Unanswered walk-assisting a bike up steep stairs ?!

[toggen]

Hi!

Hope you guys can help me with some advice…
My plan is to use walk-assist to get my bike up some
rather steep granite stairs - about 25 of them!
I will recieve a Yuba Spicy Curry AT next week,and the only
safe place is my garden…
Does anyone have experience with walk-assisting a bike up
steep stairs? I guess i´m hoping too much,but had to ask!

Thanks

 

[steve_sordy]

Do it on the rear wheel and bump the saddle with your body if required. Don't have the chain on the biggest gear, go smaller, experiment.

Try to learn to ride up them.

 

[towzer]

I use walk (Shimano) assist to go up some steep railway crossing steps, works well imho (mid gear), going soft and slow works better as if you bounce the rear you can loose grip (*i run pretty high psi),

 

[steve_sordy]

@towzer Interesting. How much is your riding weight and tyre size. What do you consider "pretty high psi". How did you decide to run those pressures. I'd love to know.

To share: 92kg, 29x2.5, 17f/20r psi tubeless. I started high on my hardtail analogue bike years ago, I was running 60psi (because nobody told me not to). After a few years of being battered to bits and still nobody told me about tyre pressures, I saw a video on the topic on PinkBike's Tech Tuesday series. I rapidly came down from 60psi on a 26x2.1 to the low 20's on 27.5x2.2.

I started my grandson off on low pressures for trails (obvs higher for tarmac). But as he has got older and more experienced, he is able to decide for himself and give reasons for why something works better for him. He likes the low 30's on his 27.5 x 2.4 tubeless. He is 67kg. He prefers the easier rolling and is happy to take the battering on his hardtail.

 

[towzer]

I run about 35-38, 85kg, 2.8 tyres, I also run with the engine off quite a lot, after an easy pedal and don’t have grip issues on trails. It possibly stems from my motorbike days, compression punctures (*well any puncture) was a right pita

 

[steve_sordy]

Wow! I haven't had tyre pressures that high since my revelation. This is what did it for me:

Tech Tuesday - Find Your Tire Pressure Sweet Spot - Pinkbike

www.pinkbike.com

Read the words, watch the video, try.

 

[Darren]

I attempted some steep, slippery and narrow steps - the kind where a wood board is staked down vertically to trap mud into a staircase in a steep bank. Walk mode was a pain, the bike was always either ahead of me or behind constantly throwing me off balance. Halfway up I picked up the bike and walked up, more physically demanding but much quicker and safer.

 

[Falco]

I swear I looked for it but didn't find it (I think it was a short clip on one Embn video); bike upsidedown rear wheel forward so practically it pulls you instead of pushing, it was used to overcome a big section of rocks (half chest high) to avoid taking the heavy ebike on the shoulders and do literally a little climb.

 

[nandewar]

I regularly"walk" up steep bush walking track steps with my Trek Powerfly hardtail. Except yesterday I had to carry it up because my walk function stopped working. Walking it is much easier than carrying it.
Now I have to work out how ro fix it.

 

[toggen]

Thanks for good input all of you!
Thing is, the granite steps have worn,pretty rounded edges…. and the back wheel
on the Yuba Spicy Curry AT is only 20” wide. but we will see in a week!!

 

[urastus]

I wouldn't put pressure on the front - you want the front to roll up easily. You might even be able to add a bit of lift to the front. So one hand on the front, just to steer and a finger on the brake. With your other arm over the bike and your hand below the seat post (or on the seat post). You can help it from there. Those little wheels might need some help to climb the steps. I don't expect it would need much of your input - just until the tyre could grab the lip of the step it's climbing. Hopefully if you're right handed, your left hand will be on the brake - it would be awesome if that was your rear brake (it is for Australia). Otherwise I'd do it from the other side. Rear brake would be best. All theory of course and not knowing how you operate walk mode on a bosch cargo line.

Maybe have a practice on a smaller set of steps first and take note of what works. Rear brake would still be a preference - that's where most of the weight will be.

Nice looking utility bike