Originally Posted by
rm -rf
Low gears!
I see your bike list has 2010 or older bikes. The 2010 Cannondale Six came with a 12-25 cassette, like many road bikes of the period.
Now, 11-28 is standard, and 11-32 comes on many bikes. I changed to an 11-32, it "just barely" fits on my short cage Ultegra derailleur, even though it's past the recommended range for the derailleur.
I can ride up 8% - 10% grades staying seated now. At a slow speed, below 4 mph, it's a very low cadence, but it's a moderate pedal pressure. I can climb much longer hills without burning matches. And the low gears are nice for spinning up an easy to moderate grade.
It's possible to retrofit an older bike with a long cage derailleur that accommodates bigger cassettes.
Long climbs
It's all about pacing if the gearing is low enough. I'd rather climb a 1500 foot 7% grade than do 5 repeats of a 300 foot 7% climb. There's no temptation to sprint near the top, just set a pace and climb steadily. And the big climbs tend to be scenic, too.
That 3 mile long, 8% average climb sounds challenging to me, but very doable. I've climbed up the similar grade, 4 mile long Mt Mitchell park road with no problems.
Yes, I'll admit the gears are probably not (yet) low enough, but a new cassette should fix that. The SIX has a compact crankset, and I may have an 11-28 cassette stashed away somewhere. I was using a compact crank and a 26 or 28 tooth "granny" when I last tried Paris Mtn, my second attempt. I blew up on the first! My legs gave out on the second, 100 yards from the summit! We have a lot of rollers around here, but not much for sustained pacing, so I'm kinda stuck with hill repeats for now.
I "trained" much like you seven years ago, using group rides to push my fitness levels. I may tag along on some rides next year. No way I could keep up this season.
I see you're a fan of power meters. Any particular recommendations? I was thinking of pedal systems, but a PowerTap rear wheel might be a better option.