Highest you've cycled?

[neilski]

A couple of weeks ago I rode the Col du Tourmalet from where you can ride up to the Pic du Midi Observatory at 2,877m which I'd love to have done if I'd had the time so it's on my "to do" list for another year.



The highest I've ever cycled is the Col du Galibier at 2,645m so I was wondering what's the highest the folks on here have been to.

If anyone says Everest then a photo of you with your bike & a tin of custard will be required.

[NitroNick]

Alp D'huez, I think it'S 3,250m: on a downhill bike.
I've also done the Col De La Bonnette (on my road bike), which I believe is the highest road pass in europe at just ove 2,700m (i think).
Never done the Tourmalet, it looks epic! The hardest climb i've ever done is Mount Ventoux, while its not that high it is a real bd.

[Muzzlehatch]

Col du Lauteret... just after going up Alpe D'Huez (well, a few hours after, as it was an eternity of grinding my 85Kg relentlessly uphill):



We were on the way to Briancon, so didn't turn left at the junction to go up the Galibier (thank goodness).

[Spurious Device]

Have done the Col de Tourmalet years ago on a cycle tour of the pyrennees, didn't do the pic de midi on the bike but a while later I was touring the same area in my car and drove up to the pic de midi, then walked up to the science research station at the top, worth checking out if you get the chance.

[neilski]

NitroNick said:

Alp D'huez, I think it'S 3,250m: on a downhill bike.

Is that for the Megavalanche? Do you have to ride to the start for that or do you get taken up in some sort of cable car / ski lift? If you rode it, ( if you did) how long did it take and what was the air like up there? At 2,000m it's not noticeably different to low altitudes but I did start to notice it getting thinner towards the summit of Galibier.

NitroNick said:

I've also done the Col De La Bonnette (on my road bike), which I believe is the highest road pass in europe at just ove 2,700m (i think).
Never done the Tourmalet, it looks epic! The hardest climb i've ever done is Mount Ventoux, while its not that high it is a real bd.

Ventoux is hard because while it's not as high as a some of the Alpine & Pyrenean climbs it starts at a much lower altitude, 290m instead of around 700m so the height gained is a lot more and it's such a long bloody way to the top. Plus there's that section at pretty much 10% for several km with no hairpins for a quick breather.

The Tourmalet was hard work but it's difficult to compare it to Ventoux / the Alps because I was on a touring bike carrying panniers but would love to try it again on a road bike to see how quickly I could get up there. At 18km it was another long one though, and much harder that Alpe d'Huez I'd say.