Balham Hill

DonDaddyD

It has to be my favourite climb on my route!

It's short and not really sharp enough to hurt but steep enough to catch you out if you don't up the pedal ante. Why? From Balham the road is relatively downhill leading towards it. There are always a bunch of cyclists coasting when they hit the hill, get caught out and find themselves wanting when they cycle up it.

It makes for a brilliant dropping ground. If only the lights at Clapham South weren't permanently red you could drop (usually someone holding you up on the way to the Hill) a person on Balham Hill and make it stick.

Anyway, as hills goes it's not much, but it's a wonderful piece of technical road (in that you have to be ready for it) that is often overlooked due to the other more epic London climbs.

So I figured I'd finally make a thread for this unsung commuter wonder.

Share your love or hatred for Balham hill!

asprilla

Kinda like 'the dip' at Ham Cross.

Last night I waited for a couple of guys coming down from Sawyers Hill before as I was coming from Pen ponds and turning left. I was stationary, they were moving. They free wheeled into the dip and I attacked it and was past them before the top and moving away.

It's just one of those hills where putting the working at the bottom pays dividends.

rjsterry

Col du Lavender Hill - the Latchmere Road approach. A little dip and switchback under the railway, flat straight, under the railway again, and WHUMP, straight into a short 14% climb. Tough after giving it full beans down the Embankment, but needs to be attacked to avoid grinding up.

Balham 'Hill' doesn't really merit the name, but it is very easy to gain scalps there.

Cafewanda

I hated Balham Hill the first few times I used it as I'd believed that "London is flat" nonsense.
:shock:

You're right. It can catch you out and I always manage to meet someone who's unprepared

bigmat

Asprilla wrote:

Kinda like 'the dip' at Ham Cross.

Last night I waited for a couple of guys coming down from Sawyers Hill before as I was coming from Pen ponds and turning left. I was stationary, they were moving. They free wheeled into the dip and I attacked it and was past them before the top and moving away.

It's just one of those hills where putting the working at the bottom pays dividends.

Same as the dip before the top of Broomfield (riding anti-clockwise), I always wait until a couple of trees before the dip then do a full on sprint down and up the other side, before getting to th etop of the big downhill - great place to attack!

As for Balham Hill, not sure it could be descrined as "technical", being a long straight road that isn't at all steep! Good place to show a bit of strength on the early morning commute though. My current equivalent is Crystal Palace Park Road which I hit pretty much cold on the way in to work - that can really hurt!

Cafewanda

I bow down (wheeze) before any road in the Crystal Palace area, whether running or on the bike

ketsbaia

BigMat wrote:

My current equivalent is Crystal Palace Park Road which I hit pretty much cold on the way in to work - that can really hurt!

Big ring climb all the way, that one. Usually my last ascent after my north Kent jaunts and only once have I had to drop into the small chain ring. I like it.

DonDaddyD

Yeah, I don't ride around Crystal Palace. I don't see it as fun.

bigmat

ketsbaia wrote:

BigMat wrote:

My current equivalent is Crystal Palace Park Road which I hit pretty much cold on the way in to work - that can really hurt!

Big ring climb all the way, that one. Usually my last ascent after my north Kent jaunts and only once have I had to drop into the small chain ring. I like it.

For a London hill, it goes on and on and on... Ramps up a bit as you pass Sydenham Avenue. Agreed, shifting to the 34 is definitely an admission of weakness on that one (has been known though!) I'm also currently thinking that College Road / Fountain Drive is a big ring climb (if you can call a 50 a big ring ), especially with a decent tailwind.

ketsbaia

Oh, definitely. Did my 2.58 entirely in the 'big' ring.

mr_ribble

Col de la Marie Chutney..... nuff said

_Brun_

As far as I can work out, the road that goes by the name 'Balham Hill' climbs about 30' with a maximum gradient of 2%. Am I missing something?

Bassjunkieuk

_Brun_ wrote:

As far as I can work out, the road that goes by the name 'Balham Hill' climbs about 30' with a maximum gradient of 2%. Am I missing something?

+1 He's already admitted he doesn't like Crystal Palace so clearly not a fan of proper hills. If I'm correct and your referring to the one heading towards Clapham South then it can be useful for overtaking the majority of other riders, especially as you have the whole bus lane to use! Once did 26 up there chasing another whippet-esque rider :-)

Flyingbogey

I Love Balham Hill. I always blast up it as there are usually ladies admiring the cyclists from outside the bars at the top. Drafting a bus up there is my ultimate commuting pleasure.

DonDaddyD

Bass wrote:

+1 He's already admitted he doesn't like Crystal Palace so clearly not a fan of proper hills. If I'm correct and your referring to the one heading towards Clapham South then it can be useful for overtaking the majority of other riders, especially as you have the whole bus lane to use! Once did 26 up there chasing another whippet-esque rider Smile

Right I had something for this kind of post!

