indieVelo's Straight Up course is a 14.8km (9.2mi.) route with 985m (3,232ft.) of elevation, and "Does what it says on the tin."
Route Description
The Straight Up route is an extension of the Lower Climb route. If you enjoyed Lower Climb but really want to get to the summit, try this one. As ever, the pithy route subtitles let you know what you are in for.
This course has a mellow start. You are 800 meters (2625 feet) into the course before you touch a 7% incline and begin your climb in earnest. You will spend most of your time on this climb at 8% or 9%. The average gradient for the entire course with the flattish first stretch is 6.7%.
There is slight relief from the gradient at 4.5 km (2.8 miles), but it is only a tiny false flat section before you resume your climb. At 6.6 km (4.1 miles), you are surprised by a brief descent around a 180-degree hairpin. A sharp attack here could catch a rival unprepared and with a lot of work to do to catch your wheel. If that tactic fails, you’ll get another chance at the next hairpin turn.
Respite comes at 9.3 km (5.78 miles), and you will recognize the finish banner for Lower Climb if you have ridden it before. However, your work is not done at this time. You will turn right at this junction and resume your climb through switchbacks to the finish, still 5.3 km (3.3 miles) distant.
The rest is simple: find your rhythm for a 7% to 9% climb; anticipate the brief gradient changes in the hairpin turn with proper gearing; and most notably, be ready for the substantial false flat at 11.8 km (7.33 miles). This one actually has a short descent and is long enough to present a point of attack in a race with only 2.5 km (1.55 miles) to the finish before you resume your 8% climb.
As you reach the summit, a sense of accomplishment washes over you. Take a moment to savor the panoramic vista during your warm-down as you round the summit loop, then prepare for the exhilarating descent back down the way you came up, a fitting end to your Straight Up adventure.
Thank you, Beta-tester Rob Miller!
Route Profile
For more indieVelo coure recons check out the indieVelo-Route Descriptions page!
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.
