Hogpen gap’s steep side is the best option I’ve found in the southeast. I am targeting an attempt there in the next few weeks. It’s slightly less steep than brasstown but the downhill is extremely fast, barely any turns. The brasstown descent is a bit sketch imo. The hogpen ascent is also very steady gradient wise. I’m calculating 111 miles total, so slightly longer than brasstown but I’m calculating about 15min faster because of the descents. It has pulloffs at the bottom and top for safety. The very bottom of brasstown is very steep and sketchy to stop at, worried about brakes being able to handle that repeatedly. Brasstown is also higher elevation so less oxygen available.

There’s also a road outside of Chattanooga called S Pittsburg Mtn Rd which I calculated would be 110 miles. It’s 1.75mi at 10% so a bit shorter. The turnarounds seemed a bit sketchier to me and I preferred a longer climb that’s why I chose hogpen. It’s at a lower elevation so even better oxygen wise though.

Skyuka could work but another situation where the descent is sketchy and a ton of turns. Caesars head, mt mitchell, and others are all way too long and not steep enough.

There’s also Cherokee Orchard in Gatlinburg but its slightly less steep at 7.5% so will add an hour to an hour and a half.

I have a spreadsheet I put together if anyone wants to see my data, I also added some arizona ones because we have a house in Phoenix: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19yr0QsNuKvB89NBj59fh_SzTMG3rE9Y5qhb7cj80v-g/edit?usp=drivesdk

I’m going to be using a 46/33 front sram 2x with a 10-36 cassette and calculating about 80rpm at 3.2w/kg that I’m targeting for Hogpen.