Where is it!

I know I left it here somewhere!

Blasted thing!

Where are you!

I bet (soon to be) Mrs DDD played around with it!

Is that it?

Nope!

Ah ha!

Here you are?

OK here goes:

TheStone

I'm still confused where Balham Hill is? Is it Bedford Hill?

Bassjunkieuk

TheStone wrote:

I'm still confused where Balham Hill is? Is it Bedford Hill?

No no no, I believe the "Hill" that D3 is referring to is this one.

By comparison Bedford Hill is an alpine pass......

BTW DDD, that response was very good :-) But if you will go around starting hilarious threads people are going to take the pi$$ a bit ;-)

il_principe

_Brun_ wrote:

As far as I can work out, the road that goes by the name 'Balham Hill' climbs about 30' with a maximum gradient of 2%. Am I missing something?

Perhaps its, erm, 'technicality?'

chadders81

Call that a hill? Seriously?

I live overlooking it (and have the sirens all night) but rarely cycling the length down and back up.

I see some people going painfully slowly but it's not much of an incline really.

DonDaddyD

Chadders81 wrote:

I see some people going painfully slowly but it's not much of an incline really.

That's the beauty of it, it catches many people out.

Bassjunkieuk

DonDaddyD wrote:

Chadders81 wrote:

I see some people going painfully slowly but it's not much of an incline really.

That's the beauty of it, it catches many people out.

I've just checked my footage for this one yesterday. Took me all of about 35 seconds to get up - that's from the traffic lights just before the bus lane to just past the petrol station. I was by no means trying either as I didn't have anyone else near me at the time.

Applespider

I haven't done CS7 that often but I'm struggling to remember any hills on it.

Then again... I live near Crystal Palace although I do have to use my middle ring to get up any of the approaches without standing.

notsoblue

Is this a bit like Holland Park Avenue "Hill"?

sketchley

Balham Hill was were I snapped my bike frame......

To be fair it's little more than a bump. 20mph+ all the way up.

PinkPedal

DDD I do enjoy your neverending enthusiam for your CS7 commute

rjsterry

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

Chadders81 wrote:

I see some people going painfully slowly but it's not much of an incline really.

That's the beauty of it, it catches many people out.

I've just checked my footage for this one yesterday. Took me all of about 35 seconds to get up - that's from the traffic lights just before the bus lane to just past the petrol station. I was by no means trying either as I didn't have anyone else near me at the time.

In a big gear, I reckon it's less than a dozen pedal revs from end to end.

gaz545

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

_Brun_ wrote:

As far as I can work out, the road that goes by the name 'Balham Hill' climbs about 30' with a maximum gradient of 2%. Am I missing something?

+1 He's already admitted he doesn't like Crystal Palace so clearly not a fan of proper hills. If I'm correct and your referring to the one heading towards Clapham South then it can be useful for overtaking the majority of other riders, especially as you have the whole bus lane to use! Once did 26 up there chasing another whippet-esque rider :-)

26? MTFU i've done over 30 up that having some SCR with motorcyclist, they don't expect you to be overtaking them :P

Bassjunkieuk

rjsterry wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

Chadders81 wrote:

I see some people going painfully slowly but it's not much of an incline really.

That's the beauty of it, it catches many people out.

I've just checked my footage for this one yesterday. Took me all of about 35 seconds to get up - that's from the traffic lights just before the bus lane to just past the petrol station. I was by no means trying either as I didn't have anyone else near me at the time.

In a big gear, I reckon it's less than a dozen pedal revs from end to end.

Counted this morning (yes I was bored.....) 32 revs in a 91" gear from the point where I cross the white line at ped crossing lights at the bottom to bus stop near the "peak".

@Gaz545 - Nice work! However knowing that now if it dry tomorrow I now have a nice target ;-)

DonDaddyD

I never said it was hard to climb I said it was brilliant when it catches people out and they make it look harder than it actually is. While you, who own your pedals, roar to the summit without need of a second breath.

Bassjunkieuk

DonDaddyD wrote:

I never said it was hard to climb I said it was brilliant when it catches people out and they make it look harder than it actually is. While you, who own your pedals, roar to the summit without need of a second breath.

Come on, your better then this! Yes it is rather satisfying overtaking riders who are out of the saddle yanking the bike around whilst you are seated :-) Since I've only done the full CS7 stretch from before Waitose a few times I'm sure there are better incline sections then this that you'd have to deal with each day.

If anything it's the incline coming the opposite way from Stockwell that runs from the traffic lights at the T-junction to Clapham North that can be more fun. It's not quite as steep but is longer. Had a good race up there with another rider a while back and even exchanged a bit of an acknowledgement/smile at the lights :-)

rick_chasey

DonDaddyD wrote:

It has to be my favourite climb on my route!

It's short and not really sharp enough to hurtt

You're not going fast enough if it doesn't hurt.