I've climbed lots of passes in the Pyrenees with a bike I bought for less than 100€. Single pivot brakes were not the best in the descent, but triple chainring lets you climb anything, and I wasn't that much slower than my mates. But I'll keep my disc brake carbon bike just for the descent any day.
Mere mortals would be taking their bikes for a walk on this climb. The fact that the two presenters went up in 14 minutes just shows me what great athletes GCN has on staff.
@@brockfrreminz6659 Denver, CO. I guess Lockdown is a little bit of a strong term. But the Mayor just instituted a curfew and tighter restrictions on gatherings, with COVID cases on the rise. So between that, the sun setting at 5pm, and the promise of more snow, cabin fever is definitely setting in.
What a classic steel beauty the Cortina is. Give the drivetrain an overhaul, install some better rim brakes and you have your perfect daily driver. Great video again!
Highly recommend more videos with these "cheap, regular" bikes because they are essential for many people. It would be cool to see what kinds of hacks or upgrades can be done them to improve them.
the wheels. you can upgrade the wheels. and the handle. TBH that kind of handle bar stem, thin and welded is much less durable. replace that and you are mostly golden. The pizza carrier if you dont aalready have one...
@Giuliano Skywalker there's pmethybyou can do to improve. Obviously not all improvements will be performance oriented but people getting these bikes lean more towards comfort
The biggest recommendation I would make is to pay attention to the gearset. On a general-purpose utility bike, you want it to be as versatile as possible. Your ability to climb the steepest hill in your area while loaded down with shopping is entirely dependent on your lowest gear being low enough; I would strongly recommend having it between 20-30 gear inches, unless you live in the Low Countries or some such where hills just don't exist. The generic 10-speed gearset has a bottom gear of about 38", which is too high for all but the gentlest of climbs. You will also want a gear around 40-45" for easy starting on smooth, level ground, and another in the vicinity of 55" for cycling on urban pavements among pedestrians, where going too fast is a liability. Novice riders will appreciate a 75" gear for use on a level road; those more experienced (and fitter) might increase that a bit, to say 85". Going downhill, you always have the option of just coasting if you "spin out". If you can, though, having gears up to about 100" is often useful. Beyond that, you need experience to find out whether you really need or want more. The steps *between* gears are also important to consider. Relatively wide steps, say 20-30%, are good at the low end of the range, and relatively narrow steps, say 10-15%, in the range you'd use on the open road. With multiple chainrings, the "double shift" of going up a chainring and down a rear cog should be nearly equivalent to one cog (with triple chainrings) or two cogs (with a compact double). I'm just upgrading my 24-speed hybrid from a 48-38-28 and 11-32 setup, which it came with from the factory, to a 48-36-26 and 11-34 MegaRange which fits the above principles a bit better, especially with the gear steps. But the original gears weren't *bad*, just not quite optimal; I was rarely left unable to climb a hill, unless towing a heavily loaded trailer. If you have a 21-speed or a 2x7 and are dissatisfied with your gears, seriously consider Shimano's 7-speed Tourney cassette in 12-32 (if you don't already have the old 7-speed MegaRange cassette that is sadly discontinued), with either a 50-39-30 triple, a 48-36-26 triple, or a 46-30 "compact double" crankset up front. You'll probably need new derailleurs to match, but this will still be a fairly inexpensive upgrade that could seriously transform the utility of your bike. And if you have a 10-speed, 12-speed or 18-speed, have the shop stretch your frame and rebuild your rear wheel on a 7-speed Freehub, *then* fit the above gears; the transformation will be even more obvious. For bikes with hub gears, the range of gears available to you will often be seriously limited by the choice of hub. Many bikes with 3-speed hubs have the gearing set too high through a poor choice of chainring and rear sprocket. I recommend putting the top gear around 75" for open-road use or in flatland, or around 60" for urban use with some hills; reducing the top gear for the urban context reduces the temptation to go faster than crowded conditions safely permit, and opens up more possibility for climbing hills. The Nexus 7 is substantially more flexible than a 3-speed, and is a reasonably inexpensive upgrade. Choose the chainring and sprocket combination carefully, bearing the above gear-inch recommendations in mind. The Alfine 11 is roughly as flexible as the 21-speed suggestions outlined above, but fairly expensive; it does however come with an attachment for a rear disc brake. For the flexibility of the 11-speed hub without most of the cost, consider a "hybrid gearing" setup with a Nexus 7 at the back, with an 18T, 19T or 20T sprocket depending on wheel size, and a 46-30 "compact double" up front. You'll need a flexible chain tensioner that looks like the bottom half of a rear derailleur, and you won't be able to use a coaster brake, but you'll be able to climb steep hills without having to give up a decent open-road speed, and it should cost less overall than the Alfine 11. Finally, if you have an MTB (or a faux "mountain bike" that has only 10 gears and can't climb an actual mountain to save its life) but really don't ride on mud or gravel nearly as much as on tarmac, swap the knobbly tyres for wide but relatively smooth tyres. They'll roll better and feel more comfortable. Just consider yourself fortunate to have straight handlebars that are easy to use, rather than drop handlebars that can be borderline dangerous in novice hands.
