Category Archives: Photos

Hobart’s Top 10 Climbs, #4: Collinsvale Rd

November 28, 2011Cycling, Hobart's Top Ten Climbs, Photos, StravaMarc Durdin

Collinsvale Rd: Devoid of traffic, narrow and windy – fantastic climbing on a bike!

This is the seventh post of a series on some of the great road cycling climbs around Hobart. You can be notified of new posts in the series by following me on Twitter. If you’ve climbed all the climbs I’ve described so far, you’ll have climbed a total of 1537m. Lots more climbing to come yet!

Earlier in the series:

Whenever I look at a map and see an old road and a new road heading up a hill, I know there’s a great chance I’ll find a beautiful climb on a quiet, winding road. That’s the case with Old Willunga in South Australia and it’s certainly the case with this climb to Collinsvale. The climb starts at the beginning of Collinsvale Rd, signposted as an alternative route. The road passes a handful of houses in the suburban fringe before turning on the charm in earnest.

With tight hairpins, old ruins, ancient retaining walls and fern-covered culverts, every metre of this climb is fantastic. When I last rode the climb and took the photos for this post, I saw only one car.

As you come over the crest of the climb, you are greeted with a wonderful panorama of Collinsvale, surrounded by mountains such as Collins Cap and Collins Bonnet.

After you reach the summit, continue down the hill on the far side, and turn left at the T junction into Collinsvale to find more great climbs, or turn right for a rip-roaring descent on the new road through Glenlusk.

I think this is my new favourite climb! And your challenge, should you choose to accept it is to ride the complete climb and descent twice in an hour.

In my next post, I review a climb I am pretty familiar with as I ride it on average 6 times a week…

Collinsvale Rd
Distance	3.5km
Category	3
Elevation	287m
Gradient	8.1%
Maximum Gradient	15%
Time from city	40 minutes
Traffic	pretty much nonexistent
Strava	http://app.strava.com/segments/632895
How to get to the climb: Take the intercity cycleway North. After passing through Glenorchy, turn left on Riverway Rd, turn right onto Main Rd, left onto Mary’s Hope Rd (not a bad little climb itself), and left at the roundabout onto Berriedale Rd. The climb starts 1km down the road.

Take the road less travelled by — the left fork

4km of pure joy or pure agony, depending on your point of view

Just a few houses to get past at the base of the climb

And then the climb gets into the bush

The scenery varies as you climb … with occasional houses …

… and tree lined paddocks …

… to ancient ruins (sorry for the poor photo quality)

Winding over ancient culverts

No, it’s not the summit yet!

The climb goes up the ridge

Riding past small farms

The view from the top into Collinsvale

Other posts in this series:

Hobart’s Top 10 Climbs, #5: Grasstree Hill

November 24, 2011Cycling, Hobart's Top Ten Climbs, Photos, StravaMarc Durdin

Iain cruising on Grasstree Hill

This is the sixth post of a series on some of the great road cycling climbs around Hobart. You can be notified of new posts in the series by following me on Twitter. How many of these climbs have you done?

Earlier in the series:

Grasstree Hill is located on the Eastern shore of the Derwent River, behind the suburb of Risdon Vale. It is a category 3 climb, with a smooth and constant 5% gradient which is ideal for a tempo climb. The road surface is in good condition and is quite smooth, unlike many climbs in Hobart. The climb forms part of a popular cycling route to Richmond in the Coal Valley; many riders do a loop over Grasstree to Richmond and return south over Tunnel Hill or north via Brighton.

The western side of the climb is sheltered from many of the winds of Hobart, and hence is a pleasant climb at almost any time of the year. It gets sun quite early despite being on the western side, and is thus a great route for an early morning loop before work.

The eastern side has a bit more variance and is considerably more exposed to wind. The corners are a bit sharper, the road feels a little less smooth, and the gradient is a little less constant. Even without spectacular views that are a feature of nearly every other climb in Hobart, it is still an enjoyable ascent.

At times there can be potential for conflict with cars as some drivers in this area are not very considerate towards cyclists, so be aware of traffic. Grasstree Hill is also very popular with motorcyclists, some of whom travel considerably above the 60 km/h speed limit.

