Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Road Cycling
Reload this Page >

How high up before you can feel the affects of altitude?

Notices
Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

How high up before you can feel the affects of altitude?

Old 07-27-14, 09:37 PM
  #1  
ISPringle
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
ISPringle's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 72

Bikes: Trek MTB, Fit Bike Co. Mac 3, Shogun 100

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
How high up before you can feel the affects of altitude?

Hey guys! I'm debating whether or not I want to do the Virginia Six Gap Century in three weeks. Three things are holding me back from just going for it. The smallest is that it's a three hour drive and the race starts at 8am, meaning I have to leave before 5am or I have camp out the night before. Second, I'm not entirely sure I want to see 8100 feet of gain. But both of these are things I can suck up and overcome.

What's much more worrying is that I am riding at an average elevation of 3000 feet. For some people that may not seem like much, but I live and ride around sea level. My 20 mile loop that I usually do everyday sees 2000 feet of gain, but that's made up of numerous short, steep hills followed be an equally short, steep descent. I've never rode my road bike at this elevation and that's what concerns me. Am I just worried about nothing, or is 3000 feet going to be noticeable?

Last edited by ISPringle; 07-28-14 at 09:50 PM.
ISPringle is offline  
Old 07-27-14, 10:00 PM
  #2  
squatchy
squatchy
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Denver
Posts: 428

Bikes: S-works Roubaix, S-works Tarmac, Gary Fisher Promethius, Tommasini Competion, Eddy Merckx Corsa 01

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I live at 5280 ft and climb to 14,000. I don't really think I notice the elevation even at the highest passes. I think it would depend on what kind of shape your in to some degree. I seriously doubt that is high enough to even give a second thought
squatchy is offline  
Old 07-27-14, 10:06 PM
  #3  
rpenmanparker 
Senior Member
 
rpenmanparker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 28,682

Bikes: 1990 Romic Reynolds 531 custom build, Merlin Works CR Ti custom build, super light Workswell 066 custom build

Mentioned: 109 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6556 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 58 Times in 36 Posts
I don't feel the altitude in normal non-strenuous activities until about 9,000 feet and then only for a few days. But even at Lake Tahoe which is 6,300 feet, my cycling wind is considerably hampered for a long time after first arriving.
__________________
Robert

Originally Posted by LAJ
No matter where I go, here I am...
rpenmanparker is offline  
Old 07-27-14, 10:26 PM
  #4  
prathmann
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Bay Area, Calif.
Posts: 7,239
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 659 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times in 6 Posts
It varies considerably between individuals and isn't well-correlated with fitness. For health considerations there usually aren't any significant issues below 8000' which is the maximum pressure-altitude mandated for commercial airline flights, but, as noted by Robert, many people notice effects when doing strenuous exercise at slightly lower altitudes. But I wouldn't expect you to feel much of an effect on a ride that stays below 4000'.
prathmann is offline  
Old 07-27-14, 10:41 PM
  #5  
NormanF
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,737
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 147 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times in 8 Posts
I live at 7000 ft in Colorado and I don't feel any ill affects. If you want to go higher than 10000 ft, give yourself time to acclimate to the thinner atmosphere and oxygen levels.

Airline cabins are pressurized to 22000 ft, which is normal cruising altitude and a lot higher than most humans will ever live.
NormanF is offline  
Old 07-27-14, 10:44 PM
  #6  
MattFoley
Senior Member
 
MattFoley's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 614
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I've been to 6000 feet and got winded climbing the stairs where I was staying, but then last year I did Col du Galibier (~8600 ft) and didn't really feel the altitude at all. I mean, I felt like I was exerting a lot of effort, but 21 miles of 6% average grade will do that to you at any altitude. Frankly, I felt better at the top of Col du Galibier than I did the first few miles out of St. Michel de Maurienne, which is at 2300 ft.
MattFoley is offline  
Old 07-27-14, 11:01 PM
  #7  
Leinster
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: location location
Posts: 3,033

Bikes: MBK Super Mirage 1991, CAAD10, Yuba Mundo Lux, and a Cannondale Criterium Single Speed

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 343 Post(s)
Liked 292 Times in 205 Posts
I spent a year living at 5,000ft in Oregon. I didn't notice the thinner air from day-to-day, but when I moved back to sea level my average speed on solo rides over similar terrain went up by more than 10%.
Leinster is offline  
Old 07-28-14, 02:34 AM
  #8  
DXchulo
Upgrading my engine
 
DXchulo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Alamogordo
Posts: 6,218
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 125 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Reno is ~4500 feet. Before I moved here I did quite a few trips from sea level to 4500. I never really noticed a difference on flat rides. On climbing rides it's hard to say because there weren't any climbs where I lived at the time, so was it altitude or did I just suck at climbing? I'd bet it was the latter.

Flagstaff is about 7000 feet. When I went from sea level to FLG, I could feel the difference. I'd feel it on even the easiest of rides.