Great fun to watch! I did the Muro di Sormano last year for my 50th bday around the same time of year. It is a killer! I actually fell off because I didn’t want to put the foot down 😂 Kudos to both of you!!
They are cheap because they are made of steel, which is a low cost material to build. They are very strong, functional and does the work perfectly. And the fact is the 'high end' carbon ones are not that expensive like they claim. They just extort. They have a team that pays youtubers, commenters, that will set a narrative that the higher priced bike is reasonably priced, and there are bikes that cost even more. This reasonable price keeps increasing time to time according to the instructions of their team. This is done to drive our mindset to be ready and eager to spend more without complaining.
Curse the big ‘mum bike’ industry and their massive political influence. When will fast bikes get their chance to shine?! What must we do? Ride around France? Italy? Spain?! Doubtless you can see how absurd the situation is under ‘big mum bike’ rule.
Wonderful seeing you both maintain good spirits after riding the climb TWICE and the second time on the budget bike. Fun video and nice tribute to everyday bikes. Bravo Manon and Ollie!!
They know that the bike doesn't make such a huge difference so they do their best to make the cheap bikes look bad, should be reported for false advertising.
@@pierrelarouge i dont think the saddle goes up much higher. and i think it was a fair go. more air on shitty tyres is just bad grip on a super steep, slippery climb
You know, I’m kind of proud seeing this video. Cortina bikes are produced were I live here in Zwolle (the Netherlands) and they are great commuters. Weird seeing a Dutch bike in Italy, then again I’m riding my Bianchi here so we’re trading 😅
Watching this video reminds me of Alan Marangoni (GCN Italia) climbing the Zoncolan with the Graziella folding bike, back this year. Savage climbs with savage bikes.
Next video should be called “how to resume cycling on a steep incline”. Here’s a free tip from Lisbon: place yourself, ready to ride, as much to one side of the road as possible, perpendicularly to the incline, so that you can gain some momentum by completing one or two revolutions of the pedals before you face the gradient again. WARNING: do turn before you reach the other side of the road :) Great video anyway!
Oli to Manon, "let's go out to Italy and do some great vids on innovative clothing material, bike fitting tech and a vid of us climbing a steep hill road n a shopper". Manon to Oli, "should we of brought Hank with us for the last idea!"
Another eye-popping effort, for sure. Even though I couldn't find any 27% segments on the climb (steepest are 19-22%), these courageous presenters certainly deserve our respect for taking on the challenge (especially with leaves on the road in places). From start line (836m) to finish line (1107m) it's a 271m climb (889 ft.) over a distance of 1680m (1.044 mi or 5510 ft.), for an average grade just over 16%. But there is another 14m climb above the finish line, at a 20% grade, which they did not include. The point where Manon stalled on the bike, was only ~28m of climbing from the top, so she did manage to pedal nearly 90% of the climb on the old touring bike. One of the difficulties of this old road is that the grade varies randomly and you can't get into a steady rhythm. At the top, the road intersects with Via del Tivano (SP44), where there is a restaurant and an astronomical observatory, and plenty of parking for those motorists who want to take in the view. But the video omitted those signs of civilization, to give the setting a rural feel.
Just about to say the same, Ollie reminded me when Jeremy Clarkson presents a car, only with bikes. "It´s Manon´s turn to ride.... the Cortina Extreme".
Hilarious - the juxtaposition between Ollie in all the coordinating GCN/Castelli kit perched on top of a too small pink girls bike was most entertaining! Thought Manon was about to push the bike off the side of the mountain 'Italian job' style at the end!
