Originally Posted by
CAT7RDR
I fit the bill of an average 200+lbs rec rider.
What I am getting to is do not engage in self-defeating assertions that a steep grade is too much to attempt.
What I have learned is some strategy is involved in taking one's time and not going into the red too soon.
Sure gears help, but so does mixing it up with out of the saddle stair stepping, seated slow grinding and spinning at a normal cadence until the grade exhausts that option.
I have several 20% grades within a few miles of my front door. I am nothing special by any means but I no longer have trepidation about steep grades. There are some on dirt roads even steeper locally. Those are to be built up to and the idea of a motor does not even register.
I'm also 200+ pounds. I don't need to engage in self-defeating assertions about a 22% grade on a road bike because I have climbed that one several times, the first time over 30 years ago. It's too steep to serve any real purpose, it's not fun, and I will probably never do it again.
I think about 15% is about as steep as I care to do on a road bike. I generally don't stand up on such climbs and I generally don't tack across the road. On a mountain bike I will climb steep stuff sometimes but I have a much lower gear.
I've gone to the Fargo Street hillclimb several times but only as a spectator, (it's around 33%). Several of my friends have done it and I went with some junior trackies and one of them climbed it like it was easy.
I actually don't know of any 20% grades near home and have to travel to get to one. The 23% grade I mentioned earlier is in Moorpark and was used in the ATOC.