Road Cycling - How fast do you climb

Say you are climbing a hill that is at least %8 gradient and at least half a mile. What would be your speed at your slowest moment in the climb, on a typical ride?

I was just thinking... my lowest gear is a 30x25. With that, I ride at 9-10mph at my preferred cadence.

I don't think I could hold 9mph on a steep climb. If I was going to tour mountainous country... maybe I should get a 27 sprocket?

I may sound silly for saying that a triple chainring isn't enough (to all of you arrogant roadies)... but to keep my legs comfortable, on say... l'Alpe d'Huez... with a 30x25... I would have to climb it in under an hour. And not many people can do that.

I may sound silly for saying that a triple chainring isn't enough (to all of you arrogant roadies)... but to keep my legs comfortable, on say... l'Alpe d'Huez... with a 30x25... I would have to climb it in under an hour. And not many people can do that.


Arrogance is right! I hate when someone degrinates someone else for riding a "triple".

I suggest triples for many people who ride for fitness and health that are concerned with having the right gears for climbing. I ride a 53/39 double but since I have a background of racing I am fortunate to have retained the leg power to still climb in that limited gear range.

If you can climb a 8% grade at close to 10 mph you are ahead of most cylists. I don't care what gears you ride when you stay in 10 mph range on steep grades you are performing very well. A half mile long climb @8% is enough to slap a lot of well conditioned riders silly that I have ridden with if they try to carry speed over the whole climb.

Just be sure to smile real big :Dat all those "double riders" as they suffer up the climb with you waiting at the top because you have enough intelligence to pick a good gear for your personal climbing performance.

Say you are climbing a hill that is at least %8 gradient and at least half a mile. What would be your speed at your slowest moment in the climb, on a typical ride?

I was just thinking... my lowest gear is a 30x25. With that, I ride at 9-10mph at my preferred cadence.

I don't think I could hold 9mph on a steep climb. If I was going to tour mountainous country... maybe I should get a 27 sprocket?

I may sound silly for saying that a triple chainring isn't enough (to all of you arrogant roadies)... but to keep my legs comfortable, on say... l'Alpe d'Huez... with a 30x25... I would have to climb it in under an hour. And not many people can do that.


I WAS one of those arrogant double-lovers. I snubbed my nose at triple-riders. I was wrong, I admit that.

My triple is the best thing that has happened to me in the last year. It turns out 30x19 and 30x21 is a great setup for me on hills from 8-10%. The chain isn't stressed and I can keep between 11 and 14 MPH at 90-100 cadence.

Without that 30x23, I would have never made it up the last of the hills on my route last Saturday ... see my latest post.

My recent interest in climbing has, however, highlighted my general lack of upper body strength. My tricepts were sore Sunday morning.

-mark