Alternative route suggestion - SE London?

FoldingJoe

Guys,

I'm thinking of an alternative route back home from work, as the one I am using at the moment is no good (i.e. as of yet I cannot make it up The Avenue in Greenwich Park :oops: , which I blame on the bike being too highly geared!! )

Can anyone with any experience let me know what the climb would be like if I turned right at Deptford Church Street off Evelyn Street, then a left onto Blackheath Road and along to Shooters Hill?

The Avenue up through Greenwich just wrecks my knees, yet I am OK coming up Lee Road in the morning up to Blackheath!! :?

Cheers,
FJ

kelsen

Dude, are you serious? Normally the phrase is used in jest, but in this case...

MTFU!

How low are your gears that you can't find one to get up there?

FoldingJoe

Yep, thanks for the sound advice!!!

kelsen

Ok, I apologise. Realised I sounded a bit harsh there. I've cycled through Greenwich Park a few times, and I seriously don't think you need to avoid a part of that route just because you don't think you can get up it. Somebody I work with cycles through Greenwich Park and I remember him telling me he had to get off and push the first few times he did it, but he can do the route comfortably now and was very proud the first time he managed it through a combination of the correct gear and improving fitness.

So MTFU, with a huge dose of encouragement!

EKE_38BPM

There is a thread on here where two newbies are discussing a route trying to avoid a 'hill'. I know the area they are talking about well and I had to think long and hard to remember the 'hill' in question. They are quite literally making a mountain out of a mole hill.

Its easy for experienced cyclists to forget that newbies find hills much harder. Maybe newbies don't use their gears properly yet, have poor technique or just haven't developed the strength yet.

FJ, keep trying the hill, you'll get there. You may have to sup long and hard from a bottle of MTFU to do it though.

Pufftmw

Hither Green to Leadenhall?

How come you're going anywhere near Blackheath/Greenwich Park?

I live in Manor Park so arguably closer to Blackheath than yourself & ride to Aldgate but on the way back I go DCS, Broomhill Rd, Loampit Vale & up Lee Hi Rd. Not a lot in the way of hills there and probably a good deal shorter/quicker than going via Greenwich/Blackheath surely?

artaxerxes

Can anyone with any experience let me know what the climb would be like if I turned right at Deptford Church Street off Evelyn Street, then a left onto Blackheath Road and along to Shooters Hill?

That climb is worse than the Avenue, with the added bonus of lots of impatient car/heavy goods traffic.

From Greenwich you could follow the A2211Greenwich S St and then Lewisham Road (small hill there), and then do a left turn at the Lewisham roundabout and go down the A20 Lee High Road.

FoldingJoe

It seems like a mixture of two things;

1. Fitness, which is obviously improving day by day, but I don't seem to be making any headway as I usually make it about half way up, which leads me on to the main reason

2. My knees - and this probably comes back to E.K.E's point regarding technique and gearing. My comment on the bikes gearing was somewhat tongue in cheek, as I know the bike certainly has a low enough gear for me to getup there; heck, even a guy on a fixie in front of me the other night got up it no problems, so it's not the gearing. As I mentioned, about half way up my knees are quite painful, so I'm guessing my technique and\or riding position is all wrong.

Your both right though, I shouldn't avoid it because I don't think I can get up it, I will some day, but was hoping for something different for the meantime just to get the fitness levels up slightly.

Cheers for all the input. I need to give myself a good talking to. :twisted:
FJ

deptfordmarmoset

The gentlest climb from Greenwich up to the heath is up Hyde Vale - which leads off Royal Hill - though it means a slightly longer route. A lot of cyclists use Blackheath Hill but it's very busy - I prefer cycling another 200 metres in peace and quiet to get up there.

FoldingJoe

Thanks DM, I'll give that one a try.

deptfordmarmoset

Pufftmw wrote:

Hither Green to Leadenhall?

How come you're going anywhere near Blackheath/Greenwich Park?

I live in Manor Park so arguably closer to Blackheath than yourself & ride to Aldgate but on the way back I go DCS, Broomhill Rd, Loampit Vale & up Lee Hi Rd. Not a lot in the way of hills there and probably a good deal shorter/quicker than going via Greenwich/Blackheath surely?

Is that Deptford Church Street -> Brookmill Road?

alfablue

I don't know if this Transport Direct Cycle Route Planner may be useful for you. I use it in Bristol and if set to find the "quietest" route it will attempt to avoid the worst hills. Generally speaking the routes it gives me are very good, fairly direct but on nice roads and any paths that are appropriate for bikes.

