Which fails first for YOU on a hill-your legs or breathing capacity?

[CXRAndy]

Now this is a steep lane

Ideally named 'Jackass lane' Just outside Ewden village near Sheffield

Riders were literally falling over when I did it back in 2017 tour of Yorkshire sportive. I had to weave around bodies and bikes

Some 46% at its steepest point, I didn't get off or stop, just kept pedalling whilst trying to hold the front wheel on the road.

Has you can see, even with such ridiculous gradients my ave was 61rpm and max 91rpm cadence.

I've only ever come across one other section of road as steep in Gran Canaria

 

[CXRAndy]

You’ve ridden up that Harlech road then? Impressive!

No but see above post from Tour of Yorkshire. Very steep hill I got up

 

[rockyroller]

not the legs. if I ever stop on a climb, it's to settle my breathing

 

[rockyroller]

side note - it's kinda fun having a cpl nemesis hills in my life to climb regularly. used to have commute that was mostly uphill on the way home, 13 miles. I was able to train on it & eventually was able to ride home with confidence. then I changed bike w/ diff. gearing & had to go thru a whole new training cycle, to get back to that comfort level. right now I have a hill in the forest & a hill on my way home work commute. haven't done the work commute since covid, tho

 

[Legs]

Rear mtb was standard 11-34t for 9 speed, thus 22 x 34 low gear. This is from 2003 (in my case), thus not quite days off yore, just 19 years ago.

Ha yes, my MTB predates that!

 

[Legs]

It's worth noting that Strava itself doesn't compute accurate %age steepness for very steep and sinuous roads: this one (which I've successfully ridden up but never managed to ride down without dismounting!) is not much more than 30%. The sign at the top says 20%, but it's definitely more than that! At that steepness, it makes a significant difference whether the sine or the tangent of the angle is being stated, and there's no consistency between signs.

 

[Soltydog]

Some good advise on here, but it's whatever works for you. I used to grind up hills in a low cadence, but now I get in a nice low gear & spin up with a high cadence & find it easier. You may get up quicker grinding a higher gear, but may be more fatigued, so the next part of your ride could be slower For me it's always the legs that go first, but it's gotta be a real steep gradient ie 30%+. Try & keep your breathing steady, not always easy I know, but it does help

 

[CXRAndy]

View attachment 649251
It's worth noting that Strava itself doesn't compute accurate %age steepness for very steep and sinuous roads: this one (which I've successfully ridden up but never managed to ride down without dismounting!) is not much more than 30%. The sign at the top says 20%, but it's definitely more than that! At that steepness, it makes a significant difference whether the sine or the tangent of the angle is being stated, and there's no consistency between signs.
View attachment 649252

I'd forgotten that one Tim. Devils elbow was an absolute brute. I did get up it . Ask Tommy and Dean where they went

 

[stephec]

I don't understand. What does fail mean?

It's not an option.

 

[ColinJ]

Some 46% at its steepest point

That must be by taking a tight bend on the inside? Overall, that is a fairly ordinary climb. I think it would be like measuring the bend at the top of the 25% ramp at Rawtenstall Bank (a.k.a. Mytholm Steeps), Hebden Bridge, on the inside of the bend. That is probably 45% too...

... but nobody in their right mind would ride that tight in to the edge of the road. Deliberately, that is... I had one idiot motorist overtake me on the bloody bend, thus stopping me swinging wide - I fell off!

 

[presta]

What is the cause of the intolerance? I have never heard of that until now.

Overtraining.

 

[PaulSB]

Neither for me as a general rule. Other than the Fred 2021 I can't remember the last time I had to dismount.

On the Fred I had to stop about 50 metres into Hardknott as I cramped in both legs. It was get off or fall off. Guy behind me tried to tough it out and fell off!!! 😂 After a few minutes stretching I got back on, rode to the 35% section, started to cramp as soon I hit it so got off and walked the 2-300 metres before I could get on again. After 95+ miles I deemed this acceptable! 🤣

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Ha yes, my MTB predates that!

Ah 8 speed or earlier

 

[lazybloke]

I typically climb hills at a speed that's slow enough to not tax my heart/lungs.
I've still been beaten by some stiff climbs recently, always when close to the bonk after going fast for a long ride.
I don't fully understand the science of the bonk, but I assume this is a muscular limitation.


A very different thing happens when I'm fit enough to attack hills, eg before the pandemic and in my mid-to-late 40s. Then it was my heart and lungs that seemed to limit my performance. Never stopping me, but putting a gentle brake on my speed.

If I look back at my Strava PBs on stiff local climbs, I see average heart rates over 170 bpm, and peaks over 190.
Don't think I should be doing this in my early 50s, so I think my best performance days are now well behind me!

 

[CXRAndy]

That must be by taking a tight bend on the inside? Overall, that is a fairly ordinary climb. I think it would be like measuring the bend at the top of the 25% ramp at Rawtenstall Bank (a.k.a. Mytholm Steeps), Hebden Bridge, on the inside of the bend. That is probably 45% too...

View attachment 649255
... but nobody in their right mind would ride that tight in to the edge of the road. Deliberately, that is... I had one idiot motorist overtake me on the bloody bend, thus stopping me swinging wide - I fell off!

That looks like the bend (memory) There were at least five riders just on and after that bend splayed all over the road. So lucky no one fell off directly in front of me.

I wasn't expecting such a steep introduction to the climb. I was talking to a club mate, enjoying the views of the reservoir, then boom!