Hey all. My hamster wheel commute includes this ba***rd of a hill at the end. It's steeper than it looks, and around the corner the second part is even steeper.

Anyway, I currently ride that sucker on my backside but want to experiment with mashing (right word?) up it on my feet. Mostly I want to know if it's okay to gear down while I'm putting so much strain on the drive train? My Giant hybrid has mtb gearing, and I do love my granny gear. TIA, guys.

I don't know korina if you've been riding it sitting down it .might not be that steep,,,,, if it's a monster you'd already be mashing ?,but the question,,,, I don't see why not,,,, do it,,,

Small chainring does increase chain tension, combined with big cog you can get pretty high torque on the rear wheel.

But, humans are weak and drivetrains are decently tough. If they didn't want you to use the low gears, they wouldn't put them on the bike.

Good point, thanks.

I'd try to finesse it a little on the shifting when standing, practice on flat areas? The only time I ever snapped a chain was on my hybrid mashing across an intersection. Wasn't much drama but I can hold my upper body up pretty well with my arms.

Edited to say I've also popped my rear wheel out of the drops mashing hard, but only once and probably because I wasn't careful after I had swapped on and off a kid trailer hitch mount.

It's important to lighten the chain tension before and during shifting. Once you're already mashing, that can be difficult. So, either shift sooner, or use whatever torque you can muster to put on a bit of added speed, then ease off while the momentum carries you through.

One technique that helps if the road is wide enough and there's no traffic, is to turn across the road, ie. start a slalom, then shift while there's momentarily no load. With a bit of practice this can be a very effective for shifting if you've waited too long on steep climbs.

According to RidewithGPS, Union street gets to about 8.5% grade. Shift before you get into trouble not once you're there. Normal technique is to have a lower cadence while standing than when sitting.

Same as the way you get to Carnegie.....

Sure! Give it a try! What's the worst that could happen? You may lose momentum and you might have to walk up the hill? Ain't no shame in that.
If it were me, I would try to cover the first uphill section sitting down. And get out of the saddle for the next one, provided I am not on the smallest chainring. I find it less efficient to be out of the saddle on the smallest chainring.

Having the right cadence helps and that usually means just a bit slower than on the flats. That is whatever is comfortable for you that can be maintained for the duration of the hill, usually about the same as climbing steps. Once you you get gears ans cadence sorted out, you may find you actually get some satisfaction in climbing.

This. Important to not shift under load. Otherwise, just pick whatever gear works. And yes, it's typical to drop a cog or two for standing.

I ride lots of hills. I never shift while standing and mashing. Chain snapper.

I have a hill on my commute with very little traffic, and when I am on my coaster brake cruiser I slalom back and forth up the whole thing... If a car shows up, I jump off and walk it the rest of the way.

Thanks guys, you're all awesome; I'll try some of these techniques. One of the reasons I want to learn this is because everywhere I ride is freakin' traffic; it drives me nuts. I want to try gravel grinding just to get out away from cars; but around here it's all mtb or roadies, not my thing, so I may have to work it out on my own. I like to ride, to go and see new places; competition and adrenaline are not it for me, traveling and discovery is. (Sorry for the mini-rant, I'm a little frustrated.)

Also, I can't believe Union is only 8.5%! They must be averaging it with the flat(ish) intersection before the steeper bit. If it is, I'll have to give even more kudos to those who ride up really steep hills.

I'm already creeping up in my lowest gear, not sure I can go any slower and stay upright. I will admit to stopping on the way up, but only in two places these days. For a tubby middle-aged human with arthritic knees, that ain't too bad.

I'm almost the same, so I rearranged it how I am. lol

bursting up the hill will gas you shortly into the climb. try a steady pace, such as if you were to ride a long flat distance where you don't go full speed early on because you'll be taking the bus back.

With my 105/11sp set I find I need to increase at least 2 gears, and generally 3, if I stand up. Only problem is, I run out of gas within a minute whenever I do so, so I only ever do it on a short roller or near the top of a climb.

