How steep a hill can you ride?

[JPK1100]

I am invited to a cottage in the country next week.

This weekend, I went to explore the area and found the alley going to the cottage from the main road is a rather steep hill. It is asphalted though.

I have to confess.., I would not get my bike (a heavy K1100LT) for fear of dropping it (and me with it), if not when going down, maybe when going up.

Am I too fearful?

Any technique one would recommend?

Many thanks.

JPK1100

[RoscoeRules]

Can you over-shoot the top by some distance or have to stop right at the crest? If it's really steep, I wouldn't carry a passenger for fear of pulling a wheel stand going up. When I used to trail ride I'd lean way forward going up, but stopping mid way is not fun and to be avoided. But if a car can make it up from a dead stop, you shouldn't have any trouble. Good luck.

[108625]

This is steep. Come to Billings, Montana for the "Bentonite Nightmare".

http://www.spike.com/video/billings-hillclimb/2814688?cid=YSSP

500cc two strokes, or unlimited class four strokes, on fuel. Our favorite rider is local hero Dusty Beer (really, that's his name).

[Rapid_Roy]

About 45 to 55 degrees steep with an old airhead.:brow

[Statdawg]

About 45 to 55 degrees steep with an old airhead.:brow

Anything is possible with Don Julio.

[lazywizard02]

You need to be well balanced for the trip up the hill. Move your weight forward and open your elbows. Stay in 1st and don't lug it. (~ 2500 rpm ?). Put pressure on your toes on the foot pegs and be prepared to come off the seat. Your reaction time needs to be good. Keep fingers on the front brake and clutch. If you stop and the hill is steep enough, you will be slipping the clutch while the brake is on and feathering the switchover with both plus throttle work.

Conversely, going downhill, move back and use more rear brake than normal, with a light touch on the front brake for finesse.

Same physics as a moutain bike but much more conciousness of the mass and momentum.

[535is]

About 45 to 55 degrees steep with an old airhead.:brow
I think you mean percent slope, not degrees. [Either that or a serious running start. :burnout] At 45 degrees (100% slope), your tires would have to be able to generate 1.0G in traction. At least in a car, that requires special 'R compound' semi-competition tires. Otherwise, even with the wheels locked, the car would slide down the slope. A 45%-55% slope approaches 30º from horizontal. Even that would seem damned steep in or on any kind of vehicle.

[crazydrummerdude]

At 45 degrees (100% slope), your tires would have to be able to generate 1.0G in traction.

Please elaborate.:ear

[Rapid_Roy]

I think you mean percent slope, not degrees. [Either that or a serious running start. :burnout] At 45 degrees (100% slope), your tires would have to be able to generate 1.0G in traction. At least in a car, that requires special 'R compound' semi-competition tires. Otherwise, even with the wheels locked, the car would slide down the slope. A 45%-55% slope approaches 30º from horizontal. Even that would seem damned steep in or on any kind of vehicle.
I used 90 degrees at straight up and halved it to 45 degrees, so I am not sure what I mean. :ha We did need a running start and we didn't dare stop.
The roads at a park I went to in Iowa were very steep, rutted, and gravel.
My buddy and I heard had got back to the rally, and we heard folks yelling at Brian Mahnke for taking them there with their new bikes. It was steep all right. :ha

[Rapid_Roy]

Anything is possible with Don Julio.
That is for later, when we tell the story and it keeps getting steeper.
:ha

[PlaneGeek]

Don't be afraid to walk the slope too. If you can't see what's on top (or on bottom) it's best to check it out before you end up some place you don't want to be. :thumb

[BubbaZanetti]

I used 90 degrees at straight up and halved it to 45 degrees, so I am not sure what I mean. :ha We did need a running start and we didn't dare stop.
The roads at a park I went to in Iowa were very steep, rutted, and gravel.
My buddy and I heard had got back to the rally, and we heard folks yelling at Brian Mahnke for taking them there with their new bikes. It was steep all right. :ha

even the steepest of hills are likely no more than 18 degrees or so to horizontal, they only appear this way.

we had a hill on the side of the dorm in college that you'd be REAL lucky to ride to the top of on a bike, my friend did a calculation on it and found it to be about 15 degrees or so.

