Old La Honda Bike Climb, CA
Old La Honda Rd., a classic climb on the SF Bay Area Peninsula.
Many cyclists on the SF Bay Area Peninsula (i.e., Palo Alto/Woodside/Los Altos region) seem to know their best time up Old La Honda Rd., as it provides some measure of one’s climbing aptitude (both relative to your previous self, and to others).
Course Description
The official start of the hill climb is the stone bridge (I presume it is the leading, and not the trailing, edge of it); the end is the stop sign at the top of the intersection of Old La Honda and Skyline Blvd.
The course record, according to various posts on USENET newsgroups, is a few ticks under 15 minutes (14:50 or so), and is either owned by Dr. Eric Heiden (the Olympic speed-skating champion who lived 2/3rds up Old La Honda), or a guy named Mike Murray.
The Western Wheelers even has a “rider category system” based on a rider’s times up Old La Honda. (This helps match cyclists with Western Wheeler rides of his or her appropriate level of difficulty). The system is as follows:
- Category A: total novice
- Category B: it takes the cyclist 40-60 minutes to go up Old La Honda
- Category C: 30-40 minutes
- Category D: 25-30 minutes
- Category E: 20-25 minutes
- Category F: under 20 minutes
This is how Western Wheelers matches cyclists to rides:
Western Wheelers Hilliness Ratings (Definition)
Approx. Hilliness Ft./Mi. Rating --------- --------- 0-25 1 25-50 2 50-75 3 75-100+ 4
Average Speed (MPH) vs. Hilliness and Ride Category, Typical
1 2 3 4
--------------
A 10 8 6 NA
B 12 10 8 6
C 14 13 12 11
D 17 16 15 14
E 20 19 18 17
F 23 22 21 20
Climb Statistics
- Distance: 3.37 miles
- Elevation gain: 1290 feet
- Average grade: 7.2%
- Max grade: 15% (18% inside switchbacks), never very long
1995 Low-Key Hill Climb Series Results
October 29, 1995 (Sun)
These are results from the 1995 Low-Key Hill Climb Series (now defunct, sadly), that you can also compare your times with. Again, I found this from a USENET newsgroup. Presumably, the people who entered the series were typically “above-average” (or at least, enthuasiastic) hill-climbers.
Rider Team Sex Category Time ------------------- ------------------- --- ----------------- ----- Connelly, Dan Stanford/Wheelsmith m 4 17:22 Hawley, Lorin Apple/VeloXS m Mas 4 17:47 Lillard, James West Coast m 3 (Jr) 18:34 Waltjen, Lance None m Any 19:48 Herms, Richard Team Adventure m 35+ 20:00 Bell, Jeff Alto Velo/ALEVE m Mas 4 20:07 Anderson, Mark Alto Velo/ALEVE m 5 20:40 Blair, Steve Alto Velo/ALEVE m 40+ 20:45 McGorman, Frank Bergmeisters Bicycl m Bikes & Brewsters 20:55 Miller, Ed None m 55+ 21:15 Alafouzos, John NA m 40+ 21:30 Hargrove, Val Bergmeisters Bicycl m Bikes & Brewsters 21:30 Fulton, Dick NA m Old bike,old body 21:36 Crockett, Richard Apple/VeloXS m 45+ 21:51 Leary, Brendan Alto Velo/ALEVE m 5 22:11 Hopping, Damien NA m None 22:31 Benishin, Liz Alto Velo/ALEVE f 3 22:34 Nix, Mark Team FRED m Idiot 22:40 Reddy, Achut Alto Velo/ALEVE m 4 23:00 Bone, Richard Western Wheelers m 28-yo English 23:15 Petroski, Pete Western Wheelers m Beyond 23:15 Hurkmans, Henry Fremont Freewheeler m 4 23:30 Smith, Wayne Alto Velo/ALEVE m 4 - unplugged 23:49 Sewill, Rick Apple/VeloXS m 4 24:15 Gellin, Gary Team Hermes m Runner 24:29 Tedder, Ron NA m Old bike,old body 24:39 Heney, Kevin None m 43+ 25:00 Mansour, Dean Alto Velo/ALEVE m Bionic 25:08 Maurer, Joseph Apple m 44+ 25:12 Hutchinson, Marcia Alto Velo/ALEVE f 3 26:21 Pereira, Lucas NA m 200+ (gross wt) 29:08 Fisher, David Alto Velo/ALEVE m 5 ????? Paulsen, Anne Western Wheelers f None ????? Chang, John NA m None ?????