I usually pass in front of the Sormano with my Tarmac SL6 and just say “naa, not today”. The Sormano is not something useful, it’s just pain. BUT NOW THANKS TO GCN I HAVE TO TRY IT ON MY CITYBIKE THANK YOU VERY MUCH -.-“
End of the day the engine that propels forward is the human body, fancy bike may give you slight advantage compared to a really cheap bike, and most of us are fortunate enough to spend money that is outrageous on bikes/kits/shoes etc. This video proves that if someone is willing to explore outdoors, even fifty bucks will bring you a big smile on his/her face. Thanks GCN for such a video!!
Wrong... It's the same amount of energy she would have used on a smaller gear. That's basic physics, energy can be calculated by "how hard" and "how fast" you push. One thing that comes into play when comparing them: Manon is considerably lighter than Ollie but the bike has the same weight for both of them. So if they have the same power to weight ratio Manon has a lower total power output and that makes the bike weight affect her a lot more than Ollie because she adds with that bike percentage wise more weight to her total system than him.
always love the videos... One thing that i would love to see is cycling around the area, highlighting the bike and the history of cycling from the area and longer videos!!!! Love watching GCN!!!!!
You people are utterly crazy. For someone who struggled to ride up a 20% climb (on a dry road without leaves), I simply cannot understand how you do it. Sure, you are (ex-)Pros, but still, this is amazing. Quite frustrating, but amazing anyway. Thanks for the brilliant videos and best of luck to all of you!
I always like the thought of super steep climbs in the peak district etc. Then I get 50 miles in, half way up a 20% pitch and instantly regret my optimism.
Enjoyed? I felt your pain through the screen. On the plus side; you two might be the only people in the world to have attempted this on such a machine. Thank you for another great video!
Epic!! That was one of the most entertaining videos i've seen for a while. You should keep the €50 bike as a trainer. Make the posh bikes feel real easy to ride after a few miles on the cheap one.
“By the way this weighs 16 kg!” That is my main road bike weight and I have no problems passing $5000 bikes on it. It’s setup for a 45 x 7 drivetrain due to the wind around here but can climb easily on it.
@@andyhaochizhang Nice, I don’t do “driveby’s” of those bikes I fly-by them. Sucks for me in lower part of Southern Ontario with these crazy winds down here. 90% of those bikes are always cross-chaining here, so I am on a single 47X7 ( old school 7 speed freewheel) so wind now is less of an issue and I am not cross chaining anymore. My Carbon bike actually get less usage than this $250 road bike, as it’s too light and too easy to ride ( 8 kg).
Himeee, I got a ebike because my commute goes through the rockies and I'm not at that level yet, but I always sing that when Im running out of energy and have to flip the switch and start spinning the pedal assist
even after living in Europe for donkeys years , percentages on gradients still never make me as terrified as the good old 1 in 4 etc ... The legs don’t feel the pain so much as the brain trying to do the math
Next video needs to be "How fast can we get this cheap bike?" Give it a good clean, and service. Air up the tires all the way, and take off all the unnecessary stuff (Racks, etc.) and run the test again.
Back in the day when I was a lad all those gears on a bike would have been a luxury. I remember how envious I was of my brothers Sturmey archer 4 speed Raleigh explorer!
"Don't let the beautiful surroundings fool you" It seems to me that beautiful surroundings = steep climbs. Feel free to voice your own opinion but yeah, my opinion
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Would you make it to the top of the Muro di Sormano on our €50 bike?
I've climbed lots of passes in the Pyrenees with a bike I bought for less than 100€. Single pivot brakes were not the best in the descent, but triple chainring lets you climb anything, and I wasn't that much slower than my mates. But I'll keep my disc brake carbon bike just for the descent any day.
Cool video, cheers!🍻 that bike was as bad as the moris minor is to cars. Thanks for showing why reviewing cheap bikes are pointless but lots a fun👍😎
i'd like to try that asap.. much love from the Philippines
Simply... No!
I'd struggle with my own bike 😂
I wish somebody looked at me the way Manon looks at Ollie's pinarello. 1:39
I wish manon looked at me
People mostly look at me the way Manon looked at the Cortina.
@@Stephen-nq5kd Sounds 'extreme'
@@akshay5295's-comment "I wish manon looked at me":
dude, she's engaged!
O_O
Classic :)
Mere mortals would be taking their bikes for a walk on this climb. The fact that the two presenters went up in 14 minutes just shows me what great athletes GCN has on staff.
can you give me your bike
14 I thought 40
40 on the cheap bike...
Ventura cruze with 24/34 ratio
14 or forty?
I'm extra grateful for the random GCN content during lockdown here in the US.
Where are you locked down at?
