Best technique for steep hills

[grellboy]

Is it best to hit a steep climb in your granny gear and work through to a higher gear as you progress up the hill or hit it in a higher gear and work through to lower gears as the effort increases?

 

[Markymark]

I drop down a couple of gears as the climb starts then drop as necessary.

 

[numbnuts]

If your an old fart sit and spin

 

[slowmotion]

If I know the hill and reckon that there's a real possibility of me having to stop, or stop and walk, I just start in the lowest gear at the bottom and grit my teeth. It makes life simpler not having to think about gear changes. It's not quick or elegant, but who cares?

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Divert round them.

 

[lazybloke]

Is your objective to get up the hill with minimum effort or in the minimum time?

 

[Will Spin]

Get off and walk

 

[slowmotion]

Is your objective to get up the hill with minimum effort or in the minimum time?

My sole objective usually is to get up the hill somehow.

 

[lazybloke]

I should point out that I don't know the answers. I'm just trying to understand the question.

 

[Drago]

Fly at it flat out in top gear screaming prayers to Odin, then quickly drop to a low gear and save my breath in the interests of avoiding death if at all possible. Usually seems to work out.

 

[ianrauk]

It's one of those questions that the answer is. What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for someone else.

 

[delb0y]

I've never quite got the spinning thing on steep hills. Medium ones, yes. But steep? I'm generally in my lowest gear on the granny ring, stood up and grinding and grimacing, heart beat bouncing off the rev limiter, breath rasping in burning lungs, legs screaming like a Danish Heavy Metal singer, and vision wavering...before getting off and walking. How on earth does one spin up those, I always wonder?

 

[tallliman]

Generally I prefer spinning up all hills, drop down a couple of gears before hitting it and then just spin away.

 

[gavroche]

We all do it differently but one thing I never do is to look up for the top as it never seem to get closer. I just look down and raise my head every now and again.

 

[srw]

How on earth does one spin up those, I always wonder?

One has lower gears.