I was getting a little chilly riding along the Mon River Trail yesterday when I realized that I was coming up on Sixth Street. Nick Hein of Positive Spin had mentioned to me that his Bachetta Giro 26 wanted to wheelie on him going up to his shop at the top of this street. Bachettas are not generally known as wheelie bikes, so I was curious to see what this street was like.
The first block was about 10 percent and the second stayed in the 14 to 16 percent range. Up ahead the road narrowed, the surface got worse, and the sidewalks disappeared. It also got steeper-much steeper. That is the underside of an oncoming car you see at the top. I could read the bar code on his oil filter (it was a Fram). I bet he has good visibility of idiot bike riders pulled off to the side of the road taking pictures.
My inclinometer was not much help here since it only goes up to 20 percent. I made it to about where you see the guard rail at the side of the road (it keeps cars from landing on the house to my left), then I panicked and had to get my feet back on the ground. I was also about ready to blow a gasket.
I plan to go back ASAP on the EZ-1 which not only has a slighty lower gear insignificantly lower gear--I was wrong, but the pedals are closer to mother earth. Nick does ride up this thing on his Giro though even he admits that his mountain bike is handier in this situation. Wamsley Cycles is at the foot of this hill and this was actually the first place Nick rode his Giro when it came in.
Just to rub salt in my figurative wounds, as I was about to head back down I spotted a bike at the bottom and decided to wait in case it was Nick coming up to the shop. I didn't have to wait long; he cranked right up, standing and rocking the bike all the with very nice form. The rider turned out to be Jeremy who works at the bike shop. He lives at the top, which is actually still a ways above this, he and rides this street almost every day . And just in case you're curious, he's running a compact double with a 38 front/27 rear low for about a 38" gear (I had a 24" low on the Burley).
Advatage--upright bike (no wedgie here-you won't be on the saddle anyway).
Update-Last night I realized that I had owned a bike a few years ago on which I might have kept up with Jeremy up this hill-a BSA 441 Victor Special.
3 comments:
Sounds like you need a touring triple with a 22T granny up front.. LOL. Doubt I could make it up on a DF either.. :^)
Alan, I think I'll work on mounting a 13T from a freewheel as a granny. Until then I've added a picture to the post of the bike I should have kept around for hills like this.
I wouldn't be so sure that yellow BSA motorcycle could make its way up 6th Street! It wasn't nearly as reliable as most of your bicycles!
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