@@brockfrreminz6659 Denver, CO. I guess Lockdown is a little bit of a strong term. But the Mayor just instituted a curfew and tighter restrictions on gatherings, with COVID cases on the rise.
So between that, the sun setting at 5pm, and the promise of more snow, cabin fever is definitely setting in.
Joshua McGehee gotcha! Makes sense, I totally understand I mean, we hit what 144K cases in one day? Thanks for the response, have a good day sir!
What a classic steel beauty the Cortina is. Give the drivetrain an overhaul, install some better rim brakes and you have your perfect daily driver. Great video again!
6:30 - Ollie goes to fist bump then realises that Manon is in no state for fist bumps. Just thought I'd give you a bit of narration
10:07 looks like he sets up for a high five. But manon seems too worried about the climb
Maybe, but it might just be him preparing the saddle by slapping it 🤷♂️
Literally scrolled down the comments to check someone had highlighted that!
Why isn’t she in no state for fist bumps?
@@mbal4052 maybe because she's just cycled up this nasty climb, dunno maybe she's just unfriendly 😂
Highly recommend more videos with these "cheap, regular" bikes because they are essential for many people. It would be cool to see what kinds of hacks or upgrades can be done them to improve them.
the wheels. you can upgrade the wheels. and the handle. TBH that kind of handle bar stem, thin and welded is much less durable. replace that and you are mostly golden. The pizza carrier if you dont aalready have one...
@Giuliano Skywalker there's pmethybyou can do to improve. Obviously not all improvements will be performance oriented but people getting these bikes lean more towards comfort
The biggest recommendation I would make is to pay attention to the gearset. On a general-purpose utility bike, you want it to be as versatile as possible.
Your ability to climb the steepest hill in your area while loaded down with shopping is entirely dependent on your lowest gear being low enough; I would strongly recommend having it between 20-30 gear inches, unless you live in the Low Countries or some such where hills just don't exist. The generic 10-speed gearset has a bottom gear of about 38", which is too high for all but the gentlest of climbs.
You will also want a gear around 40-45" for easy starting on smooth, level ground, and another in the vicinity of 55" for cycling on urban pavements among pedestrians, where going too fast is a liability. Novice riders will appreciate a 75" gear for use on a level road; those more experienced (and fitter) might increase that a bit, to say 85". Going downhill, you always have the option of just coasting if you "spin out". If you can, though, having gears up to about 100" is often useful. Beyond that, you need experience to find out whether you really need or want more.
The steps *between* gears are also important to consider. Relatively wide steps, say 20-30%, are good at the low end of the range, and relatively narrow steps, say 10-15%, in the range you'd use on the open road. With multiple chainrings, the "double shift" of going up a chainring and down a rear cog should be nearly equivalent to one cog (with triple chainrings) or two cogs (with a compact double).
I'm just upgrading my 24-speed hybrid from a 48-38-28 and 11-32 setup, which it came with from the factory, to a 48-36-26 and 11-34 MegaRange which fits the above principles a bit better, especially with the gear steps. But the original gears weren't *bad*, just not quite optimal; I was rarely left unable to climb a hill, unless towing a heavily loaded trailer.
If you have a 21-speed or a 2x7 and are dissatisfied with your gears, seriously consider Shimano's 7-speed Tourney cassette in 12-32 (if you don't already have the old 7-speed MegaRange cassette that is sadly discontinued), with either a 50-39-30 triple, a 48-36-26 triple, or a 46-30 "compact double" crankset up front. You'll probably need new derailleurs to match, but this will still be a fairly inexpensive upgrade that could seriously transform the utility of your bike. And if you have a 10-speed, 12-speed or 18-speed, have the shop stretch your frame and rebuild your rear wheel on a 7-speed Freehub, *then* fit the above gears; the transformation will be even more obvious.
For bikes with hub gears, the range of gears available to you will often be seriously limited by the choice of hub. Many bikes with 3-speed hubs have the gearing set too high through a poor choice of chainring and rear sprocket. I recommend putting the top gear around 75" for open-road use or in flatland, or around 60" for urban use with some hills; reducing the top gear for the urban context reduces the temptation to go faster than crowded conditions safely permit, and opens up more possibility for climbing hills.
The Nexus 7 is substantially more flexible than a 3-speed, and is a reasonably inexpensive upgrade. Choose the chainring and sprocket combination carefully, bearing the above gear-inch recommendations in mind. The Alfine 11 is roughly as flexible as the 21-speed suggestions outlined above, but fairly expensive; it does however come with an attachment for a rear disc brake.
