How to Climb Hills on single speed bikes | Wabi Classic

[@RustedBeef]

I totally agree and love your video. Singlespeed is my favorite way to ride, especially on gravel, because it's so durable. Throw in big tire clearance and tubless tires, and it's a bomb proof bike. For rolling hills or when coming up to a monster, I like to reach top speed and coast into them, then delay pedaling until the moment you can safely do so without spinning out. Maximize momentum with minimum effort 👌

[@tommilano5431]

Thank you! Rollers can be easier if you have momentum. It's all about technique, but I've come up to stop lights on steep hills, and this kills your momentum. The only real way is to go out and get stronger :)

[@carlpentney290]

Thanks for sharing. I ride 48/18 on largely flat terrain. Key thing for me is steady consistent cadence. That's where the strength and fitnes gains rather than yomping up hills.

[@tommilano5431]

You're welcome! I was on 48/18 for a while, it's a nice ratio. Close to my 46/17 that I currently run.

[@jotcarey]

I used drops with my track bikes for 40 years, racing and training. Then I installed bullhorns and TT brake levers. Far better for climbing leverage than drops.

[@tommilano5431]

The bullhorns have great leverage. I only like compact drop bars with the hooded brake levers. They aren’t comfortable brake less or with top mount levers.

[@event4216]

Another 48/18 here, riding it fixed, everywhere - city and out. To me biggest thing ever has happened was when I started physio and my glutes started to grow and that changed everything. Well, of course glutes are only part of equation as other muscles incl. core also strengthen, but since then I've started to ride hilly areas with longer and repetitive hills and truly enjoy it. I'm kind of surprised how differently legs work now, steadily maintaining torque with no need to stand on pedals. Body is a biggest upgrade. One speed, two legs, heaps of fun.

[@tommilano5431]

48/18 is a nice ratio, similar to my 46/17! It's crazy how on a single speed you can feel your progress by not having to stand up as much on your local climbs, something I've experienced as well!

[@event4216]

I already had decent 48T ring so it was easier to swap out cog as 17T was more demanding on knees and later I was too used to it. Also, I was attracted by Sheldon Brown's take on even ratios and chain wear. Probably I'm overthinking it.

[@resynthesizer4565]

Used to ride SS MTB. It was all about momentum. You need to add energy to the bike on the downhill and let it carry you back up. Also, you need to attack everything when climbing. Put energy into the bike on the run up. Once the energy is gone, however, it's the slow motion grind. I was always out of the saddle on the climbs. On moderate grades (6% or so, fire road) it was possible to find a sweet spot and relatively higher RPM. Maybe 60-75 ish. I ran 2:1, or just under. 32:16 or 32:18. My go to after work was a fire road where I climbed a couple thousand feet. When fit, I could match or beat my time on a geared bike.

[@tommilano5431]

Yes, momentum is key! And you just get stronger after a while.

[@akatgif]

Yam momentum for a couple hundred feet only

[@maxwellmcdowell3744]

Owned that Wabi ,and I have to say it's truly a beautiful . It's fast and super light. Going uphill was never an issue .In fact, it was the opposite.Down hill and flats. The lack of gearing was the end of my relationship with this bike . I truly hope wabi makes a real rode bike one day .

[@tommilano5431]

Agree. The bike flys uphill especially with their sub-15 wheels and lightweight race tires! The issue with single speed is they can only be geared easy or hard. I don't mind losing the ability to pedal over 25 miles an hour as I'm riding in stop and go lot's of times. Wabi did make a geared Lighting RE years ago. I wish they would bring something like that back, it would give it ultimate versatility!

[@redkeyspoke]

Soma has some similar options for geared bikes, or Ritchey if you got the cash.

[@davidbee9563]

@@tommilano5431 You can buy a detachable hanger that works with track drop outs. The problem is the 120 spacing does not leave room for a freewheel. And there are no guides for the cables. I had a Bombtrack Arise with adjustable drop outs and a hanger. You could run SS, Internal gears or a derailleur. And disc brakes. There are SS mountain frames with similar designs.

[@robertcatuara5118]

My rear derailleur cable broke while riding in Big Bear CA. (TofCalifornia fame). I had the pleasure of riding a single gear back to my car.

[@tommilano5431]

That sucks. I've heard on mechanical systems the shifters fray the cables after a few thousand miles. Might be worth it to check and/or replace the inner cable every few months.

