What Does 25% Grade Look Like?

[Torrilin]

US geological survey topo maps will let you get an approximate grade for large hills. I've cross checked them on hills I know have a posted grade, and it's usually pretty close (+/- 1% or better). The only depressing part about checking them was discovering that my nemesis hill is a piddling 5% grade on the steepest incline. *shakes her fist at Wisconsin for being so flat*

[Thorn]

Torrilin, Torrilin, Torrilin...what am I going to do to convince you that not all of Wisconsin is flat!?!?!?!?!? Where are you located? Perhaps I can help you find a real hill?

Even with the fancy gadgets, getting a good measure on a hill is hard. A good lock on my GPS and all measurements are still +/- 15m. I've gotten pretty good at doing running averages when I'm going up hills, ignoring those first glimpses of 10-12% unless I see a lot in that range. I have a hill that I can see several spikes into th high teens, but it averages out to only 12%.

In Italy we saw some really steep grades...going into one of the hill towns was a 25% grade. Quite a bit longer than your road, Mr. Silver, but I will admit I didn't make it up the hill...oh, it wasn't that I ran out of oomph...oh, no...it was because I was moving so slowly the horse parade caught up and I had to pull off, of course Seriously, there was a horse parade, but, ok, I really wasn't going any farther. 25% is really steep--I'm impressed you can get up that hill.

Oh, and I agree with Eden--all inclines start to look the same. I have some 4% grades nearby that look almost flat, but in Italy, after climbing for an hour, I was convinced the road was going downhill, but I looked at the GPS and it said a steady 4%. It is just a matter of perspective.

[Torrilin]

I'm in Madison. And I know it's not *all* flat, but I'm used to the mountains around LA and central PA hills. So lots of things that a sane person would say is hilly I look at and go "that's flat".

Never claimed to be sane tho

[Thorn]

I'm in Madison. And I know it's not *all* flat, but I'm used to the mountains around LA and central PA hills. So lots of things that a sane person would say is hilly I look at and go "that's flat".

Never claimed to be sane tho

Sure...we ain't got mountains, but I guess I prefer rollers for training--consider it speedwork for those long mountain rides you really want to do when you go back to visit LA and PA!

If you're in Madison, you're just a hop, skip, and a car transport to Bluemounds. The Horrible Hilly people keep their cue sheet on line--http://www.horriblyhilly.com/course.html Never long by mountain standards, but many steep hils. That route was actually plotted to maximize incline. A little west still has some steep ones... Try http://www.dairylanddare.com/ for another cue sheet.

Of course, I'm rather smitten with that area of the state--rolling hills, gorgeous land, relatively friendly vehicles. Sigh..but I'm a long way away.

But count your blessings--you could be located in the Stevens Point area--the sandy flat lands of the former glacial Lake Wisconsion. I think Florida has more hills than they do.