For the flexibility of the 11-speed hub without most of the cost, consider a "hybrid gearing" setup with a Nexus 7 at the back, with an 18T, 19T or 20T sprocket depending on wheel size, and a 46-30 "compact double" up front. You'll need a flexible chain tensioner that looks like the bottom half of a rear derailleur, and you won't be able to use a coaster brake, but you'll be able to climb steep hills without having to give up a decent open-road speed, and it should cost less overall than the Alfine 11.
Finally, if you have an MTB (or a faux "mountain bike" that has only 10 gears and can't climb an actual mountain to save its life) but really don't ride on mud or gravel nearly as much as on tarmac, swap the knobbly tyres for wide but relatively smooth tyres. They'll roll better and feel more comfortable. Just consider yourself fortunate to have straight handlebars that are easy to use, rather than drop handlebars that can be borderline dangerous in novice hands.
That’s the only kind of bike I ride
I agree
Manon: gives Ollie a helping push
Ollie: I'm going to nip in the car and wait for her at the top IF she gets to the top
And notice that the place where Ollie is being pushed by Manon, is the exact same spot where she has to go off the bike...
4:52 is literally me on every climb: "Easiest gear already? Great!"😁
Yeah but it doesn't stop us tapping the lever just in case there's an easier one.
"For your baguettes...
... we're in Italy...
... pizza..."
Europe for dummies ! :)
Panini
soppressata
tinapay
Sormano = Polenta Uncia
@@josephjoshuamagistrado6758 pandesal
Great fun to watch! I did the Muro di Sormano last year for my 50th bday around the same time of year. It is a killer! I actually fell off because I didn’t want to put the foot down 😂 Kudos to both of you!!
Sometimes these cheap bikes that we, simple mortals, ride everyday can surprise you for how functional they actually are. Big cheers on this video!
They are cheap because they are made of steel, which is a low cost material to build. They are very strong, functional and does the work perfectly.
And the fact is the 'high end' carbon ones are not that expensive like they claim. They just extort. They have a team that pays youtubers, commenters, that will set a narrative that the higher priced bike is reasonably priced, and there are bikes that cost even more. This reasonable price keeps increasing time to time according to the instructions of their team. This is done to drive our mindset to be ready and eager to spend more without complaining.
@@KetansaCreatesArt thanks for filling my quota of nonsense conspiracy theory for the week 😂👍
@@rboydphotography Ok glad to make your week.
@@KetansaCreatesArt I sort of agree with you. Making carbon fiber parts itself is not that difficult. The price is almost marketing
@@KetansaCreatesArt Steel bikes cost more to produce the aluminium bikes.
This feels like a paid advertisement for Cortina Extrema bicycles.
I want one!
Curse the big ‘mum bike’ industry and their massive political influence. When will fast bikes get their chance to shine?! What must we do? Ride around France? Italy? Spain?!
Doubtless you can see how absurd the situation is under ‘big mum bike’ rule.
i think this is my favorite comment of all time 🤣
I think we need a GCN Tech special on the Cortina Extrema.
I foresee massive demand for a Cortina Extrema giveaway competition!
Wonderful seeing you both maintain good spirits after riding the climb TWICE and the second time on the budget bike. Fun video and nice tribute to everyday bikes. Bravo Manon and Ollie!!
Question: Is it easier to climb a hill if you use the correct sattle height?
This video: Yes!
or pumped up the tyres......
I asked the same question 😂
They know that the bike doesn't make such a huge difference so they do their best to make the cheap bikes look bad, should be reported for false advertising.
@@pierrelarouge i dont think the saddle goes up much higher. and i think it was a fair go. more air on shitty tyres is just bad grip on a super steep, slippery climb
@@pierrelarouge yeah - gear ratio ftw
he dindt even rise the saddle no wonder why his quads where on fire!
it was stuck 😂
@@GCNuser123 lol!! 😂😂
@@GCNuser123 hahaha😂😂😂
Oh my god!
@@GCNuser123 the Pedals as well?
Yowamushi Pedal vibes right here XD
Ollie: "it's character building"
Onoda Sakamichi: "HAI!!!"
they should be singing hime princess theme up the climb. should help alot when climbing
@@hokagekira underrated comment
Looks like I was 1 week late to comment.
To be anime-accurate tho,that mamachari needa to have a double chainset upfront,with just a single freewheel in the rear.
Straight facts 😂👌
Always ready for GCN at any time of day.
Ollie: "I wouldn't want to descend the Sormano on those brakes".
Hank: "Where do I sign up?"