From the Logbook
September 8, 2002 (Sun)
Excerpts from an email I wrote my friend Adam Tow who got me interested in doing an OLH hill climb, 8 years after I had last been timed on this hill:
Ok, today Mike Barron and I went up Old La Honda and timed ourselves. My time… (drumroll please):
21:33
That, I think, is about the same as your record! Dang, you were in really good shape back in ’97!
I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t break 20 minutes (and actually wasn’t even really close), which was my goal. However, I take solace in that I was 4 minutes faster than my last timed OLH climb (in ’94), and I think I can do a bit better by doing things differently.
First off, I think Mike and I stopped too long before starting the climb, as I had really cooled off by then. As I consistently notice when doing hill repeats on Morrison Canyon Rd., I climb significantly worse on cool legs (usu. for the first time up).
Secondly (and probably most importantly)… I started out going way too fast. At the bottom, I was going like 15mph, and just sped by some other cyclists who started like 5 minutes before Mike and me. By the middle of the climb I was already hacking my lungs out. I was really not well and had to take a slug of water every minute or so due to the hacking. I never really recovered, though I’m happy that I managed to keep a pretty consistent pace for the last half of the climb despite the suffering.
Thirdly, when I get to know the climb better, I would ideally start speeding up sooner at the end (e.g. go anaerobic at that point). I started sprinting when I saw the mailboxes, but that’s a little too late.
And finally, ideally I would do this on a cooler day… today was not bad, a little on the warm side for something like this.
By doing all of these things, I might be able to make up 1.5 minutes…
Almost wish I hadn’t gotten into this, though… riding a hundred miles felt a lot more enjoyable than those 3! But it’s good training… kind of a different mindset than I’m used to, which is to keep well within myself and avoid going anaerobic (otherwise one would be hard-pressed to finish 200 miles). I now have full appreciation for the record of 15 minutes or whatever (that’s like 33% faster than us!)
Roy West said:
This is a nice page. One missing item that would be nice to include is the distance from the stone bridge to the stop sign at the top, the grade, and the elevation gain. But thanks for what’s here.
mark deines said:
The top time listed for the OLH hillclimb….14.833 min. works out to a vam (average ascent speed) of about 87 ft./min. this is actually very good, however to put it in perspective the vam for the 5360 vertical ft. of Mt. Ventoux in France is about 96 ft./min. set by Iban Mayo a few years back.
George Mueller said:
Yeah, OLH Road. I’d stopped riding for 15 years, then started up again summer ’05. First time up: 38m. Now at 24.5m. I love this climb; know the house #’s, names of the horses in the corrals, real estate prices, Upenuff you’re almost there, that lousy rough patch at the top (WHY hasn’t it been repaved??) etc. Great job on this website!
Kamikaze said:
We did this climb all the time back in 76-85 or so….it was the beginning of the long rides done twice a week with the Palo Alto Crew. I remember Eric H.going on the ride sometimes, but the stalwart climbers were Kieth Vierra and Sterling McBride…sometimes Dave Faust (Fausto) and daveyMac would be going good, as well.The guys always said that Boyer and Ritchey probably were the fastest but that was all related “legend” wise…not actual times…Hard to believe anybody but LeMond could climb it better than Boyer…I remember us going up it in about 20 minutes every time…but we were younger and fitter then…lots of mist and bumps..dogs sometimes…
Introspection » Blog Archive » A Cycling First said:
[...] me ascending Woodside’s Old La Honda Road. A quick use of google and I found a nice summary of what Old La Honda is like. I didn’t plan on tackling a major hil [...]
