Athletes, what's harder riding up that hill or running up that hill?

[TrekTheKaty]

I was never a fast runner, but I'd say running up a hill is easier. There's something about gravity and wheels. I've had the problem of going so slow up a hill on my bike, that I didn't know if I could clip out and get my foot down before drawing blood!

[alpinerabbit]

To me, it's the same - on a different scale. Don't look up, pace yourself, and after a couple times doing the same hill, you will eventually make it.

[Grog]

Depends on the gradient and length.

The steeper the hill, the more likely I'd prefer to run up it.

However, anything longer than 2 km I prefer spinning my way up in a low gear.

[Possegal]

I was never a fast runner, but I'd say running up a hill is easier. There's something about gravity and wheels. I've had the problem of going so slow up a hill on my bike, that I didn't know if I could clip out and get my foot down before drawing blood!

If there are tricks to the getting out rather than falling or going backwards, I'd love to hear them. My first year clipped in, I did a "controlled fall" on a hill. Got to the edge, found some soft leaves, TIMBER. Figured it was the lesser of all evils. That may be one issue with riding vs running. I feel like I have to commit to the hill on my bike, where running I can just stop and walk. THough I can say, even growing up in Pittsburgh with some wicked hills, I've never not kept running up a hill. Same can NOT be said for biking.

[andtckrtoo]

I bike much steeper and longer hills than I run. I love the challenge of hills on a bike, but give me flat on a run any day.

Funny how we're all different.

[Andrea]

It depends on the riding situation as to whether or not it'd be harder than running. If I'm in a race and wanting to drop people (or chase someone trying to drop me), then I'll be going up as fast and I can physiologically tolerate. If I'm just riding along and relaxing, then I'll shift and slow down to where it'd probably be easier than running up the hill.

[Veronica]

Gears baby! On my road bike I've never met a hill I couldn't climb and I've climbed some steep, sustained puppies.

On my mountain bike... trail conditions can really make a big difference.

A local tradition is to ride up Mt Diablo on New Year's Day. I guess it's also a tradition for runners to run it. I'd rather ride. The runners get picked up at the top and I want that descent I just earned.

Veronica

[Crankin]

I voted "other," but I think riding may be harder for all the reasons stated, plus a couple of personal ones. I am a new runner and I've been riding for 9 years. Because I'm in pretty good aerobic shape, running is more of an issue of leg strength and avoiding injury for me. I am not fast and don't want to be. Well, I've improved my speed, but every little injury/illness sets me back, as opposed to cycling. I have to run/ride *up* a 6-15% grade on my street every time I come home. Usually, on a run, that's where my cool down begins, so I walk. However, I have run up it and actually felt better than I thought I would. It's slow, but I am running. And I think cycling is what helps me here. I live in a hilly area and routinely climb grades that are tough. I spin on all climbs, sometimes very slowly, but I get up. The only time I have walked was last summer on a hill that was a mile or more of 18-22% grades. In retrospect, I could have done it, but my friend walked and once i saw that, it did me in.
As others have stated, it's easy to slow down and walk up a hill when you are running. Even though I am only an average rider, I have confidence on hills, since that is all I've ever known. I haven't run up anything steeper than my street, so no 20% grades to speak about for running. There's some mechanical advantage to the bike, but as I said, you can always walk on a run.

[Skierchickie]

Running - for me, it's harder both mentally and physically. I don't remember ever walking my bike up a hill (well, except when I've lost it on my mountain bike, but I'm just talking about steepness-related walking). I walk up hills I'm supposed to be running all the time.

Ooh - gotta go watch the Tour!

[malaholic]

For me, running is harder. Running up a hill will give me shin splints no matter how much stretching I've done beforehand. Depending on the grade, biking a hill can hurt, but I usually recover a lot faster than I do when I run.

[kenyonchris]

I ride because I love it, run because I have to. I would rather ride up the steepest mountain pass on my road bike or the rockiest climb on my mtn bike than run up a nice, well paved slope. Run, for sure.
Having said that, while I can pretty much spin up any hill on my road bike (with an exception once when I shot out of an alley onto the middle of a really steep hill, totally unprepared and geared way too high...I pulled it off and didn't fall, but it was UGLY) there comes a time on my mountain bike where I just have lost my momentum and hit a rock and topple over. I usually can unclip, grab something, or tuck and roll.
If I ran up the same hill, I would have to stop and do CPR on myself.

[salsabike]

I ride because I love it, run because I have to.

Yup. I have been riding much longer than I have been running, and have much more of a base, including for hills. I would not be able to run up many of the hills that I ride up.

[smilingcat]

on a bike, I can take 2 second rests. Running up a hill I can't. The other thing about riding is that you can change yuor position and use different muscle groups to climb. Running, you don't have that luxury.

running is harder. Even on a 15+% grade. This is just me though.

[kenyonchris]

Yup. I have been riding much longer than I have been running, and have much more of a base, including for hills. I would not be able to run up many of the hills that I ride up.

Chasing someone up is easier. But still not easier than riding.

[aicabsolut]

I was only really good at sprinting (or hurdling) as a runner, and I couldn't stand even very mild grades. It needed to be a flat and fast track. So with that in mind, I say running up hills is always harder. The only times I've been forced to walk my bike, the gradient was too steep for running. In fact, in cycling shoes and pushing up my pretty light road bike, walking was difficult. The grades were over 20%.