Touring - hills--am i a weenie?

So a few days ago my friend and I did a short 2 day shakedown tour before our big tour in Jan. We went to this scenic drive a few hours away that we knew would be pretty hilly. We live in central Oklahoma where hills are a real rarity. Both my friend and I have been biking a lot more to get in shape for this trip, but neither of us are big bikers. That being said we are both in good shape from playing sports, and are probably in better shape then 98% of most people we know.

This route had grades of 14-17% in a lot of places and it just killed us! At one point we would try to go 1/20 of a mile before we'd have to stop and rest. We have pretty old heavy bikes, so our bikes with all our gear, food, and water weighed about 80 pounds. We both weigh around 200 pounds.

Are we just in terrible biking shape or is this typical of the way tourists have to face steep long hills?

14-17% is pretty (edit: make that VERY) steep. You were certainly challenging yourselves. I also weigh 200 pounds, am in reasonable biking shape and would find a 17% grade fully loaded to be difficult. I would find a 17% grade unloaded difficult! I don't think of myself as a weenie.

Will it be that hilly where you are going to tour?

There is a current thread: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=254063 Study that carefully.

Here is the Chicago area we don't get much expierence with hills either so when riding across Wisconsin last year the hills were a new experience. I walked up the first couple. It took me a couple days to be able to ride all the way up. It wasn't a physical challenge as much a mental challenge. It took a shift in attitude to change my overall approach. I learned it was okay to go 3-4 mph for awhile. And, I had to learn it took a little time. That's what worked for me.
Pkgman

So a few days ago my friend and I did a short 2 day shakedown tour before our big tour in Jan. We went to this scenic drive a few hours away that we knew would be pretty hilly. We live in central Oklahoma where hills are a real rarity. Both my friend and I have been biking a lot more to get in shape for this trip, but neither of us are big bikers. That being said we are both in good shape from playing sports, and are probably in better shape then 98% of most people we know.

This route had grades of 14-17% in a lot of places and it just killed us! At one point we would try to go 1/20 of a mile before we'd have to stop and rest. We have pretty old heavy bikes, so our bikes with all our gear, food, and water weighed about 80 pounds. We both weigh around 200 pounds.

Are we just in terrible biking shape or is this typical of the way tourists have to face steep long hills?



Wow...14% in Oklahoma??? What road is this? I find that hard to believe. Now we know where OU trains there football players. :)

roughstuff

roughstuff

17% is very steep and hills like that have randonneurs doubting their sanity (eg, Boston-Montreal-Boston has a few approaching that)... and the randos are lightly loaded.

I wouldn't sweat it too much. It is unlikely that you will meet many hills like that on a "big tour". Your hill-climbing does improve as you go along, but you may have to adjust your scheduling if you do come across a big area of them especially early on -- they can be exhausting and can result in overtiring, which then impacts on the pleasure of your tour.

I was visiting some friends in Tulsa once, We went camping and riding at a state park in Southeastern Oklhoma near the Arkansas border. Man it was frigging hilly! It was like riding in the Berkshires! None of the climbs were more than 3/4 of a mile but I would say there was a couple 14% hills .

I was visiting some friends in Tulsa once, We went camping and riding at a state park in Southeastern Oklhoma near the Arkansas border. Man it was frigging hilly! It was like riding in the Berkshires! None of the climbs were more than 3/4 of a mile but I would say there was a couple 14% hills .

I think we must have gone to the same place. That's the Talimena drive between talihena oklahoma and mena arkansas. It's beautiful, but it sure kicked my butt!

So a few days ago my friend and I did a short 2 day shakedown tour before our big tour in Jan.... This route had grades of 14-17% in a lot of places and it just killed us! At one point we would try to go 1/20 of a mile before we'd have to stop and rest.... We have pretty old heavy bikes, so our bikes with all our gear, food, and water weighed about 80 pounds. We both weigh around 200 pounds. Are we just in terrible biking shape or is this typical of the way tourists have to face steep long hills?

May I tell you what I learned about climbing that really changed my success on the bike? I got a bike computer with cadence, and I learned that my "sweet spot" was 85 rpm on the pedals. When I start riding, I'm at 85 RPM. When I hit the bottom of the hill, I just shift into lower gears so that I can maintain my 85rpm. On the other side of the hill, I shift into high gears so that I can maintain 85 rpm.

Maintaining a semi-consistent cadence keeps my from exhausting my muscles/legs or my lungs/heart. I recommend the Cateye Astrale-8. Cadence riding lets me climb hills I used to walk up.

Having said that, I know that power meters actually do a better job of measuring and helping manage performance, but for me the cadence computer is sufficient. Enjoy your tour!

One thing that hasn't been directly mentioned (edtrek basically said it with his post) is gearing. If you are riding up 17% hills on a fully loaded bike, you don't want a road double (53/39) with an 11-23 cassette. Having gears on your bike that will allow you to spin instead of stand mash is critical to going long distances over hilly terrain. A touring crankset (48/38/28 or similar) with a MTB cassette (11-32 or similar) would be a good start. Use a MTB crankset (42/32/22) if you plan on carrying a lot of gear or riding some long steep sections.

So a few days ago my friend and I did a short 2 day shakedown tour before our big tour in Jan. We went to this scenic drive a few hours away that we knew would be pretty hilly. We live in central Oklahoma where hills are a real rarity. Both my friend and I have been biking a lot more to get in shape for this trip, but neither of us are big bikers. That being said we are both in good shape from playing sports, and are probably in better shape then 98% of most people we know.

