Grade % Data

[Splash]

Hello all.

What are the benefits of knowing the grade % data in real time during outdoor rides?

What aspects of grade % data help optimise riding position, gear selection and energy expediture during outdoor rides?


Splash

[joosttx]

Its important for legitimizing the "fcuk" you mutter while on a steep climb.

[FlashUNC]

Enables you to question this ridiculous sport in real time.

[Ti Designs]

Originally Posted by Splash

What aspects of grade % data help optimise riding position, gear selection and energy expediture during outdoor rides?

Position is changed based on the rider's perception of where their center of gravity falls. This is one of those things that I've never had to teach anyone because it follows the same rules as walking or standing.

As for gear selection and energy expenditure, on very steep sections it becomes a question of personal safety. Somewhere around 30% there becomes the very real possibility of stalling, falling over and scraping your way back down the hill. If you're in a group it's called bowling...

[CampyorBust]

In all honesty it is a bit of a hindrance, but I cant help but look. In the grand scheme of things it is just data and often not accurate. The effort you spend looking at it can be put into a few more watts charging up the hill. Save it for the digital weener measuring and analysis when you get home, if you can. It means more on the road than it does on the mtb, and I think it is more accurate on the pavement.

[merckx]

When I was competing in hill climb time trials, I would locate local hills that had similar grade % as the one in my next competition, and then do interval training on it.

[Burnette]

I live in the rolling hills of NC and grade % has been a huge help for me. My terrian is constantly pitching. Without grade % data, it was harder to gage why I felt "good" at certain points on a route and "not so good" on others. The hills around here can be really deceptive and of course the grade can change quite a bit as you travel up or down.

With grade data I know exactly what speed I can do and about how much effort I need to maintain a certain speed. And, I know why I falter a bit on Freeman Road mid hill. It starts out ay 6%, pitches up to 11% for a ways. Then it pitches up again to 13% sharply before laying down into a long 8%. Visually you can't see the pitches and before the data I wasn't sure of what gear or how much effort to burn to get through the section most efficiently.

On a high note, my PB is 45 mph going downhill on this road! It starts out with a sharp curve that straightens out to a long run.

As far as position goes, downhills and slight uphill rises below 3% I'm more in an aero position in the drops or on hoods on the bars and I have a more forward pelvis tilt in the saddle. Straight uphill riding, it's hoods or top of bar with a slightly more upright pelvis tilt. So for me, effort, terrain and even momentum dictate position changes moreso than just by grade data by alone.

[joosttx]

Originally Posted by Burnette

I live in the rolling hills of NC and grade % has been a huge help for me. My terrian is constantly pitching. Without grade % data, it was harder to gage why I felt "good" at certain points on a route and "not so good" on others. The hills around here can be really deceptive and of course the grade can change quite a bit as you travel up or down.

With grade data I know exactly what speed I can do and about how much effort I need to maintain a certain speed. And, I know why I falter a bit on Freeman Road mid hill. It starts out ay 6%, pitches up to 11% for a ways. Then it pitches up again to 13% sharply before laying down into a long 8%. Visually you can't see the pitches and before the data I wasn't sure of what gear or how much effort to burn to get through the section most efficiently.

On a high note, my PB is 45 mph going downhill on this road! It starts out with a sharp curve that straightens out to a long run.

As far as position goes, downhills and slight uphill rises below 3% I'm more in an aero position in the drops or on hoods on the bars and I have a more forward pelvis tilt in the saddle. Straight uphill riding, it's hoods or top of bar with a slightly more upright pelvis tilt. So for me, effort, terrain and even momentum dictate position changes moreso than just by grade data by alone.

Heart rate and/or power will do the same thing more accurately and not just on hills.

[ripvanrando]

If I am on a very long ride, I like to preview the climb profile just before it gets going. It is easy to judge the length and steepness on the Garmin 810. A relatively short climb and rolling or fat terrain afterwards might have me powering over the short steep climb whereas lots of short steep climbs in succession would suggest a more conservative power output.

Once on the climb I like to see the percent grade because I know what grades should correspond to tempo or threshold. If I cannot hold a certain pace on certain grades, the grade percent is one piece of data to figure out what is wrong. But the instantaneous percentage gradient has less value to me than the profile. If I had only power, percentage gradient, or heart rate, I would take power always but it is nice to have all three.

[cloudguy]

I don't think % grade is ever given in real time, unless your device is downloading data from some geo-based dataset. Since % grade is rise/run, it can only be computed backwards in time. Seems to hold true for my garmin output.

[Splash]

Some great responses - thank you all.

ripvanrando - what criteria do you use to link certain grades to either tempo or threshold?

Merckx - can you provide an example interval training detail you employ for hills?


SPlash

[bikingshearer]

Gits & shiggles. Solely for gits & shiggles.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by Splash

Hello all.

What are the benefits of knowing the grade % data in real time during outdoor rides?

What aspects of grade % data help optimize riding position, gear selection and energy expenditure during outdoor rides?


Splash

It's for looking at while you are struggling up that climb and seeing that it's way less steep than it 'feels'...why I took my bike computer off, that showed real average speed..thought I had a 'Eddy Merckx' day...BUT only 16 mph average..took it off, threw it away..gizmo-less for almost 2 decades.

[kramnnim]

Originally Posted by cloudguy

I don't think % grade is ever given in real time, unless your device is downloading data from some geo-based dataset. Since % grade is rise/run, it can only be computed backwards in time. Seems to hold true for my garmin output.

So maybe not real time, just a second delayed.

[dustyrider]

When I was still living at home, I used to know grade % data.
My folks were always saying, "Get your grades up and then you can ride your bike!"