Climbing the steepest streets in San Francisco on a folding bike

[luv2climb]

I took a trip to San Francisco yesterday in a rental car, so that meant taking my collapsible road bike-a Bike Friday Pocket Companion. It is sold as a touring bike, but I bought it for the low climbing gears. It has a triple, and I replaced the stock 30t small chainring with a 24t, which gives me a 16 inch low gear.

Thanks to a cyclist on another forum, I got a list of the steepest streets in The City. Because of limited daylight, I decided to do just all the steepest climbs in the Nob Hill, Russian Hill, and Pacific Heights areas.

I started with Filbert between Hyde and Leavenworth, a 31.5% grade. This is where I discovered that my waterbottle needed to be on the frame-mounted bottle cage, not the handlebar-mounted one. It kept poking me in the chest because I had to lean over so much.

Next was Jones between Filbert and Union, a 29% grade. After that was Jones between Union and Green, a 26% grade. Then a ride down Broadway and up some more lesser hills before the next steep street-Webster between Broadway and Vallejo (26%). Next was Fillmore between Broadway and Vallejo at 24%.

The next hill is where I met my match. Broderick between Broadway and Vallejo is a 38% grade. It is so steep there is no road, just a sidewalk on the left side of the street (facing uphill).

I made it halfway up on my first attempt, then ran out of steam. Same thing 4 tries later, each time making less progress than the time before. By then it was dark and I decided to go back to Nob Hill and climb the last hill of the day, Jones between Pine and California (24.8%). Typical of the last hard climb of a ride, this one hurt near the top. Good stuff!

My HR hit 202 on this ride. I saw it hit 200 at the top of the only climb where I remembered to look at the Garmin.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/130582283#

I brought my GoPro HD Hero 960 camera with me and mounted it on the handlebars. There's no way my helmet-mounted ContourHD would have produced good footage with this ride. I had my head down for most of the climbs, so you would have had a lovely view of the pavement.

I only had to use my lowest gear on Broderick. I did the second attempt in second gear, but all the rest were in the lowest gear.

Here's the video. I left out the last climb up Jones because, like the ContourHD, the GoPro sucks at night video. You can see for yourself on the last attempt up Broderick.

Be forewarned, the intensity of these efforts is very audible at times, so keep this in mind if you have anyone within earshot while watching this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbc5iG3M1q0

Here's some pics.

Bottom of Filbert between Hyde and Leavenworth


Top of Filbert


Bottom of Jones between Union and Filbert


Top of Jones between Union and Filbert


Fillmore between Vallejo and Broadway


Webster between Vallejo and Broadway


Top of Broderick between Broadway and Vallejo


Bottom of Broderick


Top of Jones between California and Pine

[jobob]

Dang!!

Fabulous job, and great photos.

[redrhodie]

Broderick just looks evil. Good for you for going for it! I love that city.

[luv2climb]

Thanks! I love riding there too. I wish I could afford to live in the Bay Area, not the oversized cowtown I live in now.

A cyclist on another forum posted a link to a new, revised list of SF's steepest streets. Looks like I've got my work cut out for me!

[OakLeaf]

Dang, you DO love to climb! Nice work and fun pictures.

[luv2climb]

Thanks! For a slightly different perspective, here's the footage from the ContourHD helmet cam. I didn't look down as much as I thought I did, so I figured it was worth putting on Contour's video site with the rest of my ContourHD vids. You can hear a descending cyclist skidding down the 26% section of Jones between Union and Green on this one. On the GoPro video it sounded like I was applying my brakes while climbing!

http://contour.com/stories/climbing-...-bike-11-23-11

[shootingstar]

Dang, girl you're addicted to hills.

Great to have that video. Treasure it, superwoman.

[Veronica]

Huh? English, please!

The word skeptical means you doubt that someone accomplished what they did, which I interpret to mean you are calling someone you don't know, a liar.

What does it matter if someone did or didn't do what they claim? Why do you need proof?

BTW - panties in a wad - is rude and insulting.

Veronica

[luv2climb]

The word skeptical means you doubt that someone accomplished what they did, which I interpret to mean you are calling someone you don't know, a liar.

What does it matter if someone did or didn't do what they claim? Why do you need proof?

BTW - panties in a wad - is rude and insulting.