I did the Alta Alpina Challenge last month, and it gets into the 8000s. The altitude didn't do anything to me, but I talked to a few guys from the Bay Area and they were quick to mention the altitude.

I don't think you'll notice a difference. 3000 feet isn't enough. You're going to need a different excuse for why it hurts so much.
DXchulo is offline  
Old 07-28-14, 08:31 AM
  #9  
rms13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: SoCal
Posts: 6,517
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 276 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 3 Posts
I have not ridden much higher than 2000 feet but I've been hiking past 11,000 and for me I don't notice anything until 8-9000 feet. And I think I'm more sensitive than a lot of people because I know people that I hike with that have gone to 14k without any noticeable issues
rms13 is offline  
Old 07-28-14, 08:42 AM
  #10  
Bluechip
Senior Member
 
Bluechip's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Cypress TX
Posts: 1,179

Bikes: Salsa Fargo Ti, Cannondale CAAD9, Carbonello Fixed Gear, Specialized Epic Disc

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 39 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 16 Times in 10 Posts
I live near Houston (elev. 125') and just got back from Colorado where I rode up to 11,500' without a problem. Yes, I was slower than normal but I am not sure if it had anything due to the elevation or the fact that I was riding up a very big hill. There are not too many of those around here.
Bluechip is offline  
Old 07-28-14, 09:00 AM
  #11  
thump55
I got 99 problems....
 
thump55's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
Posts: 2,087
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 2 Posts
On elk hunting trips, we camp at about 8200 and I can feel it a bit there when doing work, but you will be fine at 3-4K...you won't notice a thing.
thump55 is offline  
Old 07-28-14, 09:02 AM
  #12  
gsa103
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 4,401

Bikes: Bianchi Infinito (Celeste, of course)

Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 754 Post(s)
Liked 104 Times in 77 Posts
If you're used to living at sea level, you'll notice a significant difference once you get to about 5000'. Riding at sea level and 3000' feel similar. And for a single speed its how steep the climbs are that really matters.
gsa103 is offline  
Old 07-28-14, 09:07 AM
  #13  
Fishmonger
Hooray for most things!
 
Fishmonger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Central Utah
Posts: 162

Bikes: Motobecane Fantom Cross Pro

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
3000 feet isn't a big deal. Don't worry about it.
Fishmonger is offline  
Old 07-28-14, 11:20 AM
  #14  
ISPringle
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
ISPringle's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 72

Bikes: Trek MTB, Fit Bike Co. Mac 3, Shogun 100

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Alright, thanks. That's out of my mind now.

Now to go break in my new shoes in the next three weeks.
ISPringle is offline  
Old 07-28-14, 11:38 AM
  #15  
vwchad
Senior Member
 
vwchad's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Everett, Washington
Posts: 595

Bikes: 2013 Focus Izalco Pro, Soma Grand Randonneur

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by NormanF
Airline cabins are pressurized to 22000 ft, which is normal cruising altitude and a lot higher than most humans will ever live.
Wrong. Most are pressurized to approximately the equivalent of 8,000 ft. There is one new plane that is pressurized to closer to 5,000ft.

Altitude effects people differently. No way of knowing how it will effect you until you experience it, unfortunately.
vwchad is offline  
Old 07-28-14, 11:45 AM
  #16  
merlinextraligh
pan y agua
 
merlinextraligh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Jacksonville
Posts: 31,275

Bikes: Willier Zero 7; Merlin Extralight; Calfee Dragonfly tandem, Calfee Adventure tandem; Cervelo P2; Motebecane Ti Fly 29er; Motebecanne Phantom Cross; Schwinn Paramount Track bike

Mentioned: 17 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1428 Post(s)
Liked 697 Times in 353 Posts
3000 feet should be essentially a non factor.

See this chart:

__________________
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
merlinextraligh is offline  
Old 07-28-14, 11:48 AM
  #17  
merlinextraligh
pan y agua
 
merlinextraligh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Jacksonville
Posts: 31,275

Bikes: Willier Zero 7; Merlin Extralight; Calfee Dragonfly tandem, Calfee Adventure tandem; Cervelo P2; Motebecane Ti Fly 29er; Motebecanne Phantom Cross; Schwinn Paramount Track bike

Mentioned: 17 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1428 Post(s)
Liked 697 Times in 353 Posts
Anectdotally from my experience, I don't feel any altitude effect below 5,000 feet (not saying there isn't one, but its not enough for me to notice).

I live at 15 feet above sea level(when the tide's out), I'm from WV and ride at 4500 feet there each and don't notice it. Was on the Blue Ridge Parkway this weekend at 3400 feet and no noticeable effect.

First time I did Everest Challenge, I thought my pacing was off on the climbs because I started hurting about half way up, After a few repetitions, I realized that it happened at the same height each climb. For me about 7500 feet is where I notice a drop off.

