Longest hill in Cornwall?

Cornish-J

Does anyone know where the longest stretch of pure uphill is in cornwall? Dartmoor perhaps?

If you could provide me with a googlemaps route or something that would be great!

glauciaregina9

Cornwall has hills ????!!!


Sorry, coming from 'oop Norf', where there are proper hills and mountains and stuff, Cornwall feels as lumpy as a bowling green...

Anonymous

glauciaregina9 wrote:

Cornwall has hills ????!!!


Sorry, coming from 'oop Norf', where there are proper hills and mountains and stuff, Cornwall feels as lumpy as a bowling green...

I find cornwall harder going than the peak district!! Have you ever ridden one of the coastal roads?! :shock: Constant steep up and down. You don't even get to descend fast because the roads are narrow and winding...

rjh299

Can't think of any particulary long hills, it's the gradient that makes them hard going.
Plus I can't class Dartmoor as Cornwall. Beyond the Tamar!

Pross

Probably be one of the climbs over Bodmin Moor between the A30 and A38. Not hugely long but there's some of about a mile with steep gradients as well.

waterford123

Where in Cornwall are you?

If you're north Cornwall try the climb from New Bridge to Callington or all around the back lanes going towards places like St Mellion. Or head from Callington to Tavistock going through Gunnislake, some hard drags around there.

If you're South Cornwall there's the climb up to four lanes from Redruth or getting out of some of the sleepy villages as Dynamite says around the coasts are quite hard.

If you let me know where you are I can try to help you out.

Cornish-J

Thanks for the help waterford123 - I'm kind of in the middle (lostwithiel).

I'm really trying to use this as training for a possible holiday to the alps (or somewhere similar) so i'm after long continuous hills rather than short and steep.

waterford123

You'll be fine around Lostwithial.You can't get out of the place without going up a long drag. I have to say the majority of hills are short and steep brutes but there are a few long uns around you. Now if memory serves me right there is a climb near you on the way towards Liskeard that featured as King of the Mountains points when the Kellogs tour of Britain started at Lands End to Plymouth many years ago (Joey McCloughlin rode it that's how long ago it was) but I'm not sure where it exactly. Find an old Cornish local when you get there and they'll say "oh you mean ? me ansome" and point you in the right direction.

freehub

NapoleonD wrote:

glauciaregina9 wrote:

Cornwall has hills ????!!!


Sorry, coming from 'oop Norf', where there are proper hills and mountains and stuff, Cornwall feels as lumpy as a bowling green...

I find cornwall harder going than the peak district!! Have you ever ridden one of the coastal roads?! :shock: Constant steep up and down. You don't even get to descend fast because the roads are narrow and winding...

Harder going than the peaks? Do you avoid all the steep hills?

bexley5200

in cornwall you are going up hill or downhill not much flats

andy162

Stayed in Sennen Cove last month. Persuaded Mrs Andy that taking the bike would be a great idea...went out with Penzance Wheelers on the Sunday & they took me up a few decent lumps. One was their hill climb course that was near Hayle...not overly steep but a longish climb.

Best ride was a solo from Sennen to St Ives & back, blue skies & blue seas all day. A great few hours.Some decent climbs nr Pendeen & Zennor. Dropped down the hill in Sennen straight into "The Old Sucess" for a cold Rattler cyder.

Got 200 miles in over the week & I reckon it's great cycling territory. It really is either up or down. The climbs are usually short but appear very, very frequently. I would disagree with NapD tho, Peaks ( in my humble etc..) is tougher...no Winnats, Holme Moss, Monsal etc in Cornwall but still is a fantastic place to rack up quality mileage.

Sennen Cove btw has a super steep 1/2 mile climb out of it, just the job to start the day! Sennen to Mousehole (Via B3315) is magical...

SteveR_100Milers

its all short sharp short sharp. This time of the year horrible because of the other holiday folk, which to be fair could be you or I. Cornwall is a fantastic part of the world, eriod, I love it even when full of grockles. Just ride the coast roads for a couple of hours, traffic induced adrenalin + those 25% climbs will wreck your legs after 2 hrs

inkyfingers

Cornwall is brutal. Did a week riding there about 3 years ago when I was in good condition but the constant up and down and steep gradients killed me much more than the bigger, longer climbs you get up north and in Scotland.

Monty Dog

Having ridden all over the UK, I'd certainly rate Cornwall as one of the toughest - repeated ascents of 20% plus means that after a few hours, you'll have done way more climbing than any route round the Peak. For example, one of my regular training loops down there is 45km with 1600m of climbing - no higher than 200m but repeatedly drops to sea level and back up again.

milese

The bottom of Gunnislake to the top of St Anne's Chapel is pretty steep and long. 2.8 miles and 666 feet. Just been looking at the climbs on mapmyride, and if you do the same climb to St Anne's Chapel but start in Calstock its 3.2 miles and 732 feet.

All of the North Cornwall coast, as mentioned, is pretty frantic, look up the North Cornwall Tor routes.

For the sake of training, climbing a big hill over 20 minutes, descent in 2 minutes, climb again, has got to be as good a training as you can get here.

tomsmithy

waterford123 wrote:

Where in Cornwall are you?

