Manayunk Hill Climb!

[NJBikeGal]

A big congrats to TE's very own, OhMySpokes who took 2nd in the Manayunk Hill Climb! I told you I'd be there hooting and hollaring! Nice job, Kristy! Way to rock that 22% grade!

[ohmyspokes]

Too funny! Thanks sooo much for cheering me on. Your girl Liz really rocked it.

I think I was on my 19 in the back at the steepest point. By the time I realized, it was too late to shift, so I had to try to really muscle it up there. Lesson learned for next year.

Thanks for the photo. I have ones my gf took before and after, but accidentally deleted the ones where I was actually riding.

[equus123]

Too funny! Thanks sooo much for cheering me on. Your girl Liz really rocked it.

I think I was on my 19 in the back at the steepest point. By the time I realized, it was too late to shift, so I had to try to really muscle it up there. Lesson learned for next year.

Thanks for the photo. I have ones my gf took before and after, but accidentally deleted the ones where I was actually riding.

Your 19?! Ouch. Sure the quads loved you after that one!

Congratulations though, that's fantastic.

[mimitabby]

wow! cool ride. How many times did you have to go up and down?

[Eden]

I've read about this one - its once and once sounds like enough, but of course this is the same Manayunk "wall" that is on the US Pro circuit race and that means doing it more than once ( ugh 10 times ) if you are in that race..

[ohmyspokes]

Your 19?! Ouch. Sure the quads loved you after that one!

Congratulations though, that's fantastic.

Yeah, and my arms and glutes, too.

My stomach, however, was happy it was over because I had been avoiding solid food since lunch. I got changed, watched the rest, and promptly hit a burrito joint to devour a thing the size of my head in a matter of minutes, if not seconds.

Thanks!

[ohmyspokes]

wow! cool ride. How many times did you have to go up and down?

Like Eden said, just once. Two minutes, five seconds and it was over.

[mimitabby]

Can someone please tell me what happens on a hill like this if you are clipped in (I have SPD's) and you cannot go forward anymore; like it's too steep??

thank you.

[Kimmyt]

fall down go boom



nice job ohmyspokes!!

[mimitabby]

uh, there's no alternative?

[chickwhorips]

good job! very nice picture!!!


mimi- after you fall down and go boom like kimmy said, then you say ouch

[mimitabby]

um, you guys aren't helping! Since the time I fell over going up a steep hill i didn't have enough momentum for,
I've been afraid of them.

Maybe a different kind of pedal would be better?

[chickwhorips]

oh sorry mimi. as many times as i've fallen these last couple of weeks, i've become "one with the ground" though i know its the gearing on my bike... well i don't have really any gearing on my bike. maybe that's the problem. need to get that taken care of.

otherwise. when i figure out i'm starting to slow down, i clipout. or if i know i might have problems, i clip out and try to make it as far as i can. does that help?

sorry for the hijack.

[Eden]

Can someone please tell me what happens on a hill like this if you are clipped in (I have SPD's) and you cannot go forward anymore; like it's too steep??

thank you.

If it gets too steep for you to go straight up - "paperboy" - go side to side across and up the hill to cut the grade a bit - like skiing in reverse. If it really does get too steep you can with some practice get out of your pedals and get a foot on the ground without tipping, but if you are wobbly it is likely you will fall... Slippery cleats won't help - recessed mt bike ones are pretty safe.
There's a hill I've been dying to go and try out again over on Vashon Island. A surveyor told us that its 26% and with my old bike it was steep enough that I couldn't keep my front wheel down on the ground and had to stop - I'm thinking my new better fitting bike (I can get over the front of it much better) and improved fitness I'll be able to make it up the thing now.
The hubby and I did some "impossible" hills in the area up above Issaquah yesterday - a coworker of his claimed they were too steep to ride a bike up, so of course we had to go and ride them.... we took pictures to prove it. I'm not sure how steep they were, but they were pretty good ones. Definitely not impossible.

[mimitabby]

Eden post the pictures!