Welcome to my world. As a one-armed cyclist, I've no option but to ride all climbs in the saddle! This is made harder by the distant memory of having once been a 61kg two-armed cyclist!! 😬

Out of the sadle, off the bike, walking

OMG - the best tip ever - "sit on the tip of the saddle when climbing" - tried it yesterday and went up my normal hill 2 gears higher than normal - thanks for that Simon! May no longer keep getting dropped by my mates on the hills!

Was slow motion really necessary?

So when is Lasty climbing this using a fixie??

I love stumbling upon some of the older GCN videos.

0:30 Holy shit that building is about to fall over!... Ah wait, no... camera tilted to accentuate sexy gradient of road. You tricksters, you.

Need a sub compact with 40 tooth cassette... Spin to win

Spin to win, don't have the gearing or cadence for in the saddle. Bad test.

15 year Frisco messenger vet here. sit, stand, it's all about keeping your speed up. and yeah, you will get up to get to the top. PS, all these videos blow my mind. my regular runs!

Wider handlebars really help when climbing out of the saddle by cutting down on the core strength needs to transfer power to the pedals. A variable that the video has missed.

What about using proper gearing when in the saddle ? Obviously you need to spin more.

Maybe should've had lower gears. Might've affected the time for the in the saddle test.

Pro tip: get a bigger cassette

Thanks, Simon, I'd been wondering what was coming when you teased us with a snippet in your chat with Keith Bontrager in Santa Cruz. And I can say from my memories of being a kid in San Francisco from '66 to '68 that the only way we got our Sting-Rays up those streets was by zig-zagging and it was fun and I still see so clearly in my mind's eye the first time I did that, following two friends up Midcrest Way on Twin Peaks where we lived. Descents were either sitting or, arg, flying over the bars--those streets had a lot of cracks back then, maybe still. But it was all so much fun. Thank you, San Francisco, for that.

The efficiency of both techniques is likely very much cadence-dependant. Performing test on bike without appropriate gearing thus renders entire test meaningless.

Pro tip: get a bigger cassette. Expecially before going out in public where there may be cameras. Also, when seated climbing, try to keep your cadence at least 80rpm.

In or out the saddle, that was very impressive Si! I'd have been praying for an earthquake!

Going up the hills in Sf are horrible but going down is pure fun, what goes up must come down ;)

I've ridden that hill... it was many years ago on my first trip to SF. did it on a Bridgestone xo-3...2x7sp setup, friction shifting. 36t front x 26 cog was my lowest gear. it was brutal but I did it (though i was in much better shape back then). today I'd need a 30t+ in back for sure!

I was told to sit further back on the saddle when climbing since you're engaging your glutes more so. Anecdotally I do find it better further back on the saddle.

Send Lasty up there!

50-34 front, 11-28 rear. GET AMONGST IT

Holyshit! the gradient! Was the camera titled to pronounce the effect? I can confirm 100% that I can NOT climb that in or out of saddle even on a trek emonda. Nice work Si, now send lasty up there. :D

If Chris Froome has taught us anything, we can't rule out running up the hill as a third method.

switch between out an in, mentally marking points on the climb when you are going to switch, when going out the saddle drop down a gear, going back in, go up a gear. Works for me anyway,

compact chainring with a 28 tooth cassette is my personal choice and pedalling out the saddle as you'll definitely get more power stroke than you are while stay seated.

Note that we San Francisco cyclists do not generally ride up hills like that, we ride around them. There's even a famous route called "the zig-zag" that gets you across the hills with minimal suffering. However, every once and a while you end up having to ride that steep. Getting off and walking is always an option.

One of my favourite gcn videos so far

Huge fans in the SF Bay Area giving Si and GCN the "Chapeau." :) Let us host a Welcome-to-the-GCN-Show party for you next time.

One of my favorite climbs in the city! Every year one of my cycling groups does the Seven Hells ride where we ride all the steepest streets in SF. Join us next year :)

Hey Si, AWESOME vid! Appreciate the suffering you went through to make this -- now my all time fave!