Two weeks from now, I'm doing the Leadville 100MTB, coming from sea level to race between 9,000 and 12,000 feet above sea level.

That will hurt.
__________________
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
merlinextraligh is offline  
Old 07-28-14, 05:58 PM
  #18  
banerjek
Portland Fred
 
banerjek's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 11,548

Bikes: Custom Winter, Challenge Seiran SL, Fuji Team Pro, Cattrike Road/Velokit, РOS hybrid

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 232 Post(s)
Liked 53 Times in 35 Posts
I live at sea level (actually 50' above sea level). As others have suggested, you won't know until you try. Like Merlin, I find that going up to 3K is nothing and somewhere above 7K and change, I start running out of air faster.

Pacing is much more important than conditioning if you just want to finish. My guess is that you'll be fine, especially since you've been doing a loop that involves climbing.
banerjek is offline  
Old 07-28-14, 06:33 PM
  #19  
karenashg
Senior Member
 
karenashg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 223

Bikes: 198? Colnago, 2010 Jamis Quest, 2013 Wabi Classic 46x18

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I live at sea level and start to notice elevation at about 5,000 feet, give or take. I'm not sure how/if it affects my performance (since I've already had at least 3,000 feet of climbing at that point, depending on the start point of the ride, I think the accumulated climbing has more of an effect than the altitude). I just notice that I have to take deeper breaths and not let my breathing go on autopilot.
karenashg is offline  
Old 07-28-14, 06:54 PM
  #20  
GDawginHTown
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 29
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Houston native here so living at 0-100 ft. I'd struggled for a week when I went to Bogota, Columbia (8200 ft). Week #2 was much better. I don't think 3400 ft will be an issue but you never know. It might take you an hour or two or it could take you zero hours.
GDawginHTown is offline  
Old 07-28-14, 07:08 PM
  #21  
jbenkert111
Coffee Stud
 
jbenkert111's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Annapolis, MD
Posts: 205

Bikes: Fuji ALOHA TT, Scott Speedster 35, Nashbar Road Bike, Marin MTB, Dolomite Fat Bike

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
It won't bother you. But even if it could, isn't that why you started riding in the first place, to take on challenges. Cut the cord and go for it!
jbenkert111 is offline  
Old 07-28-14, 07:16 PM
  #22  
KevinF
Keep on climbing
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Marlborough, Massachusetts
Posts: 2,193

Bikes: 2004 Calfee Tetra Pro

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 26 Post(s)
Liked 2 Times in 1 Post
Originally Posted by NormanF
I live at 7000 ft in Colorado and I don't feel any ill affects. If you want to go higher than 10000 ft, give yourself time to acclimate to the thinner atmosphere and oxygen levels.

Airline cabins are pressurized to 22000 ft, which is normal cruising altitude and a lot higher than most humans will ever live.
22,000 feet? HA! Most people would quickly be unconscious or dead if quickly transported to that altitude.

A couple years ago I did a hiking trip in Nepal where we got up to about 18,000 feet on one of the "medium high" passes. Pretty much everybody there was in some stage of acute mountain sickness (i.e., altitude sickness). As for me, I live a few hundred feet above sea level and I felt like death.

Back to the OP's original question -- 3,000 feet above sea level is nothing. The "interesting" point is somewhere around 8,000 to 9,000 feet where you'll start to have minor headaches and the onset of some other symptoms of AMS. But it's not so much the altitude, it's the rate at which you gain altitude -- i.e., get on a plane, fly to Denver and immediately drive to the mountains and a sea-level resident will probably get sick. Same person gets on a plane, flies to Denver, spends the night in Denver (elevation 5,280 feet) and drives to the mountains the next morning will probably be fine.
KevinF is offline  
Old 07-28-14, 07:56 PM
  #23  
TinkerinWstuff
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Colorado Front Range
Posts: 116

Bikes: Giant Anyroad

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
22,000 feet??!! Hehehe

Altitude Hypoxia Explained

i know I get headaches at 14,000
TinkerinWstuff is offline  
Old 07-28-14, 08:04 PM
  #24  
mcmoose
Senior Member
 
mcmoose's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Transplanted to PDX area
Posts: 480

Bikes: Trek Silque S, Bianchi Aria e-Road

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Liked 10 Times in 9 Posts
I would focus your worry on the 8100' of climb on a single speed. Dude!
mcmoose is offline  
Old 07-28-14, 08:06 PM
  #25  
RISKDR1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 510
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Liked 7 Times in 5 Posts
the ability to handle altitude varies from individual to individual. I don't think 3000 feet should be a problem for most especially if you are pretty aerobically fit. When you get over 10,000 feet it is not as much fitness as just individual physiology. I have seen marathon runners much fitter than me have to head down the mountain when I did not feel anything adverse. I hiked Mt Whitney as a day hike and did not feel any different at 14499 as I did at 8500. Others fitter than me were deathly ill.
RISKDR1 is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.