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Hills on commute route

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Old 09-28-12 | 10:16 PM
  #26  
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Here's the biggest hill on my commute. According to Google Earth a 10ft gain over 1300ft, max slope of 1.5% !!!

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Old 09-28-12 | 10:36 PM
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What used to be "hills" when I started commuting have quickly become small "rollers" or "inclines" that I actually kinda look forward to.
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Old 09-29-12 | 10:46 AM
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I have 2 "hills", one in Prospect Park, about a 3.5% grade, the other the Manhattan Bridge. I've taken the Prospect Park hill at 20mph a few times, but in the morning on the commute I take it easy so I don't get sweaty. The Manhattan Bridge will also get me sweaty if I don't take it somewhat easy, but it can't be more than 3%. On the way home I'll either take it as fast as I can, or just gently spin it. It depends on what kind of day I had. I get to go down the hill in the park, and the uphill on the streets isn't very steep.
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Old 09-29-12 | 11:23 AM
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You know you live in flatland when a bridge is considered a hill.
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Old 09-29-12 | 11:24 AM
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On my last commute I had one hill that averaged about 17% and peaked at 20% at the top. It was only 80 feet or so of climbing, but in a year an a half of commuting I never did get used to it. And in winter with the ice on it, it was dangerous. Coming back at night it was a fierce little road, houses and lots of opportunities for cars to pull out with a stop sign at the bottom. You didn't have the time to enjoy the hill.
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Last edited by Artkansas; 09-29-12 at 11:30 AM.
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Old 09-29-12 | 11:32 AM
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Here in Atlanta we have a lot of short steep hills that really wear you down after a while. Thankfully, some of the older "unimproved" roads run along ridges or valleys. But a lot of the newer roads where designed with cars in mind and simply go up and over. There's one hill on my way back from the library that's so steep I have to lean over the bars to keep the front wheel on the ground.
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Old 09-29-12 | 11:40 AM
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Almost everywhere Ive commuted has serious hillage.
The only thing that works for me is developing a mindset that enables confronting them. It could be Florida, right ?!?!?
Mind over matter. Takes a while, but is more efficient than gears and stuff in the end, for me, anyway . . .
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Old 09-29-12 | 11:40 AM
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Older thread about bridge grades in NYC

3.5% is listed for the Manhattan Bridge before it levels out after the tower, and that's about 1/2 a mile. It isn't a killer hill by any means, but it is still a slog up it when you are trying to stay dry.
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Old 09-29-12 | 11:14 PM
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Originally Posted by Steely Dan
what the hell are these things called "hills"?






yeah, i live in chicago.
No hills in Houston either. I've been here 3 years. I actually miss hills. Oh well, there's always wind.
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