What makes a climb "difficult"?

[Mick F]

http://www.climbbybike.com/most_difficu ... untainID=4
Seems to me that there are no difficult climbs.
They are all climbs, and if it's difficult, you're doing it wrong ....................... or in the wrong gear, or on the wrong bike.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
And none in the UK.

I like to do No 1 on a road bike with no food and water..........................nutter

[Mick F]

No1 doesn't impress me much, though the scenery and the place would.
It's just 12,000ft of climbing in 42miles. Steepest bit is only 10%.

Take your time in a low gear and admire the view. Take as long as you want.
What's difficult about it?

It's difficult because YOU make it difficult.

[TonyR]

No1 doesn't impress me much, though the scenery and the place would.
It's just 12,000ft of climbing in 42miles. Steepest bit is only 10%.

Take your time in a low gear and admire the view. Take as long as you want.
What's difficult about it?

Lack of oxygen on the later part?

[Brucey]

some climbs can be pretty soul-destroying.... especially if you are having a bad day and others seem not to be.... but it is a question of preparation, expectations and gearing for the most part.

cheers

[Vetus Ossa]

Surprised Gunnislake hill’s not in that list somewhere

[hamster]

No1 doesn't impress me much, though the scenery and the place would.
It's just 12,000ft of climbing in 42miles. Steepest bit is only 10%.

Take your time in a low gear and admire the view. Take as long as you want.
What's difficult about it?

It's difficult because YOU make it difficult.

Well, the astronomers work at the top with supplementary oxygen...
That I would think is what is difficult.

[tatanab]

No1 doesn't impress me much, though the scenery and the place would.
It's just 12,000ft of climbing in 42miles. Steepest bit is only 10%.

Take your time in a low gear and admire the view. Take as long as you want.
What's difficult about it?

It's difficult because YOU make it difficult.

13000 plus with the last 4000 on dirt roads. Each year people do ride up (Hilo is at sea level) but not many. Been there, but did not cycle up, just rode round the island. At cycling speed you have time to acclimatise to the change in altitude as you climb, getting out of a van the effect is immediate once you do anything other than walk slowly - it is also rather cold.

[Mick F]

Well, the astronomers work at the top with supplementary oxygen...
That I would think is what is difficult.

Now that would make a difference!
It's not the hill per se though, it's the altitude?

Gunnislake Hill is awful if you're not prepared for it. I ridden it lots of times of course. 60ft at the bottom over the bridge, and 750ft at the top less than 2.5miles later. It's a long drag and maybe 15% at the steepest bit.

Like Brucey says, it's a question of preparation, expectation and gearing.

Gunny Hill profile.

[PDQ Mobile]

I climbed this on (with!) a bike.
Rigi -central Switzerland.Roughly where the sun and shadow meet up the last crags. Had to strap bike to rucksack though.
Down ( different route) was fast fun.
Does it count?

[iandriver]

The absence of tarmac. Off road climbs with a constantly changing surface disrupting and sense of rhythm are by far the hardest climbs I've ever done.

[TonyR]

No1 doesn't impress me much, though the scenery and the place would.
It's just 12,000ft of climbing in 42miles. Steepest bit is only 10%.

Take your time in a low gear and admire the view. Take as long as you want.
What's difficult about it?

It's difficult because YOU make it difficult.

13000 plus with the last 4000 on dirt roads. Each year people do ride up (Hilo is at sea level) but not many. Been there, but did not cycle up, just rode round the island. At cycling speed you have time to acclimatise to the change in altitude as you climb, getting out of a van the effect is immediate once you do anything other than walk slowly - it is also rather cold.

My experience is you don't adapt to the altitude in a week so I doubt you'll do it in a day. If you are climbing in the Alps you go up slowly but still feel the lack of air and a week or more at altitude skiing still leaves you breathless with exertion and altitude.

[TonyR]

For me, what makes a climb difficult is steepness, surface and the slowest speed you can cycle and not fall off. The most difficult climbs you are struggling to maintain enough speed and at the same time struggling to keep the front wheel on the road. Its worse off-road where if you put too much weight on the front wheel to keep it down you can lose grip on the rear wheel.

[foxyrider]

If it's the second 2000m climb of the day it can be a bit tiresome!

I've never been a great climber, i'm the wrong build but it doesn't stop me wanting to conquer the big climbs. What makes a climb difficult? For me, heat. I've taken the stance that cleaning a climb is nice but a two minute stop can get me up quicker than gradually grinding myself into the tarmac. I'm slightly asthmatic so getting it wrong has had me laid on the floor thinking i'm about to die on more than one occasion!
Next year is an alpine year - I expect to tackle a dozen passes over a fortnight, mentally more difficult than physical!

[mattsccm]

Not so much no tarmac as very bad tarmac, coupled with holes, grass, moss and sticks. Throw in too many cars to allow you to pick a sensible line and a gradient that means you need to stand up when the surface doesn't have the grip to allow you to do so.