Hill Gradients

[WeeChumlee]

Hi all

I see a lot of mentions regarding the hill climbing abilities of various boards, a lot of there usually vary between 10->20° and 20->30°.
I regard where I live as pretty undulating, not mountainous by any means as I live on the coast, and there are some "steep" hills I regularly travel on. Not particularly long but what I would call at least challenging on a bicycle. I had never really given any though about exact gradients until I started building my first board and reading the comments here.
As it is difficult (for me at least) to judge a gradient I used an app on my phone to measure a few hills around my place. I was relatively surprised that none were over 15° - I think 13° was the highest I saw.
To check this I went on the net and found this pretty cool site, and it pretty much confirms what I had measured.
http://www.findhills.com/

I have been to San Francisco and sure, you guys have crazy hills. Here in Europe though I would say that generally (of course there are the exceptions, I am talking general populace) we would not have to cope with gradients, unless we went looking for them, over (or really anywhere near) 20°.
Of course I am not talking about relatively short inclines as these are generally easy to skirt around using other roads.

Be interested to see how many guys actually have to cope, in a normal days ride, with gradients over 20°?

 

[Leonard]

I didn't knew this page, great find!!

I've checked the hills of my conmute and the stepeest is 9%, and I thought this one was quite steep!

 

[Simonvtr]

+1

 

[torqueboards]

Most are about 15-20% here in SF. I've known of some hills that are 30% which are stated in articles. Which I could climb as well but very steep.

I'd say the most anyone wants to go up are about 20-25% perhaps 28%.

 

[Leonard]

I did a mistake in my previous post, I said 9º when I wanted to say 9%, it's not the same, I think you are talking of % @WeeChumlee, aren't you?

15% is 8.5º and 20% is 11.31º if I've done the calculations properly...

 

[torqueboards]

Here's a few good articles.
- http://priceonomics.com/the-steepest-streets-in-/
- http://www.7x7.com/arts-culture/real-top-10-list-steepest-streets-san-francisco

Here's 30% Grade

Most of the hills are doable just as long as it's flat and it doesn't stop your momentum going up the hill.

 

[WeeChumlee]

Hi Leonard.

I am talking in degrees not %.
So hills in my area are generally no more than 10°
Sound like nothing, but 10° is steep enough to get you sweating on a bicycle, that"s for sure.

 

[psychotiller]

Yeah, percent and grade are commonly misinterpreted. I believe the grapevine in SoCal is a 6% grade for 5 miles and is considered steep. -For every 100 feet traveled you drop 6 feet. The steepest streets in SF are a 31% grade which is 17.5°. (Filbert St. and also 22nd St.) No way anyone is riding up a 20° hill...Without a chairlift.

 

[mccloed]

Cool website! Looked at a couple hills around me and none were above 16.

 

[torqueboards]

Yeah, I'm always referring to grade/slope and not degrees. 25% grade is pretty steep. Most people can't find these type of hills.

 

[Pedrodemio]

torque,

Could you make a video of you climbing that 30%? would love to see that

 

[LEVer]

umm....it's an electric longboard, not a portable escalator.

 

[torqueboards]

I'll try to get a video.

 

[Trbt555]

Damn, the steepest hill in my area is 9%.
Built a dual-drive for nothing.