Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single

[yehuwdiy]

Howdy Pilgrims,

After climbing my first real hill today on my single speed I started to wonder what hills around Canberra (or anywher to be honest) you fixed/single road types like to climb? Also, in what gear! I'll start:

Location: Mt Rogers Reserve. Starting from Ginenderra Drive head up Kingsford Smith Drive to the top. ~130 metre climb over ~3.5k. Very steep in a couple of sections.

Gearing: 63"/ 4.5 gain ratio

[hartleymartin]

I ran around all sorts of hills when my Raleigh Twenty was a single-speed, however it was only 57 gear inches. (I was lucky to get much past 20kph flat out)

[yehuwdiy]

HA! The thought of you steamrolling a few big hills on a '20 brings a huge grin to my face In reality I don't need to go much past 20km/h in my day-to-day commuting, I don't know why people are so stressed about going faster. I spin out regularly on the flat with a 63" gear...then I coast and look at the beautiful surrounds. In a bit I start pedaling agin, seems like a fairly simple equation.

I was just amazed when I discovered hill climbing was possible with the same gear. The same gear on my (now unused) roadie would be impossible for me. Just freaks me out a little, mucks with my 'gear sense', thus the post

[hartleymartin]

You'd better believe that it happened!

Here are a couple of shots of me with the Raleigh Twenty when it still had steel rims, and the single-speed set-up with the band-brake rear wheel. The front brake was useless in the rain, but the rear brake worked a real treat in wet weather. It's now being re-built as a 3-speed with a coaster brake and with alloy rims. I don't think I'll use the front brake much. Whenever I've got a bicycle set up for coaster, I rarely touch the hand-brakes.

[larren]

I usually run 63" or 65.8" on my fixie or coaster brake bikes. I've found either to pretty good for the city/urban riding I do,and with no or only back wheel brakes, I don't want to be moving too fast anyway. Yes, I spin out on the flat, but can also climb a decent hill. When riding with friends on geared bikes, they get away from me on the flat, but I'm usually the first to the top of a climb. I only ride fixed and single speeds with the exception of one bike which has a Sachs Duomatic.

[yehuwdiy]

@hartleymartin...hehe there is something about the '20 that is strangely alluring. There was one on ebay a couple of weeks ago, went for nothing which surprised me. Wrong town and no postage meant none for me Heh, "'20 Hill Climb Racing" would make for some good T.V. viewing!

@larren...yeah, the 63" is seeming perfect for me as well. I was going to put a 16T fixed cog on the other side for flatter runs (or when I build up a bit more strength). Now, I'm just not sure. I'm loving single speed, coasting down hills, flying up them. And when on the flat I'm noticing so much more around me. Most important though is the rideability when I'm tired.

I'll gived fixed a fair try, but honestly I feel that single-speed is where it's at for me. Anyone else out there feelin' the same way?

[drubie]

...sorry.

There are folding twenty clones in Big W now - they look identical to the originals!

[yehuwdiy]

Jeez, ccopits a bit small Still, would give the new campy 11cog's at the lights a fair scare

[nickobec]

I run 78 gear inches on my singlespeed

Usual ride 42km, total altitude gain 150m. Nice, flat run, wind is not usually that bad, but I do live in the 3rd windiest city in the world.

My 2nd favourite ride includes 400m at 8% from an almost standing start, 90 seconds of standing on the pedals at 50rpm.

[yehuwdiy]

Jeez nickobec, your more of a beast than I Wind is an issue for my daily commute. In the afternoon I'm usualy headlong into decent wind. Some days it crushes me a little, some days I stand and shout back at it.

78"...no way for me atm..maybe in a year or so we'll see

[nickobec]

Well the 42km is the commute to work and you should of heard the bad language as I had to ride into a 30kmh gusting to 40kmh NE headwind, that sprung up after I left home earlier this week. It was a hard slog that I did not enjoy.

Note I rarely ride the full 42km home, as that is almost always into a sea breeze. I catch the train some or all the way home.

And I do alternate between S/S and geared.

I do not enjoy riding fixed, when you spend 90 minutes in the saddle, the odd bit of freewheeling is good.