For longer routes I download the route as a gpx file for my Garmin and follow that. Since using it I have made some amazing route discoveries that I never would have known about and it has made commuting and other city riding much more pleasant.

Pufftmw

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

Pufftmw wrote:

Hither Green to Leadenhall?

How come you're going anywhere near Blackheath/Greenwich Park?

I live in Manor Park so arguably closer to Blackheath than yourself & ride to Aldgate but on the way back I go DCS, Broomhill Rd, Loampit Vale & up Lee Hi Rd. Not a lot in the way of hills there and probably a good deal shorter/quicker than going via Greenwich/Blackheath surely?

Is that Deptford Church Street -> Brookmill Road?

:oops: Yes, I meant that - Broomhill Road is in SW18 & I doubt many people here cycle down that!

Paul E

I just use blackheath hill and use it as a fitness guage.

pianoleo

I've always used Crooms Hill myself - no idea how it compares to the others but it does only feel like about two minutes of misery. The only time I fancy Blackheath Hill is in rush hour when the traffic's moving slower than I am!

Paul E

I like blackheath hill, especially when my fitness is on top form and I start to shift up where it starts to flatten out before the heath appears

Gazzaputt

I'd go the A2 route out of town and then up through Lewisham High St to Hither Green.

Cafewanda

FJ, is your bike setup right for your legs? I'm just speculating that raising the seatpost a mm or two might help the legs.

Stick with the hill, you'll get up it one day. No shame in walking the first couple of times and I say that as one who hates them with a passion when running!

FoldingJoe

Cafewanda wrote:

FJ, is your bike setup right for your legs? I'm just speculating that raising the seatpost a mm or two might help the legs.

Stick with the hill, you'll get up it one day. No shame in walking the first couple of times and I say that as one who hates them with a passion when running!

I'll try the seatpost - although I think it is as high as it needs to be (can just about touch the floor with tip toes when sat on it), but maybe can squeeze a few more mill's out of it. I do seem to have short legs\long torso affliction.

Funny, when running I love hills.

bails87

Reaching the floor has nothing to do with saddle height.

You should be off the saddle if you're putting your feet down.

A rough guide to saddle height is, with your heel on the pedal and the pedal at the lowest position, your leg should be dead straight. That way, when you put your foot on the pedal 'properly', around the ball of your foot, there will be a slight bend in your knee.

Lots of people seem to have their saddles too low, this makes pedalling harder.

FoldingJoe

Yes, you're right, sorry, I have done this measurement as well and it seems like it is as it should be.

One of the possible issues I may have is the fact that I am wearing Specialized cycling shoes (Primo) but using flat pedals, so my feet do move about a lot on the pedals and I am having to constantly adjust them.

Just ordered a set of M520 pedals and some cleats to go on the bike, so maybe that will help.

FoldingJoe

Yes, you're right, sorry, I have done this measurement as well and it seems like it is as it should be.

One of the possible issues I may have is the fact that I am wearing Specialized cycling shoes (Primo) but using flat pedals, so my feet do move about a lot on the pedals and I am having to constantly adjust them.

Just ordered a set of M520 pedals and some cleats to go on the bike, so maybe that will help.

EKE_38BPM

Prepare to fall off.
I was out with aripallaris on Friday for his first ride on M520s and he had a clipless moment but luckily I was there to save his blushes by catching him before he hit the deck.

alfablue

Maybe you won't fall off. Not entirely inevitable

Tips for clipless newbie:

Set pedal tension to minimum

Always unclip left foot and put left foot down - it soon becomes a habit if you always do it the same side. Also, unclip ready before you get to stop. Try self-talk "unclip left, lean left" when you are new.

Most clipless moments are about unclipping one side and leaning the other way, so to me unclipping left and leaning makes most sense (leaning away from traffic).

Other foot stays clipped in and ready to push off again.

Cafewanda

Having lost two toeclips on the roads in under a week, I can only assume the SPD gods have decided I'm ready for the M520s :roll:

alfablue

Cafewanda wrote:

Having lost two toeclips on the roads in under a week, I can only assume the SPD gods have decided I'm ready for the M520s :roll:

They are much easier, and nicer to ride with! I have toeclips on my "pub" bike, so I have a regular reminder of the toe clip experience.