Compare two climbs

How the calculator works

Pick two climbs from the lists. The calculator shows their length, the height they gain, their average slope and their steepest part. Then it works out how long each would take you, from your weight and how fit you are now.

The drawing shows both roads at the same scale, side by side. So a short hill looks small next to a long mountain climb.

Average slope and steepest part

The average slope is the height gained divided by the length. It tells you how steep the climb is overall. The steepest part is the hardest stretch of road on the way up.

Two climbs with the same average can feel very different. One may be even all the way, while the other has a steep stretch in the middle.

How your time is worked out

If you pick a fitness choice, the calculator guesses your FTP from your weight. FTP is the most power you can hold for about an hour. On a climb that takes longer than an hour, it uses a bit less, because nobody can hold their FTP for that long.

It then rides each climb along its real road shape, bit by bit, at that steady power. Steep stretches take longer than gentle ones, just as they would on the day.

Where the numbers come from

Each climb's length, height and road shape come from its own page on this site. Your time uses the same sums as the climb time calculator. Those sums add up the power to lift you up the slope, to roll your tyres and to push through the air. Martin and his team tested this way of working out cycling power on real roads in 1998.

The fitness choices match what beginners often hold: about 1.5 to 2.5 watts for each kilo they weigh. That comes from Roadman Cycling and the averages TrainerRoad shares about its riders.