When planning a training ride or scouting a race course, cyclists like to know the hill grade to plan their riding strategy. A hill's grade, or steepness, represents a ratio of the length of the route to the change in the hill's elevation. In mountainous areas, roads are often marked with signs indicating the grade. Most road grades are between 3 and 10 percent. A 100 percent grade is the equivalent of a 45-degree angle.
Step 1
Measure the length of the rise. This is the vertical side of the right triangle, and represents the height of the hill. This can be determined by subtracting the starting elevation from the summit elevation. For example, if the hill starts at 5,000 feet elevation and the summit is at 6,500 feet, the height of the hill is 1,500 feet.
Step 2
Measure the horizontal distance of the route at ground level. This is the run, and is the base of the triangle. Do not confuse the run with distance of length of the road. That is the same as the hypotenuse in the right triangle. Measuring the horizontal distance is best accomplished by using a map or mapping software. For this example, the horizontal distance is 20,000 feet.
Step 3
Divide the rise by the run. In our example, divide 1,500 by 20,000 to get 0.075.
Step 4
Multiple your answer by 100 to convert to a percentage. In our case, multiple 0.075 by 100 to get a hill grade of 7.5 percent.
Tips and Warnings
- Use online mapping applications to accurately measure the rise and run.
Things You'll Need
- Calculator
References
- "Road Cycling"; Robert J. Gregor, Francesco Conconi ; 2000
- "The Complete Book of Road Cycling & Racing"; Will Peveler ; 2008
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