Different Cassette?

[OakLeaf]

Sorry, when I'm turning 55 rpm going 5 mph over an 18% grade, I don't consider that "spinning wildly." I consider that "wishing I had another gear."

[smilingcat]

Disclaimer first:

I'm not a sprinter. I'm not particularly strong on flats. But I do love to climb.

fun rides you can look up on the web:
Breathless in Agony, 114miler with 12,000 feet of climb Brandi did the ride this year.
ride around the bear 100miler with about 10,000 feet of climb

death ride (not much need to be said)

climb the kaiser people who do this poo poo the death ride at 150miles with 13,500feet of climb. Oh one more thing. They have 13 hour time limit...

and yes the Diablo challange, Mt Tam...

If you are a red polka dot jersey kind of rider, what aicabsolut said is true. However, most TE members are not, so it's NOT really applicable. Only thing I would say is, if the hill gets really steep, forget about your form.
If you need to mash gears, mash'em.
If you need to stand, do so.
And if you need a granny gear with smaller chainring than a cog, then do so.

with the exception of death ride, the other three are timed (unofficially-officially what? yes its timed) And your time is posted. It's not a race though... Now "to do well", you can't be using a granny gear with big cog in rear. If you have to use granny gears, you are not strong enough for these rides. Doesn't mean you can't finish, you just wont place.

case in point: Climb the Kaiser starts in town of Clovis, start time around 6:30AM. We get police escort out of town and they give us the right of way at the stop lights. Speed off the line is 24-28MPH. Lead pack of about 40 guys (mostly pros, cat1s & 2s) usually hit around 30MPH. I thought I was doing well at 24-25MPH avg. I was at the tail end of the riders last 10 or 20 riders. Its rare for me to be in such spot... We reach the foothill of Sierra Mountain range by 8:00AM and YOU HAVE to GET PAST the TOLL HOUSE GRADE by 10:30AM otherwise you will not finish. and so it goes.

This situation is very very different than what most TE riders are willing to do. It's whole another world. We need to take into account of who is asking the question, and who is answering the question.

And yes I will confess, from big creek rest stop to the next rest stop on the kaiser ride, my avg speed was around 5MPH with avg grade of 15%. We climbed over 3000 feet. Around 4 miles of riding.

Only right way for riding hill is "getting to the top without blowing up" and have fun on your way up.

smilingcat

[OakLeaf]

Only right way for riding hill is "getting to the top without blowing up" and have fun on your way up.

Hear, hear! Hear! Hear!

[Aggie_Ama]

Whoa my thread took on a life of it's own! Hopefully it will help others as well. I still haven't taken my Cannondale in, in fact the poor thing hasn't seen any miles since Fort Davis. That being said I think the Cali girls are more on the mark with what I am thinking. Spinning as long as possible, saving the knees (I have some issues with them) and long distances.

I am going to have to make a choice on what I want to do. Many of my rides locally do not require such gearing but I don't want to stay local. I sure as heck want to make it up the .5 mile, 17% grade suffer fest known as Jester Blvd. I probably won't go to anything drastic (just what my derailers will allow), since I am making it up most climbs but I haven't talked to the LBS yet.

I like climbing rides, I just wasn't born a mountain goat.

[SadieKate]

I am going to have to make a choice on what I want to do.

You are a wise woman.

I fall in love with my little bitty gears all over again when I'm "trying" to ride at 10,000+ ft.