Mr. Beanz

Credit to IBOHUNT's comment in another thread.

Well do ya punk? I like it! I have done a couple of climbs in my life but didn't have a Garmin. The times I struggled up a steep section I felt like I was just getting tired and contributed the feeling as defeating. Now I monitor the grade and if I feel tired I can justify it by the grade.

In other words, if I have been on a 6% grade for some time but start struggling a bit, if I see a 12% reading, I know I just have to get passed this section then it's back to feeling normal. Gives me hope that it will get better.

PhotoJoe 

Yes. Makes me create excuses for my inadequacies.

TrojanHorse

Yes! It's about my favorite bit of screen, except when it gets > 10%.

I don't know that it's terribly accurate, especially if it's windy (thinking of Palm Springs here...) but it's nice to see

jsigone

yah til it starts blinking -- at me when on 32+% hills of the MTB. Damn dirt...

TrojanHorse

I can't read mine when it gets that steep... I think my driveway is about 18% or so for 50-80 yards and I can't read the garmin when I'm standing and huffing away.

Mr. Beanz

I know what you mean! This section to Potato Mtn said it was 26% on a bud's garmin when we rode it. That's when traction really get tricky


081909G by gulpxtreme, on Flickr

Beachgrad05

I have the grade displayed on one of my three screens.

cafzali

As others have mentioned, the display is useful in that it at least gives you a number you can use as a benchmark as to how you're doing on climbs, but the percentage reading will often be a bit generous. That's why I always enable elevation corrections when uploading to Strava or a similar site.

Homeyba

I like it. I remember doing a 1200km ride a number of years back and I was riding along what I thought was a flat road and it was just killing me. I rode for miles that way and finally decided to stop and check to see if the brakes were rubbing. While I was stopped I looked back down the road and I could easily tell I'd been climbing. I just started laughing and took off again at 12mph. 12mph when you're climbing is fine, 12mph when you are in the flats is another! Now I just look at the gradient display on the confuser and don't get discouraged.

TJClay

I find I look at it too much but it's nice to know when you just finished a section of 10+%.

Mr. Beanz

I could have used it on Breathless Agony a few years ago. I felt like quitting when I was on Damnation Alley. I looked flat in comparison to the eye of the upcoming mtn road. Turned out to be 7%. If I Had known that i was 7% on the ride, it would have eased my struggle.

Mr. Beanz

I guess I'm lucky in that way, I don't look much at my computer while riding. I don't watch my speed, time etc, only grade when it feels tough.

IBOHUNT

Yeah, those 2-3% grades are killers mentally for me. I'm sure there is a bad hub, brakes locked up or a bottom bracket about to seize up. As I said in the other thread, we have a short .9 mile 125' gain section that is a part of my regular training ride. Kills me. I never have speed displayed nor do I want to but looking at the power display is discouraging as well. Terrible bad in a north wind. There is 3 1/2 minutes I can never get back.

Now we'll have to get into the whole 'what's climbing' debate eh?

I was doing a ride in June of '12 and on one of the hills I heard something similar to... I never thought I'd see my heart rate RECOVER when I was going up the 8% grade part. That was a great metric with 8300' of gain.

So... who wants to start a 'what's climbing?' or 'What's hilly?' thread?
I'm sure my definition would differ from those in the Rocky mountains where the uphill bits are stupid long. Please, just shoot me when you start doing those 8 mile long 1200' of gain deals. I'll take a 1.25 mile 600' gain deal over that western garbage any day of the week.

I have 7 grades of rides when you start talking about gain/mi for us recreation folks and the first 2 are:

Watch your dog run away for a week flat = < 35'/mile
Flat = 36 - 50'/mi

and the rest are???

Tel0004

I use it as well. Not so much for the 8-11% grade, but I like it more for the 2-3% grade that looks flat, but slows me down. I see my speed drop, and I don't feel bad if we are on a 3% grade. I know that is causing it, its not just me getting winded.

Mr. Beanz

8 miles 1200 ft , WHERE?

Our GMR is 8 miles 2350 ft. I really don't look at the grade much on this ride, only the 10-11% section so I can make Gina happy with the news, but it's over so quickly.

rdtompki

I preferred the Garmin 705 implementation - didn't have so much lag. On short, steep pitches the grunt is over before the 800 registers.

TrojanHorse

Here's the holy grail of climbs (for me... you can keep all that french stuff!)

https://www.strava.com/activities/26539917#

I'll probably never actually be able to do it but I told my wife next time she wants to go to Maui I'm going to try. I have a minimum of 2 years to get ready for that thing!

ahultin

I would love to do that just so #302 would no longer be dead last, I am just giving that way

jsigone

does this count, its in my backyard?? https://www.strava.com/activities/47774217 https://www.strava.com/segments/1502078
it sucks even more when i did it on my singlespeed

Homeyba

Exactly, it's especially tough on long, difficult rides when your not as mentally aware of your surroundings as you normally would be. Even when you're fresh though sometimes those false flats can be discouraging.

I remember doing a race in Canada and I had to continually check the direction of the river alongside the road to tell if we were going up or down!

TrojanHorse

Last place is #226 and he took 9 hours... you could be top 200!

aramis

powermeter works a lot better than the gradient display.. just sayin.

IBOHUNT

I'll go with ya! That looks like a hoot of a ride

JerrySTL

Yes. I like looking down at my Garmin 705 and seeing what I'm climbing. I also like to review the climbs on Garmin Connect or Strava.

I found it interesting that the hill where I had my little heart attack was not anywhere near the steepest hill that I climb. Of course I was racing my daughter to the top and not just spinning slowly as usual.

IBOHUNT

Yep, another fun looking ride.