indieVelo's Northern Hill Climb Lap route is 17.0 km (10.56 miles) with 577 m (1893 feet) of elevation, a tougher climb for those who climb.
Route Description
indieVelo’s Northern Hill Climb Lap route is “A tougher hill climb for those who fancy more of a challenge, again and again!”
You have two route options for a northerly ride, starting at North Lake and ending at the Dome. The Northern Hill Climb will get you there business-like and directly. If you prefer to ramble a bit before reaching your final destination, this option is for you. It extends the shorter route by returning and circumnavigating North Lake, then heading back to the Dome again.
As you emerge from the North Lake pen, you’ll face a short, sharp North Lake hill climb of up to 8%, a perfect warm-up. The strategic part comes as you descend and prepare to traverse the mountain pass on your way to the Dome. The climb begins at 0.7 km (0.43 miles) and is undulating with some short false flats.
But don’t worry, you’ll soon settle into a steady 8-10% grade until reaching the pass at 2.0 km (1.24 miles). From there, it’s a right turn toward the Dome, with two sharp bends and a braking corner, making the descent a tactical challenge. It’s all about recovering a bit but still pushing hard out of the corners to stay close to your rivals.
Once on the Dome road, you will resume your ascent with the longest climbing section of the course, which is a 360-degree spiral up the mountain. Though it is the longest climb of the route, you’ll be fast enough to make use of drafting with much of your time spent at a 4-7% grade. The last 150 m (492 feet) of the climb is the most challenging where the grade touches 17%. This is a favorite point of attack for punchy riders with gas left in the tank from the climb.
At the banner (which is the finish line for the Northern Hill Climb route), you will be relieved to know you have now completed the lead-in for this course after 5.2 km (3.23 miles) and 256 m (840 feet) of climbing. The bell lap sound tells you you have begun your one and only lap of this course.
You will follow the ring road around the Dome summit, then plunge back down the mountain. The descent is an excellent opportunity for a high-speed supertuck recovery by freewheeling when your avatar is faster than ~53 kph (~33 mph). You will be retracing your path except for a clockwise excursion around North Lake. At 11.8 km (7.3 miles), you will pass by the pen where you started the ride, and now you have it all to do again. You’ll know the way.
Route Profile
Route details and description courtesy of Beta-tester Rob Miller!
Check out the indieVelo-Route Descriptions page for more useful recon information.
Semi-retired after more than 20 years as the owner and director of a private Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice, Chris now enjoys the freedom to dedicate himself to his passions—virtual cycling and writing.
Driven to give back to the sport that has enriched his life with countless experiences and relationships, he founded a non-profit organization, TheDIRTDadFund. In the summer of 2022, he rode 3,900 miles from San Francisco to his “Gain Cave” on Long Island, New York, raising support for his charity.
His passion for cycling shines through in his writing, which has been featured in prominent publications like Cycling Weekly, Cycling News, road.cc, Zwift Insider, Endurance.biz, and Bicycling. In 2024, he was on-site in Abu Dhabi, covering the first live, in-person UCI Cycling Esports World Championship.
His contributions to cycling esports have not gone unnoticed, with his work cited in multiple research papers exploring this evolving discipline. He sits alongside esteemed esports scientists as a member of the Virtual Sports Research Network and contributes to groundbreaking research exploring the new frontier of virtual physical sport. Chris co-hosts The Virtual Velo Podcast, too.
