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Inspired by the snowdon threads, i'm curious to know the kind of heights people have been to on the bike and more specifically where the longest downhills are? Obviously this will probably go into 2 categories, within the uk and outwith the uk, as the heights of the hills here aren't that big on a worldwide scale.
The Corrieyarrick pass is probably the highest I've been to at 770m to 50m(into fort augustus), but Tinto hill out past Lanark is a better downhill if you ask me, 711m down to 220m or so, great downhill, b*****d of a trek with the bike to get to the top mind you but worth it.:) Never been mtbing outside Scotland though, so I'm guessing these will pale compared to others.
Anyhow, where the highest you been and what the is longest downhill section?
Cairngorm summit to the Glenmore campsite, so only 920 metres of descent. Quite a few have done Nevis to Fort William though - you're not going to beat that within the UK.
Took one too many lines at a party last year - cycling home was well dodgy...
I've walked up Nevis, cannot imagine taking the bike down, especially the top half! suppose we should mibbe have another category, one for super-heros and us mere mortals!:D
turnerguy beat me too it.
2 trips, on a bridge in newcastle, it all got very wierd indeed
I've been pretty drunk on the bike, it's great fun until you have to go up hill.
In NZ me and the missus hiked Mt fyffe then rode down!
The car park is about 80m up as it's not far from the sea the tops 1602m! Took 5 hours up and 20 mins down!!!!
A few pics for fun!
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looking up from the campsite
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on the way up
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the top
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more top
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skids are for kids!
Abroad, probably Peak 10 in Breckenridge, Colorado which is about 13600ft/4500m.
In the UK, it'd be Skiddaw or Helvellyn which are both about 3100ft/940m IIRC.
I did a 1Km climb in Saalbach last year but it was not that high!
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Wales - Snowdon to Llanberis
UK - by distance Hawkcombe to Porlock Weir harbour 4.2 miles
non UK - by height decended Furggsattel to Zermatt 6045ft
non UK - by distance Gornergrat to Tasch 24km
Carn Ban mor in Scotland - 1000m high - 700 m descent
Some pass in the dolomites at 7000ft IIRC
Mammoth Mountain is the highest are I've ever ridden overall. Totally killed me the first couple of days. Don't know about in the UK. I used to live in the Highlands, so I'd guess about 800-1000m at most. Where I currently live in Sweden, the highest point in the county (which is about the size of Wales) is 127m 😯
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up here, Gölem near Lake Iseo in Italy. Just under 2000m starting from 200m.
In UK, Helvellyn
A place just outside of Calgary - my breathlessness tells me that was the highest in terms of altitude but no idea what it was - started with a 3 hour fire road slow ascent then up single track to the second ridge then great descent into the car park.
I've done a lot of long descents but I only measure fun so no idea what they measure in at
Not much in the Uk, Black Sail pass to Wasdale of rigid forks and rim brakes.
Abroad have been up around 4500m in Peru and it was very hard going even riding on the flat due to the to O2 levels
Wanaka, NZ. Cheated by getting a helicopter to the top!
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5400m ish for me in India. Haha! I'm the winner!
My highest and longest was the "road of death" in bolivia, starts about 4600m above sea level and is 64km in length, starts up in the snow in the Andes as passes down through humid tropical parts. Absolutely mad.
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Ben McDhui (2nd highest mountain in UK after Ben Nevis) from Loch Morlich. That's 1309m at the summit - almost exactly 1000m ascent/descent. Took about 5 hours IIRC. Quite a lot of hike-a-bike on the way up but 85% rideable on the way down
Been up to the top of Mont Fort (Swiss Alps) which IIRC, was 10,000ft. Took c.3hrs (with a lunch stop!) to descend to the valley floor.
Another cheat via helicopter!
6000ft, Ben Cruachan, Nr. Queenstown, NZ.
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Highest in this country and under my own steam I think is Ben Lomond. 974m - IIRC the descent is about 900m back to Loch Lomond.
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Highest overall (lift-assisted) is Pic Blanc in Alpe D'Huez. 3300m - descent to 700m
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1940 metres apparently, up the Port de Bales in france. Rode up from about 630 metres, which ironically is about the highest I've ever been in the UK on the bike, up aonach mor (fort william). Both had pretty great descents, though the french one took about 3 hours and the scottish one took about 8 minutes 
Piatta de Crevon - 2752m
The desent included the Avalance cup dh course, the pila DH world cup course, the 4x track and the 45min dh enduro track into aosta in one hit. I was fubard after that.
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2500m in spain IIRC decents went to about 800m
Ben Nevis. Getting down would be fine if it weren't for the pesky walkers 🙂
Ooooh, think I might have a chance to win this one!
Cotopaxi volcano in Ecuador!
One of the guys from NATS (ButtyJim) married a girl from Ecuador, so we had his stag night in Quito. We took a 4x4 from Quito (which is already at 9375ft, 2857m and makes you feel very light headed when you step off the plane), up to the Cotopaxi climbers refuge at 16000ft (4876m). The summit is 19,400ft. From 16000ft we decended on trails, forest roads & singletrack to about 10000ft.
All on hired bikes with the brakes the wrong way round, though we did take SPD shoes & pedals. Fabulous experience, absolutely incredible country.
Rob
This is not very impressive, but probably Skiddaw last month. It was very very cold though.
At top (behaving a bit strangely, trying to warm up)...
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Nice shot from descent (one of the bits I could ride on Ullock Pike)...
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Edit: Probably went higher in Alps the other year, bt it doesn't really count if you use a chairlift does it?
800m of climbing to 3396m on Veleta,Sierra Nevada spain followed by 30mile+ of descending down to Llanjaron. Awesome
2500ish metres in the Alps, can't remember the exact location although was obviously chairlift assisted... only place where I've had my feet on terra firma and still felt acrophobia.
Here in the UK, would definitely be Lochnagar at 1155m (twice walking, twice on the bike). Also done the DH at Fort William but the Top Gondola there is only at 650m.
The Whole Enchilada featuring
Burro Pass, Hazard, Kokopelli, Porcupine Singletrack, and Porcupine Rim back to Moab
This ride is 32.5 miles long, with 7000 vertical feet of downhill. It's an unforgettable epic experience, but is only for strong, skilled, and adventuresome riders. It peaks at 11,200 feet in the La Sal Mountains and drops to the Colorado River. Climbing will total about 2000 feet.
Anyone going to Moab MUST do this ride!
i've not rode it yet but some of the passes on the leh-manali road in india are above 5000m, highest at 5300m i think. we saw quite a few people biking it with fully laden panniers on rickety mtbs and beards (we were in a jeep on our way to ladakh). would love to go back and do it over a few weeks as the scenery is spectacular and people are great. pic from someones blog on the net (not mine)
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cheeezzy24
800m of climbing to 3396m on Veleta,Sierra Nevada spain followed by 30mile+ of descending down to Llanjaron. Awesome
did that with ride Sierra Nevada...
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