Both sides of the hill make for a great descent, not overly fast at 5%, but with little need to touch the brakes at almost any point.

Your Challenge: Ride each side of the climb 3 times in a row. Improve your time on each attempt. (This will require a couple of hours)

Next, I’ll talk about a climb I recently rediscovered that could be my new favourite climb…

Grasstree Hill (North approach)
Distance	4km
Category	3
Elevation	197m
Gradient	4.9%
Maximum Gradient	7%
Time from city	60 minutes
Traffic	low-medium
Strava	http://app.strava.com/segments/627923
How to get to the climb: Ride to, and up the South approach, then down the other side…

Grasstree Hill (South approach)
Distance	5.3km
Category	3
Elevation	219m
Gradient	5.3%
Maximum Gradient	8%
Time from city	40 minutes
Traffic	low-medium
Strava	http://app.strava.com/segments/622786
How to get to the climb: From the Cenotaph, ride north on the bike track until you reach Elwick Rd. Turn right, ride to the end, then dogleg right onto Goodwood Rd. Follow this road about 6.5 km to the base of the climb (straight through the roundabout)

Early morning climb with Iain

Iain isn’t sure if he should be riding or stopping

Lots of corners

Great road for a relaxed ride

Oops… how did a photo of me get into this blog?

The sheep watch suspiciously

Iain rides towards the summit

Summit just around the corner (southern approach)

Summit just ahead, northern approach (full power on)

A glimpse into Coal valley just past the summit

Fast descending, great curves. Just don’t go over the roadside barriers

Roadside Shadows

Other posts in this series:

Hobart’s Top 10 Climbs, #6: Strickland Avenue

November 21, 2011Cycling, Hobart's Top Ten Climbs, Photos, StravaMarc Durdin

Strickland Ave: my favourite stretch of the climb, climbing towards Big Bend

This is the fifth post of a series on some of the great road cycling climbs around Hobart. You can be notified of new posts in the series by following me on Twitter. No matter what you may think, this is the definitive list of climbs in Hobart. At least until someone else comes up with a better one!

Earlier in the series:

Strickland Avenue is one of Hobart’s best known climbs, winding its way through South Hobart and The Cascades into the foothills of Mount Wellington. It’s one of several approaches to Mount Wellington, and probably the most popular route to get there from Hobart by bike.

I ride Strickland Ave several times a week as it is part of one of my commute routes. Despite the familiarity, I still enjoy the climb and still find new scenery to look at each time I ride – unless I’m trying to beat my personal best time up the hill, in which case I really don’t see anything as I ride in a vortex of pain…

Strickland Avenue was the first part of the Team Time Trial route for Stage 1 of the 2011 Tour of Tasmania. The TTT then continued to the summit of Mt Wellington.

The climb starts at Cascade Brewery in South Hobart, a mere 10-15 minute ride from the city centre along Macquarie St. I break the ascent into 3 sections, with Hobart Rivulet crossings forming the divisions between the sections. The first section from Cascade Brewery to the bridge is wide and flowing and it is tempting to ride hard and fast along it, as the road is smooth and relatively easy going. So you can set a cracking pace here but you may regret it!

At the bridge over Hobart Rivulet, the road curves steeply back on itself, and narrows dramatically, with overhanging gum trees providing welcome shade on hot days. Soon on the right you’ll see a yurt-like house as you climb a steep bend (go up a gear and power up it!). The climb continues at a steady 6%, winding through Cascades until you reach the second crossing over Hobart Rivulet, on a corner which is also the steepest pinch. After the pinch comes a gentler section that finishes at a T-Junction with Huon Rd.

Turn left to roll back to Hobart, or right to continue on what I think are some of the best cycling roads in Australia. No joke. Also turn right if you are heading to Mt Wellington.

Your Challenge: beat Andrew Crawley’s KOM of 10:48 (25.4 km/h). Did I say the challenges have to be achievable?

