Pittsburgh Dirty Dozen Canton Ave 2007

Did people really just fall going up a hill? I'm sure this isn't an easy climb, but never the less it is a short hill on concrete.

Hugh, so I am guessing that you were one of the 180+ that joined us on SAT to ride this "short hill on concrete".

concrete which changes to cobblestone. As it gets steeper

the video doesnt do it any justice, when i was in pittsburgh i made a point to wlak up this hill, its gets amazingly steep amazingly fast.

This "thing" happens every year. It's an epic event. Saturday after Thanksgiving. 10 a.m. start time at the Washington Boulevard Cycling oval. It's an all day affair of fun and climbing over 56 miles.

Nope, what you need is the sense to start in an easy gear and ride the same speed. The guys who blazed the first part were in too hard of a gear to continue, and would stop and fall while downshifting so much. Stay in the small chainring, and shift no more than seven cogs in the back.

i live in cleveland so im not so far from there...its impossible to say how id tackle that climb because im sure the film doesnt do it justice..there were some steep hills in NC where i grew up

Does this thing happen every year? Rain or shine? Always the Saturday after Thanksgiving? What time does it start?

The people that live at the base have an excellent sense of humor. They actually put in a bay window to watch traffic try to go up it in the winter. It's no miracle to get to the top. Plenty of people do it. The trick is to stay to the right. The left has leaves and heavy moss growing that never leaves. Rookies in the wrong gear do fall over quite a bit. Ride is in about six weeks, Saturday after thanksgiving. Come on out!

So what happens if by some miracle you make it to the top? Do you just fall over and request help to get back down because your legs don't seem to work anymore? In Google Earth Street View, I love the tiny little crash barrier in front of the house directly across the end of the street. If anyone still lives there, those are some very, very brave (or hopelessly optimistic) people.