"Hold my beer..."
I was scared to do it downhill with a canyon ultimate . I wouldn't even let my worst enemy get off with that bike
@@israeltovar3513 The Cortina Extrema can hold it for you!
Lol, true. Hank would probably also put it in the rack, to celebrate at the bottom... if he survives, of course...
Difficult to tell at times if some of the shots were arty slo mo's or in real time! Top effort.
I love that Manon went straight to the bike being able to transport beers. After that climb, I am sure she needed one.
Manon: this is why I stick to the track it's nice and flat
45% banking on the track: Am I a joke to you?
Oli's enthusiasm for, well everything really, never ceases to amuse me. Love it!
This is the kind of video I like from you guys... natural stuff... no advertising... or less.
But I know you have to pay the bills ;)
Uh, the whole intro about their top end Pinarello and Canyon is an ad.
@@newttella1043 well... at least the whole video isn’t an ad ... haha
You know, I’m kind of proud seeing this video. Cortina bikes are produced were I live here in Zwolle (the Netherlands) and they are great commuters. Weird seeing a Dutch bike in Italy, then again I’m riding my Bianchi here so we’re trading 😅
Why would you need a triple chain ring in the Netherlands? Steepest hill is about 2%
@@matthewlemin5077 your weeks shopping is on it
"32-tooth-dinner-plate...".
Meanwhile I sit here, using my 52-tooth climbing gear every time on my MTB 😆
And you have even less tooth in the front
same here 😂
mullet bikes ftw
32-52. Basically a tractor gear.
Jesus! Cassettes go that big?!
Watching this video reminds me of Alan Marangoni (GCN Italia) climbing the Zoncolan with the Graziella folding bike, back this year. Savage climbs with savage bikes.
Next video should be called “how to resume cycling on a steep incline”. Here’s a free tip from Lisbon: place yourself, ready to ride, as much to one side of the road as possible, perpendicularly to the incline, so that you can gain some momentum by completing one or two revolutions of the pedals before you face the gradient again. WARNING: do turn before you reach the other side of the road :)
Great video anyway!
Instructions unclear: I turned, but after that I arrived on the plain
I tried that on a tandem. Once. It was a very short try.
I second the tip. I do it and it helps.
As someone who's gonna start learning to ride a bike in Lisbon hills: THANK YOU!
@@lukeskywalker5418 , for more tips, search for bikebuddy.mubi.pt
Come on Ollie! You could have at least been a good sport and returned the favor of a mid climb push! Geesh, chivalry is long dead! LoL 🤣
My thoughts exactly. Why wasn't he out there during Manon's climb for moral support?
Oli to Manon, "let's go out to Italy and do some great vids on innovative clothing material, bike fitting tech and a vid of us climbing a steep hill road n a shopper".
Manon to Oli, "should we of brought Hank with us for the last idea!"
Love the look on Manon's face when she says "lovely" at 0:59 - it translates to "why the hell did I sign up for this ! Again !!!"
Remember. The overwhelming majority of our fellow cyclists in the world ride bikes like this.
So no sneering.
The Beetle/2CVs of the cycling world.
What's crazy is that 50 euro bike is my goal right now coz I have a single gear cycle and I would really love even if I have that 50 euro bike
Yeah gotta hand it to Ollie and Manon for pointing that out at the end. It was a workhorse, it did the job, it's a beauty to someone.
It looks like the perfectly good bike for commuting / errands / riding to the pub, and not having to worry too much about it getting nicked
I love those GCN Top-so-called-Gear challenges. Plus Ollie and Manon are a great presenter duo.
The way Manon said "Ooh lovely" I think she wanted to push Ollie and his gears down the mountain
Another eye-popping effort, for sure. Even though I couldn't find any 27% segments on the climb (steepest are 19-22%), these courageous presenters certainly deserve our respect for taking on the challenge (especially with leaves on the road in places).
From start line (836m) to finish line (1107m) it's a 271m climb (889 ft.) over a distance of 1680m (1.044 mi or 5510 ft.), for an average grade just over 16%. But there is another 14m climb above the finish line, at a 20% grade, which they did not include.
The point where Manon stalled on the bike, was only ~28m of climbing from the top, so she did manage to pedal nearly 90% of the climb on the old touring bike. One of the difficulties of this old road is that the grade varies randomly and you can't get into a steady rhythm.
At the top, the road intersects with Via del Tivano (SP44), where there is a restaurant and an astronomical observatory, and plenty of parking for those motorists who want to take in the view. But the video omitted those signs of civilization, to give the setting a rural feel.
