Originally Posted by
PeteHski
I run a compact 50/34 chainset and 11-34 cassette. So my lowest gear is 1:1. My FTP is around 300W and I currently weigh around 180 lbs. I can ride up 20%+ slopes on that setup fairly comfortably at a slow walking pace i.e. 2-3 mph. But cadence is very low at that speed, definitely not sitting and spinning! But I can keep moving without smashing myself, while guys on bigger gearing are often having to push power way above their threshold just to prevent stalling out. On an 8% slope I can climb all day at a steady pace on this gear setup. Someone will no doubt come along in a minute talking about spinning at a 1000 rpm and going nowhere, but on any slope above 10% I'm not going to be spinning at more than 80 rpm for any length of time in a 34/34 gear. The reality is more like in the low to moderate 50-70 rpm range. Just to compare, my mtb lowest gear is 30/50 and that is actually about perfect for spinning effortlessly up a 12% slope at about 5 mph. But that's a heavier FS bike with 2.35" off-road tyres. My sustained climbing power is about the same as yours i.e. 225-250W, which I can hold for a couple of hours of alpine climbing. I can push 400W for a few minutes if I really need to, but then fatigue is soon going to put a stop to that!
that's very interesting. i definitely am not seeking hours of alpine climbing and 20% is more than i'd seek out, but there are lots of 1000-2000' 8-15% climbs around here that i'd like to continue doing. as is, i throw about 100w of bike power into the mix for climbs like that.
225-250 is definitely doable for hours, but my power curve falls off very fast because my heart just can't sustain those 400w efforts for more than an anaerobic duration. the below is from my first few months of riding, heart rate never exceeding 125 and average around 110 on a typical ride. i can do better, and will get stronger but not by a huge amount i'm guessing, maybe another 25% or something as i get more "efficient." the bottom line, it seems, is that it should be possible to climb up to perhaps a long 12% grade at 225w for someone my size. 14lb less bike and 10% shorter gearing would make a big difference, i think.
