# Hill climbing speed



## suthers (19 Aug 2009)

Hi there, Im really trying to work on getting my hill climbing better and I was just wondering, what speed do top hill climbers roughly go when facing gradients of say 5% and then the steeper 8-9%? Im just trying to get a rough ball park figure so i know what general area to aim, obviously the faster the better but it would be good to know! 

Cheers in advance!


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## RedBike (19 Aug 2009)

I suppose it all depends on the length of the hill. I would probably go up a long 5% climb slower than a short 8-9% rise.


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## wyno70 (19 Aug 2009)

Is 5% actually a hill??


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## Gerry Attrick (19 Aug 2009)

When you have tackled a few, you will find your own pace with which you are comfortable. Some riders have to attack a hill, others wind themselves up it. Hills never get easy, they only get easier!


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## SimonRoberts0204 (19 Aug 2009)

Gerry Attrick said:


> When you have tackled a few, you will find your own pace with which you are comfortable. Some riders have to attack a hill, others wind themselves up it. Hills never get easy, they only get easier!




Surely not easier, only faster!


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## asterix (19 Aug 2009)

I don't know but here's a picture of the lead riders in the womens TdF just arriving at the summit of the col du Tourmalet. 







They don't look too bothered, do they?


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## Gerry Attrick (19 Aug 2009)

SimonRoberts0204 said:


> Surely not easier, only faster!



At my age? What's faster mean?


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## RedBike (19 Aug 2009)

Now thats what I need to get me up a climb quickly. 

Something like that to follow!


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## rich p (19 Aug 2009)

SimonRoberts0204 said:


> Surely not easier, only faster!



I'll go along with that!

When people say things like, "When you get fitter...." they are ignoring the fact that fitness varies for us all. It's not a smooth upward path. Consequently I 'm forever pushing the limits given my fitness at that particular time. I sometimes wish my mentality would let me cruise around!


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## gavintc (19 Aug 2009)

Hill climbing is for me hard. I work hard, lose weight, practice but hill climbing never gets easy. Occasionally the pedals really flow. But, I wish I could do it better. I find that following a wheel helps. I also find it is better not to look up, but to concentrate on the next 5m at a time. I cannot give an average speed. It does vary, but I am not a good climber.


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## Gerry Attrick (19 Aug 2009)

gavintc said:


> Hill climbing is for me hard. I work hard, lose weight, practice but hill climbing never gets easy. Occasionally the pedals really flow. But, I wish I could do it better. I find that following a wheel helps. I also find it better it is better not to look up, but to concentrate on the next 5m at a time. I cannot give an average speed. It does vary, but I am not a good climber.


Which appears to illustrate my above point nicely.


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## Randochap (19 Aug 2009)

Depends.


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## suthers (19 Aug 2009)

Thanks for the replies. I suppose I'll just have to keep slogging at it and shed the pounds. I dont suppose anyone knows how long it took the contador/armstrong/wiggins group to do mount ventoux this year at the tour?


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## gavintc (19 Aug 2009)

I am told 1 hour. A couple of years ago, I achieved 1 hr 45 mins and one of our friends managed 1 hr 30 mins. An hour is just so hard to comprehend when I think back to the pain and suffering that I went through - almost twice my speed.


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## suthers (19 Aug 2009)

so 21kph, hmm, thats depressingly fast considering on the steeper 8% gradients around me im stuck on 11-12kph and thats only for a max of 1k. I dont suppose you know what speed the peleton did the climb in?


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## Joe24 (19 Aug 2009)

Just go ride some hills, some steep ones, lots of them in a ride. You will soon know how to go up hills.
Do steep long ones, short steep ones, short not so steep ones, long not so steep ones and after a while you will soon get it.


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## ColinJ (19 Aug 2009)

suthers said:


> so 21kph, hmm, thats depressingly fast considering on the steeper 8% gradients around me im stuck on 11-12kph and thats only for a max of 1k. I dont suppose you know what speed the peleton did the climb in?


If you look at the figures, they usually show that the slowest riders in the 'autobus' are quicker than all but but the very quickest in the Etape du Tour!

This year, the Etape was won in a time of 5:11:31. The actual Ventoux tour stage was won by Juan Manuel Garate in 4:39:21. David Millar came in in the last group 26:01 down i.e. in a time of 5:05:22 - over 10 minutes quicker than all the riders in the Etape!


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## jimboalee (20 Aug 2009)

Its a near imposibility to estimate a cyclist's 'hill climbing' speed without doing some experimental work.

