niebylski

What's the biggest hill you ride on a frequent basis on your fixie? And what gearing are you running? I realize that some of us who live in the same city can identify when users mention big hills in the same town, but that only gets you so much cred when telling others living elsewhere about this "huge hill" that you had to ride up. So go put the MapMyRide.com site to use (or whatever Google Mash-up site you use) and figure out how much elevation you rise over what distance on your biggest hill.

I'm in DC so I really dont have many hills compared to other riders (especially Bay Area riders) - the worst hill I face on a frequent basis (about 4 times a week) is a 90ft rise over .16 miles (850ft) --- I'm running 48x18.

By comparison, for those of you in SF, if you go from Union St up Webster to Broadway its a 205ft rise over the same distance (a little more than twice as steep) -not that I'd be capable of riding up something like that.

MIN 

I live in a very hilly part of Portland. I also do lots of distance on my bike (now a SS.) I run 48x18T. For instance, I did a ride this weekend (55 miles) with over 4000ft of gain.

andre nickatina

let's see... this is estimations, but ne 33rd and fremont in portland: 132ft. rise over 0.32mi. that hill is biiiig. p.s. thanks for the website (MapMyRide.com), this will come in handy for me in the future.

Az B

We did 3 gap a couple weeks ago fixed. That's about 4500ft of climbing in about 40 miles. 46x16 One guy did it with a 48x15, but he did end up walking a bit up Wolfpen.

Az

slvoid

There's a section near work that's gotta be a good 40% grade that I take with a 48x17...

andre nickatina

oh yeah, and for reference to said hill: 49x16 is the highest gear i've pulled up it. 49x17 is a hell of a lot more comfortable though.

BoSoxYacht

22.27 miles 3390 ft , twice a week(46x20).
https://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united...city/403963940

jpearl

Living in DC can be a hilly place to ride if you take the right routes. My commute takes me from downtown Silver Spring to downtown DC through Rock Creek Park and down 14th street. The ride home is a long, gradual climb up the Capital Crescent trail, then two tough climbs up East-West Highway in Silver Spring. I do this on a 42/17 SS, and while I won't call the hills "mountains", they're not exactly speedbumps either. There's plenty of out-of-the saddle pumping, then sitting down for some pulling on the bars. I don't know what the elevation gain is per say, but the profile is pretty variated none the less.

yonderboy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbvQqssD_jI

Two of the steepest hills in Portland: Brynwood Ln. and College Ave.

MIN 

I live near there - Brynwood is scary steep. Not really possible with my 48Tx18T

Astronomical

I have plenty of hills.

DDYTDY

Mt Ascutney in Vermont 3.7 miles Average 12% grade with long sections at 18% and a 19% max. 2,266' of climbing. 20t chainring 21t cog. I trained for Mt Washington on Ascutney. best time was 45 minutes.

Mt Wasington 7.6 miles Average grade 12% Max 22% 5,490' of climbing. I rode up twice this year. Once on geared bike 1:45 and Fixed with 20t chainring and 21t cog 1:42

LoRoK

According to the site, my daily ride has 300' of gain over 4.46 miles. I ride 48x17. My usual morning long ride has less than 100' gain over 35.79 miles. Next week I step it up to 45 miles.

conor

i got tired just watching that.

12XU

Some notable hills in Cincinnati: Lehman 18.9% grade for .4 miles (walked part of it during a Monday night ride), Ravine St. 11.3% for .6 miles, Sycamore St. 12% for .4 miles, Vine St. 7% for 1.3 miles, etc. There are an incredible amount of short and steep ones. The urban death ride happens once a year and covers 25 miles and many thousands of feet of ascent. It's similar in style to the Dirty Dozen in PGH, although the hills it tackles are not quite as short and definitely much lower grades.

Oh yeah, I'm running 45x17

cyclezealot

In cases where - lord, you've given me a mountain,' one could have a second bike with gears. Rather than never conquering a mountain. I hate it when there are mountains , 'I can't climb.' Gears were made to make impossible work , possible.

mander

I like to climb Seymour and Cypress Mountains here in Vancouver. Both are about 7%, 11 km hills with 1000 m of gain. I use a 69" gear . Cyclezealot outside of offroad mtb trails I still havent found a hill around here that is impossible on a fixed gear.

cyclezealot

^ I prefer to have improved quads over excess gears too; If I had the choice.

crbrown

Commute from house to university is 750' over 3 miles. Leaves me pretty weak.

LóFarkas

You must calculate grades different than others... All the hills on the TdF etc. are like 10-12% average and never really over 20%. I think the ridiculous hill on the Giro last year where half the peloton actually got off and walked was like 27%? But I'm not sure.

48x17 is never gonna take you up anything much steeper than 10%.

threy

https://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united...land/590411333 heres my route from my house to downtown portland.

ascent-211 feet
descent- 654 feet

thats how i like it.


on the way back its a lot tougher

threy

on the way back i go up a hill wich gains 200 feet in less then two tenths of a mile

marqueemoon

According to mapmyride the last hill on my commute (Pine from Melrose to Broadway) is 299 feet of gain in .33 miles. That seems a bit much to me.

Avian

What do you guys know about 33% grades?

CdCf

I don't think his post was 100% serious...