Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Mountain ride on my 7-speed folding bike (pics & video)

I rented a car for the weekend for two trips to the mountains to do some climbing. Since it is a PITA to put a full-size bike in a typical sedan, I took my Dahon Speed D7 folding bike, which only has a 7-speed drivetrain.

The first climb was the Lake Tahoe side of Kingsbury Grade, which is about 3.5 miles long with a max grade of 12%. The steeper parts were a sufferfest and I had to ride out of the saddle on the first steep part. I got passed like I was standing still by a female triathlete (judging by the type of bike she was riding) who said "Good job". I barely heard her, so unfortunately the camera didn't pick it up. Female cyclists are so encouraging!

After I reached the top at Daggett Summit I climbed to the real summit at the top of Bigler Circle. After that I checked out another nice steep climb. It showed grades up to 17%, yet somehow I was able to ride the whole thing in the saddle.

Next was Ski Run Blvd, which has a 21% section on the last block. I had to ride that section out of the saddle, barely turning the cranks. Good suffering!

Garmin Connect data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/97993729

Here's the Kingsbury Grade video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CN4gLzL29g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CN4gLzL29g

Here's the Ski Run Blvd video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS-UJulWIec

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS-UJulWIec

Top of Kingsbury Grade:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6136/5920743480_a6bf54e4bf.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5920743480/)
Dahon Speed D7 at Daggett Summit (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5920743480/) by kittyz202 (http://www.flickr.com/people/29998767@N07/), on Flickr

View from Daggett Summit:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6029/5920742798_eabce70843.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5920742798/)
view from top of Kingsbury Grade (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5920742798/) by kittyz202 (http://www.flickr.com/people/29998767@N07/), on Flickr

I saw a couple of these signs:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6142/5920180895_a01085a052.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5920180895/)
'please share the road text later' sign (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5920180895/) by kittyz202 (http://www.flickr.com/people/29998767@N07/), on Flickr

Some nice mtb art:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6121/5920743662_83e06c035a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5920743662/)
mtb art in Lake Tahoe (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5920743662/) by kittyz202 (http://www.flickr.com/people/29998767@N07/), on Flickr

I saw several of these in different colors:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6008/5920180739_7f9e074a18.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5920180739/)
Dahon Speed D7 next to bike sculpture in Lake Tahoe (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5920180739/) by kittyz202 (http://www.flickr.com/people/29998767@N07/), on Flickr

View from the top of one of the climbs above Kingsbury Grade:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6123/5920180361_250c65ae23.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5920180361/)
snow-capped mountains around Lake Tahoe 7-9-11 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5920180361/) by kittyz202 (http://www.flickr.com/people/29998767@N07/), on Flickr

Top of Ski Run Blvd:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6010/5920180031_b578d3b4c6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5920180031/)
top of Ski Run Blvd climb (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5920180031/) by kittyz202 (http://www.flickr.com/people/29998767@N07/), on Flickr

You really think this is worth posting in 2 different forums?

Why not? Mr. Beanz does it all the time and I don't hear anybody whining at him.

Never seen him do it, either way a waste of band width. JMO

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/750243-Alyce-amp-Herb-First-Timers-on-GMR

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/750245-Athena-Alyce-and-Herb-First-Time-GMR-(8-miles-2200ft)-Wow-just-Wow!

There. That's just one example. Got a problem with someone showing their effort on a climb? You sound like one of the trolls on a certain other forum who bashed my videos while hiding behind their computer.

Never seen him do it, either way a waste of band width. JMO

It was a Good ride...Thanks for showing that it's possiblehttp://www.bikeforums.net/images/smilies/tongue.gif

Never seen him do it, either way a waste of band width. JMO

Got to be honest, just did it again today. I do post in the SoCal forum for viewing if the video happens to contain a Socal Member. Then I also here in the Clyde forum.

I just see it as entertaining the troops. I did pay my forum membership so that if I did waste space, at least I paid something toward that wasted space. Plus, when I had my thread in the SouthernCal section, it attracted 20,000-25,000 visits every year. I'm guessing the advertisers on the site didn't mind the traffic. ;)

Got to be honest, just did it again today. I do post in the SoCal forum for viewing if the video happens to contain a Socal Member. Then I also here in the Clyde forum.