Craig Swarthout said:
For those interested LKHC has started up again and your chance to beat the clock up OLH is this Saturday 21OCt06 see attached link for more details.
http://www.lowkey.djconnel.com/
Fritz Knochenhauer said:
Regarding: OLH fastest times…I rode OLH regularly in the late 70s and early 80s. It was definitely the benchmark time trial climb for Category 1/2 USCF riders. It was the stuff of legend to hear times of sub-17 minutes during those days. I can vouch for only three riders in that category (myself included) and believe that Eric Heiden’s time was to his house NEAR the top and not all the way to the stop sign. I remember riding with a small group and we did the OLH/Skyline/84 “circuit” three or four times one morning. I recall my times being sub-19 for each “lap.” Considering how much lighter bikes are nowadays, I’m surprised that times haven’t improved much beyond the high 16-minute marks I’ve seen. Does anyone have a definitive list of “best OLH times?” I’d be curious to know.
Andrey Revyakin said:
http://www.lowkey.djconnel.com/2006/week2/results.html
These are the results from the 2006 low key series. I did it in 17:01, an I am just a local no-category hill climb enthusiast. My understanding is that any Cat2 rider should be able to do it under 17.
Hillclimb Times said:
These LOW KEY HILLCLIMB results are helpful, although not comprehensive.
My hopes were/are that someone has put together a list of BEST TIMES up OLH, King’s Mtn., Hwy 84, etc.
I can personally vouch for 16:27 up OLH, 18:54 up King’s (from the split), and 12:35 up 84 from the base of Portola Rd. (at the hairpin).
Takers?
Andrey Revyakin said:
The problem with the best times is that they are often not documented, and are anecdotal. The only way to get semi-official data is from race results like Low Key.
The Stanford cycling team has a race up OLH in December (?), and I’ve never seen the best time crack 16 min. I personally know 3 people who can crack 17, and know of noone who can crack 16.
Perhaps, if the LOW KEY series survives for a number of years in a row we will have a decent statistical data. Perhaps you should join the race thus year? With 16:27 (is that self-timed?) up OLH you could win (or even crack 16 min and set another PR?).
Old La Honda climb « Cycling the Bay Area said:
[...] Much of the following borrowed from: http://felixwong.com/ [...]
East Coaster said:
http://www.paloaltobicycles.com/Flash_maps/oldlahonda_map.swf
This map at Palo Alto Bicycle states the record time is under 14 minutes. Given that Basso climbed Ventoux at 96 vertical feet per minute that is consistent with what a top pro could do. 90 VFM = 14:20, 96 VFM is under 13:30.
East Coaster said:
Using the calculator at Gearing for Wisconsin Hills ( http://www.danenet.org/bcp2006/gearing.html )
A rider and bike weighing 170 lbs pedaling at 80 rpm expending 380 Watts up a 7.2% grade would need 63.64 gear inches (42-18 = 63 gear inches). The rider would be climbing at 15.14 mph which would climb OLH in 13:21. This is from someone who had trouble getting up OLH with a triple I rented at Campus Bike Shop in August and was toast on the road up Mt. Wachusett (Massachusetts) in June pushing a 42-24.
Memorial ride for fallen cyclists - Cult of the Bicycle said:
[...] Sunday at Five Rings Cycling Center, 297 N. Amphlett Blvd. in San Mateo.Also Sunday, the annual >Old La Honda Time Trial, a famous 3.7-mile bike climb near Woodside, will be open to the public, with cyclists invited to [...]
A Mudworm’s Thoughts » Blog Archive » Road Riding: My Collection of Hill Climbs said:
[...] references: FelixWong’s blog , [1] , [...]
Jim Thurber said:
“Discovered” Old La Honda last year, riding it on a 30 x 27 Zurich. Nice ride but it took me at least 35 minutes to the top (age: 56). Several weeks ago I started riding up on my fixie (39 x 20) and shortened my time substantially. Of course, I find myself standing up quite a bit!
Old La Honda is an absolutely wonder on a fixed gear bike, as long as you switch to freewheel before coasting down to Alice’s and back to Woodside. What currently “works” for me is a 39 x 23 — and it just rocks!