[@kevwashi]

Enjoyed this video, Thanks. My city is fairly hilly, so I've been using 42/18 on my single speed road bike.

[@tommilano5431]

Glad it was helpful, that’s a good gear for the hills!

[@DIY-DaddyO]

I run 32/16 on my mountain bike. It's right for my area and level of fitness. I can switch it out to a 42/16 if i feel like punishing myself. Compared to a geared bike i find i feel more confident on a single speed when standing on the pedals. They're great fun.

[@tommilano5431]

That's a nice spinny gear! Single speeds are special, as you just pedal forward and go. When I'm on a geared bike, I am always trying to "hunt" for the right gear, but on a single speed I don't do that!

[@DIY-DaddyO]

@@tommilano5431 That's so true, you just... Go. Happy riding ✌️

[@Bloq7]

Fantastic video. I picked up a single speed recently and learned a lot from this. Going to enjoy the bike at its stock ratio of 46x16 for a few weeks and then start experimenting. Thank you!

[@tommilano5431]

You're welcome!

[@Destide]

Great info covered everything. For all year riding I love my Moab 3's solid sole, waterproof and warm pair with some race face MTB pedals, go straps or point your pull foot down

[@tommilano5431]

Thanks for watching!

[@stuartfreedman6854]

Very thorough. Well done.

[@tommilano5431]

Thank you!

[@RedLevine498]

Good stuff. I ride single speed too but addicted to comfort. 44x19 on 38's in Adidas Busenitz. I would put the 38's back on the Thunder so you have something different and more comfortable for short trips and errands.

[@tommilano5431]

Thanks! I put 38s on the thunder for gravel, same gear ratio as you. It was nice for that. For the road, I like 28s, or maximum 32s. They roll much faster.

[@jackcarter233]

Urban Tactical Touring on a rigid disc 29 MTB SS is my favorite

[@tommilano5431]

Sounds like a great choice. No Derailers to worry about!

[@biker683]

Good stuff. No drama.

[@tommilano5431]

Thank you, that's what I'm going for here!

[@zensenpai6669]

I have a vintage steel bike that is a single speed. It is geared in 52/18 which has a decent amount of top end speed and helps me get stronger. Not too heavy but not too easy either. It's great for the city like New York since it's mainly flat.

[@tommilano5431]

That's a steep ratio for me! I like to spin. But yes, NYC is mostly flat, and I imagine after riding SS for a bit it becomes easier and easier. I've seen Terry B go over the queensboro on a track bike with similar gearing to you and he stayed seated the entire time.

[@davidrobinson9507]

Not to sound instructional, but ; If you ride single speed, and you don't have clip-in pedals, any single speed is a multi gear bike. The secret? Use shoes which have a proper cycling stiff sole, no cleats, and grippy tread. When you climb, if you position your foot just a few millimetres back, you effectively change gears because you are changing the length of the linkage in your machine. Longer ankle to pedal spindle, more leverage, lower gear. I'm really surprised how this isnt talked about more. I have roughly two good foot positions rear of my regular position, i.e. ball of the foot directly over the spindle, and it helps that the bottom of my show has a saw-tooth pattern so I can actually settle my foot in a notch of the tread and it's stable. For the duration of the climb, you simply apply the advantage that the longer foot linkage gives you and it feels exactly like you just down shifted two or three sprocket teeth. Go ahead and try ! My shoes btw are non-expensive but solid and supportive proper cycling shoes, not vans or other skateboard type sneakers. There you go, single speeders. You're already all 3-speeders. Or more. Cheers, from canada, Veteran roadster

[@tommilano5431]

This is actually good advice! I'll have to try it out next time I go for a ride. I don't pay much attention to my footing on my SS bikes, since I am running flat pedals and vans sneakers. My feet probably "auto-calibrate", but I'll have to pay attention next time!

[@davidrobinson9507]

@@tommilano5431 also, if you have a bigger gear single, like 40 x 15 or something, you can spin a bit faster by moving your feet forward a touch, and that gives you a shorter linkage, and higher gear. My shoes, I got for free while cleaning out a deceased friend's entire workshop of bikes, but they're good, solid touring shoes with a tread that kind of notches into a series of fore and aft positions. Don't tell the cycling equipment companies. They'll come out with a sliding shoe mount or some damned contraption. Experiment! Also check out different crank arm lengths. Those are really overlooked. I used to time trial on 175's, now I love a 165. Much more comfortable. Tighter, more controlled circles. Happy trails!