Veronica

Why does it matter? Because they posted it in my thread, that's why. I would like to see someone, anyone, climb that hill because it would be inspiring to me and many others.

Why don't you do yourself a favor and put me on ignore? Nothing I can say is going to change your opinion of me, so please do us both a favor and ignore my posts.

[Crankin]

Well, I am going to throw myself into the fray here. I "put myself on ignore," in a way, because while I do like looking at pictures of any rides in places where I have not ridden, I am not going to comment on the descriptions and I certainly am not watching the videos. I could care less about the technology of helmet cameras or any cameras. I don't know the man that the OP and Veronica are talking about, so it's not like I am defending him. But something just feels "wrong" here. I don't discount the OP's accomplishments, I am sure she's done all of these hill climbs.
Won't comment any more, as I really don't want to start a war. But, I do agree with Veronica.

[luv2climb]

I will try my best to clarify what I said earlier, for those who think I'm just stirring the pot.

I am not familiar with the BF poster who made those claims, or his cycling accomplishments. When I first saw his post, I thought he was either super-fit and actually climbed Broderick, or he exaggerated. Anyone who has ever spent time on the Road Cycling section of BF knows how much bragging and outright lying goes on in there, so naturally I was a bit hesitant to take his word that he climbed that hill in that gear combination. Many roadies have big egos, and many male roadies hate it when a woman is as fast or faster than them. Since climbing is probably the ultimate display of strength, many roadies are very competitive and like to try to outdo each other.

With all this in mind, I would have felt more comfortable with that claim with just a little more data, a picture, or a video. That is all.

[jobob]

Good grief.

Luv2climb, I don't know you from Adam and I don't think we have exchanged any correspondence before this thread, in which, I might add, I was the first one who complimented you on your achievement.

Your later posts implying that someone did not actually climb Broderick because he didn't supply you with adequate "proof" were, to put it mildly, rather odd. Even more so because I too know the man you are alleging to be a liar. I've known Bostic even longer than Veronica has (and she probably doesn't even know that); I met him way before V started doing double centuries. He is a kind and an honest man, and yes, a damn strong cyclist. If he said he rode up Broderick, he rode up Broderick.

Anyone who has ever spent time on the Road Cycling section of BF knows how much bragging and outright lying goes on in there, so naturally I was a bit hesitant to take his word that he climbed that hill in that gear combination. Many roadies have big egos, and many male roadies hate it when a woman is as fast or faster than them. Since climbing is probably the ultimate display of strength, many roadies are very competitive and like to try to outdo each other.

So what? What is the big deal if someone exaggerates? You still did what you did, how might some pathetic person's exaggeration diminish your own accomplishments?

You have no reason to be so insecure. The "male roadies" on bikeforums were very impressed with your achievements. As was I, at least until you started trashing someone out of the blue. And I'm not at all impressed with the way you lashed out at Veronica because she pointed out your incorrect assertions about her friend (and mine). Kind of unfair, imo.

[Veronica]

I just don't put people on ignore. I ignore threads, but there isn't a single person on TE that I want to completely ignore.

The group NorCal pace varies. Generally 16 - 18 on the flats and climb at your own pace. The last ride I did with them, I bonked hard and I was the last one. They were great waiting for me until we told them that I was pretty much done for the day. That'll teach me to go for a run and then ride without taking in enough calories.

Veronica

[luv2climb]

That's pretty close to a typical JoelS ride, so I might wait until I'm stronger and the last 20 pounds are gone before attempting any group rides. I'm not interested in holding anyone up. Many of these people have kids and are much busier on the weekends than I am, so I'll continue to ride solo.

For those who may wonder if I only ride solo and why, there's your answer.

[jobob]

The BF Nor Cal gang used to have a very fun, very loosely-organized Slowpoke ride series, led by Bikingshearer & Bigbossman.

I went on a few of them and had a grand time. I was supposed to go on one the day after the crash that kept me off my bike for several months. I never did manage to go on another one after that. Over time the slowpoke rides faded away, no idea why.

Here's a thread with a bunch of photos from BF rides past -- not just the slowpoke rides, though they are well represented.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...tos?p=11945089

Many TE denizens appear in these photos.

Oh, and Bostic shows up from time to time too.