If you're north Cornwall try the climb from New Bridge to Callington or all around the back lanes going towards places like St Mellion. Or head from Callington to Tavistock going through Gunnislake, some hard drags around there.

If you're South Cornwall there's the climb up to four lanes from Redruth or getting out of some of the sleepy villages as Dynamite says around the coasts are quite hard.

If you let me know where you are I can try to help you out.

Yeh I live in lostwithiel, and do a daily ride out of the town and back. Certainly no shortage of hills once you get off the A30. Around me most of them are up to a mile.

As for the longest, not sure but did a hella from the center of Truro up onto the A30 the other week.

Cornish-J

you a road rider tom? I never see anyone out and about when i'm riding!!

tomsmithy

Cornish-J wrote:

you a road rider tom? I never see anyone out and about when i'm riding!!

Hey, well not just yet. Ordered my first road bike through cycle to work and expecting it mid august.

Going out on the roads with an old Dawes mountain bike at the moment so you might have seen me struggling!

Do you know Scott Tomkinson from Nanstallon? he does alot of road riding and has helped me choose my bike.

Will let you know when I get the roadie and mite see you around!

Tom

Anonymous

freehub wrote:

NapoleonD wrote:

glauciaregina9 wrote:

Cornwall has hills ????!!!


Sorry, coming from 'oop Norf', where there are proper hills and mountains and stuff, Cornwall feels as lumpy as a bowling green...

I find cornwall harder going than the peak district!! Have you ever ridden one of the coastal roads?! :shock: Constant steep up and down. You don't even get to descend fast because the roads are narrow and winding...

Harder going than the peaks? Do you avoid all the steep hills?

Clearly you have never ridden in Cornwall...

The places I have ridden have been relentless STEEP hills...

stonehouse

I'm from Cornwall originally, I used to ride out to Sennon just to tackle the hill, back then on an all steel bike with 5 gears.

There is a lovely loop around the coast via Penzance/St Ives/Zennor/St Just/Penzance about 50 miles. Or do it the other way, up Paul hill (ouch) Logans rock, St Just etc.

There is quite a mixture if you look for it. I'll be down in August for a few days, so will be my first time on a bike there since 1976, thankfully without the original bike!

rjh299

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/34783106
My 50 mile route. Good roads with some steep hills.

As for the longest, not sure but did a hella from the center of Truro up onto the A30 the other week
Which one's that? Up towards Shortlanesend?

Brommers76

Just come back from a holiday in South Cornwall. I climbed some brutes and it was a good job I was on the mountain bike as I would have struggled with the steepness and gravelly/sandy coastal roads on my road bike.

Cornish-J

Thanks for the route rjh299 ^ a guy at work has recommended the coastal roads around gwithian.

I dont know the roads down that way very well at all but I'll have to give that route a try sometime!

rjh299

Cornish-J wrote:

Thanks for the route rjh299 ^ a guy at work has recommended the coastal roads around gwithian.

I dont know the roads down that way very well at all but I'll have to give that route a try sometime!

Nice roads, wind can be a killer though after Portreath towards Gwithian.
I've got 75 and 101 mile route using similar roads if your interested.

Cornish-J

yea i am for sure!

where do you live? do you fancy doing one of your routes anytime? what sort of speed would you average over your 75mile route?

rjh299

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/34405920

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/34153115

I live in Blackwater, just off Chiverton roundabout. Yeah if you wanna go out some time. I someitmes ride with my brother and his mate so there could be a few of us. I work alternate weekends so have to arrange suitable day. I'm off work beginning of August for 2 weeks so free anytime then.
Got to ask, what do you average for 50-75mile? Just making sure I can keep sight of you!

mroli

Riding a JOGLE, Paul Hill out of Penzance is a final killer. But same as what everyone else says. The hills are short, but steep, you get them often and you can't take speed up them as the descents are short, steep and windy. Riding is amazing though. I love it.

da goose

CornishJ why dont you join St Austell wheelers I think they are getting a new website together and the membership has expanded somewhat with allrounders not just the usual time triallers (not my cup of `green `tea either!) so you will get some classy rides in, learn new routes and most importantly remain interested through our horrendous long winters unless you enjoy riding solo in the rain?
I remember talking to a group of continental pro`s a few years ago who rode up most of the North Cornwall coast in their words it was harder than an average mountain stage of the tour!!!!!!!! For sure not 14k climbs etc but as others ahve mentioned (endured) the climbs are hard and short but simply relentless.
Still think you should do circuits up Penpillick!!!!!!
J

d_retallack

the hill on the st austell mevagissey road is about a mile long and a good 10% for the most of it (not ridden it, not my part of cornwall drove up it yesterday much easier lol)

da goose

Yeah thats the B3273 used to be my regular and fine sea views to boot !
If bored (or plain crazy) go through Pentewan village to enjoy the 20-25% gradients back out towards Lobbs shop Porthpean.....The B3273 is minimum 4% and average 8% gradient according to my mavic altimeter...theres also the short cut or slip road towards Gorran Highlanes which is a real brute lung buster.
I run the B3273 these days and that aint easy.............

Cornish-J

thanks for all the great routes guys!