How quickly can you get your foot down, when you screw up a shift on a steep hill?

[winjim]

I just make sure my mechs are properly adjusted.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Don't go up a 25% hill.....

I'm going to make sure I never ever do again, I usually only go up hills like that by mistake. I only do hills if they happen to be in my way.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I just make sure my mechs are properly adjusted.

 

[Racing roadkill]

You definitely need to be adjusting gears before you get to the 25% bit.... obviously if you know the terrain.

And there in lies the problem, I've never ridden up Leith hill from the side. I didn't know about the kicker at the top. On paper, box hill looks worse, in reality (because of the steady nature of the climb, and the billiard table smooth surface) it's a piece of cake to get the mechs working on the fly.

 

[Buck]

...and why is it that you cycle round the corner and the hill looks at least 25% and feels like it yet when you look at your Garmin or get home and check Strava it says something like 14% - I'm sure mine's faulty!!!

 

[mjr]

...and why is it that you cycle round the corner and the hill looks at least 25% and feels like it yet when you look at your Garmin or get home and check Strava it says something like 14% - I'm sure mine's faulty!!!

Yeah, it's depressing when the toughest hill you've ridden is barely 12%. Oh well, I'm back in Somerset soon and maybe will test my legs on some actual 25%s!

 

[Buck]

Yeah, it's depressing when the toughest hill you've ridden is barely 12%. Oh well, I'm back in Somerset soon and maybe will test my legs on some actual 25%s!

Enjoy those 1 in 4s. No shortage up here but an abundance doesn't make them any easier.

 

[Racing roadkill]

...and why is it that you cycle round the corner and the hill looks at least 25% and feels like it yet when you look at your Garmin or get home and check Strava it says something like 14% - I'm sure mine's faulty!!!

I go on the road sign

 

[MikeW-71]

I saw a roadsign with 33% printed on it on the way up the moors on saturday.

I did not go to investigate

 

[Racing roadkill]

I saw a roadsign with 33% printed on it on the way up the moors on saturday.

I did not go to investigate

That's probably for the best

 

[Racing roadkill]

I'm on my way back from London to Southampton as I type. I've got a lovely 25 percenter to test my trim adjustments out on, in a minute. I'm just having a coffee to get my legs working again.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

And the bit that annoys more is the scrape to the bike not the elbow!

Yes but it also annoys because it was my fault, I cocked up the shift, left the shift too late and shifted at low cadence high power, or what counts as high power for me, when I checked the mech the adjustment was spot on.

 

[coffeejo]

Took my road bike in for its service this morning. The mechanic is a lovely chap and very thorough. Too thorough, really. It's the first time he's met my Orbea and he spotted the tell tale scrapes on the rear derailleur from a few years ago when I discovered what happens when you run out of gears on a hill. Thankfully he failed to notice (or was too polite to mention) the chewed up bar tape on one of the drops from a similar incident, though in my defence I did manage to unclip that time before hitting the deck. I won't mention the chain ring scars in my calf from when I kept the bike upright, unclipped with no problems, successfully put the correct foot down ... but forgot to hit the brakes.

 

[ufkacbln]

Let's face it


The answer is a recumbent trike with Rohloff

There is no problem

 

[coffeejo]

Let's face it


The answer is a recumbent trike with Rohloff

There is no problem

Does result in an absence of self-deprecating humour though.