My slope preference is downhill.
My slope preference is downhill.
yeah, about a 2% downhill grade is my favorite. If the downhill is too steep, it makes it harder to control the bike.
as for uphill grades, I prefer they be under 15% and short at that. I have never noticed that a 10 % grade is easier than a 5% or a 5 % easier than a 2%. For me it's the opposite.
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I'm not sure, but there are a couple of short inclines on my weekday ride and one seems way easier than the other to me, although as far as I can tell, they appear to be about the same grade. I'm still trying to figure out if one is easier, or if I just happen to hit one at a better speed or what.
And wind. Don't forget wind. Maybe the wind is usually at your back for one over another.
We have a hideous neighborhood for hills here, all steep with steep little knobs at the top (like 25 or 30 feet of REALLY steep after just steep) with no run up to any of them (the dreaded 90 degree turn on to the immediate base).
I also hate the long false flat, followed by moderate hill, followed by steep hill.
On the other hand I like the gradual rise. I use it for my interval training and sprint then spin, sprint then spin. A two or three mile gradual rise is great.