Question about the classification of mountains on the tour

[Maroon Heaven]

I read on Nicolas Roche's diary that the origional classification of the mountains on the tour was due to what gear a car was used to drive up it. I can't find anything on this on the web. Is this true?

Its a great fact if it is - anyone able to shed some light on it?

 

[dolophonic]

that is what i understand to be true..very cool. so is Nick.

 

[Maroon Heaven]

Anyone able to shed some light on this folks - am running a table quiz and was hoping to put it in.

Hate to be subjected to a load of abuse

 

[kjetilraknerud]

I want a HC gear on my car!

 

[spalco]

Anyone able to shed some light on this folks - am running a table quiz and was hoping to put it in.

Hate to be subjected to a load of abuse

It's what I've heard too. If it's not true it's a good myth anyway. No reason why anyone should argue with you if you pose that question.

 

[Magnus]

As far as I know the first categorization used was in A and B mountains (or at least such a categorization has been used at some point in time).

I've also heard that the categorization was based on how difficult the climb was for the cars to pass. I haven't heard the story about that the mountain category should correspond to a specific car gear. Considering the state of cars in the first TdF mountain stages I think it's likely that they just used the lowest gear when ever the road turned upwards.

Judging by Memoire Cyclisme's homepage the first categorization of climbs was introduced in 1947.

 

[Warhawk]

My theory is that they hire four increasingly fat men to climb the mountain, and it's rated according to how many make it to the top (none of them make it on an HC climb).

 

[WindLessBreeze]

montani3semper

To answer that question, I'm not going to answer that question! Anybody else got a real question?

 

[thehog]

I read on Nicolas Roche's diary that the origional classification of the mountains on the tour was due to what gear a car was used to drive up it. I can't find anything on this on the web. Is this true?

Its a great fact if it is - anyone able to shed some light on it?

Correct. But it's now based on height.

 

[avanti]

I want a HC gear on my car!

Many years ago in the UK I had such a gear on my Morris-8 car - it was called reverse.

It had 1, 2, 3 and R; to get up really steep grades one backed up the hill.

 

[Magnus]

But it's now based on height.

No. It is now based on the subjective opinion of Pescheux.

 

[the asian]

No. It is now based on the subjective opinion of Pescheux.

Ha Ha! seems to be. How the Aspin is rated Cat 1 is beyond me.