Iron Bridge Road

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
This is a road out in Asbury, rumored to be one of the 2 steepest roads in NJ, the other being Fiddler's Elbow in Belvidere. So ok I decide to make a trip of it, another one of these big honking loops. Unfortunately the GPS reset me so this is 2 links. The first boring part here, and the meat here. Some serious hills out there, Allen Rd (first map), Cherryville-Stanton Rd, Bloomsbury-Pittstown Rd, Cokesbury Rd, and so on. But nothing compares to Iron Bridge. Like nothing I've ever ridden up before. I think ChrisG referred to these climbs out there as heinous, and I couldn't agree more. At one point, I was in my granny gear, standing, going 3.2 at the lowest speed I saw. The GPS data suggests I went even slower but not sure it's possible.

I can't imagine Fiddler's is worse, but apparently it is. I think I'm going to take a break from these crazy loops for a few weeks.
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
there are some nasty, nasty climbs here too. ugly stuff.

i'd like you to ride N. Four Bridges so i can get a sense of how these roads you're talking about compare...or if they do.
 

Maurice

New Member
BTW, there is no way I would venture on route 206 the way it seems you did, no matter what day. There are other ways to get across that piece of racetrack. Interesting to see the elevation numbers on Allen rd. I knew one side was higher than the other :)

Cheers,

Maurice
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Jake,

Maybe Saturday. I'll be out for 3-ish hours and should be able to get up there and back in that time. I've ridden a lot of the Mendham hills, some Califon, and of course all the Gladstone/Peapack/Bernarsville stuff and this is tougher than them all.

Maurice,

A few notes. My route from the Stanton Deli to the other side of 31 is bad. First there's a dirt road in there but I was just going off the map. Second it dumped me on 31. But it was close to the jug handle that it wasn't a big issue.

The combination of Bloomsbury-Pittstown, Tunnel Rd, and Asbury Rd is a really nice stretch of riding. I know you know Bloomsbury-Pittstown but not sure about Tunnel. That dumps you on 173 which you need to be really careful about because to the left is a bit on the blind side, so of course be careful, etc etc. But you just go straight across which is good.

Also, Van Syckle is not my favorite road. If I do this loop again I'd probably go left on Charlestown off of Mine, then head through Glen Gardner to get to Califon/Cokesbury. I grew up in the area and should have remembered Van Syckle as a speedway but I had no idea there was little-to-no-shoulder on it.
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
BTW, there is no way I would venture on route 206 the way it seems you did, no matter what day. There are other ways to get across that piece of racetrack. Interesting to see the elevation numbers on Allen rd. I knew one side was higher than the other :)

Cheers,

Maurice

Well that's part of my road riding philosophy. On Sunday's there are very few people on the road before 10:00. And anyone out thereare generally heading to church. I figure whatever god they subscribe to frowns on vehicular manslaughter.

I used to go up and over Somerville Rd, down Hunter, then left on Valley and straight through to the Lamington horse flats (as I call them). Do you wind your way through the residential on the 206 side of Allen?

Allen is almost symmetrical if you cut out that "intro" part with the 2 lanes that levels off then rises again. Yes this GPS thing is a real neat thing for biking dorks like me.
 

Maurice

New Member
Well that's part of my road riding philosophy. On Sunday's there are very few people on the road before 10:00. And anyone out thereare generally heading to church. I figure whatever god they subscribe to frowns on vehicular manslaughter.

I used to go up and over Somerville Rd, down Hunter, then left on Valley and straight through to the Lamington horse flats (as I call them). Do you wind your way through the residential on the 206 side of Allen?

Allen is almost symmetrical if you cut out that "intro" part with the 2 lanes that levels off then rises again. Yes this GPS thing is a real neat thing for biking dorks like me.

I usually take the bike path and set of bridges to the ball fields. There's a bit of dirt road to take once you're there though, but it's also a much safer route during the week. The bike path has that one blind spot though...

