Yes, I have a 1 mile hill that is 4-5%.
I should go out and test on that and compare over this year.
I tend to grind a big gear up hills and know I need a lighter gear but will often run out of gears at times.
I think it is just early spring disappointment after all the indoor riding. I need to train indoors like I ride outdoors.
It maybe won’t apply to you but I train in the small chainring mainly to keep the noise down. I think ideally I’d want to train in the big ring more being more akin to my outdoor riding.
Agree with the first part but not with the second.
Indoors optimise your training to be fit. Take that fitness outdoors and learn to express it there.
That’s the principles I train by…however, I will admit that I use Rouvy/FulGaz for ‘race pace’ training indoors. So I’m trying to average say 210W across varying gradients, gears and cadence as I can get my race routes on those simulators.
As you’re not racing and you train outside too, I don’t think there’s a need to do that.
I’ve always climbed hills while seated, wobbling at 43rpm if needs be, but still learning to climb with low(ish) watts takes time and focus, and commitment to the cause - but it’s worthwhile.
Keeping the watts down on the climb makes keeping the watts up on the flat a little easier - but that too takes time and effort.
I’m very good at pacing my climbing but still working on flats.