# How much elevation is too much for a beginner?



## E418 (Mar 4, 2021)

Hello everyone, once again posting to get some of your opinions. My local area is Simi Valley, CA, and the elevation difference is close to 2,000 feet... 

Would that be considered a lot for a beginner rider on a pedal bike?


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

If you’re not used to that much climbing, yeah.
=sParty


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## evasive (Feb 18, 2005)

You get used to what you know.


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## E418 (Mar 4, 2021)

Sparticus said:


> If you're not used to that much climbing, yeah.
> =sParty


I'm entirely new to biking, but it's what my local area is/has.


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## rangeriderdave (Aug 29, 2008)

I consider anything over 100 feet per a mile significant .So if that 2000 feet is over 30 miles no, but if that 2000 feet is in 15 miles yes. Another thing to consider is pace, trying to do that amount climbing in hour ,pretty hard on a mountain bike .2000 feet in 3 or 4 four hours is a lot more doable . But so much depends on the rider it's really hard to say for sure. Terrain makes a difference too' 2000 feet on fire roads is a lot different that on single track. I had sort of a formula that 1 mile of single track was equal to 1.5 to 2 miles of fire road., purely seat of the pants feeling.


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## E418 (Mar 4, 2021)

rangeriderdave said:


> I consider anything over 100 feet per a mile significant .So if that 2000 feet is over 30 miles no, but if that 2000 feet is in 15 miles yes. Another thing to consider is pace, trying to do that amount climbing in hour ,pretty hard on a mountain bike .2000 feet in 3 or 4 four hours is a lot more doable . But so much depends on the rider it's really hard to say for sure. Terrain makes a difference too' 2000 feet on fire roads is a lot different that on single track. I had sort of a formula that 1 mile of single track was equal to 1.5 to 2 miles of fire road., purely seat of the pants feeling.


The climb is about 2-3 miles long


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

E418 said:


> The climb is about 2-3 miles long


Yep, that is quite a bit. We have a fire road nearby that climbs about 1800' over 3.4 miles and that is enough to challenge even experienced bikers. That said, repeatedly riding that hill will make you strong pretty quickly and everything else will feel easy.


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

Only one way to find out if it's too much, and that is to just go ride it. The good thing about climbs is if you decide you can't make it to the top, you can always turn around and go back down.

Personally, I feel like the biggest leaps I make in my riding progression are when I just go get myself in over my head and have to push through. I say go give the ride a shot.


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## wayold (Nov 25, 2017)

Riding up Rocky Peak in Simi will probably be hard for you until you get in good shape. There are lots of easier trail systems in the area though.


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## speedygz (May 12, 2020)

Rule of thumb my Physiotherapist advises me, if you're still quite sore 24+ hours after exercising, you've done a bit too much. Back it off a bit, then work up to more. Rinse & repeat.


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## rangeriderdave (Aug 29, 2008)

2 or 3 miles is a big difference ,say you have the same distance on a climb ,one climb that grade stays pretty much the same over the whole climb. The other one ,has a gentle grade for the first mile or so ,but then the grade steepens ,that makes it a lot hard climb. So go try it and say you don't make very far ,get off and walk. The next time try to stay on the bike past where you started walking. Again get off and walk, maybe try to get back on and ride. Repeat until you can climb it or decide it's just too steep. You might be able to look at Strava or map my ride and tell if anyone rides it.


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## E418 (Mar 4, 2021)

wayold said:


> Riding up Rocky Peak in Simi will probably be hard for you until you get in good shape. There are lots of easier trail systems in the area though.


That's what I figured and I'm glad you know exactly what road I'm talking about. And where are the other trails you'd recommend? I haven't done much exploring of the trails in Simi but I do know handful that are fairly flat.


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## E418 (Mar 4, 2021)

rangeriderdave said:


> 2 or 3 miles is a big difference ,say you have the same distance on a climb ,one climb that grade stays pretty much the same over the whole climb. The other one ,has a gentle grade for the first mile or so ,but then the grade steepens ,that makes it a lot hard climb. So go try it and say you don't make very far ,get off and walk. The next time try to stay on the bike past where you started walking. Again get off and walk, maybe try to get back on and ride. Repeat until you can climb it or decide it's just too steep. You might be able to look at Strava or map my ride and tell if anyone rides it.


I just checked it via google maps it's 1.7 miles and I was very wrong on elevation. It's 570 feet difference Since I'm not going to the top of the actual mountain.


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## NoisyNinja (Jan 24, 2021)

E418 said:


> Hello everyone, once again posting to get some of your opinions. My local area is Simi Valley, CA, and the elevation difference is close to 2,000 feet...
> 
> Would that be considered a lot for a beginner rider on a pedal bike?


Ok, I'm not sure if you're just talking altitude, or as others assumed the elevation gain over the course of a ride. If you are going to an are +2000 ft higher than where you usually ride, that should be ok. However, the other factor is are you in good shape or not. If you are a runner or swimmer and get out a lot, 3-4,000 ft more altitude and you'll notice it some, but it's not going to be horrible. Now if you're talking elevation gain over a single ride, within an altitude range you're used to, and you're not used to (endurance-wise) biking or a similar motion (stair climbing, hill running) for longer periods, then yeah I'd say you're probably pushing it too much and will be quite sore if you attempt it. The good news is that if you start riding 3-4 times per week, at least 1/2 hour per, including some climbing and/or sprints, and keep increasing distance and/or effort each week, by the time a month is out a 2000 ft elevation gain won't see bad at all unless it's super steep (as others mention, elevation gain over a short distance). Hope this helps.


