Hi guys, new on BF with a quick question. If a 10% grade is ten feet of rise over a hundred feet, how is it considered hard? On my bike route there's a couple hills that rise at least 30 to 40 feet, and I can get through them pretty easily. I know that some of the 10% grades you guys talk about are sustained and long, but it doesn't seem too hard for me to climb. Can anyone post pictures of hills that are around 10%?

10% isn't hard unless the hill is at least half a mile long, but even then it isn't too hard if you pace yourself. These kinds of hills are usually full of switchbacks, so taking a good picture is kind of difficult.

Thanks for the reality check there man... An hour went by without any replies and I was beginning to think I was Marco Pantani (RIP) reincarnate!

I don't know, dude. 30-40 feet over 100 is steep as hell. Think about a 3-4 story building. 100 feet isn't too far. (think 30 steps) That's almost like climbing a wall!!

When you've been climbing something that's 10% for 30, 40, 50+ minutes, get back to us and tell us if you don't consider it hard. I have a few pictures of a 4.3 mile climb that's "only" 9% (average) . . . but, only parts, for the reasons johnny99 specified:







View from Google Maps (only part of the route):


Here's a link to the description of this climb. Many consider this one of the hardest climbs in our area (but I think there are still a few a little tougher).

Jeebus, 'nother! That last pic looks wayyy above 10%

Here's what just under 11% looks like.


Like they said, 10% gets worse the longer you have to ride it.

man, I need to ride more hills. I say a 10% grade hill that lasts for even a hundred metres and I'm thinking "ohhh f-".

Moral of the story, get a triple.

It probably is . . . there are extended sections at 20%+. It's a hard, hard climb. But, rewarding to complete. I managed to clock my slowest moving speed (without falling over) on that climb: 2MPH

The more I think of the 30 to 40 feet hills I was talking about, the more it seems like 25... (sheepish smile).

And I usually try to ride up one of the shorter (probably only twenty-something feet as the crow flies) aforementioned hills in a 53x17. (Or something like that, maybe an 18.)

here are some of the rides in my area https://www.inl.org/bicycle/routes.html

Forgiven.

It's funny; I'm new to road biking and until recently i HATED climbs. Being out of shape sucks! Now that my cardio is far better than a few months ago, I can't bear riding on flat roads. Almost to the point I would rather throw my bike into my SUV and drive four miles to the bottom of my favorite climb than ride there.

No wonder they're easy- those are rollers! You're using momentum to propel yourself up those things. Find a 10% grade longer than a couple hundred feet and try to ride up it in 53-17

Rollers!? Okay Erik, will do.

That reminds me, just yesterday I was pacing myself with this guy who was wearing a slightly odd-colored AMD & Trek jersey and riding a (sexy) Pinarello, which interestingly matched his calves pretty well (mega-ripped). When it came time to fly up one of those rollers, I charged (with great fluctuation in speed) and right when I thought I left him in the dust (so I could keep my speed a little higher without being stuck beside him), he screams past me on the now flat section, sprinting away like a beast.

A little strange anecdote for you guys.

There is a 13 mile climb coming out of Mammoth AZ going South on Hwy 77 to Tucson that probably averages 7% and is pretty consistent. Not much relief. Mammoth was my turn around for a 92 miler Sunday. Took me 90 minutes of huffin and puffin. It was a good time. 10% would have been really tough.

Wow... 13 miles of just pure 7%? I'm in awe.

Now it's time for me to try somethin' like that.

Or you could try climbing Haleakala...over 5% for 36 miles. Ask again after you've found hills that have more than a 40 ft vertical rise =).

i wonder what kind kind of grade this has...

Yeah, i thought i did ok on hills until this weekend. I went out for a 60mile ride with one of the local clubs and we rode from Kunia (walmart)to Dilingham airfield and back, with a climb up kolekole pass each way. (i know that won't mean much to 98% of you guys) I was devistated. I was so far behind everyone. It made me rethink all the routes i normally ride. From now on, im taking the hilly way, every time. Oh and im buying a compact crank!

Whatever you do mate, don't move to a flat area! I am struggling up climbs I would have powered over a few months ago.

I have a compact crank now....at this rate I'm going to forego the racing triple and get mountainbike gearing *kicks self for buying bike with double*

from steephill.tv

Yeah - the Aubisque is quite hard. There's much harder hills out there.

If you guys are ever in Georgia, you may want to have a go at the Six Gap Century in North Georgia. Taken from their web site at:
https://www.dahlonega.org/aboutus.asp?id06=124&par06=23

"The Six Gap Century
This ultra challenging route takes you up down six of the steepest climbs in the North Georgia Mountains. Test your stamina with more than 10,700 feet of vertical climbing over the 100 mile course. Elevations for the six gaps in this ride range from 2,949 feet to 3,490 feet. The toughest climb, Hogpen Gap, tests even the toughest riders, averaging a 7% grade for seven miles, with sections as steep as 15%. "

In April some of the Tour de Georgia takes place there with famous riders participating.

It's a little difficult to grasp elevations until you locate a few that are known so that you can them compare them. My common driveway is close to 10% but it only goes on for a bit over a 1/3 of a mile. Granted that I could be in better shape, but I'm breathing pretty hard at the top. Hard for me to imagine doing that for miles (where is that trainer?)

If you do a search on "inclinometer" here, there are some threads that reference a web site that shows how to make a crude measuring device from a CD case, string, etc. Then you measure some slopes to get a better idea.

[QUOTE=PenguinDeD]
Here's what just under 11% looks like.
[QUOTE]
Hey, Penguin - is that Quaker hill? I do a loop ride up in your area every once in a while, but I didn't think quaker hill was quite that steep. if it's something else, I'd love to try it sometime!

Riding from my house leaves me no alternative but to ride hills. Long stretches with constant grades that I'm guessing run 5-15%. I got the urge to find some more rolling terrain two weeks ago and threw my bike in the car and took it to a popular spot with more flats. What I found is that I think I prefer hills! For me, it's more satisfying to battle a visible incline than to battle the invisible wind resistance.

Hey Austinites...anyone have grade information for 360, SW Parkway or Bee Caves? Also...anyone have a guess what grade that little stretch of Stratford is coming from the south side of the Mopac bridge? I've ridden up it on my MTB in my 22/34, barely able to keep my front wheel on the ground.