My first categorised climb

[rockpig]

I didn't mean to start an argument folks. I rode up a steep hill (for me), Strava showed it as a cat 4, I thought that interesting as it's the first time I've seen any indication following a ride.

I'm thinking of introducing my own personal categories. Most hills around me result in a "bloody hell" as I get to the top of them. Today's was a "f**k me!" about half way up :-)

 

[madferret]

I didn't mean to start an argument folks. I rode up a steep hill (for me), Strava showed it as a cat 4, I thought that interesting as it's the first time I've seen any indication following a ride.

I'm thinking of introducing my own personal categories. Most hills around me result in a "bloody hell" as I get to the top of them. Today's was a "f**k me!" about half way up :-)

In time the F**k me's will become bloody hells!

 

[welsh dragon]

Don't take any notice of the party poopers. Well done on you're achievement. Any accomplishment is well deserved. Enjoy the moment and I hope there are many more for you. @rockpig

 

[EnPassant]

Same, I can now make what strava describes as a cat 4 near here, and I couldn't before.
Ok, it's not perfect at rating, particularly if it has categorised flat roads as hills. Also I personally find short and steep far harder than long and shallow. But it's usable, much better than nothing and it's free.

To be honest the UCI business may well be true, but I get more than a bit peed off with the lives of day to day riders being continually compromised by a few elite athletes. I'm thinking of the gearing on bikes (probably too high on cheapo road 'race' bikes), disc brakes and yes, helmets. Whether one agrees or disagrees with what the UCI does on behalf of professionals of whom there are a few thousand, its impact on millions of cyclists worldwide is too high in my view. Of course cycling is not the only sport, or even the only area of life where a few individuals carry far too much weight (pun unintentional, but I'm not removing it ).

 

[Roadrider48]

Don't take any notice of the party poppers. Well done on you're achievement. Any accomplishment is well deserved. Enjoy the moment and I hope there are many more for you. @rockpig

This ^^^^

 

[PeteXXX]

Maybe there's a new hill climb categorisation, courtesy of @rockpig
Bloody Hill
F**k Me

Well done on the personal achievement.. Any hill you conquer is a good day.

 

[rockpig]

Maybe there's a new hill climb categorisation, courtesy of @rockpig
Bloody Hill
F**k Me

Well done on the personal achievement.. Any hill you conquer is a good day.

Thanks. I think my overall classification system is...

• Oh, not as bad as I thought <-- quite a few near me
• Bloody hell <-- several near me
• F**k me <-- encountered today for the first time
• I am going to die on this bike <-- not got to this one yet

 

[PeteXXX]

Thanks. I think my overall classification system is...

• Oh, not as bad as I thought <-- quite a few near me
• Bloody hell <-- several near me
• F**k me <-- encountered today for the first time
• I am going to die on this bike <-- not got to this one yet

That's the spirit!

 

[rockpig]

Thanks for all the replies. I hadn't realised categorised climbs could be such a contentious topic. At the end of the day, as long as we're all out riding our bikes it's a good thing, right.

 

[mjr]

I'm thinking of the gearing on bikes (probably too high on cheapo road 'race' bikes),

In general, I can understand it. It's much easier to sell unsuspecting marks the same kit that Tommy Simpson / Eddy Merckx / Greg LeMond / NAME DELETED BY UCI / Bradley Wiggins uses in huge volumes than it is to sell sensible everyday kit.

But one that surprised me is old English three-speed roadsters. Despite being very practical bikes, the gearing was still "f**k me, pass the amphetamines". Maybe it was to help sell SA sprockets, but they were never going to get rich off them.

disc brakes

Quite right. Who the heck wants disc brakes that scrape away if someone knocks them in the cycle park? Hub brakes are much more practical.

and yes, helmets

I'm not going there!

Anyway, the true personal categorisation of hills is what size gear you have to push to get up it.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@rockpig nice one, there are a few Cat4 on strava near here but its easy to see they are not.
There is a formula to determine the difficulty of a climb its

CLIMBBYBIKE-INDEX
(H*100/D)*2 + H²/D + D/1000 + (T-1000)/100


Whereby: H = difference in height; D = distance in meters; T = top of mountain in meters

The last part of the formula does only apply to mountains above 1000 meters.

I use an adaptation of this to determine how difficult a ride I do is, either per ride or as an accumulation over time as in this monthly table.

From that you can work out how difficult the days ride is and per mile. It also shows that some short rides with lots of bumps is more difficult than long flat rides (but we all know that right)

 

[vickster]

Good job. Given your location in Surrey, if wanting to ride a UCI Cat 2 apparently head over to Box Hill. It's not especially hard but on a clear day the view from the top is nice, give Leith and others a go too while you're over there

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/London–Surrey_Classic

 

[kipster]

@rockpig I ride in that area, there are some great hills, Combe Gibbet, one of the Top 100 climbs, short and steep. Walbury hill, used by a local club for their hill climb. Walbury hill is the highest natural point in the South East.

 

[huggy]

UCI climb classification has a good bit of art involved in it over science. On a flat stage one or more minor bumps will be rated, to add interest and actually make sure someone gets the KOM jersey. Then in the hills the category of a climb changes depending where in the days stage it appears.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

[QUOTE 4503904, member: 9609"]Is there a formula for working out category - for instance a hill which i will be on tomorrow (which is hard work) is 2.26mile with 586' ascent[/QUOTE]
Converting to metric those figures would give a score of 2.30 (excluding the 1,000 meter bit)
an example by comparison a cat3 (according to strava) of 609ft over 3.4 miles is 2.56
Taking the 3.4miles but using 586ft you get 2.50 even though grade would be less because you climb the same height over a longer distance its more difficult. now take the 609ft over your 2.26 miles and you get 2.36.
One of my climbs home is only 83ft in 0.2 miles but has a score of 0.50