how steep can you climb?

admin

[quote author=Lazarus-g link=board=6;threadid=2661;start=0#23170 date=1038525327]<br />I'm missing something here ? I've started to look for the gradient signs on local hills and there's a hill which frightens the life out of me and that's 10% !! the hills that are mentioned must be awesome sights.<br />[/quote]<br /><br />10% is still bloody steep

nferyn

[quote author=Lazarus-g link=board=6;threadid=2661;start=0#23170 date=1038525327]<br />I'm missing something here ? I've started to look for the gradient signs on local hills and there's a hill which frightens the life out of me and that's 10% !! the hills that are mentioned must be awesome sights.<br />[/quote]<br /><br />Yes they are. But as they are relatively short, you can take them on pure power and your climing capabilities don't really come into play. Technique is also rather important: when I go over the 'Kemmelberg' I must stay seated otherwise my rear wheel slips and I don't have enough traction to take the hill.<br /><br />I would like to try a real mountain though... maybe I'll go to the Alps this summer ;-)<br /><br />Niek

admin

[quote author=nferyn link=board=6;threadid=2661;start=15#23176 date=1038561349]<br /><br />I would like to try a real mountain though... maybe I'll go to the Alps this summer ;-)<br />[/quote]<br /><br />The hightest climb i've climbed is about 1600 meters high, took something like 22km to get there so its not very steep ;D

Collumbo

We've got a fair few 25% climbs in Ireland, but they're all too short... never more than 1/2 km.. rarely more.<br /><br />I was on holidays in Tenerife a few years ago and climbed most of the way up &amp;quot;Pico del Tede&amp;quot;, which is the highest peak in Spain (not on Mainland Spain)... I was climbing for about 1 1/2 hours on a 39x19 or a 21 and got bored so I turned around and did the decent in about 10 Mins at about 70kph... Nice Wide roads too so you can really sweep around the corners and the cars will let you pass 'cos you're travelling faster than they can! Could have gone on climbing I suppose but it gets boring after a while! It goes on for about 30 or 35 Km I believe.

Leon

Last year I visited Dunedin, New Zealand. They claim to have the world steepest street. See the clip below pulled from their website.<br />Unfortunately I did not have a bike with me so I could not cycle it. &amp;gt;<br />Managed to walk it, even got a little certificate. ;D <br /><br />The gradient is 1 in 2.86 or just short of 35% or 19 degrees. ;D <br /><br />Visit the world's steepest street, while in Dunedin. Acknowledged in the Guiness Book of Records. Located just 1.3 km from the Botanic Gardens. Whether you walk, run, drive or just visit you may buy a certificate at the shop.<br />A must see and do for all visitors to Dunedin. At its steepest section the gradient is 1 in 2.86. Every year during Dunedin's Festival, large numbers of athletes, including family groups take part in the social and competitive foot races to the top of the street and return. These races are known as the 'Baldwin Gutbuster'.<br /><br />Any New Zealanders out there that has cycled it ?<br /><br />Leon<br />

GearGrinder

Are you feeling ok? you should be happy about that . Iv heard cars have probs going up that street.

Leon

Was a bit short of breath when I got to the top ;D<br /><br />Here is a thought. Rocks start sliding down a conveyor belt at 19 degrees so I am sure a bicycle tyre will struggle to stick to the road at that angle.<br /><br />Would love to hear if anybody has cycled it.<br /><br />Leon

Jelle

Normally I'll go on stage for 3/4 days to the 'vogezen' next year. The 'vogezen' is the first mountain chain that was introduced in the tour de france. You have the 'grand ballon' and the 'ballon d'alzas' over there. <br /><br />I will also ride liege-bastogne-liege and the 'ronde van vlaanderen' for tourists. Don't think that is easy because liege bastogne liege is 260kms climbing with the finish at 'la redoute' the ronde van vlaanderen is not tha length (135 kms) but you have 'de muur' and 'de coppenberg' and more<br /><br />

Lazarus-g

[quote author=Lazarus-g link=board=6;threadid=2661;start=0#23170 date=1038525327]<br />I'm missing something here ? I've started to look for the gradient signs on local hills and there's a hill which frightens the life out of me and that's 10% !![/quote]<br /><br />I've been doing some more looking about on this subject and I was totally amazed to find that I quite regularly climb an 18% hill though it is very short and that I have also climbed a 16% hill that is longer than the 10% hill mentioned earlier.<br /><br />So it made me think, is hill climbing more mental than physical, there will come a time when a hill becomes just too big to conquer but are the limits set in your mind before hand.<br /><br />The 10% hill happens to be not far from my home and it is possible to view most of the profile from across the valley and it looks wild,( I'd like to point out that I've never tried to go up it and never will, because I think it's to dangerous from a traffic point of view), but the 16% hill is in a built up area and as such hidden and it is nowhere near as intimating.<br /><br />It's just something that has been running through my mind lately.<br /><br />Any thoughts on the subject?

