I would have already known was coming. I plot my new routes using OS maps and I look out for the chevron symbols. A single chevron is ok (14-20%) - I know that I can handle
those hills. Double chevrons... Houston, we
might have a problem (20+%)! I would have a look on Streetview and also search online to see if anybody had described riding up that hill.
I took the precaution of putting a triple chainset and big cassette on my bike so I have a much better chance of getting up those nasty steep ramps!
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If you are on such a steep ramp that you are about to fall off, no braking required - you will come to a halt in less than 1 second and you need all of that time to get your foot unclipped so leave the brakes alone!
Don't even think about attempting that turn - if the hill is as steep as you say, you would likely fall off!
Funnily enough, I just found a diary from when I got back into cycling in 1989. I found a report of riding up a monster local climb but failing 3/4 of the way up. I can clearly remember it happening - I had managed the 10% bits. I had got up the 15%. I survived the 20% and had suffered like hell up the 25% and I thought that I was going to get round the LH bend after which the gradient settles back down to a manageable level. An idiot driver had other plans for me...
Got up this...
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But the driver overtook me on this evil bend, which is about 35% on the inside, forcing me onto the cobbled bit...
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My legs seized up and I fell to my left, fortunately landing on the grassy bank. I had toeclips and straps on that bike so it was impossible for me to dismount in a hurry. I saw the error of my ways and replaced the pedals...
Unfortunately, I replaced them with Look Deltas (as you can see in the photos above). They were the model before the Keos, but the same idea - a big piece of slippery plastic attached to the soles of your shoes. Not good for emergency dismounts! In the photo above with my bike halfway up the 25% ramp, I had actually just done an emergency dismount, fearing that I was not going to make it round that bend. Guess what? Yes, the Delta cleat slipped from under me and I nearly faceplanted on the road!
So... the Deltas had to go too! Now, all of my bikes have mountain bike-type SPD pedals on. The aggressive tread and recessed cleats on SPD shoes are ideal for panic dismounts.
You are missing riding up 20-30% ramps!
Put it this way, if you are fit enough to ride up climbs that steep fast enough to be able to coast for 1-2 seconds then you probably would not be having to dismount...
Pardon me, but, er -
billhooks!
Here is a Pennine packhorse trail with 2 cyclists on it...
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I'm sure that there are
some cyclists who could get up that climb on their bikes, but I didn't make it and those 2 didn't either - we were all pretty fit at the time. I'd guess that 90% of riders would walk the steepest part of it.