New climbing sufferfest video-15%-19% grades

[luv2climb]

Here's some nice steep grades from today's ride. This was the most fun I've had in months

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/69379436

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sBed_mVaYo

A 50 mph descent from one of those hills:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNQ6Jk6aNic

[Laguna]

Way to go, loved it! I watched the whole thing and now I feel I don't have to go out for my daily ride.

What were you riding? What gearing? Did you stay seated most of the time.

How do we know you were not really walking?

Edit: Yikes I just watched the downhill portion. Was your max speed really 50? I'm impressed you almost caught that second guy. And for a moment...I wasn't sure you were going to make the stop sign. Cool.

[Catrin]

Loved both, and the downhill looked cool scary fun! So far the fastest I've gone on a descent was 35, and that had whole flocks of butterflies in my stomach I have to travel to another part of the state to find good down-hills so I don't have much practice with them.

[luv2climb]

Way to go, loved it! I watched the whole thing and now I feel I don't have to go out for my daily ride.

What were you riding? What gearing? Did you stay seated most of the time.

I just edited my first post to include the Garmin Connect data, which I forgot

Here's a picture of my bike after a climbing ride on 2/12:
url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5441731739/][/url]
Specialized Dolce with camera mounted by kittyz202, on Flickr

It is a 2011 Specialized Dolce Triple women's design. I changed the stock 30-tooth front chainring to a 24, and the stock 13-26 cassette to a Shimano MegaRange 11-34 mtb cassette. Of course, after doing that I had to change the stock derailleur to a Shimano Deore long-cage mtb derailleur.

With this gearing I can climb all the hills you see in the video in the saddle. I'm glad, because at my current weight I will go into oxygen debt if I try to climb out of the saddle

How do we know you were not really walking?

Can't you tell by my heavy breathing?

Seriously, that is why I always leave the original audio in my ride videos, and post a link to the Garmin Connect data both on the video description and in any posts to forums. I want the viewer to see and hear what it was really like to climb stuff like this.

Edit: Yikes I just watched the downhill portion. Was your max speed really 50? I'm impressed you almost caught that second guy. And for a moment...I wasn't sure you were going to make the stop sign. Cool.

Yup. According to the Garmin data, my max speed was exactly 50. The second rider was the wife of the first rider I passed. I had talked to them at the top of the hill. By the way, the male rider was the one I passed on the climb after he passed me first

[zoom-zoom]

OMG...climbing that hill had to have been godawful hard! Wow, you have some serious power and endurance!

[luv2climb]

OMG...climbing that hill had to have been godawful hard! Wow, you have some serious power and endurance!

Thank you I'm one of those twisted ones who always tries to find the most difficult climbs. When I lose this last 40 pounds I'm going to do a ride a little further up in the mountains with grades up to 20%. I've been through there several times in a car and it would make a great video with the beautiful scenery.

[Laguna]

Loved seeing the Garmin print-out...impressive. Does it actually give the percent of grade as well, if so I didn't see it?

Those are some pretty serious low gears you've got there...I could use those here in the N. Ga. mountains. Good job!

Steve

[luv2climb]

Loved seeing the Garmin print-out...impressive. Does it actually give the percent of grade as well, if so I didn't see it?

Those are some pretty serious low gears you've got there...I could use those here in the N. Ga. mountains. Good job!

Steve

Thank you No, the Garmin data never imports percent grade. I wish it did.

On the first sufferfest video I uploaded 2 weeks ago, I posted it in the Clydesdale/Athena section of bikeforums.net. A helpful poster there imported the .tcx data into ridewithgps.com. Here is his post.

I took notice of the gearing on any bikes I was able to get a close look at during yesterday's ride. Every one I saw had a triple, and some of them had modified low gearing similar to mine. I didn't see any geared as low as mine though.

[laura*]

Here is his post.

He writes: The big climb was over 1000 feet in 3.5 miles, 7.2% average grade--a tough climb.

Hmmm, I calculate 5.4%. ( 1000 feet / (3.5 miles * 5280 feet/mile)) ~= 0.054

Anyway,
A few years ago I had the time for a long bike ride 2, 3, or 4 times a week. I'd often do an out-and-back / loop that was either 32 or 40 miles. The "top" of the ride was climbing 600 feet in almost 2 miles at a nice constant 6% grade. On those rides, that climb was like the cherry on top of a cake. I actually looked forward to it as the "easy" part of the ride. (Getting to the base of the climb was the torturous part.)

I was riding an old mountain bike. By the end of the summer, the 24 tooth chainring looked like it was chewed by a dog. The largest cassette cogs had plenty of wear too.

I loved the climbing! And I too am an Athena. Strangely, I lost inches but not any pounds.

[luv2climb]

He writes: The big climb was over 1000 feet in 3.5 miles, 7.2% average grade--a tough climb.

