Designing a bike for hill climb
#26
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Ultra-climber vs Fargo Street:
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As others have said, it makes a difference whether you're talking about a bike that's better at climbing hills as part of your ride or you're making a bike that's specifically for a hill climb race like the Mount Washington Auto Road Hill Climb (or your area's equivalent).
#28
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if all you cared about was getting to the top of a hill as fast as possible, it might look something like this? a (sorta) fully functional 10lb bike.
https://www.bikeradar.com/features/p...alized-aethos/
https://www.bikeradar.com/features/p...alized-aethos/
This bike looks like a super comfortable all day climber. Mt Washington (with slightly bigger tires unless it is now paved all the way up). Repeats on Dead Indian Memorial Highway. (See my last post.)
#29
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A 4.7kg bike isn't much an advantage when you're 83kg with 3.0 w/kg ftp
There is a lot to the 'ride more,' but it's all about power/weight. Gearing that maximizes cadence@ftp and comfort for an hour is what I try to achieve.
There is a lot to the 'ride more,' but it's all about power/weight. Gearing that maximizes cadence@ftp and comfort for an hour is what I try to achieve.
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Notice the brake levers. Big, set way below the seat and very far forward. The levers are close to horizontal. She can ride so stretched out she has full use of her diaphragm for breathing and no compressed anything in her torso, Great oxygen utilization. Like I said in my first post - it's all about fit! Being able to do all that with her wrists rotated thumbs forward. pinkies back means she should be able to "honk" on those levers forever without chronic wrist/hand issues.
#31
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Looks like a fairly common race bike fit to me. If I were to set up a hill climb-specific bike, I would want it to have the same fit as the bike I ride all the time.
Changing your "event bike" fit to something other than what you've spend a bazillion hours training on does't seem like a good strategy.
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I came here to write the same thing.
Looks like a fairly common race bike fit to me. If I were to set up a hill climb-specific bike, I would want it to have the same fit as the bike I ride all the time.
Changing your "event bike" fit to something other than what you've spend a bazillion hours training on does't seem like a good strategy.
Looks like a fairly common race bike fit to me. If I were to set up a hill climb-specific bike, I would want it to have the same fit as the bike I ride all the time.
Changing your "event bike" fit to something other than what you've spend a bazillion hours training on does't seem like a good strategy.
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#33
Newbie
I was really hoping this thread would be more about pushing the limits of what is actually climbable, not "hill climbing racing". I would love to see some custom bikes with ultra low gears, stretched chainstays so the bike doesn't flip over backwards, and unusually forward canted riding positions.
#34
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I was really hoping this thread would be more about pushing the limits of what is actually climbable, not "hill climbing racing". I would love to see some custom bikes with ultra low gears, stretched chainstays so the bike doesn't flip over backwards, and unusually forward canted riding positions.
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#36
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I was really hoping this thread would be more about pushing the limits of what is actually climbable, not "hill climbing racing". I would love to see some custom bikes with ultra low gears, stretched chainstays so the bike doesn't flip over backwards, and unusually forward canted riding positions.
I'm still not understanding what you are wanting. We have bikes with what to me are ultra low gear ratios. How steep a hill and for what distance are you wanting to climb would probably answer the questions most of us want to know.
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#38
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The hill was around 12% average with 17% max. Steep, but not ultra-steep. It’s a 32T chainring, so not unusually small. Only 2 teeth less than a standard 34T on a compact double. It just looks small because there is no 50T outer ring.
#39
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An advantage of bigger gears of the same ratio as that of smaller ones is less chain tension for an equal power output. Total chain "angular displacement" (sum of the angles of the individual links) will be the same.
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I did a 5 day tour with a bunch of climbing and a friend who was much faster than I actually added weight to his bike so that we were close in total weight. I liked that and I try to pitch it to the small climbers on club rides but they won't bite.
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#41
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it is an advent rear derailleur that goes I think 11-42 or 46 9 speed.
I actually have a double on the front. 50/36. Advent supposedly doesn't support it but it works fine.
The 50 is too tall and I end up spending most of my time on the 36. But it can go below a 1:1 ratio. All the climbers have around a 36 front and a 36 back.
#42
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Trek calls its Emonda a climbing bike, and puts rather high gearing on it.
I climb with a 30T in the front and a 36 or 34 T in the back.
I climb with a 30T in the front and a 36 or 34 T in the back.
#43
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#44
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So one of my current bikes is kind of a frankenbike. From what I've read here it doesn't look like I can improve much more of it.
it is an advent rear derailleur that goes I think 11-42 or 46 9 speed.
I actually have a double on the front. 50/36. Advent supposedly doesn't support it but it works fine.
The 50 is too tall and I end up spending most of my time on the 36. But it can go below a 1:1 ratio. All the climbers have around a 36 front and a 36 back.
it is an advent rear derailleur that goes I think 11-42 or 46 9 speed.
I actually have a double on the front. 50/36. Advent supposedly doesn't support it but it works fine.
The 50 is too tall and I end up spending most of my time on the 36. But it can go below a 1:1 ratio. All the climbers have around a 36 front and a 36 back.
1. Are you in a hill climb competition?
2. Are you a recreational cyclist that just wants to climb more easily?
3. How steep is the hill in percent grade?
4. How long is the climb?
Scroll up to see how people are trying to help you by trying to understand the challenge and your goal.
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Road 🚴🏾♂️ & Mountain 🚵🏾♂️
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#45
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#46
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The questions asked were:
1. Are you in a hill climb competition?
2. Are you a recreational cyclist that just wants to climb more easily?
3. How steep is the hill in percent grade?
4. How long is the climb?
Scroll up to see how people are trying to help you by trying to understand the challenge and your goal.
1. Are you in a hill climb competition?
2. Are you a recreational cyclist that just wants to climb more easily?
3. How steep is the hill in percent grade?
4. How long is the climb?
Scroll up to see how people are trying to help you by trying to understand the challenge and your goal.
#47
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- A larger cog/chainwheel pair has a smaller chain link angular displacement.
- As long as gear ratios are the same, chain tension is the same for all cog/chainwheel pairs.
#48
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It's still considered a road racing bike, so I doubt 1:1 gearing is a high priority.
#49
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Chain tension actually does decrease with larger cogs with the same ratio. But the chain also moves faster and power is a function of chain tension x chain speed.
#50
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As an historical aside this is how the old Polar power meter worked: it had a chain speed sensor and a chain tension sensor. The proof-of-concept for the tension sensor was a guitar pickup.
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