# 30% gradient



## sarahpink (25 Jul 2010)

well coming back from dawlish warren I use my trusty garmin to get me and a friend back, we went through mamhead and kenton the ashcombe cross back to chudleigh and this one hill on the way back was just insane 30% gradient i didnt think I would get up it




im still giggling about the look on our faces when we saw this hill, think it will be our once a month training ride lol


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## DavieB (25 Jul 2010)

sarahpink said:


> well coming back from dawlish warren I use my trusty garmin to get me and a friend back, we went through mamhead and kenton the ashcombe cross back to chudleigh and this one hill on the way back was just insane 30% gradient i didnt think I would get up it
> 
> 
> 
> im still giggling about the look on our faces when we saw this hill, *think it will be our once a month training ride lol*




Make it every other day!


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## Muddyfox (25 Jul 2010)

Thats not a training ride ... thats suicide  well done to both of you for having a go and conquering it 

I have to ride back up a 20% hill after my rides to get back to my village which nearly kills me every time 






Simon


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## sarahpink (25 Jul 2010)

DavieB said:


> Make it every other day!


haha i wouldn't have any legs left



Muddyfox said:


> Thats not a training ride ... thats suicide  well done to both of you for having a go and conquering it
> 
> I have to ride back up a 20% hill after my rides to get back to my village which nearly kills me every time
> 
> ...



like the picture wish they had a 30% sign to warn me


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## Garz (25 Jul 2010)

Good job!


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## marinyork (26 Jul 2010)

Chapeau.


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## hotmetal (26 Jul 2010)

Hardcore. There aren't any hills quite that bad near me, for which I am duly grateful seeing as my lowest gear is 39:23
I'd be tempted to come back the next day with my mountainbike


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## tincaman (26 Jul 2010)

Was that out of Ashcombe up to haldon? Only ever been down it, very hard on the hands.


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## summerdays (26 Jul 2010)

I'm impressed I wouldn't even try ... last time I took a short cut in Bristol and ended up on that really steep hill in Totterdown (aptly named), I had to get off and walk down ... let alone try and cycle up and its only 25% I think.


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## HLaB (26 Jul 2010)

Talking of aptly named, the steepest hill I've been up is Gloom Hill, folk claim it is 30% but given I made it up with the 36x25 compact I doubt it.


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## PpPete (26 Jul 2010)

HLaB said:


> Talking of aptly named, the steepest hill I've been up is Gloom Hill, folk claim it is 30% but given I made it up with the 36x25 compact I doubt it.




Chapeau.

I had to get off and walk on everything above 20% on Saturday - even with my ludicrously low 26 granny ring x 30. Front wheel just kept coming off ground if sitting, and standing meant lactic levels & heart rates rapidly reaching unacceptable heights. Difficult to train for the Lake District when you live in Hampshire !


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## Matthames (26 Jul 2010)

I did a 25% hill this weekend. It was steep all right, I managed to get up it without feeling the need to get off and walk. However that was with the assistance of a 20x30 gear. It wasn't as bad as what I was expecting though, it is only a 40m climb, but my legs were screaming at the top. 

I have it on video and will try to edit it and up load it when I get chance. The main reason for editing is mainly my reaction when I saw just how steep it was.


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## Davidc (26 Jul 2010)

Porlock next!

There was a time I'd have joined you but not any longer. Well done.


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## Jerry Atrik (26 Jul 2010)

Know that hill well and its NASTY ! Good on ya Sarahpink .


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## spacecat (26 Jul 2010)

Well done!!

I once climbed Hardknott Pass, which I believe is 33% in places. I thought my head was going to explode at the top though.

Living in the lakes I think that I'll stick with a triple


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## jimboalee (26 Jul 2010)

30% is a 'walker' in my book.

The time penalty is not tremendous.

25% is ridable ( for me ) at about 2.5 mph, and is on the borderline of walking, depending what I've previously done that day and what is yet to come.

Has anyone else noticed the gradient signs are at the top, showing the falling gradient?
That's for motorists in the snow and ice, not for lunatic cyclists.

Once you've climbed up a steep hill with a lot of struggle, burning quads and knees popping, remember those muscle filaments are now tatered for two days at least. Think ahead and decide whether you have other filaments for the climbs further down the road.


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## Garz (26 Jul 2010)

LOL jim as ever always entertaining.


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## fossyant (26 Jul 2010)

Ouch.....well done though.......

I'm stuck with a 39 x 24 bottom gear, so am quite good at gurning climbing stuff like that.....