Coming up, a great climb for nearly any day of the year…

Strickland Ave
Distance	4.6km
Category	3
Elevation	247m
Gradient	5.4%
Maximum Gradient	15%
Time from city	15 minutes
Traffic	medium
Strava	http://app.strava.com/segments/627474
How to get to the climb: Ride up Davey St to the Southern Outlet, then turn right and left onto Macquarie St. climb starts at Cascade Brewery (you won’t have trouble finding it).

I did say you wouldn’t be able to miss Cascade Brewery

The bridge which marks the end of the first segment of Strickland Ave

Yurt corner: the first of two steep pinches

Smooth road, out of suburbia at last

Big Bend

The final straight

Just about at the top of the climb now

Other posts in this series:

Hobart’s Top 10 Climbs, #7: Mt Rumney

November 17, 2011Cycling, Hobart's Top Ten Climbs, Photos, StravaMarc Durdin

Climbing Mt Rumney

This is the fourth post of a series on some of the great road cycling climbs around Hobart. You can be notified of new posts in the series by following me on Twitter. The order of these climbs is completely my own whimsy. No doubt you’ll disagree with me: leave a comment to tell me what I got wrong. Maybe I’ll see you out on one of these climbs?

I recently rediscovered Mt Rumney on a lovely spring lunch ride. Mt Rumney is on the Eastern shore of the Derwent River in Hobart, and is accessed via old Cambridge Rd from Mornington. The climb starts with a brief (and if you want, blisteringly fast) climb up Tunnel Hill, and then turns right onto Mt Rumney Rd at the very crest of the hill. From here, the road has a varying gradient, but is never overly steep, and winds its narrow way around both sides of the hill, alternating between views of Seven Mile Beach and the airport, and Hobart, the Derwent River, and Mt Wellington. Whatever point you are at though, the road is smooth, and the climb is great!

Tunnel Hill is named after the tunnel that was built under it as part of the short-lived Bellerive-Sorell Railway. The tunnel is not visible from the road but is easy to find.

The last kilometre of the climb is dirt, and some riders prefer to turn at the end of the tarmac (especially if you’ve been smashing it up the climb!) but it is definitely worth riding those last few metres for the views at the top. And for the telco tower. The dirt section is a bit steeper, averaging 10%, but not particularly difficult. When I rode up recently, it was pretty smooth and no trouble on a road bike. Did I mention good views from the summit?

The descent is fast and windy and therefore fun, but because the road is quite narrow and sight lines are not great, it is important to be careful of oncoming cars.

Your Challenge: Ride the entire climb at a cadence of 100 (I don’t care which gear)

In my next post, you’ll find one of the most frequented climbs in Hobart…

Mt Rumney
Distance	3.3km (4.3km with dirt)
Category	3
Elevation	226m
Gradient	6.9%
Maximum Gradient	12%
Time from city	25 minutes
Traffic	low-medium
Strava	http://app.strava.com/segments/641042
How to get to the climb: Cross the Tasman Bridge on the southern side, and ride through Rosny along Riawena Rd, right on Rosny Hill Rd, left on Bligh St, right on Shackleton St, left onto Mornington Rd, straight through the roundabout. Keep riding and you’ll reach Tunnel Hill. Sounds complicated but actually pretty straightfoward when you get there.

The start of Tunnel Hill

Tunnel hill is a short, windy ascent

First glimpse of Mt Rumney Rd

The tunnel which Tunnel Hill is named after passes under the intersection with Mt Rumney Rd

One of many views, this one south I think

Quiet woods

The tarmac ends: the climb gets interesting from here

The dirt is pretty smooth, no trouble on a road bike

The telco towers at the top. Not very interesting, huh?

Fantastic views from the summit

Looking out over Acton Park and Cambridge

North towards Coal Valley (lots of great cycling roads there)

Amazing views of Hobart and Mt Wellington

Other posts in this series:

Hobart’s Top 10 Climbs, #8: Longley to Neika

November 14, 2011Cycling, Hobart's Top Ten Climbs, Photos, StravaMarc Durdin

Huon Rd: what’s around the next corner?