[@havefunandbikestuffOver40]

Nice refreshing review. I dig it

[@tommilano5431]

Thank you!

[@KansaiSprockets]

Hello Tom. Thank you for the upload. The bicycle featured here sits slightly northwards of 10kgs?

[@tommilano5431]

9.3 kg with no accesses attached, rear fender removed. This is with 2 bottle cages, plastic pedals, and a super heavy brooks saddle. Getting lightweight bottle cages and a lighter saddle would probably get it closer to 19 lbs.

[@wocag]

I'm riding 52 by 19 on single speed and 53/15 on fixed. In my city, there are 2 hills I can't climb on my fixie yet, but that's okay... I like challenges.😁👍

[@tommilano5431]

Ooof. Well, you will get stronger faster than I will!

[@BenjaminSmith2]

I get your point about brake less fixed riding. But once you get used to it it's safer than just a coaster brake, because applying back pressure on the pedals provides greater control than the on/off feeling of a coaster brake. Not that I'm encouraging anyone to try it 😅

[@tommilano5431]

I do understand that. My question has always been - What happens when the chain breaks when you need to stop shortly? It's a single point of failure. Connecting a front brake with a top mount lever is just piece of mind, and can easily be removed for racing on the track. You don't really have to use it, just leave it on for emergencies.

[@deltafour1212]

Had a single speed growing up. Pushed the bike up steep hills and spinning out going down steep hills. Discovered the 10 speed and all those single speed issues eliminated and I never looked back.

[@tommilano5431]

If you were spinning out, it sounds like you had a fixed gear. Gearing down would have solved this issue, since you'd be able to coast downhill, then changed the gear to a harder gear after a few months as you got stronger.

[@deltafour1212]

@@tommilano5431 Nope. Had a single speed. I didn't want to coast downhill but go as fast as I could. I was peddling faster than the bike could keep up.

[@sandydennylives1392]

The frame is critical, ya just have to go above 4130 steel. In the UK you can only get a forest of these or go to one shop and get a M-M ish single with heavier wheels and CF forks for £1.7K so more exp than a Wabi, which you can't get here.

[@tommilano5431]

That’s a bummer. Agree anything 4130 or above is lighter and has great ride quality.

[@48ford8n]

Curious, why is the seat post bent backwards?

[@tommilano5431]

This is a Thompson seat post that has a "setback". Basically, it puts the saddle further back. Helpful for me as it gives me a bit more room on the bike without having to go up one size.

[@48ford8n]

@@tommilano5431 I thought maybe it was to increase setback, but I wasn’t aware of that style of seatpost. Thanks for the info!

[@Johann-4354]

Your seatpost is bent. // Brakes--on a fixed gear?

[@tommilano5431]

Thompson set back seatpost, it’s designed like that. Yes, fixed gear on the street needs brakes, even just a front brake for emergencies. If your chain snaps with no brakes, not going to be a good day. I like both front and rear brakes.

[@Johann-4354]

@tommilano5431 Understood. But lame for a fixed gear.

[@tongotongo3143]

Can you just from your road bike remove front and back derailleurs, shorten chain, put on desired gear sprocket, and use it as a single speed bike? Thank you.

[@tommilano5431]

You can. You'll want to make sure that the chain line is as straight as possible, and of course choose a gear that you're comfortable with. You can get spacers to turn your multi speed cassette into just one cog on there, I would save the other cogs in case you want to change the ratio. I've never done this, but the pro is that you can always go back to gears if you miss them. Plenty of guides online for you to check out.

[@tongotongo3143]

It doesn’t work without additional chain tensioner. Or you can just keep the rear derailleur, change gear to your desired gear, and ride your bike without changing gears:). But that wouldn’t be a single speed, you just ride your bike and don’t change gears on purpose like a protest against modern bike industry. It would be even more complicated if as a mistake you bought a bike with electronic gear shifting.

[@akatgif]

Wind often makes single speed riding a terrible chore. One of my bikes is a road bike with a 9speed rear derailleur and a single chainwheel on the front. I used to ride a fixed gear track bike to work..... riding the single-speed is just too much of an arduous task most of the time. Will my 9-speed very easy to maintain and so much better than a single speed

[@tommilano5431]

The 1x systems seem like a great compromise for something like commuting! If you were on a track bike, I'd make a guess that you were geared too high and didn't run brakes. This would make any hill a chore, and if one were to choose an easier gear ratio with a freewheel, and run both brakes, it would make it a lot easier. Nice thing about single speed is you can gear them lower than a fixed gear since you can stop pedaling downhill.

