The Appalachians actually run SW from where everyone thinks of on through NE Texas and out to the west. They're just so old and eroded that they're not as spectacular as the Rockies and Sangre de Christo further north.

Anyway, Mineral Wells is on the western edge of N. Texas, where the elevations start to rise and the hills start to come on. There's a pretty famous hill out past that neck of the woods called Ranger Hill. It's a speed trap from hell.

You want steep? Try this one in San Francisco:
http://personal.udri.udayton.edu/klo...an/Qstairs.JPG

Or this one on Highway 108 in eastern California:
http://www.chainreactionbicycles.com...rcentgrade.jpg

It looks like between 15 & 20% easy.

Corsaire

No you don't. STFU.

I'm a Clydesdale who was a terrible climber until... I got into cadence riding.
May I suggest: triple chainring, eat well, drink a lot of water,
and maintain about 85 rpm on the pedals, and just shift gears so as to be able
to maintain the target rpm.

I used to hit the hill, feel the difficulty, work way too hard and burn out either my
lungs or my legs, and then I was done and walking up the hill.

With the cadence computer, I just strive to maintain my target rpm
(it's 85 on my commuter, 90 on my road bike) and the info provided by
the cadence computer has completely changed my cycling experience.

I don't want to be guilty of exagerration, but buying a $30 Cateye Astrale 8
changed my bicycling. I still weight 230, I'm still slow, but now I'm riding up hills
that I could never ride before, I'm in good condition at the top of the hill,
and I'm having a lot more fun.
Hang in there.

Speaking of Texas hills, I am planning on trying the Jester time trial in Austin next year. It's .5 mile up an average 14% grade with 20% max grade. It looks like a lot of fun.
http://www.kingofjester.com/bike.html

The winner usually finishes in just under 2:30.

Also this Christmas I will be going to Hawaii and will attempt to climb Haleakala. 10,000 feet of climbing in just under 40 miles. Sounds painfull.

Low and slow is the way to go.

Wisconsin has many roller like this it takes a bit to settle int o a rythem so as above pace youself and say what the little engine did "I think I can" over and over.

This is also a nice page that has some explanation of grade and hill climbing.
http://danenet.wicip.org/bcp/gearing.html

Have fun on the climb.

How steep is Fillmore Street?
I saw this picture on pbase.
Why are those guys riding sideways? :D

original link
http://www.pbase.com/swanda/image/5203219

http://mk31.image.pbase.com/u16/swan...SFGP02_151.jpg

I have a 20% and 15% climb on my morning ride and it's made me a stronger rider. I feel better when things go north of 10% to get out of the saddle. For me it's torture to sit and grind. I think the key to hills is to decide on your rythym, cadence, and speed the first ten seconds of climb and don't deviate. On both of my climbs if I race up early and my HR goes crazy, I generally can't get HR back down until I crest the top so I've learned to pace myself.

Good Luck,

What ride is this going on in Mineral Wells? I am not too far from there.

18%

http://mishuna.image.pbase.com/u16/s...SFGP02_207.jpg

http://k43.pbase.com/u16/swanda/uplo...SFGP02_209.jpg

I found some more..
http://www.nzpix.com/gallery/data/me...s_steepest.jpg
http://www.digicamreview.co.uk/photo...0564.thumb.jpg
http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/ph...s/IMG_0544.jpg
http://www.gimcracker.com/blab/archi...eep_Street.jpg

I dont even have to climb those and I already fell over! :eek:

Wouldn't those be the Ozarks?

According to the program I pickued up at the SF GP, Fillmore's 19% and Taylor is 18%. The Vuelta has some stupid hard climbs in it that make Alpe D'Huez look like climbing a freeway overpass and sometimes have pros running triples...I guess the Spaniards know what Spaniards do best. 12% is doable. Even if you have to walk it's less than a mile...no biggie. Give it a try and see how you fare, you might surprise yourself. :)

The pros in the picture are zigzagging to make the climb easier. This trick only works if the road is wide enough to allow your legs to sort of rest in between turns, and for God's sake don't do this in front of cars / motorcycles. Holy road rage, Batman. :fight:

2004 giro climb, with a section where it hits 18%

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2004...lo_dett_19.jpg

Sure do. Those are my slow-riding, power building gears. I did two inclines in those gears last Sunday - on a 12 kilo winter bike. I'd be in a smaller gear for a race, or for a hill over 2km.

Isn't it amazing that what you consider impossible, I do without hitting max heart rate?

Just do it. You'd be surprised how much you're capable of if you just don't think about it and do your best. Since the rest of us aren't super bike ninjas like Euro, just be satisfied that you got up it and look forward to riding down.

Yeah sure. It cracks me up when I see posts like this. Since we are on the internet, you might as well just say that your power output is 500W and can cruise around at 50km/h. :rolleyes:

FYI - using the bicycle speed and power output calculator, with my low body weight and the low speed and cadence I use when climbing like this (67 kilos, 10km/h and cadence of 36)- it has it down at about 400 watts. That's the same as pulling 44km/h (27mph) when riding in the drops.

If someone here said they could pull 27mph in the drops for 10 mins, I think people would have an easier job believing it.

I'm really tempted to video myself doing this.

According to what you are saying, your power to weight ratio is around 6W/Kg. That already puts you above average among pro riders. Assuming that you can gain 15% by dedicating yourself completely to cycling, your power to weight ratio would be around 6.9. You can certainly beat Armstrong since his power to weight ratio is around 6.6 (480W for 72kg). Can I get your authograph please? :rolleyes:

To the OP, sorry for going off topic but I just can't help myself when I see funny posts like this.

I sure can, probably for a good 20 min to half hour if the wind conditions are right. ;)
We still don't believe you hehe.

Here's the power to weight matrix I'm reference usually - It has 6 over 5 mins only as 'excellent', and seeing as I'm a racer, in the top 2000 in my country, that sounds about right.

I'll try to video myself doing this over the next couple of weeks. Does anyone here actually want to put their money where their mouth is? Bet being that I can’t ride up an 18% incline in 39/19? It's probably worth about $100?

27 mph is a 22 minute 10 mile TT. I know amateurs who can ride under 21. Would you need a video of that too?