A good measure of hill climbing is
VAM (velocità ascensionale media, vertical meters per hour). It makes different grades comparable. Strava.com shows the VAM score for all it's hill climbs. (The VAM score tends to be higher on short, steep climbs.)
Your 250 per mile * 11 miles per hour = 2750 feet per hour /3.28 =
838 VAM. That's
very good. I average about 650 (around 2100-2200 feet per hour) for long climbs.
And 250 * 14 mph = 1066 VAM That's comparable to the top 10 riders out of 200 on the local 4% / 1 mile climb. You have some
fast co-riders!
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From more than one comment above:
"Hills suck"
I like hills. I'm not fast, but I really like rides with hills. Short and steep 15% for 100 feet of elevation, or 5-9% and 1 mile long, or long Blue Ridge Parkway climbs. It's all good.
( I do have a 34-29 low gear. That really helps.)
This:
Originally Posted by
Biker395
I'm with you, Rick.
I honestly don't think I'd ride a bike at all if it weren't for hills. It would be ... I dunno ... boring. It's a lot easier to chat people up when you're going uphill and you can see and smell more. And when you get to the top, you get a great view, a feeling of accomplishment and have a great downhill in front of you.
...