The All-city ZIG ZAG was a bike frame suited for hill climbs?!

July 9, 2022

Perhaps due to Enomoto's diet plan, I've been hearing more and more people say they've been going hill climbing.

The appeal of hill climbing is that you can enjoy it 120% in a short time and over a short distance.

Have you seen the video of the "Can't Go Home Until I Lose 2kg" ride from early July?

We rode three hill climb spots (Gokurakuji-yama, Ogon-yama, Ryuou Park) within 20km of Hiroshima city center to see how much weight we could lose.

View ride data

https://www.strava.com/activities/7395148434

This is a bit more technical, but the road bike I usually ride is cyclocross-based, designed to accommodate wider tires, with a bottom bracket drop of 60mm. Its high center of gravity allows it to be agile during standing sprints and in stop-and-go city traffic.

When I get serious about hill climbing, I start to wish for a lighter ride with slightly narrower tires. Even with narrower tires, I still want to maintain clearance for 700x32C. So, what frame can accommodate both somewhat narrow and somewhat wide tires?

That would be the All City ZIG ZAG.

Tire clearance is 700x28C to 700x35C.

Fenders can be attached to the front and rear, in which case 700x32C tires can be installed. This frame is perfect for people who hill climb on their commute, ride in the rain, or use their bike in a similar way to how I use mine.

The BB drop is 70mm, which is the same geometry as a typical road bike. For all-around riding, including flats and hill climbs, I believe a BB drop of 68mm to 70mm is ideal.

If you're going to two or three hill climb spots in a day and riding a fair amount on flats, the All City ZIG ZAG is just right.

This complete bike is enjoyable as is.

The head tube features a 1-1/8" upper and 1-1/2" lower carbon fork, allowing for precise cornering on long descents after a hill climb. It offers more rigidity than a 1-1/8" upper and lower head tube with a chromoly fork.

While riding bikes with disc brakes front and rear, I sometimes think that rim brake road bikes are also good! However, for descents after hill climbs, disc brakes are superior.

The tires on the complete bike are 700x28C (tubed).

The gearing is 52-36T in the front and 11-32T in the rear. When wider tires are installed, the tire diameter increases, making the gearing feel heavier.

Considering this, 700x30C to 32C would be good for those who are unsure about narrower tires.