THE Steepest Climb In The World: Can We Ride It?!

Okay so this time we PROMISE we have actually found the steepest climb in the world, we're sure of it! You may remember a few months ago we tried and succeeded in climbing The Slab, a 100 meter rock, with a gradient of 75%! So we set out to find the ultimate limit for a bike, and found a 100% gradient climb - that's 45 DEGREES! Can anyone even climb it, or have we really found a climb that's just too steep?

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Do you know of a steeper (ridable!) climb? Let us know in the comments!👇

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[shadesofgrey]

You would definitely have to do it when it's dry. Maybe use fatter tires with softer compound? Or go on some surface where spike tires could dig in. Also maybe use safety gear so that falling wouldn't be as dangerous.

[Professor_sckinnctn]

Good call not doing it indeed. Didn't think I'd see you folks wisely walk away from a challenge, but I'm glad you did. Fatter tires with spikes? Sand blast the road surface? I doubt either of those things would work but, if you really wanted to try, I suggest a safety harness to keep the rider from falling downhill when needed.

[bikeanddogtripsvirtualcycling]

why not return but next time wear a safety harness with a rope attached to an anchor point at the top with someone keeping the rope at just below tension so as to not pull you. that way a bailout would cause you to fall less than a metre.

[stephenstuff]

Had another thought, Safety rope attached to rider from achor point at the top of climb with slack being taken up by someone who is an expert rock climber or rescue specialist as the rider climbs. If they stop or slip and have to bail the safey rope once properly tesioned will hold them and they can use the rope to return to the bottom and try again.

Cheers
Stephen

[ltrtg]

When Si was at the bottom of the nursery slope. I don't think Si was doubting his equipment. I think he was doubting his life choices, whether he really wants to ride up the 1 in 1 hill.

[RelakS__]

These climbs are funny. If you are not used to them, you check a 10% climp on the computer: What a shallow angle, lol. When you see it in person: Holy Molly, that is almost a wall O_O
Of course, 100% (the 1 in 1 climp) is just ridiculous from every angle :D

[frankeeeej]

I recon if you
-prep the surface, get rid of all the moss and grime
-fit a super fat rear tire
-and a really tiny front wheel to keep the front as low as possible
-Maybe try again with some nicer weather in juli

It might be doable.

[wiwiwiii]

maybe with weird tricks such as:

- a 24/26 inches on the front and a 29 inches on the back to make an impossible position less impossible
- a 500w engine
- larger tyre on the rear to have more grip

[jasehoad]

If Chris stays in the saddle and Si sits on the handlebars then that should give you all the traction you need ;)

[scottcurda]

Sy,
You might find that Olympic ski jumping venues may have the required slopes you are looking for. It will only come down to if any of them have a suitable surface.

[CraigFyfe]

I think it was wise to not do it, but I think with better gearing, grippier tyres, doing it when it's dry and wearing protection I think it's possible!

[cb]

Thank you Si and Chris...if THAT man says no, it is a bad idea !! He's got huge yarbles, as you guys know, and skills galore. Crazy man

[trevorhayes]

Hanging out to see the resulting custom frankenbuild long wheel base with 3" rear tyre, heavy weighted frontwheel, ultimate hill climb e-bike, to beat this wall! Oh yeah, and the rider (Chris!) bungy-roped up!! You know you want to! 😁

[yxqkskt]

1 in 1 + Andrew Feather + Unicycle. Let's do this!

[jwlo]

Awesome! I think you guys might be able to give some safe attempts with an auto belay installed at the top. It’ll just slow your descends if/when that happens 😂

[jonathanzappala]

I read once in bicycling mag that the highest you could ride was an eighty some percent grade, for the balance point I don’t think they even considered power. I’d like to see it really tested. Maybe you need a bike with a massive wheelbase to keep balance at the steep angle.

[martya.]

I'd suggest a special build bike, with an extended frame so that the rear wheel sits further back from the seatpost in the same way that motorcycles are modified for hill climbs. I'd also suggest finding the lowest gears possible so that even if your legs are spinning like crazy, you only have to keep it up for 30-40 seconds.

[tkpeters]

How about trying Whitby's Donkey Path, next to the 99 steps.
New content that no-one else has done

[colinmcdonald]

There was a climb video in Italy earlier this year where I commented that there was no way that one was the steepness posted. This one is definitely as advertised. Good call not doing it. I've wiped on on an Olympic ski slope this steep ( on snow, not a bike) and if you pop out of your ski bindings... You can't arrest your descent at this steepness ( possibly an emergency double ski pole plant arrest maneuver) The same would automatically happen here. It would hurt a lot, and that sudden change in gradient at the base could be fatal or life changing.

[Michiel]

Another option is to comeback there in the summer. Remove the moss from the road the day before or early in the morning and climb the road when the sun has been on it for a couple of hours so it's dry.