Climbing, how much?

[marcusjb]

My rule is below 1000m in 100km is flat. Anything more than 1500m in 100km is hilly. But that's just my personal thing. Others may differ.

Yeah. I reckon that ties in with my own views. As things go above that 1.5%, then my swearing correlates in a linear manner.

I have managed a 3.5% day in the mountains, that had an awful lot of profanity.

 

[h0lly1991]

If you are after hilly try the tour of Pembrokeshire. Super long route 107miles and 10,500ft climbing. Absolutely love it.

 

[Oldfentiger]

This thread is making me feel much better about my cycling.
I was brought up in the flatlands surrounding Peterborough, where hills are measured in inches, and lived thereabouts for 50 years.
Work and promotion got us moved to where we are now, nestled part way up Pendle Hill.
We've got more committed to our cycling over the past year, but it's really easy to get demoralised about cycling round here, because of the severity of climbs locally.
Looking back on on my Strava feeds, my local rides all conform to the 1000 ft per 10 mile ratio.
Approaching my middle 60's now I don't think I'm doing so bad after all! Also I'm encouraged to find that I'm still improving and able to crest some climbs that previously had me beaten.

 

[nickyboy]

Yeah. I reckon that ties in with my own views. As things go above that 1.5%, then my swearing correlates in a linear manner.

I have managed a 3.5% day in the mountains, that had an awful lot of profanity.

Don't forget that 1500m/100km equates to an average gradient of 3%, on the assumption that the downhills are the same grade as the uphills. Your 3.5% must have been a 7% average which sounds like a nightmare

 

[Twizit]

how many kilos of luggage did you have?

About 92kg..... of me It certainly wasn't quick!!

 

[Ajax Bay]

Well we came down the Crowcombe climb (which has two sets of double arrows on the OS 50,000 map) 7 hours into the Coast and Quantocks 200 last month and I was deeply envious of Jim's hydraulics disks and at the same time thinking 'Blimey, this 'd be seriously hard coming up'.

 

[Cubist]

As an only occasional road cyclist I find that the hills have an effect on the type of riding you do. Any local ride means the dreaded 100 feet in ten miles, and average speeds are lower than many of the flatland dwellers. However, a thirty mile ride is a good workout, and I tend to plan routes arou d the twenty to thirty miles mark.

I occasionally treat myself to a day out in or around York, where I can happily do 50 or more miles. Strangely enough the practice of spinning at a constant rhythm/cadence takes a lot of getting used to compared with the climb, climb, climb, climb descend, climb, climb, climb, descend interval stuff a ride here tends to generate.

 

[ColinJ]

I like hills but the problem I have is that in order to escape the busy valley roads in and out of Todmorden, the most obvious choice is Cross Stone Road. That leads to some lovely alternative roads and would be fine if it were only 5-10% gradient but it has a long initial section of 15-20% which is a killer with just 1 km of a warm-up. I should start doing 10-15 minutes on my spinning bike before setting off up that way.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Here's a handy table to convert some of the various measurements we've been using

...m/100km...ft/10mi..mi/1000ft
.......947.......500.......20.0
.....1,000.......528.......18.9
.....1,250.......660.......15.2
.....1,420.......750.......13.3
.....1,500.......792.......12.6
.....1,894.....1,000.......10.0
.....2,000.....1,056........9.5

Edit. Bah. Not as legible as I'd hoped

Usual disclaimer applies. I am an idiot. This could be all wrong.

 

[Ian H]

Well we came down the Crowcombe climb (which has two sets of double arrows on the OS 50,000 map) 7 hours into the Coast and Quantocks 200 last month and I was deeply envious of Jim's hydraulics disks and at the same time thinking 'Blimey, this 'd be seriously hard coming up'.

I have managed 56mph on that descent, but this year it was damp and there was a car ahead.

 

[Ihatehills]

My usual 20 mile loop has 1260 ft of climbing according to Garmin. That is the flattest route I can find around me and that's plenty hilly enough for me thanks.

 

[mythste]

My usual 20 mile loop has 1260 ft of climbing according to Garmin. That is the flattest route I can find around me and that's plenty hilly enough for me thanks.

As your username suggests!

 

[marcusjb]

Don't forget that 1500m/100km equates to an average gradient of 3%, on the assumption that the downhills are the same grade as the uphills. Your 3.5% must have been a 7% average which sounds like a nightmare

Col du Tourmalet (2115m)
Serrat du Gaye (1230m)
Hourquette d'Ancizan (1564m)
Col de Val Louron-Azet (1580m)
Col de Peyresourde (1563m)
Col du Portillon (1293m)
Port de la Bonaigua (2072m)

Insane day on a bike for sure. Many rude words used.

 

[Sea of vapours]

I think I like hills. I suspect that constant effort on the flat would come into the 'hard work' category for me due to the lack of resting on the downhill bits and based largely on a couple of excursions a bit too far east into the flatlands of the Vale of York. Living here in the northern hills also has the upside that I can easily convince myself that my average speeds would be much higher on the flat Later this year, I'm finally going to cycle somewhere other than the 'Yorkshire Dales and other hilly bits nearby' when visiting a friend. Except, he lives in the Pyrenees, so that may not work out too well then

 

[oldfatfool]

Anything over 3000m/ 100km is certainly getting a bit bumpy especially with luggage