To change things up I do wind around the residential roads from Allen rd. to Washington Valley rd. or end up climbing Somerville rd. and back towards the bike path. I have ridden Lamington rd. during the week and let me tell you if you have a death wish it's perfect.

Maurice
 

ChrisG

Unapologetic Lifer for Rock and Roll
Ridiculous Climbs

This is a road out in Asbury, rumored to be one of the 2 steepest roads in NJ, the other being Fiddler's Elbow in Belvidere. So ok I decide to make a trip of it, another one of these big honking loops. Unfortunately the GPS reset me so this is 2 links. The first boring part here, and the meat here. Some serious hills out there, Allen Rd (first map), Cherryville-Stanton Rd, Bloomsbury-Pittstown Rd, Cokesbury Rd, and so on. But nothing compares to Iron Bridge. Like nothing I've ever ridden up before. I think ChrisG referred to these climbs out there as heinous, and I couldn't agree more. At one point, I was in my granny gear, standing, going 3.2 at the lowest speed I saw. The GPS data suggests I went even slower but not sure it's possible.

I can't imagine Fiddler's is worse, but apparently it is. I think I'm going to take a break from these crazy loops for a few weeks.
Iron Bridge is a bitch. You think it's tough just getting to the bridge, and then you realize that it's worse from there to the top.

When we first were driving up there to ride, we were parking at the school on Cokesbury Rd. and heading west from there. Later, we began parking in Glen Gardner (School Rd?) and heading up Sanitorium to start the proceedings. Sanitorium is a nice steady climb that isn't so mind-bendingly steep.

A few other names which I can manage to retreive from the hypoxic haze of these rides are Zellers Rd and Mt. Lebanon Rd.

Last time I was on Fiddlers we rode down it, which I think I mentioned in the earlier thread. The descending on some of these roads is mighty technical. Very different from just bombing down a straight road.

I have never had a bad time riding on these roads.
 

PatrickBrown

Active Member
Iron Bridge is a bitch. You think it's tough just getting to the bridge, and then you realize that it's worse from there to the top.

When we first were driving up there to ride, we were parking at the school on Cokesbury Rd. and heading west from there. Later, we began parking in Glen Gardner (School Rd?) and heading up Sanitorium to start the proceedings. Sanitorium is a nice steady climb that isn't so mind-bendingly steep.

A few other names which I can manage to retreive from the hypoxic haze of these rides are Zellers Rd and Mt. Lebanon Rd.

Last time I was on Fiddlers we rode down it, which I think I mentioned in the earlier thread. The descending on some of these roads is mighty technical. Very different from just bombing down a straight road.

I have never had a bad time riding on these roads.


mmmmmmmm hills, YUM
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
A few other names which I can manage to retreive from the hypoxic haze of these rides are Zellers Rd and Mt. Lebanon Rd.

Would you describe these as heinous?

Also, how does Fiddler's compare with Iron Bridge?
 

ChrisG

Unapologetic Lifer for Rock and Roll
Would you describe these as heinous?

Also, how does Fiddler's compare with Iron Bridge?
These are double digit grades that are extended climbs, but not as long as Fiddlers or Iron Bridge. The grades are certainly pretty scary, if not fully heinous.

Zellers has a couple of turns that are steep enough to cause a wheelie, if I recollect correctly. And some loose gravelly stuff to add to the merriment.

Mt. Lebanon is straighter and more "attackable" than the others mentioned here.

I haven't been up there in close to 2 years, so some details are a bit sketchy.
 
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This is a road out in Asbury, rumored to be one of the 2 steepest roads in NJ, the other being Fiddler's Elbow in Belvidere. So ok I decide to make a trip of it, another one of these big honking loops. Unfortunately the GPS reset me so this is 2 links. The first boring part here, and the meat here. Some serious hills out there, Allen Rd (first map), Cherryville-Stanton Rd, Bloomsbury-Pittstown Rd, Cokesbury Rd, and so on. But nothing compares to Iron Bridge. Like nothing I've ever ridden up before. I think ChrisG referred to these climbs out there as heinous, and I couldn't agree more. At one point, I was in my granny gear, standing, going 3.2 at the lowest speed I saw. The GPS data suggests I went even slower but not sure it's possible.

