Standing to pedal up hills

[OakLeaf]

I think it's also very dependent on your terrain.

+1

I thought the same thing when I saw lunacycles's post. If you're climbing at 6 mph on a road bike, that's pretty steep, probably over 10% grade. A mile at 10% is a very different animal from, say, four miles at 5%. I'm not going to say one's harder than the other, they're just very different in terms of body mechanics and strength demands.

In Ohio, a mile and a half is about as long as they get, but there are plenty of hills that are just so steep you'd have to have both super strength AND teeny gears to get over them without standing up. I'm told "the Wall" in Pittsburgh is 32%. Don't know if that's true or not, but you get the idea.

Edit: Pittsburgh's Canton Street is a verified 37%, according to the local paper. And cobblestone. I don't know how the bricks even stay in.