Average Climbing speed?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by TeamSpine
Just wanted to see what your average climbing speed is. MPH I know there can be several factors, but assume this is a difficult climbs that last nearly 8 miles, at some points a 10% grade....

Wind against or wind for???

Don't live in an area that has (m)any 8 mile climbs, or even 1 or 2 mile ones. But of the hills that I climb-which are neither very long nor very steep- I typically average 9-10 mph.

all depends on the grade and length of the climb

I don't have any 8 mile long climbs in my area but I am generaly around 8 to 10 mph on most significant climbs.

It really is an "it depends" kind of thing. I'd say on a slow grade I average around 14 km., but around here they're never more than a mile or so, so I don't know about my endurance. (P.S. 1 mile = 1.609 km)

Very steep grades I can drop as low as 7 or 8 (maybe less?). That is when I just repeat to myself "You will NOT, you will NEVER EVER, get off this bike and walk it up ANY hill."

As for the hills I take on regularly, it has been interesting to see the way performance has improved. Last year, I averaged between 12 and 14kph (tops) on one particular long low grade hill I take a lot. And I strained to get up it. Now I hum up the hill no stress at all at around 15-16, even 17-18 through the hairy intersection.

Knowing your regular route and speed, is great for measuring your progress.

It's an interesting question, because it also really depends on your attack, if you have to slow down/stop/start again, your bike, what you're carrying, and of course your energy level.

One consideration for me since I ride to meetings and such is "How much of a sweat do I want to work up and still remain presentable?"

Another thing, is it a sunny day or a cloudy day? For me in AZ it makes a differance.

I wish I had 8 mile climbs here. No, I probably do about 10mph on the hills around here but there pretty short so it's no trouble.

Every climb is different so it won't be very useful to ask what people average on the ones they do.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by TeamSpine
Just wanted to see what your average climbing speed is. MPH I know there can be several factors, but assume this is a difficult climbs that last nearly 8 miles, at some points a 10% grade....

Last year - Ride Around the Bear, Alpe D'Huez and Mt. Ventoux - between 5-6 mph. Wish it was faster - but I was happy to complete them all and knew I would never be in the TDF anyway as I am too old and female.

I guess I can't participate since I live in Florida 😄

Mine is also highly dependent on almost all the aforementioned factors. I even have become convinced that there is a large psychological influence with things like headwind and heat that amplify above the obvious real influences of them.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by less'go
Very steep grades I can drop as low as 7 or 8 (maybe less?). That is when I just repeat to myself "You will NOT, you will NEVER EVER, get off this bike and walk it up ANY hill."

I have also found myself repeating such things in my head such as, "So you had to a real man and put a 11-23 instead of the 12-25...oh screw it a 12-27 on. Well are you satisfied now big man?...."🙄

Today i did a 8% 12mile climb in 68 minutes, with a bad head wind at times and 60 miles on my legs before the climb. another climb i do 15 miles of 5-6% i ride that between 12-15mph.

I wish I could find an 8 mile climb locally (or even within 100 miles).

me and my friends do a hill thats about 3.5 miles long (albeit we do it 8 times-28 miles) and we race up it every time. By the end it's usually more like a time trial, but i can average at least 15-16 mph going up.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by nitrogenmustard
me and my friends do a hill thats about 3.5 miles long (albeit we do it 8 times-28 miles) and we race up it every time. By the end it's usually more like a time trial, but i can average at least 15-16 mph going up.

Must not be too knarley of a hill. I have trouble keeping that spped on flat ground with a raging head wind. What kind of grade is it? Are you sure it's a hill?

that or TeamSpine's an extremely talented climber.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by keydates
that or TeamSpine's an extremely talented climber.

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Speed or lack thereof is always relative, in cycling, to ones conditioning, with respect to given conditions. If I always ride to my limit, aspire and trian to do more, one day, whether today or not, I will. A winners motto. Live large, ride like the wind[/FONT] 😄 😎

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by pace-line
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If I always ride to my limit, aspire and trian to do more, one day, whether today or not, I will. A winners motto. [/FONT] 😄 😎

Um...actually, pace-line, that doesn't work.

I used to think so too, and while I always challenged myself by riding as hard as I could, I also always reached a fitness plateau I could not move beyond.

It was only by riding much slower and longer than I "could", and telling my ego to stuff it, that I was able to increase strength, form, and speed.

This is relevant to TeamSpine's question because I found that by doing so, my hillclimb speed on my test hill went up about 2 mph just within the last month, consistently. Which was totally unexpected. And I just want folks to not make the mistake I did, of "riding as fast as you can, all the time." That was, in fact, a loser's motto. Me being loser number one. Not that that's really changed so much, but y'know...

Pedantic platitudes sound inspiring and everything, pace-line, but I found out that real knowledge means a lot more. Keep living large, though, my man.

That's some interesting info, shawn. I'm always interested in what works for others, because very often when I try new things, I find improvements that I'm sure I wouldn't have otherwise.

That said, I've ridden a lot of hills around here, and in Pennsylvania and Upstate NY. I've run into hills that I could cruise up at 10-12 mph, and others that had I gone any slower, I'm sure I would have toppled over. SO many variables that it makes it impossible to make a choice in the poll.

Well there is a Mtn right where I live that is VERY VERY steep, Im talking about when I get to the top it only takes me 15 seconds or less to reach 45+ mph going down....I avg 8-10 mph going up, when I start to get a little tired from steep climbs it goes down to 5-6 mph, but its really variant...Going up Mt Mitchell 7k ft above sea lvl climb, I never go below 5th gear avg around 10mph