On to new heights

The new issue of Bicycling arrived yesterday and there it was, right on the cover: "100 Best Climbs in America." Key stats for the article include miles, average grade and feet of vertical gain. Nearby, relatively speaking, are two in North Carolina, three in Virginia and two in South Carolina. There are some buttkickers included, friends, the kind that make cycledork want to take a nap instead of hit the road. These rides are the sort of thing that makes me feel craven and flaccid for even suggesting The Electra challenge.