You are reading a single comment by @BringMeMyFix and its replies.
Click here to read the full conversation.
London Fixed Gear and Single-Speed is a community of predominantly fixed gear and single-speed cyclists in and around London, UK.
This site is supported almost exclusively by donations. Please consider donating a small amount regularly.
@BringMeMyFix
I stayed seated up Pitch Hill and rode at the group's pace (compared to the usual solo effort and then waiting around in the darkness for 5 to 10min for the rest), suffered a bit on Leith Hill (sore back) and brought up the rear, but it must have been a good warm-up for the final climb.
My tactics for successfully getting up it in 70" fixed:
take it very easy on the bottom part, sit and stretch out the cranks, sometimes sitting fore on the saddle, and sometimes aft.
don't go mental on the false flat/slight descent in the middle, as it doesn't really work for carrying speed up the steep bit.
attack the right-hand hairpin, out of the saddle, but then immediately back off the power.
keep standing, find a (slow) rhythm, stare down at your front wheel (you'll notice headlights if cars approach), put all expectation of finishing the climb out of your mind, and enjoy the surprise easing up of gradient a few minutes later.
weaving to lessen the gradient doesn't work either, as the road has a weird camber that steepens things as you zig-zag to the left.
Er, that's what I remember with my brain's climbing module.