Fifty Plus (50+) - It really is fun sometimes

Because when you do this
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/Devil-Up.jpg

You get to turn around do this
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/Devil-Down.jpg

I'm actually starting to enjoy this climb.

At a mile and a quarter and a steady average of 6.6%, I can get a rhythm going.
At 5.8mph, I can do it in under 13 minutes. Told you I wasn't fast :lol:
But I feel good all the way up and even riding in my second lowest gear, my HR stays under control.
OK, I did shift down .25 from the top just to give my self a little break and I did hit 166 once because I felt so good, and had such a nice spin going, my pace picked up. Oops

But that's the kind of problem I want. At least, now, I have a pretty good idea what kind of grade I can do over a distance. And it really is kind of enjoyable in a weird way... kind of like meditation. Be the hill, SKT, be the hill...

Going down, though?
Takes 3 minutes at 29mph (max 40.5)

Makes it all worth it.

Can see holidays in future being taken in the Rockies- juts to get a bit of a sweat going on the rides.

Funny gow the hills grab some people.

So when do you get the sub 15lb bike to do steeper slopes?

Isn't it humbling when you graph a hill in scale? 10% is only like 4.5 degrees.

Isn't it humbling when you graph a hill in scale? 10% is only like 4.5 degrees.


4.5 degrees. Now that's chilling.

arcsin(0.1)=5.7 degrees - but the more important fact is that for every 100' you travel you have lifted yourself, your bike and all your gear 10' as well as having fought the mechanical friction and wind resistance to do it.

I find a long climb with a consistant 8% grade not neccessarily fun but not not too bad - as you say you can get into a low gear, keep up enough speed to be stable and get in a rythium - with all systems working hard but sustainably hard. I find a hill which rolls between 4% and 12% to be harder.

We have one climb here which is a constant 8% with a total of 3000' of climb. They run climbing races for both runners and cyclist on it. I have never done one, I have never even ridden the course but it is on my list for next year in June. If I get a chance in the next few weeks when I take vcation I may try it.

4.5 degrees. Now that's chilling.

Add 1.5 more and you'd get to Kevin Bacon.

arcsin(0.1)=5.7 degrees...

Strictly speaking, if the 0.1 refers to a 10% grade, then it's arctan(0.1) = 57.1 degrees. Grade is most commonly defined as "rise/run" where "rise" is the vertical distance and "run" the horizontal distance. Since arcsin(angle) is almost the same as arctan(angle) for small angles there isn't really much difference numerically (the difference being 5.74 vs 5.71 degrees respectively).

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_%28slope%29

(Hope I didn't ruin the fun.)

Add 1.5 more and you'd get to Kevin Bacon.

He was an extra in one of my home movies.

arcsin(0.1) ...but the more important fact is that for every 100' you travel you have lifted yourself, your bike and all your gear 10' as well as having fought the mechanical friction and wind resistance to do it........

Unless I'm nose into an advancing storm front wind resistance in MY climbs has never been an issue..... :D

Strictly speaking, if the 0.1 refers to a 10% grade, then it's arctan(0.1) = 57.1 degrees. Grade is most commonly defined as "rise/run" where "rise" is the vertical distance and "run" the horizontal distance. Since arcsin(angle) is almost the same as arctan(angle) for small angles there isn't really much difference numerically (the difference being 5.74 vs 5.71 degrees respectively).

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_%28slope%29

(Hope I didn't ruin the fun.)

Now that is not the correct language to use on the 50+ forum.

Would say wash your mouth out but it is in a foreign language to me. Couldn't understand a word of it.

So is 8% a decent slope?