Ahah you took inspiration from Alan's climb! His attempt with the graziella was epic 😁
I like you both and GCN a lot more after watching this video! Well done!
RIP to Ollie and the fist bump that never was
So much anticipation, so much potential, and so much heartbreak.
Now do it again with the dynamo headlight engaged!
GCN always making bangers. love these silly vids
You two are my most favourite. Always take care!
"These handlebars are good.....for this." LOL
I have to agree. My bike with risers is great for putting my head down on when I push too hard and want to puke.
@@Dakota_B_ it really works for that.
I tried moustache bars on a cat 4 climb on a bike with an out-of-adjustment hanger. The sheer uprightness was terrible
You both nailed it. Well done. I never saw Manon helping you out. Ollie ;) Also Manon, them weaves were fire haha.
You guys are the top gear of bikes, loving your videos!!
Just about to say the same, Ollie reminded me when Jeremy Clarkson presents a car, only with bikes. "It´s Manon´s turn to ride.... the Cortina Extreme".
love Manon's face of disgust at 3:31 xD . You are tremendous, great video
The look on Manon face when Ollie said "it's a absolute tank!" 😂
Hilarious - the juxtaposition between Ollie in all the coordinating GCN/Castelli kit perched on top of a too small pink girls bike was most entertaining! Thought Manon was about to push the bike off the side of the mountain 'Italian job' style at the end!
Love that Manon left Ollie hanging twice, he tried his best to style it out as well!!!!!!
You guys are crazy! My heart rate rises just watching this.
No matter how fancy the bike you still have to pedal it
Manon's expressions are priceless. Ride to the level of your smile.
0:08 Ollie had a false start hahahahahah
This inspires me to keep on trying to overcome the steep climb I recently encountered. You guys are amazing!
I usually pass in front of the Sormano with my Tarmac SL6 and just say “naa, not today”. The Sormano is not something useful, it’s just pain. BUT NOW THANKS TO GCN I HAVE TO TRY IT ON MY CITYBIKE THANK YOU VERY MUCH -.-“
End of the day the engine that propels forward is the human body, fancy bike may give you slight advantage compared to a really cheap bike, and most of us are fortunate enough to spend money that is outrageous on bikes/kits/shoes etc. This video proves that if someone is willing to explore outdoors, even fifty bucks will bring you a big smile on his/her face. Thanks GCN for such a video!!
Manon wins. She used more energy her first run with harder gearing and then she helped push him up the hill a bit. So yeah she's the true winner here!
Wrong... he never asked for assistance and it was sexual harassment when she touched his backside without consent. she should be fired.
Wrong... It's the same amount of energy she would have used on a smaller gear. That's basic physics, energy can be calculated by "how hard" and "how fast" you push. One thing that comes into play when comparing them: Manon is considerably lighter than Ollie but the bike has the same weight for both of them. So if they have the same power to weight ratio Manon has a lower total power output and that makes the bike weight affect her a lot more than Ollie because she adds with that bike percentage wise more weight to her total system than him.
@@michaels5035 Can't deny the fact that smaller gear remains always easier
always love the videos... One thing that i would love to see is cycling around the area, highlighting the bike and the history of cycling from the area and longer videos!!!! Love watching GCN!!!!!
Surely you could’ve rolled Lasty out for this one.
You people are utterly crazy. For someone who struggled to ride up a 20% climb (on a dry road without leaves), I simply cannot understand how you do it. Sure, you are (ex-)Pros, but still, this is amazing. Quite frustrating, but amazing anyway. Thanks for the brilliant videos and best of luck to all of you!
I live for Ollie saying "thombs-op" in his accent.
GREAT FUN!!! (watching).........Well Done Both. Steel bikes still obviously rule!
Cortina Extreme - the perfect training bike! Train heavy, race light. 😉
Ollie when he went up with the Cortina Extrema, poor thing! We just needed to get our lungs out !!😂😂😂😂😂😂
Greetings from Niterói, Brazil !!
Loved it ! Now to be fair, no-one gave Manon a big push on the steepest part, right ? So... ;-)
My two fav GCN presenters. The new dynamic duo!
I always like the thought of super steep climbs in the peak district etc.
Then I get 50 miles in, half way up a 20% pitch and instantly regret my optimism.
One of the best videos...well done Manon & Ollie
She blinds everybody with her super high speed,
She's a squirrel crushing, deer smacking, biking machine!
Canyonero!-oh woah, Canyonero!
