Hill gradiants

Nick6891

im not exactly a pro at cycling, i do alot of it on the road and completed coast to coast across the UK the other month, we went a bit off course so we could go up a hill which had a gradient of 1:3

just wondering how steep that is compared to other hills

trickeyja

1 in 3 (33%) would be a very steep hill; I usually think of steep as being anything greater than 1 in 10 (10%). However locally for me there are several very steep hills up the side of Cleeve Hill which I have got up on my MTB; not yet tried with the road bike, and the steepest is 1 in 4 with Bushcombe Lane.

Was this road by any chance in Cumbria, for example the Hardknott or Wrynose pass? They are two of the steepest roads in Britain. Did you manage to get up without stopping? Kudos to you if you did!!

Nick6891

ye it was hard knot pass and then rhinoes pass straight after, it was one hell of a challenge but i got up it and fried my brakes going down it

daz51

If you got up the hill NIck,

be proud of yourself that it was more than Mark Cavendish would do !!!!!

our brilliant world pro who cant finish races


Well Done Nick

howiejmidlands

Nick

Those are serious hills mate.

I had to walk them both, had a 34/50 on the front, oh and 120kgs to drag up them, and after 65 miles around the lakes on the Lakeland Loop.

Fried brakes, you bet. They are nasty descents that you cannot get any real benefit from, as you have a nasty drop on one side, or a rock face on the other.

Well done for getting up them, big respect to you.

Next year, i will be riding a compact, and no hill will be walked, i promise.

oldwelshman

daz51 wrote:

If you got up the hill NIck,

be proud of yourself that it was more than Mark Cavendish would do !!!!!

our brilliant world pro who cant finish races


Well Done Nick

Learn a bit about pro racing before criticising.
How many pro races has he won?
How many have you won?

Mark Alexander

daz51 wrote:

If you got up the hill NIck,

be proud of yourself that it was more than Mark Cavendish would do !!!!!

our brilliant world pro who cant finish races


Well Done Nick

makes tactical decisions based on the targets of the season to come.

unclemalc

Nick - respect to you Sir... 8)

NO WAY I could do that.... :shock:

Nick6891

pro racers may struggle to get up it but how far have they already covered by the time they get there, i had only done about 25miles when i got to it but ill tell you if any of you want a challenge you should try it, quite an achievement when you get to the top

bigal.

Nick - If you didnt already know there is a Sportive called the Fred Whitton Challenge which takes in Hardknotts and Rhino's after 100 miles of hilly terrain and the final 2 climbs are the ones that you are talking about.

FWC is one of the toughest Sportives and well done to you for climbing them as most people end up walking at some point.

Here's a link to the route profile.
http://www.fredwhittonchallenge.org.uk/images/profile.gif

keef66

There are no Rhinos in the Lakes. It's Wrynose

Cycling up a rhino's pass would be quite dangerous I imagine

pneumatic

keef66 wrote:

There are no Rhinos in the Lakes. It's Wrynose

Cycling up a rhino's pass would be quite dangerous I imagine

I've tried it and failed dismally (Wrynose that is, not the other thing). What gears did you have for it? I overcooked on 34x27 after about a mile and a half and I am determined to go back differently equipped and try again.

Nick6891

i actualy did it on a moutain bike with 27 gears front suspension locked and road tires on, i went up in gear 1 and it was the hardest i have ever had to pedal in such a low gear.

But i am thinking of going back and going up again as it is really good hill climbing practice, after climbing that i had changed my riding style up hills to just taking my time and keeping my legs moving, there isnt really any other way to get up that on a bike

also Wrynose is what i meant never seen it spelt out :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

fast as fupp

daz51 wrote:

If you got up the hill NIck,

be proud of yourself that it was more than Mark Cavendish would do !!!!!

our brilliant world pro who cant finish races


Well Done Nick

bad bell, you lad

bigal.

Dont worry Nick the spell police are always lurking.

No one actually pronounces it as Wrynose. If you actually cycled it then you would care even less how it was spelt.

keef66

I'm not the spell police; it's just that I can never resist the opportunity of a quick smartarse remark.

How do you pronounce it then?

Nick6891

you pronounce it as i spelt it lol

bigal.

Doesnt really matter how it is pronounced the most important thing is that you cycle it without getting off after Hardknotts or vice versa coming the other way. Coming from Glasgow I am sure that my pronounciation would be wrong any way.

Nick6891

haha ye, when i did the ride i got to the top of hard knott pass super tired but happy knowing i would never have to climb a hill as steep as that again, but then we got to wyrose pass and that was just as hard, lukily we stayed in the campsite at the bottom so we didnt have any further to go after we had got over it

incog24

Did the Fred Whitton route on saturday on a 501 raleigh boasting the incredibly practical lowest gear of 42/26. Definately getting a lower ratio before I do that one again! Hardknott was done in 5 sections as I repeatedly ground to a standstill and then fell over clipped in. Managed Wrynose though , might be back for the actual event, such a great route!