ibanez350ex

hey at experienced cyclists who regularly ride on the roads, let's say your going along flat part then 100metres ahead is a steep hill 17% what is your tatic for this? i see where they seem to gradually shift down but not straight away. i think it depends on your level of fitness to what ratio will work well, ive never been up a steep hill yet on my bike, just short inclines and ive practiced standing up aswel as some people say its harder going up hill while just sitting down.
i think they say it's the smallest chainring with the largest cassette but the experienced riders may adjust or do it differently or even get off bike and walk up hill with bike, that will probably be me for a while lol

indyfabz

17%?

WhyFi

Ski lift.

spelger

I routinely go up a 4-6% grade. Don’t think much about it. Sit all the way up, about 6-8 miles long. There is an 11% grade it the area that I have taken once, short, maybe half a mile. Nearly killed me. 17%...are there such beasts?

ibanez350ex

there's quite a few that hills that are between 11 to 17 percent gradient. it's quite hilly at cornwall uk. i think there's one in the guinness book of records at new new zealand 33% and if you see youtube they get stuck and have to cycle side to side at times zig zag up as it looks really knackering.

Machka 

There are some 17%s here in Tassie too.

The hill on a main road nearby is 10%.
The road in front of our house gets to 14%.
The next road over is 18%.

surak

Shift up a few cogs on the rear and shift to little chainring approaching the hill to not kill all your momentum. Shift down the rear as appropriate once attacking said hill. If you don't have the stamina, don't stand up except on the steepest bits.

If it's a long steady grade, try to pace it rather than surge at the bottom and get exhausted because gravity won't give you a chance to recover before making it to the top. This is tricky for most because we instinctively push harder uphill, but it saps way more energy to go harder than steady state than most of us physiologically get back by easing up to recover.

If you know you can't make it all the way, better to get off the bike slightly sooner rather than when you're completely winded, just to avoid possibly tipping over. I might have personal experience with this.

OTOH, if you think you have even the slightest chance to make it all the way up, don't give up! Pushing past what you thought were your limits is a crucial aspect to getting stronger and faster.

wphamilton

Every crazy grade like that, that I encounter, is a very short section. My own strength is peak power (or I should say my weakness is aerobic power since it's all relative) so here's how I'd approach it. Get out of the saddle and charge at the hill, 25 mph at least before you get to it, and gut it out for 30 seconds. Milk the momentum, everything you've got. Congratulate yourself at the top for your climbing prowess knowing that most will be struggling with their granny gear, if they even make it.

Fahrenheit531 

17%? Find a different route.

Seriously though, the best I can offer is be sure you start the climb in the gear you plan to finish in; your bike isn't going to want to shift with that kind of tension on the chain.

DrIsotope

QFT. There isn't a public road above 13% within a 30 mile radius of where I'm sitting, and I live at the base of the tallest mountain in SoCal.

8% is plenty steep. 17% is just "I hope I can make it to the top of this without falling over."

NomarsGirl

What does a 17% grade even look like? For your sake, I hope it's a short segment and not a long climb. I have enough trouble with the rolling hills around here.

WhyFi

Being too fat for this sport, and having mostly short hills in my area, I regularly attack them, too. I call this approach the Fat Man's Gambit.

Tandem Tom

I laugh at hills!!

fietsbob

I use my 2 foot gear..

woodcraft

I take a running start & shift down as the hill ramps up.

Sometimes get passed by the slow & steady ones before the top but

maybe I'm putting out less effort overall.

For the really steep, it is sometimes a kind of rest step- 1/2 pedal stroke, track stand a moment, another 1/2 pedal stroke, etc..

Point of pride to not mail-man or (shudder) walk.


If I'm on the 70/11, I just... oh, never mind...

Sojodave

Vomit on the side of the road before the hill and people won't think any less of you if you don't go up that 17% hill.

eja_ bottecchia

puma1552

Make sure you are mentally ready to unclip before you drop to 1 mph and have to bail...

Cyclist0108

We have one near where I live. I find it hard. Praxis makes a crank called "Alba" that is named after it. Sadly, I need something even lower than the Alba to get up Alba. I also need to stop half-way up. My kid flies up it without drama.

https://pjammcycling.com/climb/430.Alba%20Road

Since it is local, I "have" to be able to do it, but I still find it a struggle.

bobwysiwyg

I'm with you, 17% is definitely ultimate granny gear for me.

02Giant 

17%...I'm driving up.

Cyclist0108

It is arguably worse going down.

wolfchild

Get some momentum, stand up on the pedals and ride up.

Machka 

I could show you a photo but photos don't show grades well.

Machka 

The OP is in the UK ... known for steep hills.