I live 2 hours away from San Francisco, and I go to the Bay quite often to cycle. I have gone up that street from the bottom all the way to the top. It is a killer. There's another street there called Vallejo. One section boasts a slightly steeper angle.

As I myself tend to sit and spinn @ 105-110 rpm going uphill I'd say that if the climb is silly steep (as in this case) you will not be able to spinn and have to rely on maximising torque to put the required power down. It's pretty hard maximising torque sitting on the saddle as you're able to only able to utilise use a lot fewer muscles sitting down (essentially your thighs and buttocks) than when standing. And you'll need proper gearing for a climb like that.

Very nice. Walking that hill I thought I was going to have a heart-attack!

It's like the road in Glasgow that goes up to the art school, you can try the same climb there without crossing the Atlantic!Great film, another great challenge. Love the GCN lads.

when the "so-mo" shots are actually real time

As a suggestion it would of been a good idea to include what sort of gear ratios the bike was running. I have run an 11-28 cassette in the past but I now run 11-32 to keep me spinning up them hills.

For me it's quite simple: short climbs - out of the saddle sprints. Longer climbs: mostly in the saddle in a low gear.

some might say "staying seated is more efficient" but for really steep short climbs, you just need more absolute power, which you can only do out of the saddle. Its like sprinting. Sprinters don't sprint in the saddle.

Nice view of Coit Tower in the background at the end there

Hey that's near my house! Welcome to San Francisco boys! (and yes I have to go up similar hills to that every time I'm heading home x_x )

That GoPro mount should be nominated bodge of the week

if you did that hill out of saddle in 24s vs 30s in the saddle: then do the climb in a slower pace & in those 30s when out of saddle. you would save the energy you need on longer climbs

The Dravus climb in Seattle, WA, USA is a grinder.

Not quite matching the Tom Last sufferface, but a darn good effort. This is also the moment you discover that a 32 teeth rear sprocket isn't a silly proposition after all.

you should tried the test on compact and 32 cassette, for seated climbing

wheres the 40 cassette?

That's a creative way to mount the gopro!

This climb was not very long so staying up is probably faster. For me it depends a lot on length of the climb and the available traction. When it get's really steep I end up in some floating-above-the-saddle position, trying to prevent wheelspin and wheeliing at the same time.

i gain confidence on myself when i see Si like that on a "normal" climb, greeting from Indonesia.

Even more impressive is that he had to do more than 2 runs for all the different camera angles.

GCN should come to Pittsburgh, PA and ride the Dirty Dozen. 13 of the hardest climbs around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Yes a 40 tooth cassette would be the sweet spot for this climb. Spin to win!!!

That climb is insane

thanks alot for telling us this now, I just had a race based on short steep climbs 2 days ago and I stayed in the saddle

If Lasty's back in Blightly, could you send him up Hard Knott Pass, on Chris Hoy's track bike, in the saddle? He still looks improbably young and fresh faced. We need to slap some more years on him.

i went around the block looking for food last night. on the way back I have to climb a very steep hill, I don't know the percentage. I confirmed that doing zigzag is a very good idea to climb easier.

In the saddle is only a good option if you have adequate gearing. Often we jump out of the saddle to compensate for lack of gears or the desire to not change gears. Out of the saddle is obviously going to let you put out more power, on a short, steep climb. Over a longer mountain ascent it's better to be in the saddle for majority of it.

I cycled up to Lombard on my brompton. In the saddle, out of the saddle didn’t matter. It was a fun kind of stupid suffering :)

I think Si might be in contention for the face with most pain award

You guys were in San Fran!! My city! I would've come said hi or checked it out live...... Good day!

1:20 just before the whimpers of pain...the stuff of nightmares, is that the sound of Si crunching down a couple upon realising he's in far too high a gear??

so much strain on that chain while riding out of the saddle i was expecting the nutcracker suite when it breaks

Come on Simon be a man a slam that steam

when I climb I Sprint-Climb (Climb with the lower bars [on my cousins bike anyway as you can see on my channel I have flat bars]) or climb on the tip on my saddle the with the lower handles rock the bike as if sprinting but seated on the tip of your saddle.

