climbing hills

[madams]

If you were to climb mt washington or some mountain that was at least a couple of miles long and let's say at least an 8% grade (all pavement) what would be the ideal unicycle to use? What size wheel, cranks, etc.

Mike Adams

[steveyo]

Originally Posted by madams

If you were to climb mt washington or some mountain that was at least a couple of miles long and let's say at least an 8% grade (all pavement) what would be the ideal unicycle to use? What size wheel, cranks, etc.

Mike - it depends. The steeper the climb, the more you might want smaller wheel and/or longer cranks. Other helpful hints: slick tire, pumped up to high pressure; seat in highest comfy position possible.

[zeus661]

Why a slick tire?

[anton005]

Originally Posted by zeus661

Why a slick tire?

A slick tire rolls so much smoother/easier/faster than a knobby, it really makes a huge difference in the amount of energy you need to make it go.

[knoxuni]

If you ride the same loop with a knobbie VS a slick it will blow your mind on how much less energy you use.

[madams]

So if you were doing the Whiteface Mountain hill climbe (11 miles 8% gade) what unicycle would you use to attempt that? I have a 20 in, 29, and 36. The cranks are all around 145 cm.

[mbalmer]

8% grade I would use my 36" wheel with 150mm cranks. If it gets much steeper (continuously) I would like my 26" in low gear. I feel like I can climb forever with a 26" wheel and 137mm cranks. That also gives me the luxury of high gear for the downhill. Slick, rounded tire like the Marathon Supreme is my favorite. I don't have the road crown problems that I experience with the 36" tire. I wish there were a more rounded tire profile for the 36" unicycle.

[MuniAddict]

I've used my KH 24 for steep road climbing, using the standard drilled rim, but a much lighter kenda "K-Rad" 2.3" wide tire. So I've been wondering if a narrower, lighter rim, such as the "Alienation" 24x 1.75 rim would be better for this purpose which, at 375g, is nearly 200g less than the kh drilled rim. But my worry is, I may lose some stability with the much narrower rim.

The steepness of some of the hills I've been training on (all paved streets) require a great deal of torque, so I'm wondering if I should just stay with the kh drilled rim, or go with the one mentioned above.

I'm asking this question also because my current kh rim is pretty old, and has had a very noticeable flat spot for some time, and my LBS was unable to pound it out completely. And I want the wheel to be as perfectly round and true as possible. Thanks in advance for any suggestions and opinions on this.

[scotthue]

I don't think that weight difference will make that big of a difference. Are you planning on using this rim for muni too? Since your 24 is now your dedicated techy downhill ride, since you'll take your G26 or bigger wheels for other rides, I think you want to keep as much rim width as possible. If you're looking for a rim to use on your 24 for purely road climbing, then I would go even smaller and lighter. Something more like the wheelset here: http://www.unicycle.com/hot-products...unicycle.html/

[MuniAddict]

Originally Posted by scotthue

I don't think that weight difference will make that big of a difference. Are you planning on using this rim for muni too? Since your 24 is now your dedicated techy downhill ride, since you'll take your G26 or bigger wheels for other rides, I think you want to keep as much rim width as possible. If you're looking for a rim to use on your 24 for purely road climbing, then I would go even smaller and lighter. Something more like the wheelset here: http://www.unicycle.com/hot-products...unicycle.html/

Thanks for that info Scott. Actually, the paved hill climbs are done with a different wheelset than for MUni. When I use my 24 for that I switch back to my LM wheel with Intense 24x3 tire. That Nimbus looks like it would make a great hill climber and weighs only 10lbs! My 24 is a mere 11lbs when running the lighter wheelset, and might even come down closer to 10lb with the narrow K-Rad and lighter rim.

Edit: Since I won't be doing any drops or offroad with this setup, would it be better to go with the folding bead vs wire, and save even more weight?

[scotthue]

I would definitely go for the folding bead tire. Since it is just for paved hill climbs, I would go for an even smaller rim than that one.

[MuniAddict]

Originally Posted by scotthue

I would definitely go for the folding bead tire. Since it is just for paved hill climbs, I would go for an even smaller rim than that one.

The super narrow rims are good for track racing, but I'm not sure about super steep climbing where you are standing on the pedals, half revving all the way up. But I guess there's only one way to know for sure, and that's to try it.

[MuniAddict]

Here's a little "uni-Cam" POV I just shot doing a crazy steep hill climb on my 24. You really get a good sense of just how insanely steep it is. My tire was at 80 psi and about 3/4 of the way up I accidentally ran over some glass! Was there a BANG heard 'round the world?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Kt0YUr3fNM

[Nurse Ben]

Road bikes don't have gears below 1:1; in most cases their smallest gear is bigger than 36" effective gear. For mountain biking there are lower gears than that, but our gearing is far more deficient on the high end than the low end.

Tom, you know better than to compare unis to bikes

If we are in need of high end gearing more so than low end gearing, then why does this thread exist and why are we working so hard to make it easier to climb?

Right, so clearly there is a need for more low end gearing, but maybe there's a better way to state it than by the desired ratio, possibly by using spin rate or rpm?

Bikers aim for 90-100rpm as an efficient spin rate, I tend to be a masher so my spin rate on bikes is more like 75-80, though I did enjoy heavy mash sessions in my youth, but after a five year stint carless and riding 10k or so a year, I learned to spin faster

I'm a fairly strong climber on a uni, but there are times when I need to recover while riding, just a little sit and spin, but if I don't have the power to do so because I am too tired or because the climb is too steep, then I walk or stop to rest.

I'd prefer a lower gear over walking or stopping to rest, hence my interest in a step down geared hub.

Top end speed on a uni has never been an issue, I only ride as fast as I can "run out of a upd".

After watching Terry climb that steep sidewalk, is it not obvious that we need a way to increase our cadence? What was the average cadence on that climb, 30-35rpm?

Imagine how it would have been if Terry could have spun at 60-70rpm...it would have been easier and more sustainable on a longer ride.

[tholub]

Originally Posted by Nurse Ben

Tom, you know better than to compare unis to bikes

If we are in need of high end gearing more so than low end gearing, then why does this thread exist and why are we working so hard to make it easier to climb?

People get lots of stupid ideas about bikes, too.