Greg_R

One of the climbs that I've been working on is ~2k of vertical. The first mile is 5%-7% and I don't have any problems. Then there is a 0.6 mile stretch that is a constant 12%+ and it kills me every time. After that there is some up and down @ ~7% which isn't bad except that my legs are not happy from the 12% section. I have not completed this climb yet in one go but I'm getting there! My best result so far has been 3 stops. I've tried switchbacking but the road is narrow and I seem to spend a lot of energy turning the bike back and forth.

Mr. Beanz

It is more work but why? Other than not being fit enough to DO the climb, what reason would I use this method and make more work out of a simple climb.

Lets say I do an 8 mile climb, 2200ft with a 39/25 gear combo. Why would I "switchback" and make a 10 mile ride out of an 8 mile climb if I am fit enough to DO the the climb?

Seattle Forrest

I don't know that you'd want to switchback the entire climb! For me, this is usually a technique that gets me up the last 20 % of a hill, or gives me a good rest in the middle to catch my breath ( really, to let my hear rate drop so I can force it way up again ) so that I can power up most of it. The point is to have one more trick in the bag, so you can pull it out when it's the right one for the job.

Mr. Beanz

I know that. My point is that it's a harder going straight up, more work? Harder work? Switchbacking, more work, harder work?

I think its funny that some may try to make it seem that it's harder or even equal to going straight up. There's a reason for it and it aint to make it harder!

Seattle Forrest

Ahhh ... I missed your clever rhetorical question! Sometimes I'm a bit clueless.

I know that heavier backpacks are often more comfortable than light ones, and that the answer to the riddle is that comfy shoulder/waist straps and back panels take up some weight. I think the same sort of thing is going on here.

deraltekluge

You reduce the power level required. Power is work divided by time. You also reduce the force you need to apply at the pedals. If you can't exert the force and can't produce and sustain the power necessary to go directly up the hill, you may still be able to make it at a slower speed using less force and less power.

Mr. Beanz

Of course, I don't argue that you can make it up at a slower speed using less force and it does equal more work as far as length of ride adding a few more feet traveled. I may be incorrect but in your other post, it seems that you make switchbacking out to be harder than going straight up. Maybe I misunderstood the statement.

deraltekluge

Yeah. It's more total work, but less peak force and power. You gotta be careful with the definition of "harder".

episodic

Haha - i had no idea there was a name for this. There is a REAL steep hill maybe 2500 feet - my son (thin teen) bet me that I could not pedal up. I 'switchbacked' the whole way while he was saying - "Hey that's cheating" - he lost the bet - he has the dishes this week hehe

Seattle Forrest

I did this last night ... on the way home from work, I took a long detour to visit a friend. The guy is a master gardener, so I unburdened his raspberry plants of some of their yummy goodness.

Anyway, leaving John's house, there's a giant hill with a 17 % max grade, which I normally power up in a straight line. Yesterday, though, I just didn't want to do it, but was in the mood to see where I could push my moving average. So I took switchbacks going up the hill. I was surprised how quickly this got me to the top, and how little effort it felt like. ( Then I raced a number of roadies, and won, but this took as much out of me as two of these hills might have! )

Daspydyr 

Dang that Beanz has the best graffics. How do those really old guys do that?

jonathanb715

I've only done it once - on a Nor Cal ride called Tour of the Unknown Coast, which has about a mile long climb averaging 17%. I was already tired when we hit it, and i felt like I was just about to stall out - couldn't turn the cranks another revolution. Going a little more sideways let me work past that moment of difficulty and then I was able to complete the climb. Normally, I just try to go straight up and get the damned thing over with.

JB

Mr. Beanz

The guys that do the hills are in good shape and practice climbing (young and the old). The guys don't and aren't, ususally go around.

Fatb0yslim

beanz i thought i was ok... untill i mapped my ride and its grade profile compared it to yours and i feel like a little girl, i'm selling my bike

Mr. Beanz

Hahaha! Keep at it, it gets better. I use to shy away from hills then realized wherever I go, there will be a hill. If I want to ride, can't beat 'em, join 'em.

On the hill labeled "chapel" I used to avoid it One day I really felt like I was sucking but when I got to the hill. I did it eventhough I didn't want to. Made me realize, " if I can do it on a bad day, I can do it on a good day"

TrojanHorse

Beanz - you're my hill climbing inspiration. I motivated myself to climb up my drive way today after a little breakfast ride. I've NEVER done it before. Heck, I don't even like walking up it, I think it's a 30% grade or something equally stupid. I usually stop at the mailbox and walk the bike up.

Someday I hope to climb a hill successfully that doesn't have my wife looking at me and saying, "You call that a hill?"

socalrider

Unless you are riding up Fargo Hill Street, I seriously doubt it is 30%..

TrojanHorse

I did say it was my drive way, not a public street. Might be 40%. It gets steeper the more I think about it.

Mr. Beanz

Hahaha! Here is another one that I through in one of my regular weekday rides. I ride from home up to Devore which is anywher form 30 to 40 roundtrip depending if I hit Glen Helen Park or not. I do different loops at times. Gentle climbing and nothing steep but this day I was riding across Lemon and saw the hill up to Archibald. I'd seen others switchback their way up so I wondered if I could go straight up after 30 miles in the old legs.

It's only 1.5 miles but a tough upper section! I made it straight up but it hurt!

Mr. Beanz

I'm not sure if mapmyride will pick it up but you could try. I did one that regestered 22% (max) on a partner's Garmin. I was in the best shape of my life (standard double) and really struggled up. SO if it's 30%, I got 5 bucks says you dont make it!

socalrider

Next time his driveway will be fully vertical and he has to climb a rope to get into his house..

TrojanHorse

Don't push it!

Here's the road right outside my house... the top one is the half mile climb I have to do every time I go anywhere (doing it in my third lowest gear now!), the second one is the remainder of the climb up to the top of Colima, which I periodically do when I'm in a hill mood (infrequent!) Interesting how mapmyride depicts the same piece of road differently depending on the length.

And here's the last half mile or so of my ride on my way home (map my ride doesn't render my street properly, unfortunately, because there's another stupid steep section there, so I'm guaranteed to show up at home wheezing.... and then there's that 30% driveway right smack at the end. Ugh.)

After I put my bike back together in May and did that little piece on the bottom there, I thought I was going to *die*. Had to stop and walk 2 or 3 times.... don't have to do that anymore, but it's still pretty steep.

Mr. Beanz

I'm thinking that the longer the route, the more of an average it is so you don't see the actual steep sections, that just aint fair.

That looks like some good climbing you got there!

Mr. Beanz

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That's the road forum!

Seattle Forrest