I just see it as entertaining the troops. I did pay my forum membership so that if I did waste space, at least I paid something toward that wasted space. Plus, when I had my thread in the SouthernCal section, it attracted 20,000-25,000 visits every year. I'm guessing the advertisers on the site didn't mind the traffic. ;)
+1:thumb:

I see no problem with what Mr. Beanz is doing. Like him, I am a paying member here, and different people read different subforums. People from the NorCal subforum who enjoy my videos don't all visit C/A, and vice versa.

I put these videos up because people enjoy them. If they didn't I wouldn't even waste my time making them.

It was a Good ride...Thanks for showing that it's possible
Thank you. :) That's one of the reasons I make these videos-to show people what can be done with different types of bikes. Yes, it would be more efficient to ride my road bike up a mountain, but when that's not practical I will use a different bike. Better than no bike. ;)

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/750243-Alyce-amp-Herb-First-Timers-on-GMR

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/750245-Athena-Alyce-and-Herb-First-Time-GMR-(8-miles-2200ft)-Wow-just-Wow!

There. That's just one example. Got a problem with someone showing their effort on a climb? You sound like one of the trolls on a certain other forum who bashed my videos while hiding behind their computer.

Do we need to call people names i don't hide behind my computer I'm from your area you ride the same roads i do, i am entitled to my opinion i didn't know Beanz does that i don't look at the So cal forum. I live in Sac not So cal. but hey if you want to call me name i can do that too.

Do we need to call people names i don't hide behind my computer I'm from your area you ride the same roads i do, i am entitled to my opinion i didn't know Beanz does that i don't look at the So cal forum. I live in Sac not So cal. but hey if you want to call me name i can do that too.
Well, your behavior was suspiciously similar to the trolls in the other forum, so you had me wondering what's up. ;)

Do you have a problem with my videos? Is it because I refuse to put music over them and you can hear me breathing hard on climbs? Or is it just that you didn't know it was okay to post stuff in more than one forum? :)

The only problem i have with your videos and the reason i don't watch them is the cam going back and forth, and it makes me dizzy watching it. Post what you want where you want and i will just MMOB from now on.

The only problem i have with your videos and the reason i don't watch them is the cam going back and forth, and it makes me dizzy watching it. Post what you want where you want and i will just MMOB from now on.
I appreciate the honest feedback. :) I know a helmet camera would solve that problem, but I spend so much time looking down on tough climbs that people would get a wonderful view of the pavement. :lol:

What is that toward the end of your video? Is that the mirror from your helmet while leaning over the bars?:D

What is that toward the end of your video? Is that the mirror from your helmet while leaning over the bars?:D
Yup. :roflmao2: I saw that and my headphone cord slinging around. Got a good laugh out of that while editing! :D

WOOT! Dahon!

Love the vids, thanks for sharing, you and Mr. Beanz are lucky, beautiful riding.

Love the vids, thanks for sharing, you and Mr. Beanz are lucky, beautiful riding.
Thank you. :) Here's some more folding bike mountain climbing from today. I went to Reno to record video of the riders at the Geiger Grade Hill Climb TT.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GW0V9m97bk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GW0V9m97bk

After watching that, I couldn't wait to do my own climb, at my own pace of course. I suffer on my own terms. :p

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/98313244

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKgpqyhsQeY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKgpqyhsQeY

Here's where I recorded the riders.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6021/5924436529_ac367a483c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5924436529/)
view from Geiger Grade facing downhill (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5924436529/) by kittyz202 (http://www.flickr.com/people/29998767@N07/), on Flickr

View from that same spot. You can see Mt. Rose, the sufferfest of all sufferfests, still with snow.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6018/5924436347_939a8a4154.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5924436347/)
view from Geiger Grade (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5924436347/) by kittyz202 (http://www.flickr.com/people/29998767@N07/), on Flickr

Climb complete. It was 7.7 miles long, but not too steep, although there were some steeper parts that caused some good suffering. :p

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6010/5924436451_8773f84303.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5924436451/)
Dahon Speed D7 at Geiger Summit (http://www.flickr.com/photos/29998767@N07/5924436451/) by kittyz202 (http://www.flickr.com/people/29998767@N07/), on Flickr

