ofajen

Yeah, I’m thinking I’d want my MTB tires on those cobbles, and an MTB triple with a 22 in front and at least a 32 in back would be handy. Better a 36. Either that or I’m going to consider it more of a running race but that really isn’t the spirit of the thing. The irony is that I’d place far from last on several hills if I rode (walked) it single speed.

Otto

spelger

i only watched one. i thought it was crap. they are already going up a steep hill so are slow. why slow down the video? they look comical to me.

burnthesheep

Boring short ones. Just little hills coming out of creek beds really. The largest locally being maybe 140 feet vert over 1/4 mile or so. Sometimes they have a super short 15 seconds worth of double digit % grade, but it always averages out to only maybe 5 to 8%.

Very boring.

It's a 2hr 15min drive west to get to any "climbs". These hills here aren't climbs. But they're enough the group rides always favor fast flatter stuff.

OldTryGuy

MY SW FL riding typically provides 100'+/- elevation for me so my challenge is going to Dahlonega Ga. for SIX Gap Century with 11,000' over 104 miles.

https://6gap.com/

Calsun

In California grades of up to 26% are legal and something one encounters even in hilly coastal areas. I learned quickly that I needed to turn wider than usual on a steep grade as the inside corner on a right turn could be at 75 degrees or more at the edge of the pavement which can quickly stop you in your tracks. I have been on steep grades where the dirt on the road caused my rear wheel to slip and that is very discomforting.

What amazes me with the pro bike riders is how they can average 30 mph up a 15% grade that is miles in length. With my own riding I have to keep my head down and not try to look for the top of the grade. Oftern there are mutiple false tops and it is discouraging to think you are at the top and come around a bend and see still more climbing ahead.

tomato coupe

The inside corner is as steep as your bike's seat tube? I don't think so. And, 30 mph up 15% for miles. Another strong no on that one.

KPREN

Where I live the only thing relatively flat is tow paths and rail trails. It's both glaciated and unglaciated Appalachian Plateau. I live on top of a ridge that is 1,250 ft. Less than a mile away its 830 ft. It's an area of nasty little short steep hills all over the place. 6-20% grades. A constant max effort then nothing and back to max.
Last week I took one of those sand two tracks under a 256,000 volt powerline. I was on my 1,100 watt e fat bike and still had my ass handed to me. Sand with grades over 30%. I had Maxxis Minion 4.8" tires at 5 psi with 42 tooth Chainring and 46 tooth cassette ring pumping out 160NM of torque at about 3-4 mph. Up over the handlebars and still looped out a couple times. When you are going to hit deep sand you get rid of the bike at the first sign things are going south. The dog in the back pack on my back was not really very happy with me. They put power lines where nobody wants to do anything else. On a couple of the climbs I throttled the bike and let it drag me on foot up the hill. Like being drug behind a four wheeler. Max heartrate in 10 feet then rest holding both brake levers. The only way out once you go down one of those grades. I don't think I will try it again. About and hour and a half for 4 miles Old people don't belong doing that stuff.

It doesn't look as steep as it is. Notice there are no fresh vehicle track, only animal tracks.

sean.hwy

Did you mean kmh instead of mph ?

Is this for real? Just doing 30mph solo on road bike ( not a TT bike ) it's almost impossible ( not sprinting for a few minutes )



article from 2017 though. so guess everyone could be much faster
https://www.flobikes.com/articles/67...de-france-pros

Average Speed on Flat Ground: 25-28 mph

Average Speed Climbing: 12.8 mph

Paul Barnard

I live in New Orleans where there are no hills. I ride out west nearly every summer and typically tackle a few Cat 2 and an occasional Cat 1 climbs. I don't use off the shelf gearing though. My bad knees force slow and steady.

Bald Paul

Sounds like me. When the group hits a good climb, they pass, I fail.
Here in Upstate SC we have a lot of climbs, some of them very challenging. I always try to route out proposed rides on RideWithGPS, just to give myself an idea of the grade chart along the route. If I see long climbs greater than 8% or so, I think about my bad knee, and opt out. (I like to walk without crutches, too.)
I just switched bikes, from Shimano 50/34 with 11-32 to Sram 46/33 with 10-36. Don't use the lowest gear often, but it sure is nice knowing it's there.

terrymorse 

No, a pro cyclist can’t maintain 30 mph up a 15% grade. Not even close.

A top-level pro’s speed at 15% is about 7 mph.

livedarklions

Obviously, you are not watching the Tour d'E-Bike.

big john

I would say a 26% grade would be extremely rare in Southern California, except Fargo Street and other short residential street. On the open roads the steepest thing around me is Balcom Canyon which has a section of 23%. There is a bit of 20% on Las Flores climbing from PCH. Maybe some on Deer Creek, too. Most of the climbing we do is between 5 and 8% with some 10 or 15 here and there.

You know that 45 degrees is 100%, right? So 75 degrees would figure out to 373%, or so.

t2p

when the discussion includes pro bike riders and average speed - I quickly recall the 1989 TDF / Greg Lemond with his incredible performance in the last time trial to win the TDF ... his average speed was around 34 mph for the time trial (approx 15 mile time trial)

that's honkin

indyfabz

There were reports that some in the crowd booed Fignon as he came down the stretch.

jnbrown

Los Gatos road near Fallbrook, CA.

terrymorse 

Monitor Pass, east side, the 26% bit. Central California, I guess.

LarrySellerz

I live on a hill that maxes out at like 18% its garbage i walk up it like half the time

big john

I rarely have ridden that far south. I have been up to Julian, nice ride. Do you climb that thing? How long is the steep part?

big john

The ATOC just above the 23% section.

terrymorse 

What road?

big john

It's Balcom Canyon. It's one kilometer of steep but the 23% is shorter. I've climb it a few times. Once for the race and on the steep section a friend of mine came out of the crowd and pushed me for a while. It was amazing getting pushed. Last time out there we went over the other way and there is an 18% section on the other side, then you have to descend the steep part. I was worried about my rim brakes getting too hot, you can't just let 'er rip.

The road connects the area of Moorpark to the farmlands going to Santa Paula.

terrymorse 

I found another steep photo, this is the climb up to Pacific Grade Summit, on Ebbetts Pass National Scenic Byway (Hwy 4). Only 24%.

Taken from the bike.

big john

So you big-ring that part? I have some more steep pics but photo bucket is holding them hostage.

terrymorse 

Sure, no biggie. The big ring is only a 50-toother.