Is the "Manayunk Wall" the toughest obstacle in all of cycling in the States?

Question

It's in Philly and has a 17 % incline and is approximately a mile long.Just wondering if this obstacle is known throughout the country.

Answer 1

If you are looking at it from the standpoint of the hardest section of a race in our National Series, yeah, I'd say it is one of the toughest parts. However, if you are looking at it as one of the toughest races or stages, there are a few out West in the Rockies that go up much longer. What Philly has is an awesome combination of things you have to be good at to win like the final sprint, the flat sections using strategy and the corners. If you aren't very well rounded, you won't win... or finish.

Answer 2

While I have not ridden "the wall" in Philly, I rode Brasstown Bald in Georgia 2 years ago.  It was the toughest thing that I have ever done.  I have ridden most of the major climbs of Le Tour and nothing has come close.  I had to climb L'Alpe D'Huez to get back to my hotel every day of a 5 day cycling tour in France and I would go back and do it again in a heart beat.  The day after climbing Brasstown, I was asked if I would do it again and I said, "h**l no".  There is no way to climb it easy.  Try to take your time on it and you will fall over, as I saw many people do.  3 miles averaging nearly 20%.  Pure h**l.