I like your videos. Well, the audio more than the video. Hill's are kinda boring, but the audio makes up for it. :D

I like your videos. Well, the audio more than the video. Hill's are kinda boring, but the audio makes up for it. :D
LOL! I get a kick out of the audio on my videos too! :D Nothing like the sounds of a good sufferfest! :D

Honestly, I wish more people would post raw sufferfest videos. I've seen a few good ones though. A BF member recently posted what I feel is the best sufferfest video I have ever seen. :thumb:

I tried making a video while mtb'ing once, but my DIY camera mount wouldn't hold the camera steady and the camera ended up swinging to the side so all you saw was my hand passing trees. I may try doing one of my commute for fun, but there's not, nor should there be, much suffering.

I tried making a video while mtb'ing once, but my DIY camera mount wouldn't hold the camera steady and the camera ended up swinging to the side so all you saw was my hand passing trees. I may try doing one of my commute for fun, but there's not, nor should there be, much suffering.
Got any hills nearby? Riding hard up those would make a good sufferfest video. ;)

I see no problem with SMART cross-posting, which this is. I would have never watched the video (of an Athena, or former one) if it had just been in the other forum.

I see no problem with SMART cross-posting, which this is. I would have never watched the video (of an Athena, or former one) if it had just been in the other forum.
Thank you! I didn't think I was committing a cardinal sin by doing the same thing I've been doing for months, but apparently someone else thought I f-ed up. Hopefully the poster in question realizes this now. ;) After all, not everyone who watches my videos reads C/A, so I post them in the NorCal section for those people.

"Post what you want where you want and i will just MMOB from now on."

The above is ALWAYS A GOOD idea.I doubt the contrary poster meant any real harm-he was probably just thinking out loud- rarely a good idea!
I like seeing the scenery.I'm in south Louisiana-suburb of NOLA. No hills no mts here-just the levee which I ride daily.
Love seeing that scenery-post away.
21%- geez- what happens when that ices up?
Charlie

"Post what you want where you want and i will just MMOB from now on."

The above is ALWAYS A GOOD idea.I doubt the contrary poster meant any real harm-he was probably just thinking out loud- rarely a good idea!
I like seeing the scenery.I'm in south Louisiana-suburb of NOLA. No hills no mts here-just the levee which I ride daily.
Love seeing that scenery-post away.
21%- geez- what happens when that ices up?
Charlie
Thank you. :) I don't know, but there are signs prohibiting sledding down that hill in the winter. That would be a blast if there wasn't a stop sign at the bottom of the hill. Why is there always a stop sign at the bottom of a badass descent? I could probably hit 50 mph down this hill if there wasn't one. That would be a great video. :D

Never seen him do it, either way a waste of band width. JMO

Most of us refrain from being rude. While everyone has the right to their own opinions, etc - weren't you ever taught to not say anything if you don't have anything good to say? You are not the moderator of this great forum, so if you don't like it, don't waste *your* bandwidth by reading it, or posting in it - there's a thought for ya~!

Just to chime oin as the Admin here......

Both do VERY LIMITED crossposting, and don't abuse it by smearing the message across half a dozen forums or posting spam messages across all the forums, so I don't really have a problem with them crossposting in C?A and One other forum for their videos.

Now, C/A has a non nasty dynamic, so let's keep it that way, please. If someone has a problem with a post in here, please, instead of growling about it in the forum, use the report post function, and let the mods or admins deal with it. We may agree with you, we may not, but it's our call.

You have some really great pics in this post freight but your vids could use a little music:p:roflmao2: Great job and cross post away in my opinion.

You have some really great pics in this post freight but your vids could use a little music:p:roflmao2: Great job and cross post away in my opinion.
Thanks! :D The cicadas and birds are the music. :p Yup, there were cicadas audible at 6,000 feet. They have a higher pitched buzz than our valley ones.

Sweet, I really never see those bikes here

Sweet, I really never see those bikes here
I wonder if that's because of the terrain? Folding bikes aren't really suitable for long or steep climbs unless they have lower gearing than mine. Bike Friday makes some folders with a triple.