Enjoyed? I felt your pain through the screen. On the plus side; you two might be the only people in the world to have attempted this on such a machine. Thank you for another great video!
Damn 😳 Ollie is a tank I never realized how strong he is
This is why I love this channel, a celebration on what a cheap bike can do!
"riding up this hill". A flipping huge mountain I think u mean
You guys are so great! i very like the way You do this kind of videos. It was big challeng :D
My legs caught fire watching it nevermind doing it!!
Paradise of such glamorous climbs... Viva la Italia!
It's a painfull, silly challenge with a lot of suffering.... where is Hank? 😂
Needs the Brick, Matt and then Emma flying past them.
We love you guys!! Thanks for the constant flow of amazing content! Saludos de México!!
New monthly segment: the cortina extreme challenge
Epic!! That was one of the most entertaining videos i've seen for a while. You should keep the €50 bike as a trainer. Make the posh bikes feel real easy to ride after a few miles on the cheap one.
“By the way this weighs 16 kg!”
That is my main road bike weight and I have no problems passing $5000 bikes on it. It’s setup for a 45 x 7 drivetrain due to the wind around here but can climb easily on it.
I’ve past a lot of $5000 bikes on bikeshare bikes when they are parked on the side of the road.
@@andyhaochizhang Nice, I don’t do “driveby’s” of those bikes I fly-by them. Sucks for me in lower part of Southern Ontario with these crazy winds down here. 90% of those bikes are always cross-chaining here, so I am on a single 47X7 ( old school 7 speed freewheel) so wind now is less of an issue and I am not cross chaining anymore. My Carbon bike actually get less usage than this $250 road bike, as it’s too light and too easy to ride ( 8 kg).
Brilliant Manons face through all of the introduction is a picture.....worried and scared not lol
Maranga´s Graziela!
Brilliant!! Well done guys...What a climb!!!
Should have sang “Hime, Hime...” i hear it really helps up the climb.
Suki... suki... suki, suki daisuki
HIMEEEEE
Right bike for it 😂
kira kira rin
ookiku naare mahou kakete mo
hime wa hime na no hime na no da
hime!! RABU hime FAITO
Himeee, I got a ebike because my commute goes through the rockies and I'm not at that level yet, but I always sing that when Im running out of energy and have to flip the switch and start spinning the pedal assist
Having a climb like that on lockdown must be a blessing!
16 kilos that’s Ollie’s weight lifting done for this year
Thank you guys for doing this most ridiculous challenge! Absolutely great fun - look forward to the next daffy cycling feat.
i hate when people who have expensive bike laugh at others bike
well, it might be a sily experiment but you made me smile and that deserves a like .
Thank you guys, see you one the next one.
even after living in Europe for donkeys years , percentages on gradients still never make me as terrified as the good old 1 in 4 etc ... The legs don’t feel the pain so much as the brain trying to do the math
Glad to see I’m not the only one that thinks like this!!! ;)
That is absolutely hilarious to watch. Great entertainment! If I could give it multiple thumbs up I would.
"Hime hime, suki suki daisuki 🎶~" You need to yell the song to finish such climb
EYYYYY! HIME HIMEEEE!
Yowamushi pedalllll :DD Onodaaa
They needed to spin a higher cadence.
HIME HIME SUKi SUKI DAISUKI.. i kid you not.. during one of a tough climb i was actually whispering this song and made it through
hahahahaha looking for this comment when I saw that bike going up the climb
ONG, I really enjoyed this video! Thanks to both of you.
Next video needs to be "How fast can we get this cheap bike?" Give it a good clean, and service. Air up the tires all the way, and take off all the unnecessary stuff (Racks, etc.) and run the test again.
Also ride the cheap bike first on fresh legs...
That's the type of video why I subscribed to this channel
Oh boy.
I lived in Turin for 3 years and the flea market had stolen bikes for that kinda price.
What exactly is that "place"? 😅
Back in the day when I was a lad all those gears on a bike would have been a luxury. I remember how envious I was of my brothers Sturmey archer 4 speed Raleigh explorer!
rip oli 6:30
Love the videos these two make together. Great pairing
"Don't let the beautiful surroundings fool you" It seems to me that beautiful surroundings = steep climbs. Feel free to voice your own opinion but yeah, my opinion
I live in this region, and I can confirm beautiful surroundings often mean steep climbs here! It's so satisfying to get up top though
You've clearly never been to Jenkin Road in Sheffield! haha
@@GCNuser123 fair enough there are some beautiful flat places