There is one in Prestatyn, North Wales that reaches 33%, it's insane - col like hair pins near the bottom, then the guy building it got fed up of doing that, and the road just goes vertical, dead straight - views are good though. Difficult for cars, and tricky walking about in the layby - you get vertigo.......


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## jimboalee (26 Jul 2010)

Matthames said:


> I did a 25% hill this weekend. It was steep all right, I managed to get up it without feeling the need to get off and walk. However that was with the assistance of a 20x30 gear. It wasn't as bad as what I was expecting though, it is only a 40m climb, but my legs were screaming at the top.
> 
> I have it on video and will try to edit it and up load it when I get chance. The main reason for editing is mainly my reaction when I saw just how steep it was.




There are two problems with riding a sub 20" gear up a > 25% hill.

1/ Balance.

2/ Keeping the front tyre on the tarmac.


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## PaulB (26 Jul 2010)

fossyant said:


> ....
> 
> There is one in Prestatyn, North Wales that reaches 33%, it's insane -



Where? It's intrigued me, this. I know that area reasonably well but don't know anything that steep in that area. I even went on Google earth and couldn't see anything that seemed brutally steep. Can you provide a grid ref. or something?


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## Banjo (26 Jul 2010)

Theres a steep hill on a lane near me. Can do it in the dry (just) but in the wet when I lean forward to keep the front wheel down then the rear wheel loses traction. Is there a tecnique for stupidly steep bits?


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## sarahpink (26 Jul 2010)

tincaman said:


> Was that out of Ashcombe up to haldon? Only ever been down it, very hard on the hands.



yes it was.

cheers for all the replies everyone think any hill i come across now will hopefully not bother me so much

Im a bit lost with all the gear ratio's though


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## yello (26 Jul 2010)

sarahpink said:


> well coming back from dawlish warren *I use my trusty garmin* to get me and a friend back, we went through mamhead and kenton the ashcombe cross back to chudleigh and this one hill on the way back was just insane 30% gradient



Did the garmin tell you it was 30%? Not doubting you efforts nor robbing you of deserved credit, I'm sure it was a tough climb, but the Edge units are notoriously inaccurate at measuring gradient. My club mate has an Etrex Vista and on one climb my Edge 305 said 8% and his etrex said 5%. Experience told me his vista was nearer the truth!


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## Baggy (26 Jul 2010)

yello said:


> Did the garmin tell you it was 30%? Not doubting you efforts nor robbing you of deserved credit, I'm sure it was a tough climb, but the Edge units are notoriously inaccurate at measuring gradient. My club mate has an Etrex Vista and on one climb my Edge 305 said 8% and his etrex said 5%. Experience told me his vista was nearer the truth!


Our OS Map of the area gives it a double-chevron, so it's over 25%  We rode a very similar route on Sunday, but thanks to our trusty paper map managed to avoid any stupidly steep hills!


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## mcshroom (26 Jul 2010)

[pedant]Two chevrons means greater than 20% not 25%[/pedant]

Congratulations on conquering that hill Sarah, there's some pretty steep riding down your way.


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## sarahpink (26 Jul 2010)

well whatever the gradient it was very steep


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## fossyant (26 Jul 2010)

OS or road signs............ are better............ fairly new to Garmin units, having a 705, but I believe what I know in my area....... use my 705 to record interesting data................. comparing a run against another.... very interesting................


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## fossyant (26 Jul 2010)

Gears used sarahpink.....?


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## Muddyfox (26 Jul 2010)

tincaman said:


> Was that out of Ashcombe up to haldon? Only ever been down it, very hard on the hands.



I hope we'l be avoiding this one on the 14th for the Devon CC ride  

Perhaps i should put the tent on the bike just incase i have to camp out in Ashcombe  

Simon


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## jimboalee (27 Jul 2010)

There's only one way to definitely nail down the gradient of a hill.

Go back there with a 1m long spirit level and a measuring tape.

Hold the spirit level so ITS LEVEL with one end on the tarmac and measure the distance between the other end and the tarmac.
Then its simple maths.


The last time I described this, some joker took the piss, so I've been reluctant until now to repeat it.


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## yello (27 Jul 2010)

sarahpink said:


> well whatever the gradient it was very steep



Indeed it was! If it was 'only' 20% it'd still be one helluva achievement to get up it. 

I've a couple of late teen climbs around me and they take some effort. I reckon anything much over 20 would have me walking.