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## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

Train your weakness. You have the advantage of living at a low elevation too.


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## Zguitar71 (Nov 8, 2020)

570 feet in 1.7 miles isn’t too bad. If you ride at their pace and take breaks when they need it they will be fine. More important than the incline for a beginner is the technical difficulty of the climb. If it is smooth then it sounds great, if it is full of large rocks and roots then a shallow trail could be too much for a beginner much less a steep trail.


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## edstrobici (Mar 7, 2021)

E418, I just changed my reply based on your updated ride numbers. Since 2000ft is 18% grade which is tough for many.

Riding 570ft elevation gain over 2 miles = 6.4% Grade

Using this calculator: bicycle e-tools: percent grade, average speed calculator, gear-inch chart

Consider this summary below from








Gradients and cycling: an introduction - The Climbing Cyclist


If you're at all interested in cycling uphill you would have heard people refer to a climb's gradient (or steepness) as a percentage. A climb might have an average gradient of 3% or 5% or even 10% but how is gradient calculated? And how challenging are various gradients? In the first part of...




theclimbingcyclist.com





0%: A flat road
1-3%: Slightly uphill but not particularly challenging. A bit like riding into the wind.
4-6%: A manageable gradient that can cause fatigue over long periods.
7-9%: Starting to become uncomfortable for seasoned riders, and very challenging for new climbers.
10%-15%: A painful gradient, especially if maintained for any length of time
16%+: Very challenging for riders of all abilities. Maintaining this sort of incline for any length of time is very painful.

You should look up the route you are considering on these sites: mapmyride, strava, or ridewithGPS. They will show you the grade % for common routes. And find one that is avarage of 5% to start with and determine your capability from that. I wouldn't suggest any new rider starting a ride that had more than 500 ft elevation gain over a entire ride (approx 2-5%) having ridden with new riders on road and mt bikers. If you are fit and strong and have good low gearing, you likely can tackle the 6.4% grade of your short ride. Good luck and have fun.


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## evasive (Feb 18, 2005)

Online calculator? JFC can’t anyone do basic math anymore?


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

edstrobici said:


> Riding 570ft elevation gain over 2 miles = 6.4% Grade





evasive said:


> Online calculator? JFC can't anyone do basic math anymore?


Apparently not:
570/(5280*2) = .05398 or 5.4%


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## edstrobici (Mar 7, 2021)

Yep I used his 1.7mi distance. but typed 2 miles. whoops.

570 / (5280*1.7) *100 = 6.35


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## wayold (Nov 25, 2017)

E418 said:


> That's what I figured and I'm glad you know exactly what road I'm talking about. And where are the other trails you'd recommend? I haven't done much exploring of the trails in Simi but I do know handful that are fairly flat.


I mostly ride on the other side of the hill in Thousand Oaks, but there's tons of beginner/intermediate trails there. Chesebro and Wildwood have some fun stuff without too much climbing - and other harder trails you can challenge yourself with as you progress. There's also some fun easy stuff in Sycamore Canyon, but one steep (paved) climb to return to your car if you park in Newbury Park rather than at the beach. The Los Robles trail system in town also has some really fun intermediate trails, but most of them do involve at least some climbs that can be hard for a beginner. Regardless, that's at least 3 beginner friendly trail systems one town over from Simi.

Look at the reviews and trail maps on MTBproject or TrailForks and pick the ones that look interesting and not too hard (aka green and blue with max grades no more than 10% or so).


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## speedygz (May 12, 2020)

evasive said:


> Online calculator? JFC can't anyone do basic math anymore?


To go for a ride on a bicycle? Really? Is riding that complex it requires maths & calculations? Fair go.


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## Finch Platte (Nov 14, 2003)

evasive said:


> Online calculator? JFC can't anyone do basic math anymore?


76% of people can't do math in their heads 92% of the time.

When quizzed, 45% said they were bad at math, 36% said they were ok, and 29% said they were really good at it.


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## Rev Bubba (Jan 16, 2004)

E418 said:


> Hello everyone, once again posting to get some of your opinions. My local area is Simi Valley, CA, and the elevation difference is close to 2,000 feet...
> 
> Would that be considered a lot for a beginner rider on a pedal bike?


How much elevation gain is climbed at one time? Twenty 100 foot climbs are not the same as one 2000 foot climb. What shape is the beginner in? Age? Bike?

There are too many variables to just say the climbing is too much but if you want an answer, I say it is too much for a beginner.


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

Climb until you can climb no more. Then descend.
This isn't rocket surgery.


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## jaram55 (Jul 7, 2018)

I'm just about to move to Simi Valley but have done the Rocky Peak climb from different trails, back side and front side. I'm not new to Mountain biking and it's still a bit of a tough climb. I agree, just climb until you can't anymore, then descend. I'll be in this area quite a bit in about 2 weeks, see you on the trails


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## edstrobici (Mar 7, 2021)

*E418, how did it go? Please share your experience for other new riders. I hope it was awesome.*


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