GPS for steep grades
Are there any units or phone apps that will warn us when we are approaching a steep grade? Would love to hear something like, “7% grade 5 miles ahead”. We will be traveling from Maryland to Oakland ...
Forum Discussion
To OP. I live in the west and there are grades just about any direction I go. I have been to the East coast and back. On uphill grades, I feel that you best be served by just gearing down as needed and grinding your way up the grade. I’ve done it.
My concern is your comment about having brakes for going downhill. The brakes are not to control speed when descending whether you have the toad hooked up or not. The engine is what is to control your downhill speed. Gear it down at the top of the grade to a gear low enough that you do not need to touch your brakes going downhill. If you are gaining speed press the brakes hard one time to bring your speed down enough to get into a lower gear. The engine will rev very high but it will not hurt the engine.
Try the above on the first few grades that you come to and see how it feels for you. A southern route will have fewer grades than a northern route but to get to Oakland you cannot avoid all grades.
Have a safe trip. I used to live 50 miles from Oakland.
My concern is your comment about having brakes for going downhill. The brakes are not to control speed when descending whether you have the toad hooked up or not. The engine is what is to control your downhill speed. Gear it down at the top of the grade to a gear low enough that you do not need to touch your brakes going downhill. If you are gaining speed press the brakes hard one time to bring your speed down enough to get into a lower gear. The engine will rev very high but it will not hurt the engine.
Try the above on the first few grades that you come to and see how it feels for you. A southern route will have fewer grades than a northern route but to get to Oakland you cannot avoid all grades.
Have a safe trip. I used to live 50 miles from Oakland.
