New climbing sufferfest video-15%-19% grades

[luv2climb]

Here's some nice steep grades from today's ride. This was the most fun I've had in months

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/69379436

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sBed_mVaYo

A 50 mph descent from one of those hills:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNQ6Jk6aNic

[Laguna]

Way to go, loved it! I watched the whole thing and now I feel I don't have to go out for my daily ride.

What were you riding? What gearing? Did you stay seated most of the time.

How do we know you were not really walking?

Edit: Yikes I just watched the downhill portion. Was your max speed really 50? I'm impressed you almost caught that second guy. And for a moment...I wasn't sure you were going to make the stop sign. Cool.

[Catrin]

Loved both, and the downhill looked cool scary fun! So far the fastest I've gone on a descent was 35, and that had whole flocks of butterflies in my stomach I have to travel to another part of the state to find good down-hills so I don't have much practice with them.

[luv2climb]

Way to go, loved it! I watched the whole thing and now I feel I don't have to go out for my daily ride.

What were you riding? What gearing? Did you stay seated most of the time.

I just edited my first post to include the Garmin Connect data, which I forgot

Here's a picture of my bike after a climbing ride on 2/12:
url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5441731739/][/url]
Specialized Dolce with camera mounted by kittyz202, on Flickr

It is a 2011 Specialized Dolce Triple women's design. I changed the stock 30-tooth front chainring to a 24, and the stock 13-26 cassette to a Shimano MegaRange 11-34 mtb cassette. Of course, after doing that I had to change the stock derailleur to a Shimano Deore long-cage mtb derailleur.

With this gearing I can climb all the hills you see in the video in the saddle. I'm glad, because at my current weight I will go into oxygen debt if I try to climb out of the saddle

How do we know you were not really walking?

Can't you tell by my heavy breathing?

Seriously, that is why I always leave the original audio in my ride videos, and post a link to the Garmin Connect data both on the video description and in any posts to forums. I want the viewer to see and hear what it was really like to climb stuff like this.

Edit: Yikes I just watched the downhill portion. Was your max speed really 50? I'm impressed you almost caught that second guy. And for a moment...I wasn't sure you were going to make the stop sign. Cool.

Yup. According to the Garmin data, my max speed was exactly 50. The second rider was the wife of the first rider I passed. I had talked to them at the top of the hill. By the way, the male rider was the one I passed on the climb after he passed me first

[zoom-zoom]

OMG...climbing that hill had to have been godawful hard! Wow, you have some serious power and endurance!

[luv2climb]

OMG...climbing that hill had to have been godawful hard! Wow, you have some serious power and endurance!

Thank you I'm one of those twisted ones who always tries to find the most difficult climbs. When I lose this last 40 pounds I'm going to do a ride a little further up in the mountains with grades up to 20%. I've been through there several times in a car and it would make a great video with the beautiful scenery.

[Laguna]

Loved seeing the Garmin print-out...impressive. Does it actually give the percent of grade as well, if so I didn't see it?

Those are some pretty serious low gears you've got there...I could use those here in the N. Ga. mountains. Good job!

Steve