Originally Posted by
WhyFi
This is my biggest stumbling block/objection to climbing (other than being a fat ass) - I feel like I should be moving along at a decent clip with FTP-ish efforts, so to be crawling along offends my sensibilities.
That said, I've never endured a "real" climb, and I'm sure that I would feel some sense of satisfaction upon cresting after a long effort.
Once the gradient gets into the double digits, I feel like even it's still crawling along even for the super fit.... And that just isn't fun IMO!
A low gradient climb with favorable wind (no headwind) can be enjoyable if the scenery is nice, I'll admit that much. Sunrise Hwy in San Diego is like 5% avg and often has a tailwind, and it is nice to climb from desert chaparral into a more coniferous/mountain ecology.