Distance: 500 metres
Average Gradient: 22%Elevation gain: 99 metres
Category: 3
Traffic: Light traffic (this ends on a dead end road)
Terrain: Residential/farmland
Road Surface: Poor
Some climbs have to be seen to be believed. McCarthy Road in
Monbulk has a sealed section that is a 22% average for 500 metres:
To get to the climb you need to ride across a little over 2km's of gravel road, which is suitable to ride a Road bike on.
There is a short descent leading to the start of the climb, which turns sharply to your right before the road goes skyward.
Straight from the onset the road hits 22%, and the gradient stays fairly consistent throughout.
The road is slightly wider than a car, and there is enough room to zig zag your way up the climb. The climb is paved, and the first part of the climb is in fairly decent condition.
When you approach this massive tree pictured above the road narrows, and the surface deteriorates a little from here. You will find it harder to zig zag, and as you look up, the finish of the climb is still well and truly a long way away.
After 500 metres of climbing the sealed section ends and the road turns to gravel, and you will find it difficult to find traction, and are forced to ride in a straight line.
There are some stunning views from the top that make this climb worthwhile.
The key to getting up this
climb is consistency in your pedal strokes. Given how slow you will be climbing,
your biggest danger is losing traction, or wheel spin. If you come to a stop,
you’ve got no chance of starting again on such a steep gradient, and you’ll be left to walk it.
Its definately wise not to go too hard on this climb, and just ride smart the whole
way. I wouldn’t advise looking up too often. Its one scary sight climbing a gradient
with a 22% gradient over such a long distance. This is a residential street so be mindful of traffic. The
road is narrow, so be prepared to abort your climb if a car is coming. I would highly recommend trying this climb, only if you can comfortably get up a road
such as Mast Gully Road, Invermay or Terry’s Avenue. There are many scenic views on the way to this climb on
McCarthy Road that make it extra worthwhile to visit:
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| McCarthy Road climb straight ahead |
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