The Toughest Road Climbs in NJ

Norm

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
After this weekend's ride, it struck me that we need a list of road climbs in the state. It would be cool to try and do something similar for off-road riding. But I think the road is a lot more tangible since you can map out a lot of the climbs to get some sort of baseline.

So here are some climbs that I would throw in the list of tough NJ climbs. I hope to be able to maintain this list over time as I ride more of them.

This is in no particular order

Fiddlers Elbow
Iron Bridge Rd
Bloomsbury Mountain
Ludlow Station (the sister of Iron Bridge)
Skyline Dr-Ringwood
Federal Twist Rd-Byram
Skyline
Brookvalley Road
Shire Road
Lommason Glen Rd/Buckhorn Dr./Castners Rd.
Breakneck
Millbrook
Barrett
Pickle
Steele Gap
Mine Rd?
Mt Pleasant (Columbia)

There are more up north I'm not familiar with. But I'd be interested in checking some of them out.

The Standings

  1. Adamic Hill (347 over .53 miles, 12.4%, 5.3 mph, 6:00)
  2. Warrenville (352 over .58 miles, 11.5%, 6.4 mph, 5:16)
  3. N Four Bridges (337 over .56 miles, 11.4%, 6.7 mph, 5:04)
  4. Zellers (477 over .9 miles, 10%, 7.2 mph, 7:29)
  5. Washington Ave (410 over .82 miles, 9.5%, 8.2 mph, 5:58)
  6. Pinchers Point (452 over .92 miles, 9.3%, 6.4 mph, 8:35)
  7. Beacon Hill (272 over .59 miles, 8.7%, 8.8 mph, 3:59)
  8. Vosseler (245 over .54, 8.6%, 8 mph, 4:04)
  9. Black River Rd (404 over .91 miles, 8.4%, 8.8 mph, 6:13)
  10. Schooley's Mountain (517 over 1.4 miles, 7%, 9.5 mph, 8:48)
  11. Pembrook 2nd half (281 over .77 miles, 6.9%, 8.6 mph, 5:22)
  12. Schoolhouse (453 over 1.31 miles, 6.6%, 10.3 mph, 7:38)
  13. 512 Califon (339 over 1.02 miles, 6.3%, 9.7 mph, 6:20)
  14. Drakestown (399 over 1.26, 6.0%, 10.6 mph, 7:09)
  15. Morning Glory (284 over .94 miles, 5.7%, 10.7 mph, 5:16)
  16. Pembrook full climb (380 over 1.23 miles, 5.6%, 9.4 mph, 7:49)
  17. East Fox Chase (318 over 1.12 miles, 5.3%, 10.1 mph, 6:39)
  18. Bissel (534 over 1.92, 5.3%, 10.6 mph, 10:51)
  19. Claermont (313 over 1.19 miles, 5%, 10.1 mph, 7:01)
  20. Campbell-Peachcroft Rd (501 over 2.04 miles, 4.7%, 11.2 mph, 10:55)
  21. Mount Harmony (393 over 1.83 miles, 4.1% 11.5 mph, 9:35)
 
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I dont know the north Jersey stuff, which I'm sure will be harder. Two come to mind:

Byram Kingwood Road (From Rt. 29 along the River).
Zion Road (From Amwell Road)

They arent huge, but they are tough.
 
Off the top of my head:

Skyline Dr-Ringwood
Vosseller Ave-Bridgewater
Crim Rd-Bridgewater
Goat Hill Rd-Lambertville
Poor Farm Rd-Hopwell
Pleasant Valley Rd- Lambertville
Spring Hill/Provinceline Rd- Hopewell
Stanton Mt Rd-Round Valley
Federal Twist Rd-Byram
 
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ArmyOfNone said:
Goat Hill Rd-Lambertville
Poor Farm Rd-Hopwell
Pleasant Valley Rd- Lambertville
Spring Hill/Provinceline Rd- Hopewell
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You know I am down with these!

Poor farm has always been on my morning loop and I just added the steeper part of pleasant valley to me new loop.

I will add Eagle Road in Bucks County for our boyz across da riva
 
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Norm said:
I remember that thread but when I looked at it it was a sort of generic road loops thread. I want to list the hills and go ride them.
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I guess big bad hills as a thread name threw me off.
 
Although not super dooper long I would think that Tweed out of the base of Piermont has to be up there for steepness.
 
Skyline Drive from either side is quite a pedal
Schooleys Mountain Road from Long Valley is pretty rugged
Brookvalley Road from Lincoln Park over 287 into Butler
 
I've never done it but I was just talking with someone this morning about Perkins which sounds like the daddy of them all, but that technically may be NY.
 
cem said:
Schooleys Mountain Road from Long Valley is pretty rugged
Click to expand...

This is one I want to hit up soon. I avoided this Sunday because I didn't want to go out of the way to add even more pain on my big ride.
 
RNG1 said:
I've never done it but I was just talking with someone this morning about Perkins which sounds like the daddy of them all, but that technically may be NY.
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Perkins isn't that bad. A number of the other climbs already mentioned are worse.

Here is my contribution:
Ademic Hill Road
Bellis Road
(both are north of Milford. You went right by them Norm.)

Lommason Glen Rd/Buckhorn Dr./Castners Rd.
This combo climbs the same ridge as Fiddler Elbow. Not quite as steep but no rest either. Castners and Fiddlers end at the same spot. Norm, you went down Lommason Glen on Sat.

I got plenty of others but can't keep it in NJ. Let me know when you find a road that dead ends at a ski or weather station. ;)
 
BiknBen said:
Norm, you went down Lommason Glen on Sat.
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There was a downhill before I started climbing Fiddlers that just went on forever. It was pretty darn steep. I do remember from the map I was going through the town of the same name.

Then after I climbed it, I went down a very, very long time, but not as steeply IIRC. Much wider road and better pavement.

There is also a road called Breakneck in Vernon that I've read about. The guy classifies it as the same as Fiddlers, ranking them both at #1 in the state.
 
Norm said:
There was a downhill before I started climbing Fiddlers that just went on forever. It was pretty darn steep. I do remember from the map I was going through the town of the same name.

Then after I climbed it, I went down a very, very long time, but not as steeply IIRC. Much wider road and better pavement.

There is also a road called Breakneck in Vernon that I've read about. The guy classifies it as the same as Fiddlers, ranking them both at #1 in the state.
Click to expand...

i was just going to say breakneck. my friend's lake house is right off that road. i've only driven on it but it looks incredible.
 
YOU want hills start at stokes work your way to flatbrook and start the brutal climb there as your at old millbrook village take the left and ascend this monster as it's painfully long up and over the Appalachian mt. and then you work it back through stillwater. The beauty of this one is if you see ten cars that would be a lot.
 
RNG1 said:
I've never done it but I was just talking with someone this morning about Perkins which sounds like the daddy of them all, but that technically may be NY.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's in NY...I've chased Roger up that one...It's over 20 minutes long even at his pace:drooling:

For the average guy/gal it may be a 1/2 hour climb:popcorn:

-Jim.
 
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