Hmmm, I calculate 5.4%. ( 1000 feet / (3.5 miles * 5280 feet/mile)) ~= 0.054

Anyway,
A few years ago I had the time for a long bike ride 2, 3, or 4 times a week. I'd often do an out-and-back / loop that was either 32 or 40 miles. The "top" of the ride was climbing 600 feet in almost 2 miles at a nice constant 6% grade. On those rides, that climb was like the cherry on top of a cake. I actually looked forward to it as the "easy" part of the ride. (Getting to the base of the climb was the torturous part.)

I was riding an old mountain bike. By the end of the summer, the 24 tooth chainring looked like it was chewed by a dog. The largest cassette cogs had plenty of wear too.

I loved the climbing! And I too am an Athena. Strangely, I lost inches but not any pounds.

Yeah, I'm not so sure ridewithgps.com is accurate. He even admitted it in his post. In fact I know it isn't accurate because I moused over the elevation profile and many of the grade readings were wildly inaccurate.

I'm losing inches and pounds. I will have to replace pants and shorts by summer if I reach my weight loss goal. You probably gained some muscle, which explains why you didn't lose pounds. Muscle is heavier than fat. I found that out myself when I was around 120 pounds and I tried to float on my back in a swimming pool. My legs always sank first.

[Miranda]

I just edited my first post to include the Garmin Connect data...The second rider was the wife of the first rider I passed. I had talked to them at the top of the hill. By the way, the male rider was the one I passed on the climb after he passed me first

Thank you No, the Garmin data never imports percent grade. I wish it did....

Garmin My Connect...
Ikr?!-ugh... Kinda sux In Training Center on my desk top where my rides are saved you can click on percentage grade vs elevation and get a lovely graph. Why it doesn't show up in My Connect also idk. I own an Edge 705 model.

Passing...
lol... holy sheesh I was watching that part and was sitting here at my pc saying out loud, omg dude hold ur lane, don't get over "ON YOUR LEFT"... man, I wish we had bike lanes here, I'm jealous lol.

Good Job, thx for sharing.

[lawnchick22]

luvs2Climb:

that is very impressive.
I too, like climbing. I am short (5'2") and moderately stocky...138 to 142lbs fluctuating.
I've been riding for just under 2 years. My first (and only so far) bike is a Trek 1600, 44cm..yes, 44cm, with 650 tires...I'm looking to upgrade to a specialized in the near future.
Anyway, I had the opportunity last year during our family vacation in Maui to climb Haleakala. It is touted as the "longest, steepest road on the earth".
It was quite the adventure, to say the least.

I'd love any suggestions you may have wrt selecting a new bike.
I'm leaning towards Specialized Ruby. Either S-works or pro version.

[luv2climb]

Passing...
lol... holy sheesh I was watching that part and was sitting here at my pc saying out loud, omg dude hold ur lane, don't get over "ON YOUR LEFT"... man, I wish we had bike lanes here, I'm jealous lol.

Good Job, thx for sharing.

Thanks Yeah, I had a blast on that last part. I have to admit I was being kind of sneaky, so no "On your left" from me Besides, as you may have noticed on the first 15% climb in the video, talking robs me of precious oxygen

luvs2Climb:

that is very impressive.
I too, like climbing. I am short (5'2") and moderately stocky...138 to 142lbs fluctuating.
I've been riding for just under 2 years. My first (and only so far) bike is a Trek 1600, 44cm..yes, 44cm, with 650 tires...I'm looking to upgrade to a specialized in the near future.
Anyway, I had the opportunity last year during our family vacation in Maui to climb Haleakala. It is touted as the "longest, steepest road on the earth".
It was quite the adventure, to say the least.

I'd love any suggestions you may have wrt selecting a new bike.
I'm leaning towards Specialized Ruby. Either S-works or pro version.

I'm not an expert in anything carbon or high-end. When I bought my road bike last summer I was looking for something that would be great for climbing, since climbing rides are the only ones I use a road bike for. My bike is a 48 cm 2011 Specialized Dolce Triple. I did the work myself to change the stock gearing from 52-42-30 front and 13-26 rear to 52-42-24 front and 11-34 rear. So far I have been able to climb everything in the saddle. The 19% climb you see in the video is the steepest climb I have ridden so far with this bike, even though I was only going 2 or 3 mph

Definitely get a triple if you want to ride steep climbs. I made a point to look at the drivetrain of any bikes I could get a good look at during the ride I posted the video of. Every single one of them had a triple. Some of them had modified low gearing like mine, but not quite as low as mine.

The low gearing is a knee-saver too. I spin easily on climbs that aren't ridiculously steep.

My bike does have a carbon fork, which probably smooths the ride a bit. I notice I don't get jarred as much on bumpy roads with this bike.