|   Fastest climber... Geared roadbike or SS mtn bike? | DAS
Nov 2, 2001 1:41 PM | | There is a favorite local climb in my area that is paved, 3.3 miles long, and climbs 1260 feet. Recently I have been clocking my times up it. I was at 22:00 for a while, then 21:30, then got as low as 20:45 a couple times when riding in a group, and recently got up just under 20:00. I was on someone's wheel most of the way and I almost puked. This is all on my geared road bike, mostly in 42/25 and 42/23. (I'm not positive about the 42).
I've always thought that my SS would be faster up the climb. It's lighter, has wider bars, runs a painful 2:1 but seems to be more 'efficient' than climbing on a road bike. So, I put it up to the test. The results are in, the Phil Wood got up in 22:20. It appears to be slightly slower. A couple things to consider:
-I rode solo. Riding solo seems to add a minute or two to my time.
-SS is running mtn tires and a front suspension tires which will be slower than high pressure skinny road tires and a rigid fork.
-no warm up (not sure if this matters)
-i've been road biking a lot recently and not SSing as much, which may mean that my form is more roadbike-ish right now.
-the hill is steep, which may favor a geared bike. A more moderate climb may make my one gear more appropriate.
In conclusion, I'd say that the roadbike is slightly faster than the SS mtn bike on paved climbs, which is what logic would tell us. But, not by much. They are more or less even. So what does this prove? That the rider makes the climb, not the bike? Maybe. Also, to me, it proves that climbing in one gear is not 'harder,' just different. Efficiency is the question here. It is more efficient to maintain a constant cadence at different grades (geared) but it is also more efficient to maintain a constant load on the pedals (SS) regardless of cadence.
Hmmmm? |
| DAS, you need to ride more and think less... | Billy
Nov 2, 2001 2:17 PM | | I would think that the road bike would be much more efficient on the road than any bike that is set up for the dirt. It is just apples and oranges. Ride that road bike in the same 2:1 ratio and see what time you get... |
| road bike should be much faster | Timan
Nov 2, 2001 2:40 PM | | road bike would be far more efficient. if the gear ratio is the same(including the difference in tire diameter), the road bike will get you up the hill much faster.
That said, I've got an 18 pound Scandium hardtail with gears and a Race fork that I sometimes roll out to our local road ride. It has semi slicks and a really light sweetwings crank(purchased from Terminaut, or course). I find that I can usually beat a lot of the riders up the climbs, but I really suffer on the downhills and flats. It does annoy a roadie to be passed by a MTBer on the road. This is more a function of my road background(and fitness compared to the people I pass) than any advantage of a MTB. I would certainly be much faster on my Colnago than either my geared MTB or my Matt Chester SS. |
| I think I will have to agree | General Coonskins
Nov 2, 2001 4:00 PM | | My averages when comparing both bikes on the same route are different. The Road bike is about 1 to 1 1/2 mph faster. I notice it more on the climbs when my speed drops more on the mtb then the road.
Time to ride,
Richard |
| re: Fastest climber... Geared roadbike or SS mtn bike? | Toast
Nov 3, 2001 12:58 AM | | Yesterday I read in a roadie magazine (either cycling weekly or procycling) the results of a hill climb race over here in england... the winners rode fixed gears, the article reckoned that gave them a distinct advantage over the geared types... the winner ran a 50:20, though can't remember how many gear inches. monstrous. take care. |
| re: Fastest climber... Geared roadbike or SS mtn bike? | SS Kevin
Nov 3, 2001 4:22 AM | | Yeah, anyone who has ridden a fixed gear knows how much more efficient the power transfer is when climbing. Was this race on paved road? I run a 39x16 which is almost as high of a ratio. I've never been up some of the walls in SF, but I've been up some pretty steep roads without too much difficulty. Pavement makes a big difference. |
| paved country road (with tractor traffic!) nm. | Toast
Nov 3, 2001 4:31 AM | | |
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