Originally Posted by
pastorbobnlnh
I thought I was prepared for the 3-6% grades on the Blue Ridge Parkway. But they tend to grind away at you for 5-12 mile stretches with no flats nor even short descents to make for a break. It wasn't that I was winded (I was able to carry on a conversation the whole time), it was just that the legs would go "flat" and have nothing left! I walked or stopped at the overlooks many times during the two day ride.
Jon, I am not ashamed to gear any of my bikes for climbs. And I'm not ashamed to dismount and walk when I want to or need to.
+1 Living close to the parkway myself, the long grades are really tough. Maybe if I rode more, I would be tough enough/strong enough motor/whatever, but not at this point. The grades on the southern end of the parkway are pretty relentless, miles long. And if you want something tougher, the roads up to the parkway are really wicked (US 276, SR 215, and SR151). Unfortunately, sight lines on these roads are minimal, so I have safety concerns on them. (OK, with my motor, its not like I am going to ride them uphill anyway....)
On shorter climbs, I tend to run out of air first. On these types of long climbs, I think I would run out of leg.