What gear do you use
on the climbs of the HarperRide? E-mail
us your answers and type "Gears for
Climbs" in the subject line of your e-mail!
Have you ridden in Flanders?
The Ardennes? If
so, E-mail
us about your experience and how the climbs compare
to Harper!
Harper vs. Flanders How do the climbs really compare?
With the Spring
Classics upon us, each year, riders on the HarperRide think
that they are riding over Chicago's equivalent of the Kemmelberg,
the Bosberg, the Old Kwaremont, or even the Mur de Huy. How
do the Harper climbs compare? Here it is...
The Rozman Climb
- 300 meters -- 4%
Not counting the isolated two-step climb on Penny Road, this
is the first of Harper's hills. It is followed, not long thereafter,
by one of Harper's two big descents, which then more-or-less
connects to the official section known as the "Hills." This
shorty, punchy little hill is similar in length to the Molenberg.
This hill can surprise new riders as it comes immediately following
a patch of dodgy asphalt and a left curve. At the top of the
hill, there is a 200-300 meter flat section before the ride
typically stops at Algonquin Road for traffic. Of course, if
riders are able to sneak off the front on the hill and arrive
at Algonquin when there is no traffic, they could be off the
front for a long time. This climb is named after Bob Rozman
who enjoyed breaking a few legs on this climb each Saturday
in the early 1990s. (At that time, the section leading up to
this climb was ridden much faster than it is today--making
the climb itself more difficult.)
Tight, Twisty Descent
- 500 meters -- -4.4%
While the Tour of Flanders, and every other race, does not
classify descents, both of Harper's major descents are included
here for those who enjoy the occasional "Backwards Harper".
When ridden in the other direction and climbed, this hill is
actually one of Harper's most difficult, particularly since
the top is the trickiest part with the road curving back on
itself. Heading down in the direction of Harper, though, riders
will regularly hit speeds of 65 kilometers per hour, which
is pretty quick for a Chicagoland descent. This hill is similar
in overall grade to the Bosberg, though it is less than half
the length, and it is devoid of the cobbles that characterize
Edwin Van Hooydonck's favorite climb.
Lake-Cook Climb
- 300 meters -- 4%
Following the descent, and the fake Inter-Harper Sprint, the
riders move single-file along a short section of Lake-Cook
Road before tackling the next climb. This climb, like the last
one, catches new riders by surprise as it is hidden around
a left turn. Due to traffic on Lake-Cook Road, the turn is
often taken from a stop. Again, this hill is most comparable
to the Molenberg. It is far too short to compare to the longer
Flandrian climbs. While not terribly difficult, this hill feels
much worse to each rider that pedals up it using the 53 x 14.
Finally, though this hill's old pock-marked pavement was recently
re-surfaced, the new asphalt is now lined with a solid concrete,
Belgian-style gutter on each side.
Roller #1 - 300
meters -- 2.67%
The easiest climb of those that seem more difficult than they
actually are. The sharp, downhill, off-camber right turn at
the base of this climb makes it more difficult. Those riders
that roll through the turn carry momentum up the hill. While
riders that take a safer and tighter line, and especially those
that slow for the intersection, must chase and scamper their
way up this hill at the back of a now lined-out peloton. As
per its actual categorization, it is too easy to be compared
to any climb in the Tour of Flanders in spite of the fact that
it "feels" like it should compare.
Roller #2 - 400
meters -- 4%
Following the first roller, there is a descent that flows straight
into the second roller, which is actually a more difficult
climb. As a result of the rider's momentum, the climb seems
easy. Then, it gets hard. At the top of the hill, there is
false flat, reminiscent of the Oude
Kwaremont. Of course, Roller
#2 is less than one-fifth the Oude Kwaremont's length, and
while the average gradient is about the same, it is not nearly
as tough. In length, it is much more similar to the Paterberg,
which is also 400 meters long. The Paterberg, though, is three
times steeper. Nevertheless, a strong push as the summit flattens
out can create a gap week-after-week.
The Sweeper (Descent
#2) - 800 meters -- -3.1%
The second major descent on Harper is also a popular climb
when completing a "Backwards Harper". The descent
begins with a gentle downhill grade, followed by a curve to
the left. When the road straightens out, it begins its "plunge" downhill,
which culminates with riders zipping through a long, sweeping
right-hand curve at the bottom. Just after this curve, riders
must keep their wits about them as a number of roads converge,
and the riders fork to the right. This is the longest of all
of the Harper "climbs," and it is equivalent in length
to a number of Flandrian hills. The Sweeper is about the same
lenght as the Steenbeekdries. The Steenbeekdries is completely
cobbled and significantly steeper with an average grade of
7.6%.
The StairStep -
600 meters -- 4.5%
The King of Harper's climbs is the StairStep. The last of the
major hills, the StairStep is a couple of kilometers after
the Sweeper, and the pace tends to relax prior to the climb.
A few false flats prior to the StairStep itself hurt the legs
of riders who remain off the front following the Rollers. Often
times, the StairStep spells the end for any breakaways that
hit its slopes first. The StairStep consists of three steps,
with the third being the longest and steepest of the three.
The StairStep is similar in length to the famed cobbled climb
of the Koppenberg. While the StairStep is Harper's most difficult
climb, the Koppenberg's average gradient is significantly steeper,
increasing 64 meters in the same distance that the StairStep
climbs 25 meters. Plus, the Koppenberg's cobbles are older
than the tall trees that line the run-up to the StairStep.
The steepest section of the HarperRide is the third step of
the StairStep. It is 200 meters long, over the course of those
200 meters, it has an average gradient of 7%. (Keep in mind
that many of the climbs in the Alps and Pyrenees average 7-8%
over 10-15 kilometers!)
The False Flat
on Cuba Road - 600 meters -- 2.5%
Is it a climb??? That question is resolved here. With a shallow
gradient over a long distance, but not a long enough distance
to be considered a climb, Cuba Road's False Flat, which "summits" at
Old Barrington Road. It turns out that this is not a climb--only
a false flat. It is not comparable to anything that is classified
in Flanders, and it is simply a climb to those whose training
has made this a climb.
The Verdict
It turns out that the hills of Flanders have nothing to worry
about from the HarperRide. Though many of Flanders' shorter
hills are similar in length, they are much steeper. If a
Chicagoland rider wants to get a "feel" for riding
the Tour of Flanders, particularly given that most Flandrian
hills are
cobbled, that rider would need to do at least a Quadruple-Harper
with the inclusion of two passes through the Hills on each
loop of the HarperRide route.
