“18%”tells me a German co-biker who passes me when I am pushing my bike up a steep hill.
He stops and adds. “Tour de France allows 10% max.”
Just in case you would not have this experience, 18% steepness is a hell of a slope. Or actually just hell.

Today my first 4 km were this case. Being at the brink of my strengths, I had to really push the bike at the worst sections. Here I wished, if only
– my bike had one more gear, or
– I had trained more before, or
– I had lost 5 kg prior to my tour 
Actually, I wished all of the above 

Deviously steep slopes repeated later today several times, luckily not at the initial length. Anyway, being robbed of my power, I cycled less than planned and arrived completely drained. The nature, scenery and the picturesque Innsbruck, however, rewarded me for this strain. 

An advisor replied once to Bill Clinton’s question “what helps to win the election” by:
”It’s the economy, stupid!”
To answer what determines biker’s speed and daily distance, I would paraphrase:
“It‘s the slope, ….!”

But still lovely 90km and 1000 altimeters today from Ehrwald to Schwaz 🙂