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## threebikesmcginty (27 Jul 2010)

jimboalee said:


> There's only one way to definitely nail down the gradient of a hill.
> 
> Go back there with a 1m long spirit level and a measuring tape.
> 
> ...



It's the method I use if I'm calculating the angle of a roof - so it's ok by me!!

Found this which has tons of info ... http://www.1728.com/gradient.htm

Good climb though, SP!


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## Sheffield_Tiger (27 Jul 2010)

30% is massive....

Only one of those I've done was the hill out of Grosmont to the Pickering-Whitby road. I got off and pushed.


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## zacklaws (28 Jul 2010)

A little while back. I saw online an inclinometter that could be fittted onto the bars of a bicycle to measure gradient as you went up it.

Found a bit on it:- 

http://www.chainreac...nclinometer.htm

Usually I measure the gradient by the road sign and in its lack of precence which is usually the case in the country lanes by my speed, cadence, gear, sweat, cursing and swearing.


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## zizou (28 Jul 2010)

There is a section of the sustrans cycle track near Greenock which is 40% thats the steepest i've seen signed anywhere. Short enough to be able to attack it though so not too bad.


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## jimboalee (28 Jul 2010)

zizou said:


> There is a section of the sustrans cycle track near Greenock which is 40% thats the steepest i've seen signed anywhere. Short enough to be able to attack it though so not too bad.



There's a canal bridge at Chessetts Wood that is 1 in 2 ( 50% ). Beat that?


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## jimboalee (28 Jul 2010)

jimboalee said:


> There's a canal bridge at Chessetts Wood that is 1 in 2 ( 50% ). Beat that?




OK.

On the Grand Union Canal tow path, there is a 300mm high 'stile' where cyclists are required to lift their bikes over it.

If the cyclist attempted to ride over it, it would be a zillion % gradient.


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## adds21 (28 Jul 2010)

HLaB said:


> Talking of aptly named, the steepest hill I've been up is Gloom Hill, folk claim it is 30% but given I made it up with the 36x25 compact I doubt it.



There's an Awkward Hill near me (in Nempnett Thrubwell, which is also another excellent name).

However, I have to say that Awkward Hill isn't especially awkward.


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## dan_bo (28 Jul 2010)

jimboalee said:


> There's a canal bridge at Chessetts Wood that is 1 in 2 ( 50% ). Beat that?




Ingleboro as used in the three peaks. 60%.


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## Matthames (31 Jul 2010)

Another way you can measure the gradient of a hill is to make a very simple clinometer. All you would need is:

2 Bamboo canes of equal length.
1 Protractor, if possible one that you could possibly put a hole in the middle of, if not then mount some paper onto some card and draw around the protractor and mark off the angles.
1 piece of string.
1 something to put weight on the end of piece of string.
1 drinking straw.
1 nail or pin.
1 Roll of Sellotape.
1 Scientific calculator or you could use your computer.
1 Friend

First stick the drinking straw on to the flat edge of the protractor and then pin the protractor to the end of one of the bamboo canes. Ensure that the protractor can rotate freely. Tie your weight on to the end of the string to create a plumb line and then tie the plumb line to end of the pin or the same end as the protractor. Give the other bamboo cane to your friend and ask them to stand with it up or down the hill slightly. With the contraption you have just made rest it on the ground and sight the top of the cane your friend is holding. Make a note of the angle of the plumb line. 

Take that angle away from 90 and enter this number into your calculator with this equation replacing *: 1/Tan(*) 

This will give you the ratio 1 in what your answer was. To get the percentage you just divide 1 by your answer and multiply by 100.


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## dellzeqq (31 Jul 2010)

Matthames said:


> Another way you can measure the gradient of a hill is to make a very simple clinometer. All you would need is:
> 
> *2 Bamboo canes of equal length.
> 1 Protractor, if possible one that you could possibly put a hole in the middle of, if not then mount some paper onto some card and draw around the protractor and mark off the angles.
> ...


essential equipment on all touring expeditions!!!


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## vorsprung (20 Aug 2010)

I see your 30% and raise you another 3%

http://maps.google.c...p=12,24.87,,0,5

Near South Moulton


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## HLaB (20 Aug 2010)

vorsprung said:


> I see your 30% and raise you another 3%
> 
> http://maps.google.c...p=12,24.87,,0,5
> 
> Near South Moulton


I thought 33% somebody has got their sums wrong , the I panned round; I wouldn't fancy coming down that in the wet


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