View Poll Results: How much slower are you?
10% to 0% slower
3
3.45%
20% to 10% slower
8
9.20%
33% to 20% slower
20
22.99%
50% to 33% slower
51
58.62%
What's a hill?
5
5.75%
Voters: 87. You may not vote on this poll
How much do hills affect your speed?
04-27-07, 04:14 PM
#1
cheap for a roadie
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How much do hills affect your speed?
I'm and a terrible climber and I was just wondering how much hills slow you down and what I am working towards.
04-27-07, 04:22 PM
#2
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The hills, they drop me like a stone.
Anything over 5 or 6% will take me down to single digit speeds like "right now"
So, I just try to set up a steady pace and go. I tried to maintain my speed but that just started blowing my HR out so it finally hit me: don't maintain the speed; drop a gear or two and maintain my cadence.
Seems kinda obvious to me... I'll let you know how that works.
Anything over 5 or 6% will take me down to single digit speeds like "right now"
So, I just try to set up a steady pace and go. I tried to maintain my speed but that just started blowing my HR out so it finally hit me: don't maintain the speed; drop a gear or two and maintain my cadence.
Seems kinda obvious to me... I'll let you know how that works.
04-27-07, 04:23 PM
#3
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It depends on how I feel on a particular day, and the grade of the hill, the length of the hill, the wind direction, the force of the wind, if it's a long ride with lots of climbs (I may spin more) or just a few short steep climbs (may just mash up them), etc... lots of variables to consider.
04-27-07, 04:36 PM
#4
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Completely dependent on the grade and length of the hill.
04-27-07, 04:36 PM
#5
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I can average 20+ on most flats given the wind is calm... There is a 26% climb 7 miles from home that drops me to 8 mph.
So, I guess some hills just stop me in my tracks.
So, I guess some hills just stop me in my tracks.
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04-27-07, 05:16 PM
#6
Senior Member
All depends how mean the hill is....gradient and length.
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04-27-07, 05:33 PM
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I work out hard on the hills as it's most everybody's weakness. On the flats, best hard effort is 22.6 mph. On a 5 mile 7% grade, my best is 17.2 mph. I train very hard though!
04-27-07, 05:36 PM
#8
Used to be a climber..
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You averaged 17.2 mph up a 5 mile, 7% climb? Is this Lance? 
04-27-07, 05:39 PM
#9
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Originally Posted by Cypress
I can average 20+ on most flats given the wind is calm... There is a 26% climb 7 miles from home that drops me to 8 mph.
So, I guess some hills just stop me in my tracks.
So, I guess some hills just stop me in my tracks.
I had to run my bike up a steep dirt hill at a bike race in NY a couple weeks ago. I let my rear wheel spin and had to hop off or go literally backwards. You could say that slowed me down
04-27-07, 05:40 PM
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Originally Posted by GuitarWizard
You averaged 17.2 mph up a 5 mile, 7% climb? Is this Lance?
Yeah but don't tell anybody! I've been reading bike forum speed posts for so long that I felt comppelled to stretch the truth a bit. Ok, I'm not really Lance!
....and yes I'm slow!
04-27-07, 05:41 PM
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Originally Posted by Cypress
I can average 20+ on most flats given the wind is calm... There is a 26% climb 7 miles from home that drops me to 8 mph.
So, I guess some hills just stop me in my tracks.
So, I guess some hills just stop me in my tracks.
Richard
04-27-07, 05:43 PM
#12
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Originally Posted by Mr. Beanz
Yeah but don't tell anybody! I've been reading bike forum speed posts for so long that I felt comppelled to stretch the truth a bit. Ok, I'm not really Lance!....and yes I'm slow!
....and yes I'm slow!Richard
04-27-07, 06:30 PM
#13
Peloton Shelter Dog
Originally Posted by Cypress
I can average 20+ on most flats given the wind is calm... There is a 26% climb 7 miles from home that drops me to 8 mph.
So, I guess some hills just stop me in my tracks.
So, I guess some hills just stop me in my tracks.
04-27-07, 06:33 PM
#14
or tarckeemoon, depending
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I'd say I attack the climbs a little more than a lot of people do but they still slow me down. It's kind of a non-issue, really. If hills don't slow you down somewhat you're slacking on the flat stuff.
04-27-07, 06:38 PM
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I can average 20+ on flats with little wind, 40+ on the hills.
Oh, you mean climbing hills - nevermind.
Oh, you mean climbing hills - nevermind.
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"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
04-27-07, 06:45 PM
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ah, heels, I speet at zem!
And zen I throw up on them. Or fail to unclip and fall off of them.
Hills not too bad around West Texas, though that one they have out at Lubbock/Buffalo Springs is pretty brutal, especially for the tri-letes who come here for the Ironman qualifier. Bang, as soon as they are out of the water, they have to get up that hill. Not sure what the grade is, anyone here done it?
And zen I throw up on them. Or fail to unclip and fall off of them.
Hills not too bad around West Texas, though that one they have out at Lubbock/Buffalo Springs is pretty brutal, especially for the tri-letes who come here for the Ironman qualifier. Bang, as soon as they are out of the water, they have to get up that hill. Not sure what the grade is, anyone here done it?
04-27-07, 08:08 PM
#17
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Originally Posted by chipcom
I can average 20+ on flats with little wind, 40+ on the hills.
