Hill climbing speed

[suthers]

Hi there, Im really trying to work on getting my hill climbing better and I was just wondering, what speed do top hill climbers roughly go when facing gradients of say 5% and then the steeper 8-9%? Im just trying to get a rough ball park figure so i know what general area to aim, obviously the faster the better but it would be good to know!

Cheers in advance!

 

[RedBike]

I suppose it all depends on the length of the hill. I would probably go up a long 5% climb slower than a short 8-9% rise.

 

[wyno70]

Is 5% actually a hill??

 

[Gerry Attrick]

When you have tackled a few, you will find your own pace with which you are comfortable. Some riders have to attack a hill, others wind themselves up it. Hills never get easy, they only get easier!

 

[SimonRoberts0204]

When you have tackled a few, you will find your own pace with which you are comfortable. Some riders have to attack a hill, others wind themselves up it. Hills never get easy, they only get easier!

Surely not easier, only faster!

 

[asterix]

I don't know but here's a picture of the lead riders in the womens TdF just arriving at the summit of the col du Tourmalet.

They don't look too bothered, do they?

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Surely not easier, only faster!

At my age? What's faster mean?

 

[RedBike]

Now thats what I need to get me up a climb quickly.

Something like that to follow!

 

[rich p]

Surely not easier, only faster!

I'll go along with that!

When people say things like, "When you get fitter...." they are ignoring the fact that fitness varies for us all. It's not a smooth upward path. Consequently I 'm forever pushing the limits given my fitness at that particular time. I sometimes wish my mentality would let me cruise around!

 

[gavintc]

Hill climbing is for me hard. I work hard, lose weight, practice but hill climbing never gets easy. Occasionally the pedals really flow. But, I wish I could do it better. I find that following a wheel helps. I also find it is better not to look up, but to concentrate on the next 5m at a time. I cannot give an average speed. It does vary, but I am not a good climber.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Hill climbing is for me hard. I work hard, lose weight, practice but hill climbing never gets easy. Occasionally the pedals really flow. But, I wish I could do it better. I find that following a wheel helps. I also find it better it is better not to look up, but to concentrate on the next 5m at a time. I cannot give an average speed. It does vary, but I am not a good climber.

Which appears to illustrate my above point nicely.

 

[Randochap]

Depends.

 

[suthers]

Thanks for the replies. I suppose I'll just have to keep slogging at it and shed the pounds. I dont suppose anyone knows how long it took the contador/armstrong/wiggins group to do mount ventoux this year at the tour?

 

[gavintc]

I am told 1 hour. A couple of years ago, I achieved 1 hr 45 mins and one of our friends managed 1 hr 30 mins. An hour is just so hard to comprehend when I think back to the pain and suffering that I went through - almost twice my speed.

 

[suthers]

so 21kph, hmm, thats depressingly fast considering on the steeper 8% gradients around me im stuck on 11-12kph and thats only for a max of 1k. I dont suppose you know what speed the peleton did the climb in?