Oh how I miss San Francisco

A great topic! My goal is a to have uphill races, but only if enough people train like myself. In spokane valley washington usa my uphill to the top of Fruit Hill, to the Arbor Crest Winery. I find it easy to get off the saddle 3/4 of the way up. Upon descent unbelievable mph may occur.

What about heeling when in the saddle, meaning pulling your heels down so you can push earlier in the pedal stroke, I can climb 25 to 30% gradients heeling. For longer steep climbs this is much better as standing up unless you are contador you will get knackered after 200m! When you are in Taiwan next come ride yangmingshan!

30 seconds. RESPECT

1:20 Lexus Behind Si... 1:28 No Lexus... Did si really climb that in one go???? :O

love it that you guys came to the city! you try Dalewood? love the show!

nice work guys !!

COME TO THE GIRO DI SF TOMORROW, IT'S A DOWNTOWN CRITERIUM!!!!

yes spin to win in saddle but if its a shorter distance i say out of saddle.

We've got quite a few climbs like that here in downtown San Diego.

Tom vs. Simon on a steep climbing contest. You know you want to do that episode!

Spin to win

what was the gear ratio? there is a huge difference between compact chainset+32 casette and 53*39 with 28 casette.

I can only dream of it. A 16% climb dropped my chain at the crankwheel in shimano claris. :D

specs vs real thing = not always the same.....hence a very good test

on bike camera and long shots of Si when he was riding up... where are the close ups of Mr Richardson going 'full-Lasty'? in the saddle sounded brutal

I'd like to have seen a 3rd test. In and out of saddle combined. I'd probably get out of the saddle at the last part (say 1/3) of the incline and shift into a harder gear.

In the interest of science and your adoring fans, I hereby challenge Sy to the steepest street in the world: Baldwin Street, Dunedin.

Definitely out the saddle for me. I feel I can get more power down (although less perpetually) I feel I'm more balanced and less at risk of doing a wheelie In case of stepping of I feel that off the saddle is safer (just stepping down in front of the crankshaft, instead of stepping off from the bike at the back)

Well, Wales is the spiritual AND physical home of the steep climb. Also, 0:29, They either don't know what a plumb bob is in San Francisco or you were tilting the camera.

If you get a chance go over to 20th and Wisconsin, on Potrero Hill. Even tougher, amazing view

Another tactic: stay in the saddle until your cadence drops, then stand up, stomp on the pedals and kick on up.

so perfect test. get all and test weight = test 1 then blind fold 2X presenters and make sure the have 3 pairs of gloves on so can't feel the shape of lever and let then test them on a bike and rate them.. reckon we will see some some surprising results

Finally they're on the right side of the street like civilized human beings.

That is one hell of a hill.

Seated effort looked like he was practicing for riding up Lombard Street

Always out of the saddle for a short steep pitch!! Typical racing bike not geared low enough to climb that in the saddle. Way too much stress on your knees in the saddle and front wheel may lift. Out of the saddle you get more power by using your body weight and arm force by leveraging the bars. Plus your torso is forward keeping the front wheel planted.

about out our in the saddle, Lee me tell you something. I live in Colombia and I use a 53-42 crankset and a 11-32 cassette and I love to climb in the saddle using a cadence of about 70 or 80 rpm...

It really depends on your cadence which in turn depends on your cassette size

I'd be interested in running this test on basically the opposite climb. Something reallllly long but not too steep. If you like excuses to cycle in California (and who doesn't), I'd suggest Mt. Palomar: 18k of just under 7%. My money's on out of the saddle not working so well in that setting.

"Dirty steep." Probably the only way to describe that.

Pro tip: you should only be using one gear. This is SF not Glasgow

A Big Cassete can do it..My Hometown and yes ridden on standard cranks..Yes Fixies By Many people nuts haha!

Interesting, but would have been better if you had fitted some really low gears to enable spinning in the saddle.