Pure theory has you slowing down more than reality, probably because a mathematical model of 'mental determination' is a tad difficult.

Professional riders do a lot of ergonometer and road work to gather as much data as possible in order to make an educated guestimate of their performance on the hills in a race.

They need to be SURE they have the required power. They need to know how much energy they will be consuming. They also need to know whether they could follow a breakaway.

The answers come from getting out there and doing it.


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## Jobby (20 Aug 2009)

Hill climbing has SO many variables, I have just changed the gearing on my bike to help with steep hill's 20-25% gradient.

Ultimately hill climbing comes down to Gearing, Weight,Technique and mind over matter!

If the bike isnt geared for hills you will struggle! I have 2 road bikes one with a Compact chainring 34/50 and 12/27 cassette, and one with a standard 39/52 and a 13/27 cassette - The 34/50, 12/27 combination wins on all hills...

The heavier you and your bike is the harder work the hill will be, Its all about power to weight, you have a finite amount of power, if you are lighter that power goes further and faster!!

Technique, We are all different, I push to high a gear at to low a cadence all of the time, this makes my technique of hill climbing all about raw power, I climb the hills and maintain a reasonable speed (About 5 mph on a 1:6 gradient), Some people I have cycled with have less power but a better technique, they stand and sprint - Who is better? I get to the top and carry on going, they get to the top and have a higher Heart Rate.. It depends what you are comfortable at :-)

The best way at getting more comfortable with hills is to find the steepest hills you can and simply ride em :-) - They get easier and what you once thought of as a hill you will find is nothing more than a slight bump in the road :-)

Good Luck John

http://johns-cycle-diary.blogspot.com/


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## blazed (20 Aug 2009)

Its mostly in your head if you are prepared mentally you will climb better than someone who isnt but has better fitness. I wouldnt like to say how fast i can climb but i know i could keep up with the pro's. 

When im peddling i invision certain things for example like i am turning the cogs which open a gigantic gate (like lord of the rings size), behind the gigantic gate is a huge lake of melted cheddar which slowly starts to trickle out over Kate Beckinsales naked body.


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## MacB (20 Aug 2009)

blazed said:


> Its mostly in your head if you are prepared mentally .



tries to imagine how Blazed could prepare himself 'mentally', feels sure that it involves medication


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## blazed (20 Aug 2009)

I took gel form viagra once but that is about it. Other than that i dont even touch headache pills, i prefer the mental battle of beating the headache from within.


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## MacB (20 Aug 2009)

blazed said:


> I took gel form viagra once but that is about it. Other than that i dont even touch headache pills, i prefer the mental battle of beating the headache from within.



ah, soon be time to redecorate with the rubber wallpaper then


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## BilboSmeggins (20 Aug 2009)

As interesting as this subject is - I'd like to hear more from Blaze


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## Funk-Meister (20 Aug 2009)

You see i disagree, I'm thinking too much information. 

Some things are best just left inside 'our heads'


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## Joe24 (20 Aug 2009)

I dont see the need for all the information, just go and ride some different hills, practice and you will get better and know how to climb them better. Its not hard, just takes abit of effort, time and getting fitter.
Simple.


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## Riverman (21 Aug 2009)

What I like is when you get into a rhythm up a hill then realise you can shift up a gear and go even faster and still remain at a comfortable pace.

Also has anyone else noticed that after a long hill climb you seem to be able to go a lot faster on the flat. I once ended up tail gating a car on a small downward incline after a really long hill climb. It was scaring me the speed I was going.


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## beachcaster (21 Aug 2009)

blazed said:


> Its mostly in your head if you are prepared mentally you will climb better than someone who isnt but has better fitness. I wouldnt like to say how fast i can climb but i know i could keep up with the pro's.
> 
> When im peddling i invision certain things for example like i am turning the cogs which open a gigantic gate (like lord of the rings size), behind the gigantic gate is a huge lake of melted cheddar which slowly starts to trickle out over Kate Beckinsales naked body.



Melted cheddar? melted cheddar ?????

Now thats on the verge of kinky.....Golden Syrup on the other hand....
now we're talking !!!!!!!!!!

Barry


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## blazed (21 Aug 2009)

Riverman said:


> Also has anyone else noticed that after a long hill climb you seem to be able to go a lot faster on the flat. I once ended up tail gating a car on a small downward incline after a really long hill climb. It was scaring me the speed I was going.


Umm maybe the reason you was going a lot faster is because you was in the cars slip stream?


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