Hill Climbing Poll

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  • Is climbing hills better on a fixed bike, a bike with a freewheel or no difference?

  • It's certainly easier, I find, to climb no hills at all.

    Though any tips from those whose are busy freewheeling uphill always welcome ;)

  • I cannot possibly comment...

    Should we ask for folk to hypothesise why..?

    And does same hold true for multiple hills of different gradients interspersed with downhill and flat bits?

  • Joe, by "freewheel", do you mean "geared"?

  • either geared or single speed

  • big difference

    (I've been reading Sheldon)

  • Sheldon says this:

    "If you have the option of gearing down and taking a hill at a slow pace, it is easy to yield to the temptation. When you ride a fixed gear, the need to push hard to get up the hills forces you to ride at a higher intensity than you otherwise might. Really steep hills may make you get off and walk, but the hills you are able to climb, you will climb substantially faster than you would on a geared bicycle."

    Fixed. It ain't science. It's a state of mind. Or something like that.

  • Hey, I wanted to mention Sheldon first!

  • Easier on fixed, as long as you've ridden fixed for a while.

  • Faster fixed, easier geared.

  • Hey, I wanted to mention Sheldon first!

    erm, I mentioned Sheldon before you, innit

  • good point lolo

    should have said better for climbing hills

  • So, fixed easier...why? And does this hold if you're doing multiple hills with multiple flats and downhills too...?

  • fixed is just better, man. just get over it.

    and you look waaaay cooler too.

  • Getchya man.

    ROTFL fixed, though? You're having a larf.

    (I'm about to be doing my general day-to-day riding on new single speed - 80s Falcon - which I'll probably convert to fixed asap)

  • Getchya man.

    ROTFL fixed, though? You're having a larf.

    (I'm about to be doing my general day-to-day riding on new single speed - 80s Falcon - which I'll probably convert to fixed asap)

    i did the route yesterday night on fixed. it was fun! see tnrc thread.

  • aaaaand, g'night

    finger in ears

  • Sheldon says this:

    "If you have the option of gearing down and taking a hill at a slow pace, it is easy to yield to the temptation. When you ride a fixed gear, the need to push hard to get up the hills forces you to ride at a higher intensity than you otherwise might. Really steep hills may make you get off and walk, but the hills you are able to climb, you will climb substantially faster than you would on a geared bicycle."

    Fixed. It ain't science. It's a state of mind. Or something like that.

    But this surely applies to "fixed gear" meaning "one gear" (i.e. ratio) regardless of freewheel capability or otherwise.

    I do recommend freewheeling up hills.

    There is perhaps an idea that fixed as in fixed wheel is better because if you slack off the effort for a tiny second, the momentum of the bike keeps your feet turning so you still 'feel' like you're climbing, whereas if you ever slack off on a freewheel bike you just feel like you're coming rapidly to a dead stop

  • By picking freewheel I mean geared.

  • If you have the sufficient fitness/cadence range to get up a hill efficiently on one gear, fixed would be better. However, if it is a long climb with a varying angle/you do not have the sufficient cadence range to adapt to different parts of the climb I would reckon geared would be faster.

    My 2p but I reckon Mr Tester may come along and prove me wrong.

  • In a hill climb race, fixed might be better.

    But on a long route with varied terrain that includes significant climbs 'd rather have multiple gears, just for the fact you can pick and choose where and when you want to save energy or bury yourself.

  • This a psychological thing, fixed no option, just grind till your knees pop, or walk, or in geared, change, and be as lazy as you feel like.

  • isn't fixed better as it reduces the dead spot issue? i think this is the main reason why fixed is often said to be good for hill climps

  • going up is easier fixed. going down is easier geared.

    source: research done by me climbing hills

  • fixed is better than single speed because it reduces the dead spot and keeps you spinning through with momentum.

    gears are much better than both as you can adjust the gear to seated/out of saddle and varying gradient. you can than go down the other side faster.

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Hill Climbing Poll

Posted by Avatar for smiff @smiff

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