Starting Up that Steep Hill

[OakLeaf]

I would want to know two things before answering.

First, do you have good solid footing at the stop sign ... i.e., do you have to stop on a steep crown, or does the climb not start until after you've crossed the other road?

Starting on a steep crown or hill ... I hate that. It's super, super dangerous, especially if the cross road is busy and/or sight lines on the cross road are short. And super especially when it's wet or icy. To the point that I would contact the county engineer and explain the danger to two-wheeled folks (not just bicyclists, but motorcyclists too. And I would have to think it would be pretty dangerous for Amish too - although they aren't in danger of tipping over, which is the greatest danger to two-wheeled vehicles, horseshoes don't exactly have the best traction, horses and harnesses are long so that the driver is well back from the intersection and may not be able to see well, and the buggy and occupants are just dead weight behind ...).

Honestly, what I usually do in that situation is pull slightly past the stop sign before stopping, with my bike turned toward the right as much as possible, to give me better footing and a flatter surface to start from. Then I turn right onto the cross road so I can get some momentum going, then make a U-turn when it's safe. (Or, and you didn't hear me say this, if sight lines are long and there's no cross traffic, I will just slow down enough to see clearly, and then blow the stop sign. To me that's way safer than tipping over, or taking a very long time to get momentum going, and then being immobile in the path of the next vehicle that *does* come along.)

Second, assuming you have a safe start, does the hill flatten out after that initial bump? I don't mean is it the top of the hill, I mean does it become less steep for a while before resuming the climb? The way you specify the initial distance and elevation gain suggests that that's the case.

In that situation, I would actually NOT shift down as much as the others suggest. I would not get into the saddle at all after starting from the stop sign, but stay standing all the way to the top of the bump. (Maybe that's still your low gear, which is cool.) Then when you've climbed that initial bump, you can get back into the saddle, downshift if necessary/available, and spin the rest of the way up.

But if it stays too steep for you to climb in the saddle with your current gearing, past that initial bump, then I would tend to agree with the others ... downshift before you stop, increase your cadence and downshift again as you start the climb, if you still have more gears available continue to downshift whenever your cadence drops, and then just power up as far as you can - you should get farther up as your conditioning improves, until eventually you can get to the top.

[Crankin]

I would approach it the way NY Biker does, except I might be in my 3d lowest or 2nd lowest cog, to give me some "escape" down to the very lowest. It might be just the perception in my mind, but, if I know I have at least one more gear, it helps. And, steady, even round circles on the pedals, as I settle into a steady cadence, even at a low speed. While I don't have issues with my lungs while climbing, I usually climb these types of grades as slowly as I can... especially if they are in the middle of a long hard ride.

[kajero]

Time for honesty . . . Even when starting in my lowest gear I only make it up that hill about 10-12 feet! It just seems so impossibly steep!

[rebeccaC]

Time for honesty . . . Even when starting in my lowest gear I only make it up that hill about 10-12 feet! It just seems so impossibly steep!

maybe find a less challenging hill to train on and then come back to this one when you're better able to climb it. Use that as motivation...or get a triple crank

There's a street in L.A. (Fargo St) that has a 30%+ grade and around 1000 feet long. It's a street I don't feel a need to try and ride even though I might be able to. Pick the right climbs to help you improve your climbing skills!!!!

[OakLeaf]

Even standing?

[Skippyak]

What is the actual grade? I Never stand and I am always happy to use my lowest gear in any hill (compact front, 12-28 back). I think steep for me is about 16% plus though, that might be lame, I dunno. The canyon here with a 22% is just not on my wish list, but I can climb all day on more reasonable grades.

[rebeccaC]

What is the actual grade? I Never stand and I am always happy to use my lowest gear in any hill (compact front, 12-28 back). I think steep for me is about 16% plus though, that might be lame, I dunno. The canyon here with a 22% is just not on my wish list, but I can climb all day on more reasonable grades.

16% isn't lame for me I do steeper short sections in the Santa Monica mountains though. I'll come off the saddle to crest a really steep climb or 20%+ short sections but most likely I'll stay seated, use my gears and conserve my energy as much as possible for a long steep climb.

[OakLeaf]

What is the actual grade? I Never stand and I am always happy to use my lowest gear in any hill (compact front, 12-28 back). I think steep for me is about 16% plus though, that might be lame, I dunno. The canyon here with a 22% is just not on my wish list, but I can climb all day on more reasonable grades.

The numbers she quoted say 11% overall, and over 6/100s of a mile, it's unlikely to have much steeper segments. I would normally spin up 11% too, from a riding start (not, for example, from changing a flat or dropping a chain in the middle of an 11% grade) and I have the combination of leg strength and low gears to do it. But, since the OP isn't able to get over the hump that way ... and since she's already out of the saddle for the stop sign ... and since the bump is apparently very short (though she didn't confirm that impression) - I still say the best way over is just not to get back in the saddle once she's across the cross street. Use body weight for that extra assist, it isn't long enough to run out of lung, and eventually she'll develop confidence and the leg strength to spin up it if that's her preferred way to climb.