Chris said:
This site inspired me to give it a spin with my teammate from Godspeed last week. Is the hillclimb series still going on? Someone on Webcor said it was, informally. I’d love to try it in some sort of competition. Friendly or unsanctioned. Whatever. And the descent is lovely too.
andrey revyakin said:
the descent down 84 is way better than OLH. I find OLH too narrow going down, with too many blind curves.
kristen said:
i am a complete novice biker, and i love OLH (36ish min for me … trying to get into the low 30s this season).
what i love even more is to cool down by heading west on 84 afterwards and coming back up the backside of OLH … it’s a left turn about 3 miles out on OLH and it’s a beautiful, easy 2.5 mile blip up.
kristen said:
oops … i meant 3 miles out on 84 west.
hants said:
just timed OLH for first time today, 18:22! Woohoo. Goal by end of July sub 17:30. If anyone still rides this under 17:00 and wants to go on fast/fun rides let me know
hantsawilliams@gmail.com
Alex said:
I wish I could claim 18 min, but so far its 24. I want to bring it down to 21. Anyone interested?
alexr967@yahoo.com
John Schiefer said:
Hey, I ride Kings/OLH 4-6 days per week and would welcome someone to ride with.
M-F I usually ride at 9:30am, and on weekends we’ll start sometime between 2 and 4 pm. There are just two of us, and we’re really trying to get under 21 for OLH, and I think we’re close.
Please let me know if you would want to meet us sometime.
650-387-9137
John Schiefer
Fritz Knochenhauer said:
RE: OLH time trials, in 1980, I rode a Campy Record-equipped Raleigh Professional 531 steel frame with clinchers using a 42×17 mostly and shifted to 42×15 toward the top after the water tank. I had water bottles, frame pump and tubes onboard. Pretty heavy compared to today’s super lightweight bikes. Sometimes, I would ride a fixed gear road bike that had a 52×19. It was tough going but allowed me to push a BIG gear when racing. The road was extremely rough compared to what it is today. My fastest timed by another was 17:13 (by Western Wheelers at the bridge), but I did multiple self-timed 16:50s and one 16:30 in 1981. I would think today’s times would be MUCH faster. At 165lbs, I was fairly large for a climber but I also excelled in ITT doing a 54:23 for the 25mi ITT in Sierraville.
So, after a year at 8,500′ ASL, and at age 49, I’m in Davis and ready for some time trials up OLH again on my carbon fiber steed. Let’s get it on after the New Year!!!
Fritz Knochenhauer said:
Here are times from the 2009 Low-key Hill Climb Series…wow!!!
http://www.lowkey.djconnel.com/2009/week2/results.html
Dave Faust said:
On April 9, 1981, I raced Dave Mac up OLH. I had a stopwatch on my handlebars. Ray Hosler started his own watch at the bottom (this was at the stop sign, not the stone bridge), then drove up to time us at the top. I did 16:53 that day (Ray’s watch and mine agreed), climbing all the way in a 42-17 off the saddle. Dave did 18:42 but he was young then, and within a few years would prove to be a top notch climber, winning the King of the Mountain at Mt. Hamilton in 1986, I believe, and also winning Pinkie’s Road Race with a daring move on the final gravel descent.
A couple of years later, I challenged Brian Spitz, the framebuilder, to a race up OLH. The last I saw of him was about a mile from the bottom, dancing away from me in a pretty small gear. He did a self-reported 16:18, which I fully believe — he was an ex-cross-country runner who was an awesome climber.
Then there was the time Dave McLaughlin and I rode up just after a big storm in Jan. 1982, I think. There was a huge mudslide about half a mile from the bottom. We got off our bikes and walked through it. My cycling shoe got sucked off and we dug in the mud for the next 5 minutes looking for it. Mac came up with it and we kept going on the ride. There were no cars on the climb that day!!
A couple of years ago I visited the Bay Area and rode up OLH in 23 minutes. Oof! The joys of aging! If I ever manage to beat 20 minutes again, I’ll log in!
“What would a smart randonneur do now?” « California's Historical Landmarks said:
[...] We rode west and north from San Jose, through Palo Alto and into the coastal range to the famous Old La Honda Road. According to Meg, this is the proving ground for riders in the Palo Alto: you ride Old La Honda [...]