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&quot;Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of mankind.&quot; - H.G. Wells

nferyn

Just adding something about these short, steep climbs.<br /><br />They can be an excellent power training excercise. When I was 15-16 years old, I used to go to a very small hill in the Belgian coastal town of Koksijde, the 'steile weg' (steep road). It's only just over 100m long but over 20% on smooth asphalt. The only difficulty is that you almost have to stop before you start the climb because it's a 90° bend to start the road on narrow roads (2 cars from opposite directions can barely pass each other)<br />Did some intervals there: 50x16 gear, virtual standstill, giving everything I had, then turning, slowly going downhill for about 600-700m and starting all over....<br /><br />Great fun <br /><br />Niek

nferyn

[quote author=Lazarus-g link=board=6;threadid=2661;start=15#23206 date=1038698611]<br />[quote author=Lazarus-g link=board=6;threadid=2661;start=0#23170 date=1038525327]<br />I'm missing something here ? I've started to look for the gradient signs on local hills and there's a hill which frightens the life out of me and that's 10% !![/quote]<br /><br />I've been doing some more looking about on this subject and I was totally amazed to find that I quite regularly climb an 18% hill though it is very short and that I have also climbed a 16% hill that is longer than the 10% hill mentioned earlier.<br /><br />So it made me think, is hill climbing more mental than physical, there will come a time when a hill becomes just too big to conquer but are the limits set in your mind before hand.<br /><br />The 10% hill happens to be not far from my home and it is possible to view most of the profile from across the valley and it looks wild,( I'd like to point out that I've never tried to go up it and never will, because I think it's to dangerous from a traffic point of view), but the 16% hill is in a built up area and as such hidden and it is nowhere near as intimating.<br /><br />It's just something that has been running through my mind lately.<br /><br />Any thoughts on the subject?<br />[/quote]<br /><br />Sure, you're right, but that doesn't only go for climbing hills. A lot in cycling is mental: if you think you can do it, you probably can. The same for racing: everybody is suffering, the one that can overcome the pain best has got a huge advantage - although that's not the only thing you need to win ;D<br /><br />The length of the hill is also of major importance: If you look at the riders that shine in the 'Ronde van Vlaanderen', they almost fly over these very steep hills. They can take the hills on pure power. The hills in Liege-Bastogne-Liege or the real mountains on the other hand are usually not their piece of cake.<br /><br />Niek

Jelle

This summer I went to see a bicycle race because some friends rode in it. The only problem was: it was very hot. I think it was between 38-42 degrees. because of that theavs of the race was 33 km/h. My friends decided to ride home and do a small climb at the route. normally climbing is no prob for me but that day I couldn't follow them. First i didn't understand but when i thaught of it, it was normal because i rode 175 kms the day before and 120 already that day and i think that is quite much for a 14 years old boy.<br /><br />Jelle

Rhodent

Well just got the Hollard Cyclists guide and it mentions that the climb in the Tour de Gold was 23% so I wasn't that much of a wuss for getting into my third chainring (42 middle ring, I think my knees would probably pop out). So it is official, 1 km at 23% with only one stop (at the bottom, chain popped off little chainring when I tried to change into it, only used the thing once before when I bought the bike!!!)

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What do you mean there's no granny gear? How do you go up hills? Ahh, I see, you don't have hills.

Old Timer

Here’s a good site I’ve just found for hard climbs in the UK. http://www.geocities.com/Baja/2572/Climbs/Climbs4.htm I’ve done several of these many years ago. If you’re in the UK, or visiting, then the Hardknott and Wrynose passes, from the coast to Lake Windermere, are worth a visit to test yourself. <br />Yeah, I can still believe, as someone on that site states, that the last bend near the top is 30%.

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&quot;How can I soar with the eagles when I'm surrounded by a bunch of turkeys?!.&quot;