[@Vinstreakk13]

My current bike has 44 in front and 18 at back , the gear ratio is 2.44 , tyre is 38 c but i also have a pair of 28c . is 2.44 bad enough that i need to get some new parts?

[@tommilano5431]

Try the 2.44 and see how you like it. I tend to like gears that are a bit lower, especially on single speeds. Makes acceleration and hill climbing easier, and you can still coast downhill. Spin to win!

[@Vinstreakk13]

@ Thanks a lot 😁

[@lakepointmachinery1942]

What width bars?

[@tommilano5431]

These are 44cm. I measure at a 42cm, but I prefer the slightly wider 44cm. More room to push the bike side to side, easier to breathe, and doesn't feel as cramped. Easier to steer as well.

[@PeterMielke]

Why deal with clipping in and out when you can simply track stand? 😉

[@tommilano5431]

I've done this, but especially with the road shoes I've fallen, lol!

[@Svobodastical]

so can I actually do long distance biking with a single speed?

[@tommilano5431]

You can. Just make sure the bike fits you well and is comfortable, and you have the correct gear ratio and fitness to cover the terrain that you are planning out.

[@crominion6045]

Look up Markus Stitz for some inspiration.

[@neusprach]

Thanks for sharing!

[@tommilano5431]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching

[@erichawkins7427]

I run straps on my track bike..I wear Adidas indoor soccer shoes...perfect..

[@tommilano5431]

Nice! Straps didn't work for me, but I found them very comfortable and it was convenient to not have to wear special cycling shoes!

[@LeoBell-lr6rj]

You can ride up mountains on any bike It's just the difficulty of doing it especially a single speed it's not rocket science 🤯

[@harveybirdman593]

When you talk about this you say it’s a coasting bike but then you say it’s a Wabi. Isn’t Wabi a Fixie (fixed gear bike)?

[@tommilano5431]

You can run the Wabi as either a fixed gear or a single-speed coasting bike. Fixie is a term for the bike when you run it with a fixed gear cog, but typically single speeds can coast.

[@harveybirdman593]

Oh I had no idea that’s an option. Do you have a video on Fixie vs coasting one gear bike? Why would you want one over the other etc. if not, I’m sure many of us would appreciate it! Great video btw

[@hernehill6282]

Why use specify gear ratios instead of gear inches? Gear inches is much more precise and direct.

[@bruceclark5627]

You're not taking into account tire size.

[@hernehill6282]

@@bruceclark5627 I am, using standard formula: number of chainring teeth divided by number of cog teeth multiplied by diameter of wheel.

[@bruceclark5627]

@@hernehill6282 WELL...... If we're gonna geek out over this, let's do it properly 😁,......you didn't measure the true size of the tire when Inflated to a specific PSI,at a specific altitude and then account for barometric pressures.

[@tommilano5431]

All good points. Reason I used ratios is that it's easier for people to understand, as it's simpler. I did mention this is assuming one is using 28mm or 32mm tires, and that if you run 23mm or 38mm tires it will affect your gearing.

[@hernehill6282]

@@tommilano5431 I hear ya. For me, I can visualize gear inches (as 18 or 108 inch wheel diameters) much more easily than I can visualize ratios.

[@jeremyemilio9378]

Nothing will really help climbing anything above 25 percent

[@tommilano5431]

That would be tough even on a geared bike!

[@microfx]

Let me save you the time watching this and give you the answer right away: You don't. You drive it on perfectly leveled roads

[@CanItAlready]

Must be nice to live in a place that's completely flat. Scratch that. It sounds boring. With no uphills, there's no coasting downhill.

[@jepulis6674]

Cmon. 48-17 is nice for 200km rides if no crazy head wind.

[@Charusel]

some folks who bike aren't in some internationally renown metropolis where movies are filmed. Some of us are in working class states where this concept hills that you can't avoid are a thing. It's why geared by bikes became popular.

[@tommilano5431]

All good points. For recovery rides or easy rides, it's easier to stick to flats. But some people live in hill country, so they don't have a choice but to deal with hills.

[@microfx]

@@tommilano5431 yeah then buy some gears!!