Benchmarks
Haven’t ridden up Lookout Mountain before? Here are a few benchmarks.



Ride up in 1 hour
You might get passed by other cyclists frequently but there are very few people in the general population who choose to or even can bike up Lookout Mountain (average riding speed 4.5 mph).
50 minutes
A solid improvement over an hour no matter how old you are. (5.4 mph.)
40 minutes
Now you’re getting the hang of it – this could be fun. (6.8 mph.)
35 minutes
A solid ride with good effort. Congratulate yourself. (7.7 mph.)
30 minutes
THE BENCHMARK FOR MANY RIDERS .
A significant accomplishment. Please brag to us about this day on the mountain when you accomplish this. (9.0 mph)
27:30
You should be very proud of this effort. Many riders have this as a lifetime goal. (9.8 mph.)
25:00
Ray Bolton missed this benchmark by four seconds when he was over 70 years old. This is a stellar time for anyone at any age. (10.8 mph.)
22:30
Mark this day down on your calendar. And kudos to you if you can hit it again. Few people ever can ride this well once in their lifetime. (12.0 mph.)
20:00
This is unbelievably rarified air. The number of riders who make this annual list may not fill a table at a restaurant. (13.5 mph.)
19:00
You must have chosen your parents wisely (14.2 mph.)
18:00
Start checking to see if this person has competed in the Tour de France. (15.0 mph.)
17:00
Darned few- seemingly not human (15.9 mph.)
16:00
Nobody we know of (16.9 mph.)
Tom Danielson
has the fastest documented time of 16:04 (16.8 mph.)
And the fastest woman is…
Challenges
For riders with more interest in endurance than speed or for someone who would like to try something different, here are some challenges. Again, the goal is to eventually create an interactive site where people can record their result(s) for these challenges and perhaps another personal or group challenge that a rider can dream up and work to accomplish.
We will attempt to record the 10 to 20 best records in each category.
Lookout Pillar-to-Post Ascents of 10 or More in One Calendar Day
Ascents | Name (Last, First) | Date (yyyy-mm-dd) | Miles | Elevation Gain | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
22 | ?, Rich | 2015-10-dd | 204 | 28160 | 7PM-7PM 24hrs in memory of Tom Flanagan, 16 2nd day |
15 | Davis, Kent | 2015-05-24 | 135 | 19200 | 1 AM start |
13 | Davis, Kent | 2013-05-25 | 117 | 16640 | 1 AM start |
13 | Davis, Kent | 2014-05-24 | 117 | 17920 | 1 AM start |
11 | Davis, Kent | 2012-05-27 | 99 | 14080 | 1 AM start |
10 | Brune, Rick | 2005-10-07 | 100 | 13000 | Start 35 degrees |
10 | Bernheim, Scott | 2005-11-21 | 90 | 12800 | |
10 | Maguire?, Mike | 2007-10-03 | 102 | 13000 | Windy 1 and 2 |
10 | Haraway, Chuck | 2007-10-31 | 91 | 13140 | High temperature 42 degrees |
10 | Brune, Rick | 2007-10-31 | 93 | 13440 | High temperature 42 degrees |
Lookout Pillar-to-Post Ascents in One Calendar Month
Ascents | Name (Last, First) | Date (yyyy-mm) |
---|---|---|
106 | Bolton, Ray | 2010-07 |
Lookout Pillar-to-Post Ascents in One Calendar Year
Ascents | Name (Last, First) | Date (yyyy) |
---|---|---|
860 | Bolton, Ray | 2005 |
630 | Bolton, Ray | 2008 |
626 | Bernheim, Scott | 2005 |
506 | Brune, Rick | 2005 |
326 | Haraway, Chuck | 2005 |
Lifetime Ascents of Lookout Mountain from Pillar to Post
Lifetime Ascents | Name (Last, First) | Start (yyyy-mm-ddDate | End (yyyy-mm-dd) | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
7915 | Bolton, Ray | ????-mm-dd | 03/31/2020 | Additional undocumented rides not included |
3001 | Haraway, Chuck | ????-??-?? | 2020-11-nn |
Consecutive Days Riding Pillar-to-Post on Lookout at least Once Per Day
Days | Name (Last, First) | Start (yyyy-mm-dd) | Last (yyyy-mm-dd) | Total Ascents |
---|---|---|---|---|
153 | Bolton, Ray | ????-?? | ????-mm-dd | 390 |
96 | Bolton, Ray |
Consecutive Months Riding Pillar-to-Post at least Once Per Month
Months | Name (Last, First) | Start (yyyy-mm) | Last (yyyy-mm) | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
484 | Cook, Marion | 2020-02 | Minimum number | |
387 | Bolton, Ray | 2020-03 |
Groundhog Progression - Pillar-to-Post Rides/Day Increased By One Beginning With One on Day 1 Up To 10 On Day 10
Name (Last, First) | Start Date (yyyy-mm-dd) | End Date (yyyy-mm-dd) | Total Rides | Total Miles |
---|---|---|---|---|
Haraway, Chuck | 55 |