hills of SF
 

these macaframa/mash dudes are no joke
bombing SF hills with cars, cable cars and cable car track without brakes
this picture just blows my mind. can any of you do this?

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...1b0e2644_b.jpg

I bike around SF a few times on my blacked out freewheelin' bmx bike with no brakes. Never went down a street that crazy, and traffic was a little lighter because it was usually decently late.

yesterday we raced up/down california street before the macaframa premiere. **** was way steep...probably not as steep as the hill in the pic though...

pretty much everyone i know who rides track bikes can negotiate the hills/cars at the same time...brakeless

How do they get up the hills in SF? Ive always wondered that

Me too, esp since a lot of those dudes run pretty tall gears.

Most people avoid those hills (unless you're filming a dramatic scene for a video). There are several alternative routes that circumvent some of the gnarly climbs. It's also important to realize, the young people live where the affordable housing is. Generally, these areas are the lower, flat sections of the city (Mission, Lower Haight etc). Not many fixed gear riding kids can afford to live up on the top of Nob Hill.

the wiggle ftw

skitch on the cable cars, duh!

I rode my track bike there last summer. It was some of the best urban riding I've ever done in the United States... so much fun and so many challenges. SF is a great city, near and dear to my heart. :tear:

walk

Most of the time there's a way to ride up them...maybe going up the side where it might go up more gradually. But then again there are some hills so steep the sidewalk is actually cut like stairs and it's hard to walk up let alone ride.

you can cut across hills and weave your way up. most the time it is all about spinning really fast on the flats of cross roads and using momentum. I was there for the first time this summer, what a blast.

I can spin at 170+ rpm down hills, and I just mash up them. Running 48/18. Most people that ride in the city can manage cars well, but a lot of that is the drivers know we bike aggressively and are ready to get out of our way.

I was at the premiere last night. Those guys are pretty insane (no way I'm insinuating that I can out ride them). A lot of extended spin-fests, and some intense ****ing tricks.


The best part about riding in SF is that you always feel like you've got to go fast on the streets. You're always pushed to ride harder and faster, I love it.

im to scared to ride around sf

Took the train up there yesterday (i'm an hour south). Fantastic day in the city! One of those days I wished I lived there. Perfect cycling weather, and I explored some new areas. I rode my triple chainring touring/trekking bike and left my single speed at home (and even the ss has front and rear brakes, btw). Not only can't I imagine the city on a fixid-gear bike, but no brakes ... that's crazy!!! I felt like I was testing the limits of mine at times, and made a mental note to install those new pads I found in the bin at Perf.

I was planning on going to school in San fran, til everything fell through, and I was honestly terrified by hills like that (I planned on my bike being my #1 transportation). There are some hills in baltimore that are kinda scary, but none like SF.

I just started fixed gear riding but we skated those hills when I was a kid............lots of flat spots afterwards..........but skating embarkadero was the **** back then............there weren't so many skate parks .................anyways, I'm headed to SF on Saturday to hang with the family..........dont think I'll pack my bike though.............

I live in the east bay and even in Oakland you can ride fairly relaxed. There are very few parts where you can ride like that. Most of the time you have to ride like you're in a fight...if you're not aggressive enough you'll get eaten alive not only by the cars but by the other cyclists. Most people don't take to kind to people riding their brake all the way down a hill and getting in their way.

I bike to work and back every day... and to answer the "How do you navigate the Hills questions"... you go around them. I live directly over nob hill from my work in the financial district, so i just go a few blocks down to union square where its flat, and ride around the hill.

its a ridiculously fun and scary city to ride in... it puts the streets of philly, where i just moved from, to shame.

photoshop

I was at the premier for that video. Freaking crazy stuff.

The premier was crazy... the people behind me didnt even know what they were in line for. Just figured it was something good I guess.

you get used to the hills. you learn ways around em, and learn to set up your gearing to accommodate them. Also the more you ride them the less intimidating they get. I was at the macaframa premiere to. Good times.

Any way I can check out the Macaframa video online or are they going to put out a DVD?

I wish I could have went to the premiere, but I'm on the East Coast right now :(

Try the mountains of colorado.
I should shoot a fixed video along highway 74 and 119 when I go back sometime.