Gradient percentages

[compo]

I have never really got my head around hills expressed as percentages like 10% etc. such as we see on the Giro and other mountain stages of races. I am used to 1 in 10 and the like. Anyway is a 10% climb a climb of 10 feet every 100 feet (or metres if you are foreign) and multiples of it, or have I totally misunderstood it. Keep it simple please, my education stopped at 12 years old. Seriously. I said climb, but I assume it is the same measurement for descents as well.

 

[musa]

If I'm not mistaken, I believe its do with the level of steepness

Correct me if wrong please

 

[jdtate101]

Good Old wikipedia to the rescue:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_(slope)

 

[compo]

Quote from Wikipeda:
as a percentage, the formula for which is

which could also be expressed as the tangent of the angle of inclination times 100.


Yes!!

 

[oldfatfool]

10% is 1 in 10,
25% is 1 in 4,
50% is 1 in 2,
100% is 1 in 1

So it is quite possible to have a gradient over 100%, though I wouldn't suggest it on a bike it is one scary drop: 106% on a funicular

http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/tra...le-railways/lake-gelmer-vertical-thrills.html

 

[musa]

Quote from Wikipeda:
as a percentage, the formula for which is

which could also be expressed as the tangent of the angle of inclination times 100.


Yes!!

run is the length of road per say
rise is the height on the hill if you want to call it that so (rise/run)*100

 

[musa]

d = run​

Δh = rise​

l = slope length​

α = angle of inclination​

 

[MontyVeda]

If I'm not mistaken, I believe its do with the level of steepness

Correct me if wrong please

I thought it was to do with how slopey a hill is?

 

[musa]

I thought it was to do with how slopey a hill is?

yeah, exactly what I've written

 

[compo]

Mars Bar to Oldfatfool with my thanks.

His explanation made sense. No doubt all the others did as well even if I couldn't make head nor tail of much of it!

 

[Gary E]

Basically there are 3 gradients:

Hard
'kin' hard
and get off and walk!

Hope this clears things up for you

 

[MontyVeda]

Mars Bar to Oldfatfool with my thanks.

His explanation made sense.
...

what doesn't make sense is why 1:10 (or 10%) is such hard work

 

[oldfatfool]

what doesn't make sense is why 1:10 (or 10%) is such hard work

I know a meagre angle of incline of 9 deg (10%), looks sack all on a Protractor

 

[youngoldbloke]

what doesn't make sense is why 1:10 (or 10%) is such hard work

Depends which way you're going. Isn't it something to do with gravity?
Re the OP - I was brought up on the '1 in 10' system. Nowadays I divide 100 by the % number on the signto give me a rough idea - for example 12% = 100/12 = 8 (and a 1/2) = 1 in 8, more or less. 8% would be 1 in 12 (and a 1/2), 7% = 1 in 14 (and a bit), and so on.

 

[ColinJ]

106% on a funicular

http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/tra...le-railways/lake-gelmer-vertical-thrills.html

Er, how many Swiss Francs does it cost not to be sent down on that thing!