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As Steep As It Looks (ASAIL) many photos

10K views 59 replies 46 participants last post by  Frozenspokes 
#1 · (Edited)
On Sunday, the annual Fargo St. hillclimb took place just north of downtown Los Angeles. The grade is 33% and is the steepest residential street in the city, possibly the state. Walking up the hill resembles doing lunges and walking down takes full concentration to avoid cartwheeling down.

It's an informal event. Just show up, sign the waiver, get a number and climb when you're ready. Our own "Pacman" and I went to check out the scene and give it a go. He had set up his Kona Unit singlespeed with gearing of a 22 tooth chainring and a Boone titanium 32t rear cog, and rotated his riser bars 90 deg. forward to keep more weight over the front wheel.

The first 1/4 of the way up I thought "piece of cake", by the halfway point I started thinking "man this is getting tough..." and by 3/4 way all of the alarms in my body were going off. Legs! Lungs! Steeeeep!!! Don't look back! Thanks to the cheering by spectators I pushed on and made it without stopping, satisfied with a single trip. Pacman felt like showing off and went for 10 ascents! The returning record holder with 30 runs last year went for 34 this year I believe.

Riders showing up on their everyday road bikes were most likely stalling and unclipping, or stalling and crashing before the halfway point. Some went back home to return with their mountain bikes and easier gearing. One roadie showed up, said he was on his way to work (LBS) and didn't have much time. He absolutely hammered up the hill in a straight line, out of the saddle reaching the top in record time, then was gone. Who was that guy??!!!

The Street:






The Gear:

Pacman's Kona


Tandem gearing


Orbea roadie w/ mtb drivetrain


'nuff said


The Riders:

Rider with fan


Trail-a-bike!


Almost there...






Yours truly, getting started


Pacman arrives at the summit (#8?)


One of several tandem entries. Hard to loop 'em ;)


Biker chicks




Make it to the top, get a patch.


Pie and .9 cent coffee afterwards at Philippe's downtown L.A.


Thanks to the L.A. Wheelmen for organizing a great event!

ciao
HW
 

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#11 ·
holy cr@p!! and i thought Brasstown Bald (GA) was steep at 24%. i had to stop 4 times last year when i climbed it. (excuses: my smallest gear was only a 39x27 and i was carrying a camelbak mule with 100oz of water, 2 sandwiches, an a very light change of clothes, which all together i'm sure weighed at least 45 lbs....ok, maybe not 45. but i swear 100 oz of water must weight 20 lbs)

ouch! nice job on getting up that hill. once would be more than enough for me!

rt
 
#14 ·
Nice job guys. BTW Hollywood, what were you riding?? I hope you geared down the fur bike for that one, that would have been sweet.

Speaking of biker chicks, that first one in the SC jersey, is (I think) Michelle Martinez. She is a member of the USC cycling club, and cool/down with the urban cycling/punk/alternative transportation scenes, and commutes to school on her bike. Definitely not your typical SC coed.

Dats a big hill.
I feel so inadequate now.
 
#17 · (Edited)
#22 ·
record holder dude

pacman said:
BTW the record holder rode an MTB with 22x34.
Sean Bartilet.

here's Mr. 34 Climbs on his Kona. Last year was 30 on his Merlin roadie. The guy was just doing laps around the block....up Fargo, take the side streets back down, around the corner and back up again. Sheesh.

(photo credit Andy Takakjian)
 

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#23 ·
Where I grew up - in Malaysia - I used to live in house at the top of a hill where the road was every bit as steep but the hill was easily twice as high. If I only knew then what I know now.

I'd love to take part in an event like that. I'd be honored to attempt such a climb only to crap out 10 feet up.
 
#24 ·
no makey

brado1 said:
did the guy w/ trailer bike/kid make it up? saw the spotter.
the spotters were always there for the tentative looking riders, and I don't think that this team made it. One tandem went up with 2 guys on it, and I heard a rumor that the stoker lost his Power Bar at the top :( *hurl*

I borrowed Doug's bike (Pacman) and a pair of his SPD shoes, so I was already going into it a little unfamiliar. Happy to have my patch though :)

Jeff
 
#25 ·
You won't find many steeper... I rode Baldwin St. In Dunedin, New Zealand a few years ago, which is 38% at its steepest I think, and it holds the guiness record as the world's steepest street. I think the average grade is about 34.5%. The sidewalk is a staircase. It's kind of parabolic so the slope just keeps increasing and you wonder when it's going to stop getting steeper. My face was about 2" above my stem and my front wheel was still lifting off the ground and wandering around. Good times...
 
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