This is the third post of a series on some of the great road cycling climbs around Hobart. You can be notified of new posts in the series by following me on Twitter. The order of these climbs is completely my own whimsy. No doubt you’ll disagree with me: leave a comment to tell me what I got wrong. Do go and ride these climbs 🙂

Now for the climb! Longley International Hotel is a famous little pub at the base of this climb. The pub features as the starting point for the annual Wellington Challenge time trial to the summit of Mt Wellington, a 1100m climb, with the current record holder being Richie Porte, who did the climb in 2008 in 49:51, with an astonishing average speed of 25.43 km/h. In this post I only look at the first third of the climb, as the Mt Wellington climb itself will be a separate post.

The climb from Longley to Neika is very pleasant, low traffic, with mostly farmland scenery just starting to edge into the mountain forests as you approach the top. The climb is not particularly steep, averaging 5.7%, but it is long enough at 5.5km that you’ll have to work to make it to the top. The turnoff to Leslie Vale is roughly at the 40% point, which makes a nice milestone. Until you reach this corner, your views will be focused on the North West Bay River valley as it winds its way around the back of the Wellington plateau from Wellington Falls down to the sea.

After the turn-off, you continue climbing on the other side of the ridge. The views are now massive vistas of Storm Bay and the D’Entrecasteaux Channel between the Tasmanian mainland and Bruny Island. I particularly enjoy the two corners which have a divider in the centre of the road; they are also great waypoints and once I pass the second one, I know I am near the top of the climb. The gradient is relatively consistent, until a slightly steeper ramp at the very end as you approach the old Neika Schoolhouse.

I can’t think of much more enjoyable riding than this climb on a sunny summer morning!

This road is also wonderful for descending, without any overly steep corners and a decent surface. Just watch out for damp shaded sections and leaves, even in summer. (Note: roadworks in recent weeks has trashed the surface and left lots of mud on the road… I hope they clean up their mess.)

Your Challenge: ride this climb entirely over your heart rate anaerobic threshold.

Coming up in my next post, a climb that is not in the foothills of Mt Wellington…

Longley to Neika
Distance	5.5km
Category	3
Elevation	314m
Gradient	5.7%
Maximum Gradient	8%
Time from city	45 minutes
Traffic	low
Strava	http://app.strava.com/segments/629095
How to get to the climb: The nice way: Take the “commando” route south through Kingston and turn right towards Sandfly just before Margate. Cross the Huon Hwy and turn right into Longley. This route takes more than 45 minutes — just take Davey St and stay on the same road until you get to Longley for the short route.

Longley Pub (or Longley International Hotel)

The valley at the base of the climb

Your climb starts here!

The first third of the climb is lined with sparse gums

Leslie Rd to the right will take you towards Kingston

The climb continues

If you are taking it easy, enjoy the views. If you are trying to beat Richie’s record, here’s a view that you missed…

And more views

Evening light

Onward and upward

Lots of shaded (damp) corners

Waterfall on the way

Near the top here!

And there’s the crest! Sprint!

The climb in winter — a little more treacherous!

Early morning descent

Descending Huon Rd with my daughter

Other posts in this series:

Hobart’s Top 10 Climbs, #9: Nelson Rd

November 10, 2011Cycling, Hobart's Top Ten Climbs, Photos, StravaMarc Durdin

Bend 3 of the 7 famous hairpins.

This is the second post of a series on some of the great road cycling climbs around Hobart. You can be notified of new posts in the series by following me on Twitter. I have ordered these climbs according to my own preference. No doubt you’ll disagree with me: just tell me in the comments! I hope this will inspire you to go and ride these climbs 🙂

Enough blather, what about the climb? I was in two minds as to whether or not I’d include Nelson Rd in this catalogue of climbs. It is quite a suburban road, and doesn’t have the quiet back road feel of most of the other climbs around Hobart that I’ve chosen for my top 10. However, the road has some unique and fun features, particularly 7 hairpin bends, and it is also well suited to a tempo style climb for each straight. This allows you to build up a nice rhythm with a high tempo run to each corner, out of the saddle to power around the hairpin, and then back on the seat and into your previous cadence on the next straight. Unfortunately, the lumpy road surface does throw your rhythm as you bump over driveway ramps, but I guess that’s all part of the fun!

