huff it sans bike and report back. Thanks muchly.

[@fuzzi1002]

I rode, many many years ago, a brutal (paved) climb in Italy (near Lake Garda). It was with the Mtb already very borderline, from the gear ratio and from the lifting of the front wheel. If I remember correctly, the whole climb lasted a 3/4 hour with almost no piece to rest

[@michaelb1761]

Thumbs up immediately for the film reference, "there are others like it but this one is mine." Is that part of your prayers every evening when you go to bed?

[@doxielain2231]

Music choice is on point this one. You don't really get a sense for how steep it is until you see that bench on a concrete platform jutting out.

[@travisduyck4223]

I have a more difficult one for you. Maney Branch Road in Weaverville, North Carolina. It is almost exactly 1 mile long and averages 18.9 percent. It is part of a local 75 mile race called The Viper. If you guys want to come over and give it a go you are more than welcome, the riding around Asheville is lovely. I will even help and give you a tour of the Biltmore Estate.

[@chrisridesbicycles]

That‘s just brutal on a road bike. Next challenge: Get up there in Zone 2? I have a 20T MTB chainring in the parts bin if you are interested. ;)

[@laszlozoltan5021]

personally, I like to go up seated. I have quite a good climb nearby, rattlesnake point- used to go up that entirely seated 42x19- that was a long time ago on an old custom cr frame; nowadays I cant manage with al or cf frame- sure, my weight and strength is not what it was, but the real difference it seems is the length of the wheelbase; my old frame tt was 53 (50 seat), the newer ones are 48 & 50- unfortunately I never got a physics class; but I imagine the difference is like a triangle with a short base vs one with a longer base;: the longer one seems more stable when the base is tilted. So, I am thinking that for Ollie, he might have found the climb more manageable if he had a more stretched out frame (note: stem length does not seem to translate to effect wheelbase)

[@philadams9254]

What about the Corkscrew in Macclesfield, Peak district also? Cobbled climb rumoured to be 35%

[@lexington476]

3:34 you should have 'borrowed' the leaf blower from the Gardener's Shack at the GCN *MEGABASE* 🙂.

[@vincentnadon]

Dr. Bridgewood hitting the fence is the best part 🤣🤣🤣

[@craigfritz5411]

This is me on my 36x28 at 15%. Good man Ollie and thanks for including the false start bits.

[@jacquesm120]

The biggest irony is the sign that says "Quiet lane" I guess heavy breathing and gossiping for air will ignored at 30% gradient 😉

[@paolom.6011]

What exactly is gossiping for air?

[@williamburke5233]

That's awesome. My trance with a 30 front 50 back says we got all day. Can't wait to get a road bike.

[@gcvrsa]

Vale Street in Bristol, which features in a GCN video less than a week after this one, is said to be a 22-degree incline, which is over a 40% grade.

[@job9902]

Nice one, living in that area I normally run GRX on the road bike with 48/31 rings and 11/32 cassette. I wouldn't attempt Bamford Clough

[@jonathanappleton5047]

At 1:09 ‘this is the only climb that’s defeated me and I’ve had to get off and walk’. There’s a Cycling Weekly video on KZbin about The Fred Whitton where Ollie talks about walking up Hardknott.

[@Felix-hx7kx]

Sorry to break it to you but the steepest road is in new zealand with a 38% avg gradient and 41% at the steepest. Its called Budlin street in Dunedin, south island

[@chrisbaum998]

Awesome Ollie! Way to conquer you past cycling demos!! You should challenge all GCN presenters to see who is the fastest up that monster!!!

[@stephanjaure3344]

Next to Grenoble, "montée du pere gras" next to " la bastille" around 1.8km at 25% i think. To be checked

[@TorstenLif]

What about Rosedale Chimney Bank in the North Yorkshire Moors? Ok, not quite tropical, but a fair bit longer, I think.

[@maxhaxx]

I want to see GMBN give this a shot.