THE STEEPEST STREET IN THE WORLD

Most of our readers live within cycling distance of a really steep hill, usually not more than a few hundred metres long. We are not talking here about the awesome climbs in the Alps, the Pyrenees or the Rockies, that drag on for many kilometres at average grades of seven to n9ne percent or the short killers in Belgium that kick up to twenty percent plus, or even local hills in Nanaimo (Calder Road has a maximum gradient of twenty-six percent ) or the English Lake District Passes (Hardknott Pass has a short section of thirty percent on Honister Pass , with a similar maximum gradient had Tour of Britain riders actually walking the steepest section). What we ARE talking about is the steepest paved road in the world in New Zealand. Check it out  here. We are quite sure that some sadistic antipodean race organiser is planning a hill climb on this sufferfest-type slope in the near future, where all participants will be issued with a barf bag at the start. Come to think of it, MIVA should include a Calder Road hill climb in next year's time trial series - just for fun of course!