ovoleg

is there a way to make it there by streets? I want to ride there...
crap It tells me to take the 101...ARgh

ovoleg

bleh I cant figure it out...Im going to pick up some leg warmers and arm warmers and just drive there...Probably do Griffith since its close by.

Bah bad time to ask

Socalcycling

You live in So Cal what do you need warmers for?

ovoleg

It's cold!!!

Anyways,
I went to try it...

I gave it 100% but I failed. I rode a bit around and got started. The hill IS MUCH STEEPER than it looks in that picture. I got into granny gear and started off. As soon as I hit the hill, the front tire was jumping off the ground. At least half a foot of the ground!!!

I got about 1/5 of the way there and almost fell over the next time it went off the ground, I kind of swiggled back and then slid down on my cleats 50ft...Kind of scary, almost fell

I got up and tried again, this time I was zig-zagging, got about 1/5 of the way again and had to dismount because I almost fell over when I turned the corner. I crawled to a driveway and set out again. Got to the other side and took the turn with a fall...

Anyways, Hopefully TheFixer can post some of the pictures.

Anyone have any tips for this? I will take his advice and try it on my MTB with platform pedals. It's not that I was getting tired but the tire coming of the ground is the scariest thing I've ever experienced. I consider my handling skills good but I was on the verg of falling every couple of seconds. The second time I made it about 1/4 of the way and I got the tire of the ground at least 6-10 times. Each time scarrier than the last.

Bah, at least I tried. "A" for effort?

Thanks for the encouragement/support Fixer. I am not going to be trying that until I think of a strategy..

Socalcycling

Why and the heck was you tire coming off the ground? I've never heard of such a thing. I hope you were standing when you were attempting this and putting a lot of your weight forward cause that's the only way your going to get up.

recneps345

I knew this feat would be harder than you originally thought. There is always next time.

ovoleg

Alright, I have common sense, I tried that...

I think you need to try it first and then tell me how you did it..

The wheel was coming of the ground with all my weight on it.

Thanks :/

ovoleg

Yea I admit it was hard but I would never know without trying...I have to watch some people do it to see what technique they used

spingineer

Check this out for a perspective on the grade ... https://www.foothillcycle.org/fargo.htm

Bone

I have rode up Fargo Street a few times during the LA Wheelmen's event. It is much harder than it looks. Club members spot riders as they assend to help protect them if they fall. Stopping on that hill with road cleats on is very difficult. It is so steep that you must keep your weight way over the front of your bars or the front wheel will not stay on the ground. A friend of mine who is reputed to be strong on hills was very anxious to give it a try when I told him about it. He also told me that even though he has a triple on his bike he would not use it(personaly I have no such problems). He crashed and his bike wound up at the LBS for repairs. Most of the riders during the event the last two years I've been there use mountain bikes. This year my goal was to make it up on both my MB and my RB. I really felt like I accomplished something that day.
Good luck, Bone

jschen

Cool pics! Hmm, riding solo on a tandem, huh? That's one way to help weigh down the front wheel.

tinrobot

If you look closely, you'll see that guy did a smart thing - he used the second crank of the tandem to reduce the gearing even further.

ovoleg

I agree

Thanks Bone! I know its much harder than it looks. I tried everything possible to keep the front wheel down but it kept coming up

I am not going to be trying anything like that for awhile. I'm kind of scared going up it now...Almost faceplanted the pavement every couple of seconds...

Anyone who makes it up that hill has my respect, it takes alot of skill and strategy to do it. Zig zagging doesn't work too well especially when you have to turn, it feels like your going to fall sideways(and probably will)

Good job Bone,

ovoleg

If you look at that site, you'll see that white brick wall in the background? I made it like 5-10 meters past that and that was it...

DannoXYZ 

"You live in So Cal what do you need warmers for?

It's cold!!!

Yeah, it has finally dropped below 70-F and now everyone's breaking out the fur coats and electrically heated gloves and underwear...

ovoleg

It was 59 when I left my house this morning...

I can stand the cold...Just not when I am trying to go fast

1955

Good job ovoleg, it was great to hear about that hill from a real human that hasn't been training for it for a year. Just someone giving it a go out of nowhere. Now you have something to shoot for. I'm sure stragedy will help, but I'll bet having legs of steel and a million feet of vertical climbing is the real ticket!

Ralph

roadfix

Ovoleg in action! Thanks for coming all the way out to my barrio to tacke this hill. Road cleats definitely must go. You did well, but better luck next time.


EDIT 12/20/06:

Dang it! I no longer have this photo on file!

ovoleg

I look fat in that picture

Yea it was fun, won't be trying it again until I see others do it...Maybe I"ll bring out my MTB if I ever restore it, so far only 1 gear works and the wheels wobble like tacoes

Looking at the picture, I feel like i am going to lift of the ground any moment

ovoleg

Thanks! If I had the right strategy and maybe if I had a heavier front end/bike I would retry it, until then, I don't see me making it up without falling. That hill is a beast

spingineer

When the annual Fargo Hill climb comes around, you gotta attend. Check out LA Wheelmen for more details.

One year, I actually saw a tandem (with captain and stoker) and one with a burley trailer attached to the bike go all the way up to the top. Now that takes skill!

duckliondog

It's around the corner from me too. I walked my bike straight up and the computer indicated that it was indeed 33% grade. It's steepest at the top.
In the picture below, the guy on top made 33 ascents, the guy in the middle made 34, and the last guy is me.

ovoleg

So whats the rule of thumb ? I had the wheel come off many times...

Thanks!

Socalcycling

What kind of computer do you use that gives grade info? I use a Forerunner 301 which does and the grade information is only really good to tell if you are climbing or descending. I used it in San Francisco recently on Taylor street which is reported to be 17% and the computer reported 27%. The only reason I ask is because I have never ridden up Folk but used to date a girl that lived near it so I saw it all the time and I think Taylor in SF is just as steep. The climbing section of Balcom Canyon is reported at 20% with a section of 22 and that has to be steeper that Folk. Just curious.

adxm

I find the Ciclosport 434M works pretty well for grade measurement, and since it records, you can check on climbs later.

For Balcolm Canyon the steepest grade for a 20 second increment I see on the recording I have is 25%. But then it was in the middle of a brutal double century, and I was going like ~4.5 mph on that section, so it might not be that accurate. For 1/3 mile its 15.5%.

Adding ~10% to that steepest pitch on Balcolm makes Fargo seem pretty brutal! I have to try it someday, but falling on that hill doesn't sound too fun.