Emergency

[hennbell]

I agree with most people, if I am on a road bike this is not an issue. If a hit a killer hill on the MTB, steep and no traction, then things get scary.

 

[screenman]

Some of you guys do seem to get in a pickle at times, I suggest a season of cyclo-cross would sort you out.

 

[fossyant]

Don't panic. Had plenty of comedy falls on the MTB, and those you can't stop.

The answer on the road bike is grrrr attack attack attack.


Then keel over at the top.

 

[Sharky]

I tend to unclip with my left foot at a certain point on the revolution. Occasionally when a car or another cyclist has suddenly stopped or changed direction in front of me, it has been a close call, but have always managed it.

Far harder is when you've come to a controlled stop on a hill and then you want to start again. It can be quite a challenge to get the left foot clipped in again. Especially when on fixed.

 

[Globalti]

I would have already known was coming. I plot my new routes using OS maps and I look out for the chevron symbols. A single chevron is ok (14-20%) - I know that I can handle those hills. Double chevrons... Houston, we might have a problem (20+%)! I would have a look on Streetview and also search online to see if anybody had described riding up that hill.


I took the precaution of putting a triple chainset and big cassette on my bike so I have a much better chance of getting up those nasty steep ramps!

View attachment 531953


If you are on such a steep ramp that you are about to fall off, no braking required - you will come to a halt in less than 1 second and you need all of that time to get your foot unclipped so leave the brakes alone!


Don't even think about attempting that turn - if the hill is as steep as you say, you would likely fall off!


Funnily enough, I just found a diary from when I got back into cycling in 1989. I found a report of riding up a monster local climb but failing 3/4 of the way up. I can clearly remember it happening - I had managed the 10% bits. I had got up the 15%. I survived the 20% and had suffered like hell up the 25% and I thought that I was going to get round the LH bend after which the gradient settles back down to a manageable level. An idiot driver had other plans for me...

Got up this...

View attachment 531950

But the driver overtook me on this evil bend, which is about 35% on the inside, forcing me onto the cobbled bit...

View attachment 531951

My legs seized up and I fell to my left, fortunately landing on the grassy bank. I had toeclips and straps on that bike so it was impossible for me to dismount in a hurry. I saw the error of my ways and replaced the pedals...

Unfortunately, I replaced them with Look Deltas (as you can see in the photos above). They were the model before the Keos, but the same idea - a big piece of slippery plastic attached to the soles of your shoes. Not good for emergency dismounts! In the photo above with my bike halfway up the 25% ramp, I had actually just done an emergency dismount, fearing that I was not going to make it round that bend. Guess what? Yes, the Delta cleat slipped from under me and I nearly faceplanted on the road!

So... the Deltas had to go too! Now, all of my bikes have mountain bike-type SPD pedals on. The aggressive tread and recessed cleats on SPD shoes are ideal for panic dismounts.


You are missing riding up 20-30% ramps!

Put it this way, if you are fit enough to ride up climbs that steep fast enough to be able to coast for 1-2 seconds then you probably would not be having to dismount...


Pardon me, but, er - billhooks! Here is a Pennine packhorse trail with 2 cyclists on it...

View attachment 531957

I'm sure that there are some cyclists who could get up that climb on their bikes, but I didn't make it and those 2 didn't either - we were all pretty fit at the time. I'd guess that 90% of riders would walk the steepest part of it.

That's why that trail never got made into a road.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Even with clipless pedals you need a modicum of forward momentum to unclip in time to put your foot down before you fall over.

 

[ColinJ]

That's why that trail never got made into a road.

It would certainly have been a pretty useless road if it had been!

There are quite a few roads around here (and many other places) that require more than just a little sweating though... Mytholm Steeps (the road climb in my previous post) is very hard even with my road bike's easy 28/30 bottom gear. I admit that it wasn't too bad on my mountain bike but that has a 22/32 bottom gear.

 

[netman]

Turn around, go home, and start researching your new e-bike?

 

[Solocle]

When I ground to a halt up Hardknott Pass - well, I was doing the zigzag thing, and felt the wheel turn to face downhill... I jammed on the brakes, and unclipped. If you can't unclip like that, the tension is probably too high!

 

[Tigerbiten]

I ride a recumbent trike so I've never had that problem as I only unclip after I stop.

Luck ...........

 

[PaulSB]

It won't happen. No road in the UK no matter how insignificant, is steeper than what a loaded packhorse could manage so a cyclist can get up it even with a bit of a sweat.

If you're really out of puff just stop, hold the bike on brakes and unclip.

Sorry this is incorrect. I've watched people fall off on Roby Mill, near Appley Bridge, Lancashire. It's doable for virtually everyone but get the wrong gear and recovering that is extremely difficult.

 

[Brads]

If you can't unclip, your pedals are faulty or you can't use them.

My back wheel locked up on a 15% climb last week. I still got a foot down.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Sorry this is incorrect. I've watched people fall off on Roby Mill, near Appley Bridge, Lancashire. It's doable for virtually everyone but get the wrong gear and recovering that is extremely difficult.

I've got a mental block about Roby Mill. The bends at the top - going up or down - freak me out.
I can get up Crow Lane or Higher Lees Lane no problem, but I try and avoid Roby Mill if possible.

 

[rogerzilla]

With hills steeper than 1 in 4, really low gears aren't a panacea. You also have to avoid popping wheelies. This means you end up crouched over the bars, which has the annoying side-effect of reducing the torque you can apply to the pedals.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

If you can't unclip when you've ground to a halt, some practice is called for. Prop yourself up at home and get good at it, it's not a long process to develop the muscle memory.
Grinding to a halt shouldn't be an emergency.