# The Stelvio Pass on a Fixed



## BikeRider (Aug 5, 2003)

http://vimeo.com/14930896

The guy is supposed to have climbed up to the top and come back down again. It only shows a small amount of the climbing though.


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## rcnute (Dec 21, 2004)

BikeRider said:


> http://vimeo.com/14930896
> 
> The guy is supposed to have climbed up to the top and come back down again. It only shows a small amount of the climbing though.


The dude looks a bit cool for school but I'm sure it was a blast.


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## seeborough (Feb 3, 2004)

Some hipster skidding down the Stelvio? Damn - Is nothing sacred anymore?


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

I think descending would be harder than climbing....especially brakeless


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

As someone who's ridden a fixie on some big mountains, going down is way harder.


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*how steep?*

Doesn't look that steep, and I can't tell what gears he's using. Descending brakeless would either require lots of spinning or keeping speed down so it never gets out of control. Once I experimented to see how long it took to stop from 25 mph on a 7% grade, and it was around 30 seconds using all my might. It takes incredible force, from what I can tell, the same force it would take to hit 25 mph going up the 7% grade (right?).


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## roadfix (Jun 20, 2006)

I would assume the grade is similar to some of the local climbs we have around here in SoCal in varying lengths which is very doable on a fixed gear, but I would agree that descending brakeless would be a total bltch, especially that distance.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

*Stelvio*

24.3 km (15 mi),1800 m (6000 feet) elevation gain, average 7.4%, steepest sections a bit over 9%. Neither the steepest nor the longest mountain in the world, but pretty steep for that long, and pretty long for that steep. 

I love riding fixed (on the right terrain), but that's nuts.


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## estone2 (Sep 25, 2005)

Pablo said:


> As someone who's ridden a fixie on some big mountains, going down is way harder.


Yeah. I'd ride up anything if given a low enough gear. The descent? F that.


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

JCavilia said:


> 24.3 km (15 mi),1800 m (6000 feet) elevation gain, average 7.4%, steepest sections a bit over 9%. Neither the steepest nor the longest mountain in the world, but pretty steep for that long, and pretty long for that steep.
> 
> I love riding fixed (on the right terrain), but that's nuts.


I can ride up a 7-9% grade all day long in a 70" gear. Throw in some 15-20% and the legs get hammered pretty fast. There is a hill that is part of the Climb to Kaiser here that starts at 5,000' and goes up to 7,000' in less than 3 miles, with extended portions at 18%. That one is tough.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Fixed said:


> I can ride up a 7-9% grade all day long in a 70" gear. Throw in some 15-20% and the legs get hammered pretty fast. There is a hill that is part of the Climb to Kaiser here that starts at 5,000' and goes up to 7,000' in less than 3 miles, with extended portions at 18%. That one is tough.


There was a guy who rode the Paris-Roubaix route on a fixie http://web.me.com/voizine/Paris_Roubaix_Fixie/The_project.html . . . for the reasons you mentioned, I doubt he's riding the Tour of Flanders route on one.


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## rcnute (Dec 21, 2004)

Fixed said:


> I can ride up a 7-9% grade all day long in a 70" gear. Throw in some 15-20% and the legs get hammered pretty fast. There is a hill that is part of the Climb to Kaiser here that starts at 5,000' and goes up to 7,000' in less than 3 miles, with extended portions at 18%. That one is tough.


But, Fixed, you are a manimal.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

Fixed said:


> I can ride up a 7-9% grade all day long in a 70" gear. Throw in some 15-20% and the legs get hammered pretty fast. There is a hill that is part of the Climb to Kaiser here that starts at 5,000' and goes up to 7,000' in less than 3 miles, with extended portions at 18%. That one is tough.


If I may be permitted to repeat myself,


> but that's nuts.


NTTAWWT. We're all bozos on this bus.


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*anyone*



rcnute said:


> But, Fixed, you are a manimal.


Naw, anyone can if they prepare and their knees hold up.


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## VaughnA (Jun 3, 2003)

Pablo said:


> As someone who's ridden a fixie on some big mountains, going down is way harder.


Same here, I've learned my lesson. Lots of descents=flip to the freewheel, I'm not proud, or stupid.


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## roadfix (Jun 20, 2006)

I've learned my lesson too. On long rides with lots of long descents I usually take my dedicated single speed instead. The FG stays at home. I don't really care for flipping wheels during a ride, even if that takes only a minute or so....


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## merckxman (Jan 23, 2002)

How about climbing and descending the Stelvio handsfree?
http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/2009/08/descending-passo-dello-stelvio.html


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## Fredke (Dec 10, 2004)

merckxman said:


> How about climbing and descending the Stelvio handsfree?
> https://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/2009/08/descending-passo-dello-stelvio.html


Without handlebars or brakes, while playing an accordion







_in 1981 he climbed and descended the Stelvio Pass while playing, in turn, four different musical instruments, including an amplified accordion. - his most famous feat was his 1985 descent of the 48 hairpins of the Stelvio Pass on a bike with no handlebars or brakes! His time was just over 27 min., averaging 80 km/h. -in 1986 he climbed the Stelvio when it was 10 degrees below zero (centigrade) and covered with snow--in 2 hours and 20 min. - in 1989 he climbed the Stelvio on a bike without handlebars or brakes in 1 hour and 17 minutes. His latest dream is to descend the Stelvio on a moonless night, guided by a laser beam! _​


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*what?*

How's he supposed to wave?



Fredke said:


> Without handlebars or brakes, while playing an accordion
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*delete*

double post


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