30% gradient

[jimboalee]

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.

 

[Garz]

LOL jim as ever always entertaining.

 

[fossyant]

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.......

 

[jimboalee]

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.

 

[PaulB]

....

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?

 

[Banjo]

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?

 

[sarahpink]

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

 

[yello]

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!

 

[Baggy]

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!

 

[mcshroom]

[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.

 

[sarahpink]

well whatever the gradient it was very steep

 

[fossyant]

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................

 

[fossyant]

Gears used sarahpink.....?

 

[Muddyfox]

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

 

[jimboalee]

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.