It’s really not that bad. I know a handful of guys who clean it SS and none of us has pro skills or fitness. Once you have the SS mindset it’s actually way more fun than climbing NQ geared.
I regularly clean it (with breaks) and have cleaned it in one effort from pavement to gravel. Mostly I do like tonight and walk the one long steep stretch between old Dream Weaver and where the switchbacks start again (also had an off on the skid road higher up), walking that pitch just makes all of life more pleasant.
Tonight I was on my Walt. I run a 29x2.6” SE2 out back which rolls well, 32:22t gearing and the 32t is oval which I find evens out torque (less slipped tires) but does feel like a bigger gear than 32t-round. I often run it 32:21t but I’ve been riding No Quarter a lot and the 22t is WAY more pleasant.
On my Honzo - which is heavier and has a suspension fork - I regularly run 30:21t (again Oval) which is pretty similar but if I’m working on my bike and know NQ is on the menu I’ll occasionally slip a 22t on which makes it more pleasant.
Oct. 16, 2018, 10:15 p.m. - Andrew Major
It’s really not that bad. I know a handful of guys who clean it SS and none of us has pro skills or fitness. Once you have the SS mindset it’s actually way more fun than climbing NQ geared. I regularly clean it (with breaks) and have cleaned it in one effort from pavement to gravel. Mostly I do like tonight and walk the one long steep stretch between old Dream Weaver and where the switchbacks start again (also had an off on the skid road higher up), walking that pitch just makes all of life more pleasant. Tonight I was on my Walt. I run a 29x2.6” SE2 out back which rolls well, 32:22t gearing and the 32t is oval which I find evens out torque (less slipped tires) but does feel like a bigger gear than 32t-round. I often run it 32:21t but I’ve been riding No Quarter a lot and the 22t is WAY more pleasant. On my Honzo - which is heavier and has a suspension fork - I regularly run 30:21t (again Oval) which is pretty similar but if I’m working on my bike and know NQ is on the menu I’ll occasionally slip a 22t on which makes it more pleasant.