How Steep Is "Steep"?

[Ajax Bay]

here is one of my “favourite” road signs

That's at the start of the road from Five Cross Ways (west of Dulverton) on the road heading to Withypool. Six chevrons in a kilometre: 3 down followed by 3 up.

 

[gom]

I know. I’ve cycled it.
There my be similar signs elsewhere on Exmoor. And the North York Moors.

 

[ColinJ]

I’m late to this conversation, but here is one of my “favourite” road signs

A vehicular black hole ... motorists who ignore the signs disappear into the dip and are never heard from again!

 

[andrew_s]

Chevrons:
Two: steeper than 20% (1 in 5) (@Dogtrousers 'really jolly steep' or 'walk')
One: 14% to 20% (1 in 7 to 1 in 5) (@Dogtrousers 'really steep')
Five (2x2 + 1x1): 2.4km + 283m (Porlock, N Devon - from the Ship Inn to the cattle grid).
Seven (3x2 + 1x1): Hardknott (E-bound): 2.2km + 289m (from the telephone box)
Seven (3x2 + 1x1 NB less than 1/2 E-bound distance): Hardknott (W-bound): 0.9km +131m (final steep hairpins section)
Five (5x1 (some 2s hidden in there)): Rosedale Chimney (NY Moors): 0.7km + 103m (cattle grid to the car park (on R))
Three (1x2 + 1x1 - have to say this is just an extended 25%er) Bushcombe Lane (NE of Bishop's Cleeve, nr Cheltenham) 1.1km + 131m
Two (1x2): Salcombe Hill (E from Sidmouth up to the observatory): 1.2km + 145m
Four (2x2): Lynmouth Hill (N Devon): 0.4km + 78m
Zero: Leith Hill (just saying, kickers or no)

Eleven (2x2 + 7x1): Bwlch y Groes from the bridge over the Afon Rhiwlech: 3km + 376m

If you want steep foreign places, there's also the Scanuppia, in the Dolomites, which is 7.5km + 1317m (ave 17.6%), and has a 45% sign at the bottom.

 

[andrew_s]

Here's one I found 18 months ago on the way down Dunkery Beacon

It seems there are no signs, unfortunately.
The google car chickened out at the corner just after Stoke Pero church, so I can't check properly

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Eleven (2x2 + 7x1): Bwlch y Groes from the bridge over the Afon Rhiwlech: 3km + 376m

If you want steep foreign places, there's also the Scanuppia, in the Dolomites, which is 7.5km + 1317m (ave 17.6%), and has a 45% sign at the bottom.

That's scary, especially in the 3D maps view:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/....31h,77.73t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!4m1!3e2!5m1!1e4


Above, the town is near the bottom left, and the top of the climb is near the centre of the image. What a ride that would be!

 

[Ajax Bay]

Eleven (2x2 + 7x1): Bwlch y Groes from the bridge over the Afon Rhiwlech: 3km + 376m

Eleven chevrons is good. And if you move the start to the 190m contour, 100m down from the sharp bend and double chevron, it's 365m in 2.6k (14% AVERAGE).

90m in 684m is 13% . . . Don't know why I found it a bit of a struggle

FTFY
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=287500&y=143500&z=120
Climb from 249m to 339m. The climb 2km north on the same road is 15% (90m in 0.6k).

 

[gom]

FTFY
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=287500&y=143500&z=120
Climb from 249m to 339m. The climb 2km north on the same road is 15% (90m in 0.6k).

Route from Porlock to Stoke Pero looks “interesting”. I may have done the other way some years ago, but yet to try coming back. However may be staying in or near Porlock in May, so ....

 

[Aravis]

A vehicular black hole ... motorists who ignore the signs disappear into the dip and are never heard from again!

View attachment 403652

I went that way a few years back - on a driving/walking/photography trip, not cycling.

The reality doesn't come close to the hype.

 

[gom]

The reality doesn't come close to the hype.

Ouch!