Got up Hollingbourne hill today!

pipipi

Just a personal challenge that I'd set myself to do by the end of summer.No world record time, just interested in getting all the way up. And I did!

Felt so good I even mangaed to get up Boxley Hill on the way back as well

nickyhoward55

Well done! Its always nice to get over that obstacle you wanted. I love getting to the top of a big climb feeling totally knackered but great at the same time.

sloppyschleckonds

Next target is to get to the top of a big climb and then start sprinting away

pipipi

Thanks guys.

Don't think I'll be sprinting away any time soon.Maybe if I just turned round and went back down it?

But still feels great! Certainly a physical challenge, but also conquered some mental demons that didn't think I'd make it. Very satisfying.

Duffer65

Well done! I failed on hill on Sunday and had to give up -very p*ssed off with myself. But I'm going to get that b*stard next time!

cryocon

pipipi wrote:

Just a personal challenge that I'd set myself to do by the end of summer.No world record time, just interested in getting all the way up. And I did!

Felt so good I even mangaed to get up Boxley Hill on the way back as well

I've tried Hollingbourne Hill a couple of times, but have failed. Do you have a triple or compact?

Gazzaputt

Was gutted to loose my KOM on Strava.com on Hollingbourne :twisted:

Must go back and try harder.

Chapeau for getting up there it is a steep brute. Was you cycling the Sidcup Cycles Whitstable ride?

pipipi

I think you still have the KOM for Hollingbourne, mine was just a completion, not a time trial!

I didn't do the Sidcup/Whitstable ride. On the way back I saw plenty of riders going East along Pilgrims way. I wondered what they were up to. A great day to head to Whitstable.

Just my own route along a bit of Pilgrims Way, up at hollingbourne and then a loop along the top before back down to Pilgrims and along to (and up) Boxley. I have been wanting to improve on hills, and it seems like the best advice is to keep practicing them. So this is a 2 hour 20ish mile route that goes up the Downs twice.


But Hollingbourne was awful. The start was fine, bit of an incline but fine. Then it started getting steeper and steeper. I was surprised it was that steep for that long. Boxley Hill is steep but much shorter.

The bike is a compact. I wondered about a triple living so close to the Downs, but the LBS were confident I'd be okay with a compact. Not sure what the actual numbers are!

pipipi

And I'm sure you'll get up next time duffer!

Ringo 68

Congrats on beating the hill. It must have felt nice at the top.

I have just got up a hill today that had me on my last gear of my Apex set, and that is like a mountain bike gear. If it had gone on for another 50 yrds I had no gears left and would have just fallen over.

I chucked the bike onto the grass at the top and tried not to throw up.

Gazzaputt

http://app.strava.com/segments/481347

BobScarle

Well done on getting to the top. I don't know this hill but it doesn't matter whether any climb is steep, long or both, if it is a challege to you then conquering it feels great. I remember having to walk a hill in Clent a few years ago and vowing to myself to go back a ride up. The feeling of acheiving your goal is something difficult to descibe.

Bob

pipipi

Will have a look at Strava.

I currently use runkeeper (set to cycle) on my iPhone. Because it's the only one I use it's the only one I'm used to. Certainly good fun looking at the height bit after the Downs.

Is Strava a massive improvement? Or rather similar? I have a bike computer so I can instantly see what I'm doing but it's nice to send the results onto facebook where a few friends can see I've done the ride.

Might look for an iPhone clamp for the handlebar. It currently goes in the backpocket.

CubeMark

I also went up Hollingbourne hill yesterday but didn't quite make it, i had to walk the last section when I rounded a corner and realised there was more to go! I got back on the bike before the summit though, and made great speed through Bredgar and Tunstall to Sittingbourne.

I did overtake a couple of guys with road bikes who were walking up Hollingbourne hill. Now that was a good feeling.

Next time I plan to cycle the whole way and stop at Ringlestone Inn for refreshments if I make it

danlikesbikes

pipipi wrote:

Just a personal challenge that I'd set myself to do by the end of summer.No world record time, just interested in getting all the way up. And I did!

Felt so good I even mangaed to get up Boxley Hill on the way back as well

Well done mate I know the feeling as setting that target and finally beating it is one of the best things. Good luck with the next challenge!

Duffer65

pipipi wrote:

And I'm sure you'll get up next time duffer!

Cheers! I'm going to keep trying until I do it...or until my knee caps pop off!

Matt the Tester

this hills sounds interesting! where abouts is it?

Simontheintrepid

Well done mate - once you start getting up hills like Hollingbourne then it stops becoming a case of 'if you get up' and starts becoming 'how fast you get up' with most of the hills around here. I got up it for the first time in March and then It was a big achievement that had been hanging over me for several months. But once I did it, I've never failed to get up it since - there was definitely a psychological element there I think. In fact with a lot of riding over the summer since then I'd say it's now 'comfortable' for me, which when I think about it, makes me smile a lot.

Pilgrim's Way is great for hillclimb practice. There are four climbs between Castle Hill (starts just before the Black Horse in Thurnham) and Hollingbourne up that particular Down. Occasionally I go along Pilgrim's way and trundle up and down them all for practice - it's definitely done some good!

Now I see you're based in Rochester. When I started cycling, two hills disturbed me around here. Hollingbourne and Lockyers Hill near Luddesdown:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ll=51.352206,0.395744&spn=0.007277,0.021136&t=m&z=16&vpsrc=6

Give it a go, its very short but at points it reaches 25% and is a bit of a biatch. Getting up that one (I was nowhere near on the first attempt) really broke my mental barrier for hills.

blackhands

There's a hill climb time tria up thee on Sunday2 Oct in the mornin- last year's result:

http://cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/Default ... &tabid=109

pipipi

Thanks to everyone and good luck with your own personal challenges.

Hollingbourne Hill is northeast ish of Maidstone in Kent. There is a path,Pilgrims way, along the bottom of the North Downs. There are several ways up and this just happens to be one of them.

Thanks to link about hill climb times. I don't think I could get down that hill in 3 minutes let alone up it! Nice to have an idea of how quickly a pro gets up. Will try and time next time.

Thanks for the Lockyers hill map. I have taken a mtb round that way, but from Cobham then Luddesdown along and then a left up a dirt track. Will have to try straight on next time. I don't know how steep Hollingbourne is , but my training for it involved getting up Boxley Hill a few times and my personal beast, Warren Road which is just behind Bluebell Hill. I should work out how steep that one is!

what brakes

I know Hollingbourne hill very well. Its one of many big hill i use for my training rides (or did before my injury, and will be again once im repaired) Its a bugger of a hill and when you think your just about finished you turn a corner and then you look up and see lots more! lol

Its a great hill for training. Me and a mate love hills, The other you want to try is charing hill and turn up the Wynd, Birling hill near Snodland/Vigo thats steep, Bluebell hill but the side road that runs up next to it. Exdown hill. We iincluded all thease on our training rides. Yes we are mad.

Keep at it and you will get faster and want more and more hills to concour! then try doing 2 big hills on a ride then 3 etc etc.

Keep at it. Dont let the hills ruin your rides. Their there to enjoy.

Chrissz

Good effort!! I took a few of the guys from the club up Hollingbourne on Sunday - two beat me up it (not difficult as I have to drag 15st+ up the bugger!!) and one got off for a stroll 200m before the summit (by the final kick at the old bridge).

Whilst we waited for him we saw a few bods out - one lot doing the Whitstable ride (turned right towards the Ringlestone) and a couple of other guys who turned left at the top. I left the guys there hand enjoyed gravity's bayback - a nice blast down to Sittingbourne