On Monday, October 30, 2017 at 9:48:34 AM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2017-10-30 08:33, wrote:

Joerg, heroics can also be described as riding a really heavy bike
such as yours at any pace above mild.


That's not heroic because it doesn't come with additional risk. Over
time you just build up a lot of leg muscle. This also helps for rides
with the road bike like yesterday. I rode along a canal bike path purely
for exercise. It's otherwise a boring ride but ... no speed limit ...
woohoo! The path sometimes tunnels underneath roads and such but for
some obstacles it runs above, steep sections. With enough leg muscle you
don't have to shift, just leave it in high gear, put on the coals so you
reach 25mph or more at the bottom, keep the torque on until it crests
and then let it coast back down. I didn't shift at all until I reached
the Cosumnes River where I had my snack break. Four years ago I couldn't
have done that.

I have to differ with you there. Climbing is only half of it. Descending is the other half and a heavy bike under any conditions is a dangerous downhill bike if you do not know the trail intimately.