This route had grades of 14-17% in a lot of places and it just killed us! At one point we would try to go 1/20 of a mile before we'd have to stop and rest. We have pretty old heavy bikes, so our bikes with all our gear, food, and water weighed about 80 pounds. We both weigh around 200 pounds.

Are we just in terrible biking shape or is this typical of the way tourists have to face steep long hills?

Like everyone said, 14-17% is extremely steep. I might add that your bikes seem rather heavy, and if you watch any bicycle racing on TV you'll notice that the best climbers tend to weigh a lot less than 200 lbs.

Is there any way you can reduce the load you're carrying on your bikes? A good thing to do is go through all your gear, look at each item you want to bring, and ask yourself if that item is so important that you're willing to carry it up a 14-17% grade. You can also look for things that you can share between the two of you, like tools and spare parts, and plan carefully how much food and water you have on your bikes each day. Little things like learning to cook out of one pot instead of two, or carrying just enough tent pegs to keep your tent anchored instead of using all the peg loops can add up to a significant weight savings.

Can you fit lower gears to your bikes? Whether you can or not, keeping the tires fully inflated will reduce rolling resistance and reduce the chance of flats, and keeping everything properly lubed and adjusted will make the bikes easier to ride.

You can also look for things that you can share between the two of you, like tools and spare parts, and plan carefully how much food and water you have on your bikes each day.

Hehehehe... I've read enough journals to know that unless you are related by marriage or birth, this is not such a good idea. I'd hate the idea of someone being so far ahead of me with that whatitsname on board that I am going to spend the next two hours sitting on the side of the road until my riding partner returns. And when one or the other decides the trip is not for them half way through, you can guarantee that the whatitsname and a few other essential bits will go with them (accidentally or deliberately, it doesn't matter).

When it comes to tools and parts, be your own person and don't share the load.

(Having said that, there is nothing to stop you offering graciously or smirkingly the bit or tool your partner has forgotten to pack... should it be needed)

14%-17% is DARN steep. But don't worry too much about it. For the first two or three days you'll really wish you'd decided to do something else but then you start getting into the ride and it takes over.

How the heck do you estimate a % incline anyway? That seems high for Oklahoma... I'm wondering if you caught a fish "this big". :)

Hehehehe... I've read enough journals to know that unless you are related by marriage or birth, this is not such a good idea. I'd hate the idea of someone being so far ahead of me with that whatitsname on board that I am going to spend the next two hours sitting on the side of the road until my riding partner returns. And when one or the other decides the trip is not for them half way through, you can guarantee that the whatitsname and a few other essential bits will go with them (accidentally or deliberately, it doesn't matter).

When it comes to tools and parts, be your own person and don't share the load.

(Having said that, there is nothing to stop you offering graciously or smirkingly the bit or tool your partner has forgotten to pack... should it be needed)

I'm not sure that being related by marriage or birth would guarantee a harmonious tour (it sure wouldn't in my family!).

I guess the OP and his friend are just going to have to decide if they are mature enough to share a few of their toys for the length of their tour, in exchange for an easier time getting up hills. A little advance planning and communication can greatly reduce the odds of one person waiting a few hours for the other to show up, too.

Here is the road http://www.okscenicbyways.org/explore/talimena.html

Since I have no life and nothing to work on tonight, I looked it up on TOPO/USA Starting from US 271 and going east bound on the Talimena Scenic Drive. From mile 3.6 to mile 3.7 is an 80 foot change in elevation which is just under 17% From mile 4.4 to 5.4 the elevation changes 760 feet which is over 14% average grade. I didn't chart the whole 50 miles but looks like there are a few more smaller 12-14% hills, so I doubt the OP was hallucinating. That is a pretty tough ride on a heavy loaded bike for anyone. I would attach a topo map but the attachments button isn't working tonight, maybe this link to Topzone will work. This is about 3/4 of a mile of the 14% grade from the lookout tower.

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=34.77008&lon=-94.89685&s=48&size=l&symshow=n&u=4&datum=nad27&layer=DRG

How the heck do you estimate a % incline anyway? That seems high for Oklahoma... I'm wondering if you caught a fish "this big". :)

People think there aren't any hills in Oklahoma, and it just isn't true. We've got plenty of hills - they're short, but plenty steep. There's one ride I like to do around where I live that has a total elevation difference of 206 feet, but it's hills going up and down that whole range for miles. Painful.

How the heck do you estimate a % incline anyway?

The simple answer is the elevation change in 1 mile of travel divided by 5280. If you climb a hill that is 528 feet tall and the road to the top is 1 mile (5280') long you would divide the 528' by 5280' which equals .10 or 10% average grade.

Hopefully you won't be dealing with hills like that very often, and hopefully not at the start of a trip. The steepest hills I have heard of are 25%. The steepest hill I have actually climbed was 18%. I was already almost a week into a tour, so I was feeling strong, but this one nearly did me in. I zig-zagged up the road like a drunk, and even then, I needed to stop every couple of minutes to catch my breath and drink water.

I find it interesting that I am able climb hills with a 12% grade without too much trouble by riding in my granny gear. But if the the slope is only one or two percentage points more (13 - 14%), I struggle.