[Rapid_Roy]

even the steepest of hills are likely no more than 18 degrees or so to horizontal, they only appear this way.

we had a hill on the side of the dorm in college that you'd be REAL lucky to ride to the top of on a bike, my friend did a calculation on it and found it to be about 15 degrees or so.
It was steeper than R1100Rick's driveway. After I saw it, I knew I could do it.
:ha

[BubbaZanetti]

It was steeper than R1100Rick's driveway. After I saw it, I knew I could do it.
:ha

hahha, yeah, i put the truck in 4wd to get up it the first time, 2wd the second time, then came down just fine on the airhead with the brand new street tires on it, kept up with JD on the 650 GS no prob.:thumb

[rinty]

...even the steepest of hills are likely no more than 18 degrees or so...Bubba Zanetti

I know that on the ski hill, at around 35 degrees you feel like you're going down a cliff.:)

[cheesewhiz]

I used 90 degrees at straight up and halved it to 45 degrees, so I am not sure what I mean. :ha We did need a running start and we didn't dare stop.
The roads at a park I went to in Iowa were very steep, rutted, and gravel.
My buddy and I heard had got back to the rally, and we heard folks yelling at Brian Mahnke for taking them there with their new bikes. It was steep all right. :ha

I'm SHOCKED to see Brian's name mentioned in relation to this.............................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ................NOT!

:lol

[535is]

Please elaborate.:ear

It's all done with force vectors, but I know I'll screw up the explanation if I try to 'shorthand' it. Do a Google search on 'friction circle' and see if that covers it.

Intuitively, though, you know that a car won't sit still on a vertical surface and it will sit on a horizontal surface. There comes a point at which the car will sit on a tilted surface somewhere in between vertical and horizontal. That is going to be right around 45º or less and it depends on how much friction the tires have with the surface.

[crazydrummerdude]

Ah! I figured as much, but that's some cool info.

[Maylett]

This weekend, I went to explore the area and found the alley going to the cottage from the main road is a rather steep hill. It is asphalted though.

I have to confess.., I would not get my bike (a heavy K1100LT) for fear of dropping it (and me with it), if not when going down, maybe when going up.

Am I too fearful?

Any technique one would recommend?

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_Street,_Dunedin" target="_blank">Baldwin Street</a> in New Zealand, at 19&deg; from horizontal is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the world's steepest street. I live on a mountain side, and the paved road leading up to our house is quite steep &mdash; steeper still is our driveway. I just measured it, and it's 18.7&deg;, which is nearly as steep as Baldwin Street. It's too steep to park a car, and when it snows, I have to use ice crampons in order to shovel it.

I routinely drive up and down the driveway on my 1200RT with no real problems. I even have to turn the bike 90&deg; at the top to fit it in behind my SUV. The trick is to go fast enough to make it without stopping. Coming down is easy too, as long as I do it smoothly and steadily while evenly applying the brakes a bit the entire way. The first few times I did this on the RT, it was a little unnerving, but really, the hard part was just realizing that it's honestly not difficult. I do always make my wife get on and off at the bottom of the driveway, though.

[Timba]

I'm jealous of all of you with steep paved driveways.

Mine is pretty steep, but unpaved. It's not too bad until the road base starts to wear down to gravel. It gets pretty interesting then, especially downhill.

I was amazed at the difference in riding it with a GS Adventure and an RT. The GS inspires total confidence, allowing quick and secure ascents and descents.

The RT however, was scary as heck on descents. The front weight bias and rake/trail design meant the whole package was like walking on marbles when going down. :jawdrop

I raced MX for ten years, and thought that a competent rider could ride a street bike as well as a dual sport, at least as low speeds. I no longer believe that.

[GSfornow]

I'm thinking that if they can pave it you should be able to ride it. Who knows though maybe the winched the paving machine up.