I mark the start of this climb at the intersection between Churchill Ave and Nelson Rd, although Nelson Rd does start down at the Casino at sea level. The section of the climb between the Casino and Churchill Ave has a lot of traffic and the intersection with Churchill Ave is a hassle because of the traffic, so I’ve excluded that from the climb.

As I said above, the best features of Nelson Rd are the seven hairpin bends, which make great waypoints on the climb. Although after Bend 4 one starts to lose track and there’s always a bend or two more than you hope! In future years, no doubt these will be commemorated with the names of famous cyclists who have conquered this climb. I think I’d like to have Bend 3 (pictured above); you can claim one of the other ones.

After the seventh bend, marked by two big water tanks, you crest onto the “plateau” of the hill and follow the climb, which continues at the same gradient, albeit without all the zigzagging, to the finish at the intersection with Olinda Grove. This section of the climb is not very interesting but you will need to keep the power on all the way to the very end if you want to take the KOM in Strava! (I should mention that the KOM is currently mine and I’d like to keep it that way, okay?)

Take a left at the end to ride to Mt Nelson Signal Station for incredible views over south eastern Tasmania (definitely recommended) and coffee. Turn right to take the quick way down on Proctor’s Rd. Or if you are crazy, down the Southern Outlet.

Your Challenge: ride 3 repeats in a lunch break

The next post describes a climb with a very different feel…

Nelson Rd
Distance	3.9km
Category	3
Elevation	232m
Gradient	6%
Maximum Gradient	10%
Time from city	10 minutes
Traffic	medium (watch for buses)
Strava	http://app.strava.com/segments/628934
How to get to the climb: Take Davey St south, and turn left onto Antill St, and follow Antill St/Regent St/Churchill Ave through the University. Nelson Rd is on your right just after the University.

Nelson Rd: the climb starts here. Bend 1 is immediately ahead

Nelson Rd is made up of long straights, and …

… Hairpin bends. This is Bend 2

Lumpy driveways to negotiate ahead

Pleasant scenes on the climb

Bend 3

And another long straight! Keep that tempo going

Bend 4!

More trees provide some shade

Bend 5… Two to go.

Bend 6 ahead

Gardens to distract from the pain

Bend 7, no more hairpins after this, just a slog to the top

And here’s the top

You can ride back down Proctor’s Rd — take it easy though, it’s busy!

Other posts in this series:

Hobart’s Top 10 Climbs, #10: The Domain (Carriage Drive)

November 7, 2011Cycling, Hobart's Top Ten Climbs, Photos, StravaMarc Durdin

Carriage Drive on The Domain

This is the first post of a series on some of the great road cycling climbs around Hobart. You can be notified of new posts in the series by following me on Twitter. I have ordered these climbs according to my own preference. No doubt you’ll disagree with me: just tell me in the comments! I hope this will inspire you to go and ride these climbs 🙂

Onto the climb! The Domain is a great little climb within 5 minutes ride of the city centre. My friends and I use it for doing repeats. The climb starts at the bottom of Carriage Drive, a smooth little one way road that winds its way up the Domain. Be aware that the road becomes two-way half way up the climb. Initially a gentle gradient, the climb lures you into a pace of up to or even over 30 km/h, until you round a bend half way up and the gradient triples! This is guaranteed to pour that lactate pain in as you drop through the gears.

But immediately after the steep pinch, the road levels out for a couple hundred metres, where no doubt you’ll work hard to put the pace back on again. On reaching a 4 way intersection, turn right (don’t forget traffic in your pain-induced haze), and follow the curves in the second half of the climb around to the summit of the hill. Keep following the road straight round the circle at the top, and back down the hill, then roll round to the bottom of Carriage Drive to do it all again!

See if you can fit in 5 repeats in a lunch break! Coming up in my next post, a climb that zigs and zags…

The Domain
Distance	2.2km
Category	4
Elevation	102m
Gradient	4.6%
Maximum Gradient	15%
Time from city	5 minutes
Traffic	low
Strava	http://app.strava.com/segments/634467
How to get to the climb: From the Cenotaph, ride under the highway, turn right, and immediately after entering the highway, exit left. Carriage Drive is 50m ahead on your left.