Big hill turns many riders into walkers
Sat, Jul 31, 2010 | by ElizabethOwens
Graf, Ia. — A tense silence fell over RAGBRAI riders Saturday morning as they pedaled out of this northeast Iowa valley town.
Everyone knew what lay ahead: Potter Hill. The big one. The winding, pedal-grinding, mile-long climb out of the valley, on the final leg of the 2010 Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.
“People have been talking about it all week,” said Stacey Whipple, 38, of Indianola. “This is the big test.”
The tree-lined hill rises with an average 6 percent grade — although certain parts are steeper — and curves out of sight about halfway up. Riders unfamiliar with the area have no way to know when it will end, until they’ve almost reached the top.
Potter Hill was easily the steepest climb on the third-flattest overall route in RAGBRAI history. Late Saturday morning, as temperatures reached the 80s, at least two-thirds of the riders hopped off and walked.
Jeff Kohn of Phoenix stopped in Graf to wait for his teammates, who pedaled slower to conserve their energy for Potter Hill. The veteran bicyclist rides in the Arizona mountains, and said the grade wasn’t a problem for him.
“You just have to stand on those pedals, breathe hard and grind,” said Kohn, 53.
The random chatter typically heard on RAGBRAI ended as bicyclists began the ascent. At several points, the only noise was hard gear-shifting and heavy breathing.
A cardboard sign with a frowny-face greeted bikers: “Welcome to Potter Hell.”
“Don’t look up,” one woman muttered to herself, panting, as she clawed her way up. “Don’t look up.”
The 48-mile ride from Manchester to Dubuque challenged riders with some of the week’s steepest hills. Riders barreled into Graf at speeds around 35 to 45 mph.
Potter Hill was named after Charles “Zenda” and Grace Potter, a couple who bought a farm at the top in 1942.
Residents and local law enforcement referred to the hill as Potter Hill, and the name stuck.
Their grandson, Kurt Potter, said he sees bicyclists on the hill at least once a week from the house where he now lives.
“You’d be surprised,” said Potter, 40, as he watched bikers crest the hill. “People come up, they turn around, and they go back down.”
At the top, bikers pulled to the side to buy smoothies, beer and water at roadside stands. Some posed for pictures in front of a poster that read, “I survived Potter Hill.”
John Lounsberry and Rory Dolan slumped on a porch at the hilltop, beers in hand, and looked at each other.
“That made me feel really old,” said Dolan, 32, of Jesup.
Lounsberry, 64, of Cedar Falls took a drink. “It reminded me that I am old.”
— Grant Schulte
I got to Potter’s Hill with a “big” group. I tried my best, but ran out of gears:) When I saw that I was at 4.4 miles I decided that I could walk faster. It was easier to take knowing that so many people were walking. To those who made it, Congrats!
To the lady the car trying to get home… I hope you waited to come down.
I made it up Potter Hill on my bike because I was following a young woman whose gears were skipping, but she kept going on and made it! She was my inspiration. I made it over the crest right behind her.
You got grade wrong….6% would be nothing. I think you mean 16% grade…
Michael,
I think you might be exaggerating a bit. A 375 feet gain in elevation over one mile the average grade would be about 7%. According to my onboard computer, I hit 11% near the top of the hill but no where near 16%.
To calculate the grade percentage, use:
(rise ÷ run) * 100
or
(375 ÷ 5280) * 100
With gears and effort, the hill was doable but difficult, not something I’d want to do every day.
i am not good at the numbers, so i went to “mapmyride” and looked it up. They have this as a 19% grade from the bottom to the top .96miles.
i was the by far the steepest ride i have ever attempted on a bike. I don’t think my 79 fj40 would have made it up that hill.
Garmin Edge 705…as accurate as a GPS based bike computer can get: at least for one brief moment, it was 14%. My bike was set up for racing…no granny gear! ‘Had to mash my way up out of the saddle – & not quite sure if I left any O2 for the guy behind me
I thought I was ready for it. Nowhere near. I jumped out of the saddle way too early, but even if I had waited, I’m not sure I would have cleared it. I’m tempted to go back to Graf just to ride it again. (Of course, it won’t be the same, without having ridden the 400+ miles prior to it, but I still want that hill!)
The length of the road does not equal the run in the “rise over run” equation for calculating grade. The run of the road should be less than the length of the road.
I looked at this hill on mapmyride, and the overall grade is about 6.5%, but the steep portions of the hill have grades around 15%.
Regardless, it was a challenging hill made more challenging by having to dodge walkers and those who were dropping their chain in the middle of the riding lane.
I enjoyed the climb, but I was looking for an oxygen tank at the top!
If anyone has the website for the Potter Hill T shirts. Please post it. Thanks!!!!
We should stop with the many comments. We are encouraging them to do his every year???
Potter Hill was the biggest challenge I have ever faced on my Single Speed. Running a 44×15 on my 29′er, I was proud to accomplish the punishing grind to the top.
That was a crazy hill, though i made it up on my 520 fully loaded with both front and back panniers. Not something i plan on doing again anytime soon. Good job on the hill everyone who made it and for the Register people, give us a hill like this every year!
I’m 51 and was doing my 1st RAGBRAI. I mostly swim and run and stay in shape but can’t say I’m an avid biker. I dug deep and pushed my way up that hill in my lowest gear and finally came around the corner and saw the top and pushed on until I finally made it. It felt so good, until I saw my brother-in-laws brother on the other side of the road, and talked to him and found out that he climbed it with his fully loaded BOB after biking all the way from San Diego, and then doing RAGBRAI. After RAGBRAI he biked home to Minneapolis. I’m still glad I made it.
I loved the challenge of Potter Hill. I live in South Central Pennsylvania and all we have around us is hills!! It felt good to make it to the top! Then as we rode on my niece and I thought the next couple of hills were Potter Hill’s cousin and sister. I can’t wait to see what next year brings!
The hill was like home here in Central New York. I’ve ridden longer and steeper but not after 400 plus miles and 40 miles into the ride. I just couldn’t let this hill get me. All 4 in our group rode it to the top. My hat is off to all those who do this every year. 1st time for me. Will come back again.
I made it at 63 it felt good knowing that one still has the determination to get it done.The hills after Potter were no cake walk.
As I approached the hill I tried and failed to shift into my “granny gear.” Yea, I was going to wimp out. In the middle gear of my triple and a “demon voice” rattling in my head encouraging me to get on with it, I made it to the top without falling over. I didn’t know I could stay upright at 4-5 mph. Not a bad accomplishment at age 64.
I remember reading that national unemployment may actually go up 1% as a result of the spill itself and then the layoff of relief workers when its over. This would include the fisherman who were contracted to help out who will now be let go.Guess we’ll see.
Made it to the top on my first RAGBRAI. My abs hurt for three days!!
It was a good, hard climb; I saw grades of 12-16% flash across my Garmin but it was relatively short compared to similar climbs in Ga, NC, Tn and Va. It was a strong contrast to the rest of week when grades were typically 2-5%.