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

[gnat23]

Wow! Your rear derailleur looks like it would touch pavement on a right turn. Super impressive, those steepies scare the daylights outta me.

-- gnat!

[luv2climb]

LOL! You're right! I just looked at the bike and the bottom of the long-cage derailleur is about an inch off the ground. That's the stock configuration too. So far no problems with clearance though.

The one-upmanship has started. A man on another forum claims he made it up the 38% Broderick St with a 34x26. Maybe he did, but without video proof I'm skeptical. I've been accused of being an attention you-know-what for posting videos, but that's not the case. I do it to back up my claims, and because I've been told by many people that they enjoy watching them. If they didn't, I wouldn't waste my time.

I wish more people would post raw footage ride videos to back up their claims. I mention the raw footage part because it shows the viewer how hard the rider had to work to make it up the climb.

[hebe]

wow, never was there a more appropriate use name! I'm amazed, I've only visited San Francisco once, and got a little giddy just doing the hills in those trolley cars!

Brilliant stuff, well done!

[Veronica]

That's rather bold of you. The guy who made that claim on BF is a serious hardcore rider, volunteered with me at Knoxville Double 2010 and completed 5 double centuries, including three of the hardest ones - DMD, Terrible Two and Mount Tam in 2010. He then repeated those three this year to finish 24th in the Cal Triple Crown stage race this year.

Really, just because there is no video, does not mean it did not happen.

Veronica

[shootingstar]

Dang, girl you're addicted to hills.

Great to have that video. Treasure it, superwoman.

[luv2climb]

That's rather bold of you. The guy who made that claim on BF is a serious hardcore rider, volunteered with me at Knoxville Double 2010 and completed 5 double centuries, including three of the hardest ones - DMD, Terrible Two and Mount Tam in 2010. He then repeated those three this year to finish 24th in the Cal Triple Crown stage race this year.

Really, just because there is no video, does not mean it did not happen.

Veronica

Look, I know I'm not exactly your favorite poster out there, but I am cynical of most of the stuff I read on the internet. Anyone can say they did this and that, and it's not always true. I never said he didn't do it. I said I was skeptical because that Strava page he linked to doesn't show the detailed ride data that Garmin's site does. I had no way to see what and where he rode.

Don't forget, many men hate being "chicked", so they will bust their *** to outdo a woman.

[Blueberry]

I don't have a dog in the fight of who did or didn't post what about their ride.

However, I will say:

1) I do not have a helmet mount camera. I haven't ruled it out because of crazy drivers, but it's not likely something I'll spend money on anytime soon. I certainly wouldn't find it necessary to back up a claim of what I did or didn't do.

2) I refuse to provide any public access to my Garmin data. I don't want people to know where and when I start and end my rides for security reasons. I also don't really necessarily want my HR data out there for all to see.

Neither of these would necessarily verify what gear someone used anyway.

I don't tend to watch videos on the internet anyway - but I do enjoy seeing the photos

[Veronica]

Don't forget, many men hate being "chicked", so they will bust their *** to outdo a woman.

You are the window through which you see the world.

Veronica

[luv2climb]

You are the window through which you see the world.

Veronica

Huh? English, please!

I base my opinions on past experiences, both my own and other people's. Sorry if you can't accept that some, not all, men feel threatened by women who are at least somewhat strong. Before you get your panties in a wad, I am not talking about the BF poster who said he rode up Broderick in a 34x26. I don't even know who he is. I just wanted more concrete proof of his climb, that's all.