I did start at 67 gear inches, but found that too easy to spin out, my max cadence is only 110 over more than 5 minutes. I graduated to 69, then 73 and finally 78.

Twice this week (geared bike needs work) I swore I should be using a larger freewheel (less gear inches) as I faced tough headwinds. Then I was real happy the next day, I averaged over 32kmh over last 5km before city.

Will I move to 82 gear inches, which is the next step up. Highly unlikely, I might do it if I take the S/S on the Great Freeway Bike Hike next year, because I spun out with 78 gear inches a couple of times last year, while riding in bunches.

Otherwise 78 gear inches works for me, it very flat where I live and ride. Sometimes I have to work hard because of the wind, but that is life.

[backofthebunch]

48/17 up burgundy st in heidelberg. not sure what gradient etc is, but it's a work out in that gear

[yehuwdiy]

Hmmm...a rough estimate would be about a 6% gradient over A little more than a kilometre. Not a bad hill, in fact a bit of a beast if your running a 74-75" gear! It seems like a nice steady climb as well.

My regular hill listed above by comparison averages only 4% over some 3 kilometres (if you do the whole hill). The thing is, there are a couple of sections that are 7.5-8%, one of these being some 600m long. This used to kill me on my roadie even in a 45" gear, now I kill it with a 63" gear on my single speed, figure that one out

[y3ntil]

yeah i run a bit higher gear on my 10kg fixed bike, 87"
unfortunately a bit too high for climbing really steep hills, but can climb most hills no problem.
atleast there is almost no chance of true spinning

[brauluver]

One of the boys from Adelaide cyclist posted this recently.
It's a fair climb on the roadie.

http://www.adelaidecyclists.com/profile ... l-de-lofty

[saintdarth]

48/17 up burgundy st in heidelberg. not sure what gradient etc is, but it's a work out in that gear

I run the same gearing which provides me with a good mix of "on the flat" speeds and I am still able to climb some local hills. I am on the short 50km Around the Bay ride which is over the Westgate Bridge twice, I am thinking of dropping to 48/18 gearing which will give 72 gear inches down from 76.

[yehuwdiy]

Jeez, nice work, particularly with that gearing. I intent on hitting Black Mountain tomorrow. If the weather is ok then midmorning should see me there.

Am I nuts, or is Bikely correct? It shows Black Mountain Rd as being a 9.8% grade?

I fear that I may not make it on the single speed, still worth a try though.

**Ok, the official gradient appears to be nothing but 8.9%. Should be easy then

[flashrider]

Not sure of the gradient...aaah steep? The road that goes up to Mosman Park Bowls Club. On my gaspipe fixie running 52/20 on steel rims. With risers but, not drops...no way I was riding back down though, death on a stick.

[yehuwdiy]

Did Black Mountain today. Almsot threw up 5 times. This is how I'm measuring my PB for the time being. Less stops = improvement.

It is a fairly steady grade, steepish all the way. Averages 8.9%.

Still, I HTFU and made it to the top. I'm not sure I can claim it thoguh until I have done it without stopping...what do you guys reckon?

[BLU_FZ!]

Did Black Mountain today. Almsot threw up 5 times. This is how I'm measuring my PB for the time being. Less stops = improvement.

It is a fairly steady grade, steepish all the way. Averages 8.9%.

Still, I HTFU and made it to the top. I'm not sure I can claim it thoguh until I have done it without stopping...what do you guys reckon?

Hmmmmm, Black mountain,married woman teaching me stuff driving her back to Jerrabomberra,,,,i also threw up 5 times,i was Cougared

[yehuwdiy]

LOL! I'm pretty sure that both alcohol AND married women are bad for biking.

[y3ntil]

damn flashrider you climbed "peace hill"? its a hill i avoid at all costs when riding, good work!
your bike seems pretty similar to mine, all steel and high gearing

[il padrone]

Last year I rode this hilly 190km route on the single speed, most of it using 65" (I have a White Industries twin cog on the rear) and most of the ride waiting for my riding companions at the top of every hill. Even on the first 30km of flat stuff, I had to stop and change from 73" to 65" because I was dropping the others behind (these are experienced Audax riders)