Extreme Pushing - The final frontier
 

So, here is the topic what does one do to prepare for a lot of pushing both psych and physically. I feel bad getting off the bike, like a quiter, and have only rarely done it. I remember well when I was a kid in the UK and Ireland, that a guy pushing a bike was a comon sight. They had single speeds and just pushed up anything that got too tough, but I don't feel comfortable doing it.

Also It feels awkward to me. What would be the hot set-up. Nothing gets popular in the US until someone comes up with something to buy. We need some ridiculously expensive adaptations, special pushing bars, maybe a rack that flips the load to the far side for better ballance, folding pedals. It isn't for real until there is a billet part to buy for a few hundred.

Cyclo cross is pretty popular and those guys push so there ought to be a renaisance of sorts possible...

I'm joking a little with the title, but I'm serious about exploring the idea of pushing the bike. I have a tour in mind that is just way beyond my capacity, and at my age and physical capacity, I could kill myself trying to pump up the short steep relentless hills on this ride. I have a Rohloff in build that I will finish this fall, and will have a 17 inch gear, so maybe that will do it, but I am not sure I would always prefer to spin that mill than to just walk. I have ultralight minimal gear already.

there ain't no shame in walking if it get's you to the top of the hill in one piece mission accomplished.so where is this tour your planning ,sounds very hard.

As the trip goes along, you will get better at riding up the hills.

To get ready for a trip, I add a 5 pound weight each week, and ride some hills.
When the trip starts, the hills are often bigger than what I have around here,
but at least I am used to the extra weight.

Mmm, folding pedal sounds useful. Or for that matter, add training wheels and drag the bike behind you on a rope.

There always seems to be out-of-my-category points on some of my tours due to steepness, altitude, terrain surface and problems with the engine. Divide Ride [Lava Mtn Trail outside Butte,MT.]; 5000+ meters in the Andes with snow,mud and rocks; snow covered passes in the Rockies of Alberta; and local 20% pitch trails in the Santa Barbara backcountry.

Decades ago I settled on using two panniers in front and only a dry bag stuffer on top of the rear rack. One unanticipated benefit was the ability to stand close to the rear rack while pushing. I could control the bike better while pushing without standing off from the bike at an awkward angle for pushing due to a large or any rear pannier.

Folding or removeable pedals: I thought once that somebody could make big dough by inventing them, then I found out that they already exist and apparently didn`t excite as many people as I thought. It still seems like a good idea for pushing to me.

Move load to the front: Sounds good if you can manage it. I know that a BOB trailer likes to "bite" my ankles when I have to push. I never had to do it with rear panniers, but I can imagine they would be inconvenient too.

Training wheels and a rope/harness: Now you`re talking!

I'm OT, but during the vietnam war the vietcong used reinforced bicycles to load them with 400 pounds of supplies, and pushed them up the "ho-chi-min" trail (they were not rideable). They put some bamboo on the bars as some sort of tiller. Can't find any pics sorry.

The concept would be hard to adapt to a normally rideable bike! A a hinged tube attached to the bars?

Otherwise a foldable pedal seems like a good start

I've pushed up hills on numerous occasions. A friend of mine says, " if I can walk faster than I can ride, I'm getting off". Sometimes it uses an inordinate amount of energy to keep moving at a very slow rpm, 40-50, and it saves some of that energy just geting off and pushing. Anyone who has ridden over the Pompei Hills in NY might know the kind of situation I'm referring to. In country with really steep hills, I'll bungee my running shoes on top of my rack pack so I can switch footgear from ride to push mode. I've also put a 44/32/22 crankset on my bike this summer, and will try it out loaded in a few weeks.

My wife tells me its a "man thing", feeling embarrassed about pushing my bike hills. You know, she might be right!

Ding Ding Ding, you answered your own question.

In my neck of the woods, we have lots of short STEEP hills, with no shoulders. Walking is more dangerous because you take up much more room on the road walking. So for me, low, great granny gears make the most sense.

FWIW, I have found folding pedals to be a bit of a pain on my folding bike where they are more useful than on a non folder. Besides when it comes to pushing the panniers are as likely if not more likely to be in the way as the pedals are.

The choices in decent quality folding pedals are pretty much non existent. There are some quickly removable pedals and one is clip less (MKS) but it uses a non standard cleat. If you want a cage type pedal there are a few more choices in quickly removable also from MKS.

Thanks guys. My trip probably isn't all that tough for most people, but I have some blocked arteries so I have to be careful. I am planing to cycle the north shore of the Saint Lawrence, exact dates not clear. Section east of Quebec City, as far as it goes. I have taken the car, and remember granny gear sections for the car. But doubtless the right folks would have no problem. I don't have a departure date for it though I expect some time next year.

I just bought some NOS dirt drops Riv is selling. They are extra wide, so they may follow the Viet. example of wider tiller on the bike. The less on the rear idea is a good one.

Funny thing, just after posting, I remembered I pulled a ham string shoulder-riding my 2 year old up a local avenue. It was just the right low angle to put maximum stress on my hamstring. I could have carried her all day on steeper trails. I guess after a year it has stopped hurting enough that I forgot about the injury, but probably pushing isn't such a great idea either.

On one particular approx. 80 km day during my 2004 Australian Tour, I walked and pushed my bicycle approx. 15 km of that 80 km. It's a day that sticks out in my mind for many reasons ... not the least of which was that 15 km of hiking.

I try to bike- have low gears- but I also have a few years, some extra mASS and too much stuff.
So I'm not ashamed when I have to hike.

I never met a hill I couldn't push my bike up. Yet.

My name is freebooter and I....push up hills.

I have only done one short tour so far so I know I am not very fit but I definitely find that on steep hills I use less energy pushing the bike than cycling. Whether if I was in better condition this would change I don't know but I also found the change was quite welcome anyway.

44/32/22 crank set
 

I think you will like your new crank setup this is what I put on my Surly LHT for my long trip to Bangor Main that I am getting ready to go on here.

You're still getting up the hill under your own power, right? I don't see a problem with it.

I prefer a James Bond style magnet on the front of the bike that attaches you to the backs of cars going up the hill.

Seriously though, on my recent tour I bet I pushed the bike for a good 2 miles on the way up to Dolly Sods. It was more condition of the road than the hills, spinning 60+ pounds of bike up a 9% grade through a minefield of potholes, lose rocks and gravel just isn't my idea of a good time.

Dolly sods is great! went up there last year for a bit of backpacking and blueberry picking. Amazing country that.

42/32/22 is nice but I`m dreaming of a 20T ring. Maybe one of those new cassettes that goes to 36 while I`m at it.