I can't imagine Fiddler's is worse, but apparently it is. I think I'm going to take a break from these crazy loops for a few weeks.

THis is the ride for which Ron has been preparing me all summer. Now that I see the route I have a new found respect for the training required to ride it. I was told to be ready by September - I have a lot of miles and hill repeats to put in by then.

thanks for the route posting, Norm.

And all my respect to people who can ride this route. cap off to you
 

PedalPaddles

New Member
I haven't ridden up there in a couple of years, but I stumbled accross one of my old route sheets.

Lebanon 52
0.0 Start (X R22) Cokesbury Rd 530' climb
3.0 L R639
3.1 R Cokesbury-Califon Rd 310' climb
4.3 L Mountain Grove Rd
5.2 R Hoffman Crossing Rd
6.2 RT R513 *** (Park here for 40 mile ride) ***
6.6 L Hickory Run Rd 480' climb
8.2 LT E Hill Rd
8.5 R LOOP START Woodglen Rd (Store) Total: 1450'
9.4 R Little Brook Rd
10.7 RT Sliker Rd
12.1 R R513
12.2 L R512
12.8 BR Stay on R512 (After bridge) 420' climb
14.9 L Beavers Rd
16.7 1st R W Valley Brook Rd 340' climb
18.0 L Beacon Hill Rd
19.6 LT R513
20.2 R Middle Valley Rd 470' climb
20.8 R Zellers Rd
22.5 LT Pleasant Grove Rd
23.6 R Stephensburg Rd
25.1 L Old Turnpike Rd (S on other side)
25.3 L Mount Lebanon Rd 420' climb
26.1 R Pleasant Grove Rd/Penwell Rd
27.2 L DON'T MISS Turkey Top Rd 350' climb
28.3 RT Mount Lebanon Rd
29.1 RT DESCENT Point Mountain Rd
31.1 L R645/Musconetcong River Rd
31.5 L Mountain Top Rd 370' climb
33.0 R Hollow Rd
34.3 LT R645/Musconetcong River Rd
34.5 L Forge Hill Rd 200+110' climb
36.1 L Red Mill Rd
36.8 R Spruce Run Rd 190' climb
37.6 RT E Hill Rd
38.8 LT Main St
39.3 L Sanatorium Rd 370' climb
40.7 L@3 way DESCENT Skinner Rd
41.1 LT Rocky Run Rd 480' climb
42.3 L Berk Lane
43.0 R E Hill Rd
43.4 LOOP END (START@8.5) Total: 5880', Loop: 4430'
43.7 R Hickory Run Rd
45.3 RT R513 ****(finish here for 40 mi ride)****
45.7 L Hoffman Crossing Rd 500' climb
46.7 LT Mountain Grove Rd
47.6 R Califon-Cokesbury Rd
48.7 LT R639
48.9 R Cokesbury Rd
51.9 End X R22 (Total: 6600')
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I actually have this mapped out on the GPS for a future ride.

Hey look at that, Zellers AND Mt Lebanon! I tried to find both online but couldn't earlier.
 
I'll be workin in Whitehouse on Rt22 for the next 2 weeks if anyone wants to do this route after work.

maybe not the entire route but I can do sections of it. I have a 22.5, 25.6 or 32.1 mile loop I ride in that area 2-3 times a week. Let me know if you are up for it we'll arrange to meet up.
 

ChrisG

Unapologetic Lifer for Rock and Roll
For those who are thinking of checking out these roads and have never been out there, I highly recommend it. One thing I will add: BRING GEARS.
 

walter

Fourth Party
Perhaps I could bring a rope, and when I gas out 3 miles in, you can pull me the remaining 47??
 
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