Oh, you mean climbing hills - nevermind.
Oh, you mean climbing hills - nevermind.
04-27-07, 08:08 PM
#18
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For solo riding:
0 to 30ft/mi of climbing, I'm very comfy spinning 22-23mph (not pushing too hard).
Around 50ft/mi, I can avg. 21mph (and have done so over solo metric centuries)
Around 80-90ft/mi, I'm around 19-20ish when pushing, IIRC. That was last year though, and I'm pretty sure I'm more fit now.
This year, 110ft/mi of climbing I've averaged around 19mph. That was way early this year, and I was out of shape. Twas also only about 20 miles of riding, so surely that skewed the avg speed up a bit.
As another reference point, in October I did a solo century with 67ft/mi of climbing, in 5:15 (so like 19mph?).
Edit: Sep08 of last year, I avg'd 20.6mph on this (solo, obviously): https://www.routeslip.com/routes/7402
Okay, that is all.
0 to 30ft/mi of climbing, I'm very comfy spinning 22-23mph (not pushing too hard).
Around 50ft/mi, I can avg. 21mph (and have done so over solo metric centuries)
Around 80-90ft/mi, I'm around 19-20ish when pushing, IIRC. That was last year though, and I'm pretty sure I'm more fit now.
This year, 110ft/mi of climbing I've averaged around 19mph. That was way early this year, and I was out of shape. Twas also only about 20 miles of riding, so surely that skewed the avg speed up a bit.
As another reference point, in October I did a solo century with 67ft/mi of climbing, in 5:15 (so like 19mph?).
Edit: Sep08 of last year, I avg'd 20.6mph on this (solo, obviously): https://www.routeslip.com/routes/7402
Okay, that is all.
Last edited by TheKillerPenguin; 04-27-07 at 08:17 PM.
04-27-07, 08:17 PM
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Killer P
90 ft elevation over one mile is 1.7% grade. That consider level ground in KY. Am I missing something?
90 ft elevation over one mile is 1.7% grade. That consider level ground in KY. Am I missing something?
04-27-07, 08:21 PM
#20
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Originally Posted by Hummeth
How much do hills affect your speed?
Gravity sucks...
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04-27-07, 08:22 PM
#21
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Its just a way of measuring the amount of climbing over the length of a ride. For example, the century I did with 67ft/mi of climbing means I climbed 6700ft over the 100 miles. Similarly, 90ft/mi would mean I had climbed 9000ft over the course of 100 miles. Hardly flat.
As a reference to what 95ft/mi of climbing looks like over the course of a century, see this route: https://www.routeslip.com/routes/33627
As a reference to what 95ft/mi of climbing looks like over the course of a century, see this route: https://www.routeslip.com/routes/33627
04-27-07, 08:37 PM
#22
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Originally Posted by wtex
ah, heels, I speet at zem!
And zen I throw up on them. Or fail to unclip and fall off of them.
Hills not too bad around West Texas, though that one they have out at Lubbock/Buffalo Springs is pretty brutal, especially for the tri-letes who come here for the Ironman qualifier. Bang, as soon as they are out of the water, they have to get up that hill. Not sure what the grade is, anyone here done it?
And zen I throw up on them. Or fail to unclip and fall off of them.
Hills not too bad around West Texas, though that one they have out at Lubbock/Buffalo Springs is pretty brutal, especially for the tri-letes who come here for the Ironman qualifier. Bang, as soon as they are out of the water, they have to get up that hill. Not sure what the grade is, anyone here done it?
04-27-07, 08:50 PM
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Originally Posted by SlowSpinner
Killer P
90 ft elevation over one mile is 1.7% grade. That consider level ground in KY. Am I missing something?
90 ft elevation over one mile is 1.7% grade. That consider level ground in KY. Am I missing something?
KP we have a ride here called 3 mountain madness. It used to be 75 miles, and 7800' of climbing. The record time by a pro rider is 3 hours and 45 minutes. Your pace is below 4 hours, so you might have a shot at the record.
Richard
04-27-07, 09:09 PM
#24
Senior Member
There is a place out there without hills??? Where?? I'd love to give it a try since the hills around here never allow me to stay in the same gear for more than a half mile, maybe less.
04-27-07, 09:28 PM
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Ah, found it:
https://www.buffalospringslaketriathl.../read.php?1,29
The 7.6% grade is the first hill, they start in the transition, which is gradually uphill which then connects to the road and that hill, immediately. Pretty cool when the bikers come zooming down it, saw Dave Scott zip right by a few years ago, that dude was cut!
I've been hoping to do Palo Duro and Caprock Canyon this year (Caprock has some sweet new asphalt laid down, nasty hills too). As much as Palo Duro scares me going up, going down may be worse, some real hairpin stuff there. I wonder if Kool Stops can catch fire?
https://www.buffalospringslaketriathl.../read.php?1,29
The 7.6% grade is the first hill, they start in the transition, which is gradually uphill which then connects to the road and that hill, immediately. Pretty cool when the bikers come zooming down it, saw Dave Scott zip right by a few years ago, that dude was cut!
I've been hoping to do Palo Duro and Caprock Canyon this year (Caprock has some sweet new asphalt laid down, nasty hills too). As much as Palo Duro scares me going up, going down may be worse, some real hairpin stuff there. I wonder if Kool Stops can catch fire?