San Francisco hill practice

3

3toe

New member
Hi there,

I'm a new rider and I live in the mission district in San Francisco. I have to say I've already had a few panic moments, stalls, rolls backwards, etc. on the hills here. Can anyone familiar with the city offer any locations to practice starting on an incline, preferably off public roads? I'm looking for specific places if possible, I just moved here so I'm not to familiar with the geography yet.

Thanks in advance,
3t
 
Maddevill

Maddevill

KNGKAW
Hill starts go like this.
Stop, put bike in first. Switch legs and use the rear brake to hold the bike. When going, ease the clutch out while slowly releasing the rear brake. With some practice it gets easy. I don't live in the city so I can't recommend some place to practice but I'm sure others will chime in.

Mad
 
D

Dave H

Well-known member
Lower parking lot @ City College should work. It's not as steep as a lot of city hills but should work for practicing the process. On weekends the lower parking lot is used for motorcycle lessons so it's a bike friendly place to go and practice.
 
tzrider

tzrider

Write Only User
Staff member
I'm no use as far as suggesting a location, but as an alternative to holding the rear brake, I usually prefer the front.

Advantage: You can put both feet down if balance is awkward and take the bike out of gear momentarily if you need to.

Disadvantage: It can be a little less stable if you're stopped on a steep uphill grade. In practice, I've never found a hill so steep that this was really an issue.
 
L

liveforlight

Well-known member
for a new rider i feel using the front brake and having to throttle at the same time for no rollback is tough.

For me, the biggest part was relax. IF you stall you stall. Start back up and get on your way.
 
G

ggwill

Active member
Maddevill said:
Hill starts go like this.
Stop, put bike in first. Switch legs and use the rear brake to hold the bike. When going, ease the clutch out while slowly releasing the rear brake. With some practice it gets easy. I don't live in the city so I can't recommend some place to practice but I'm sure others will chime in.

Mad
Click to expand...

^ This. After a couple times of doing it, it'll become natural and you'll start to "think" less about each and every movement.
 
GAJ

GAJ

Well-known member
3toe said:
Hi there,

I'm a new rider and I live in the mission district in San Francisco. I have to say I've already had a few panic moments, stalls, rolls backwards, etc. on the hills here. Can anyone familiar with the city offer any locations to practice starting on an incline, preferably off public roads? I'm looking for specific places if possible, I just moved here so I'm not to familiar with the geography yet.

Thanks in advance,
3t
Click to expand...

No need for a hill for the first piece.

Practice starting from a stop in 2nd, 3rd and then 4th gears in a parking lot.

Once you have mastered that then move to smaller hills as you need to learn how to gradually release the brake as you apply throttle.

I use the front brake on hills to hold the bike as two legs down offers more stability but some use the rear.
 
DataDan

DataDan

Mama says he's bona fide
tzrider said:
I'm no use as far as suggesting a location, but as an alternative to holding the rear brake, I usually prefer the front.

Advantage: You can put both feet down if balance is awkward and take the bike out of gear momentarily if you need to.

Disadvantage: It can be a little less stable if you're stopped on a steep uphill grade. In practice, I've never found a hill so steep that this was really an issue.
Click to expand...
You omitted an obvious disadvantage: To start smoothly without rolling backward, you must simultaneously release brake and apply throttle with the right hand.

While I'm sure that works well for you, I would recommend that noobs use rear brake. The throttle-clutch interaction is familiar--nothing different there--so the one adjustment to technique a novice must make for an uphill start, releasing the rear brake, is easily integrated into the process.
 
tzrider

tzrider

Write Only User
Staff member
Dan, yes, you're right about the need to apply throttle while releasing the brake with one hand.

When I was a noob, I found it easier to balance the bike with two feet down and the issue of learning to operate the throttle and front brake simultaneously was easier (for me) than being distracted by balance issues on hills or with gusts of wind.

Other riders may have the complete opposite experience, finding that it's easy to balance the bike on the left foot while holding the rear brake with their right. As far as I know, that's the more commonly recommended approach. For whatever reason I was never comfortable with it.
 
GAJ

GAJ

Well-known member
tzrider said:
Dan, yes, you're right about the need to apply throttle while releasing the brake with one hand.

When I was a noob, I found it easier to balance the bike with two feet down and the issue of learning to operate the throttle and front brake simultaneously was easier (for me) than being distracted by balance issues on hills or with gusts of wind.

Other riders may have the complete opposite experience, finding that it's easy to balance the bike on the left foot while holding the rear brake with their right. As far as I know, that's the more commonly recommended approach. For whatever reason I was never comfortable with it.
Click to expand...

I think the front brake might be more intuitive if you've held bicycles on hills with the brakes.
 
HadesOmega

HadesOmega

Well-known member
Practice on a dirtbike at an OHV park. Ride up to the middle of a hillclimb and try to get out from there =P

I was riding with a buddy in SF one time and he's kinda short and boy did he have a hard time getting up this one particular VERY steep street in SF when we stopped, he did a little burnout when we took off haha. It's tough in a car tough on a motorcycle just gotta practice I guess. But I think it's no problem riding up that stuff for me because I do it all the time on my dual sport.
 
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GAJ

GAJ

Well-known member
When I drive in SF with my manual tranny cars I always try and time my ascent so that all cars ahead clear the stop signs by the time I get there as the pavement starts to flatten out by stop signs.

That could help the OP as well.

Car clutches are not as robust as those on bikes IIRC.
 
3

3toe

New member
First off thank you so much for the suggestions and advice, I will check out that parking lot ramp. I really appreciate it! While my driveway is steep, it's really short and the garage door is basically right at the top of it. if I open the door, there are laundry machines right there that I might clip.

As far as timing traffic so you get to stop on the flat - yes, I do that too, but I don't want to have to rely on that since it's not always an option.

I'm a little worried about tipping too since the bike is a bit tall and I can't flat foot it. But I remember when I was learning on a car, as you guys are saying, you get used to it. Thanks again.
 
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