[Wadl]

Hi guys, I would like to have a feed back on how to categorize these two rides ?

I was on the impression that the first one was flat and the second one a hilly ride but after looking at the strava profile, I am now a little bit confused.

I know the second one is not like a mountain stage from Europe, but is it more than just rolling hills ?

1:
Bike Ride Profile | Afternoon Ride near Saint Eustache | Times and Records | Strava
2:
Bike Ride Profile | Afternoon Ride near Saint Eustache | Times and Records | Strava

Thank you.

 

[AlanE]

Of course it's all relative and dependent on the rider's capabilities, but I would describe the first one as rolling. It looks like I would be able to stay in the big chainring and power through the climbs. I would describe the second one as moderately hilly, but certainly not mountainous. Your times look strong.

 

[tlg]

I'd consider the first one as flat. Only 148m elevation. 3m/k (16ft/mi). The second I'd consider rolling, 8m/k (42ft/mi), with maybe one good climb.

I would consider hilly starting at 10m/k (50ft/mi).

 

[JCavilia]

The first is quite flat. The "climbs" are not only short, but very gentle grades.

The second, at least the middle section, I'd characterize as more than rolling. You have several climbs that last a kilometer or a little more, with grades averaging 5% or more, and it looks like brief stretches in the range of 10%. Those are real hills, though not long enough to call mountains. 1.8 km (more than a mile) at 5% is not a "roller" in my lexicon.

Not that labels matter, but I'd call the second route hilly. Being being prepared in terms of equipment and training does matter.

Your confusion after looking at the profiles may come from not realizing that they have different vertical scales. The first route is the flat sections of the second, without the hilly middle, but the graph exaggerates the vertical scale more on the first one, so what looks like a little bump on the second graph looks like a big one on the first. But it's the same little bump. It takes some practice to read these thing intuitively.

 

[Wadl]

ok, so there is nothing squarely define, like a certain amount of meters of elevation or something...

It is more "user define" (so it will vary from one rider to another) but we can generally say that the first one is relatively flat and the second one, hilly.

Thank you very much !!!