Pound up the hill all you want! I ride a fixed gear bike for 9 out of 10 rides and there are hills where I live. I have to pound up every one just to get up and then spin like a blender going down. It hardens your stamina and your legs. At some point you'll feel when the hill was, "not so bad today". Just keep pounding! I seriously doubt you'll break the drive-train on your bike and that hill won't be so bad every day.

the way I approach climbs is all about how I feel when I hit it. I can do the same ride 20 times and approach and complete the climb many different ways. For me there are two ways to climb:

option #1 - out of the saddle
option #2 - sit and spin.

There are climbs I start with #1, end with #2. Or do #1 all the way. Or do #2, then #1. Or do #2 all the way. Or do #1, switch to #2, and then back to #1. And vice versa. It's all about how I feel at that time, and what I think I have left in the tank and what's left to do on the ride.

Point being, there's no one size fits all for a climb, even the same climb for the same rider on different days. Things change - weather, nutrition, fatigue, etc. I've done the same climb multiple times in the same month and did it different ways each time.

True.

Tonight I was approaching the top of the last hill before home. There's a little kick right at the end, and I usually pick up 3 gears and stand up. But there were cars coming up behind me, and I felt uncomfortable shifting and standing with the possibility of them also trying to pass me on what turns into a blind Right-hand corner of almost 90°. So I just held 2nd gear and seated.

This.

Given you two are experienced cyclists, I'm thinking you were taking some shortcuts with statements, and would agree avoiding shifting under load is a matter of best practice than an absolute no-no.

Truly it depends on what equipment you're running, because in my experience, mid- to high end modern derailleurs shift just fine under load. I do it a lot, when I want to, as when sprinting or climbing, and have not thought much about doing so since, well, maybe 9 speed Ultegra.

That said, I do ease up to shift if I don't need things to happen particularly urgently; I ride at 220lbs+, aggressively and with pretty decent power, yet I don't wreck wheels, snap chains, or crack frames, so I'd also consider myself a finesse rider despite the Clyde status. Probably owing to the fact I was riding before SIS, I developed good gear switching etiquette, but at the same time, if my equipment will let me slam shifts when I want, I do. And it does.

Rear derailleurs operate on the slack chain run which isn't affected by load.

The issue is the side load on the chain side plates as the chain settles into its new position which could spring one, although that's less likely with flush-riveted, peened chains which Shimano has been using for a very long time and uses for even 6/7/8 speed.

Yes, there are no absolutes, but while I can only speak for myself, I want to be clear. It's a serious problem and I recommend strongly against shifting under load.

That said, "under load" isn't an absolute notion. Loads vary, and experienced riders can shift under load because they have developed good shift habits, and unknowingly (or intentionally) ease up at the critical moment to allow the shift to happen smoothly.

When you shift, the chain is still engaged on the original sprocket as it engages the new one. That transition area flexes the chain sideways with a bit of a twist. As long as that area is below 9-10 o'clock there's no load on it, and all is good. As it nears 12 o'clock, tension in the upper loop increases the load in that area, and can spread the plates outward on the pins. That is what eventually leads to chain failure as the plates progressively move outward until they drop off the end of the pin.

Usually the chain doesn't break during the shift, or immediately after, but as part of a process that happens over time. Once the chain is primed to break, then it waits until the next time tension is high enough.

So, it's subtle, and it is possible to shift under some load, but maintaining high chain tension through the shift is a reliable way to kill a chain. You can even hear it happening, as the shift will make a clear crunching sound vs. the clickety-clack of a normal unloaded shift.

You're an experienced rider and can take care of yourself, but I don't post for those who don't need my advice. I post for those who aren't experienced enough to know, and for them my advice is simple, lighten the load through the shift, the same way you ease off the gas when shifting in a car.

Or you just time the shift so it happens when your pedals are at 6 and 12 o'clock. There's very little load at that point in your pedal stroke.