My 1st Cat 4 hill today
alihisgreat
Posts: 3,872
I made the decision that i should probably stop avoiding hills when I'm in Oxford.. as I don't have the opportunity to ride any for the other 1/2 of the year when I'm in Cambridgeshire. This meant setting out this morning to ride a Cat 4 hill up to Brill in Buckinghamshire.
Wasn't even that hard.. although i was slow (but not as slow as Strava would have you believe though as a stopped for 10mins to take this piccy at the top - about 50m before the end of the segment!)
Big version: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7279503138_f91493c17b_b.jpg
Definitely worth it for the view... is it odd that I'm starting to enjoy hills?
Wasn't even that hard.. although i was slow (but not as slow as Strava would have you believe though as a stopped for 10mins to take this piccy at the top - about 50m before the end of the segment!)
Big version: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7279503138_f91493c17b_b.jpg
Definitely worth it for the view... is it odd that I'm starting to enjoy hills?
0
Comments
-
Not at all odd, hills are good.0
-
Hills aren't in the way, hills ARE the way lol
Well done, you'll be seeking them out from now on.0 -
ALIHISGREAT wrote:I made the decision that i should probably stop avoiding hills when I'm in Oxford.. as I don't have the opportunity to ride any for the other 1/2 of the year when I'm in Cambridgeshire. This meant setting out this morning to ride a Cat 4 hill up to Brill in Buckinghamshire.
Wasn't even that hard.. although i was slow (but not as slow as Strava would have you believe though as a stopped for 10mins to take this piccy at the top - about 50m before the end of the segment!)
Big version: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7279503138_f91493c17b_b.jpg
Definitely worth it for the view... is it odd that I'm starting to enjoy hills?
I rode up that hill today too. It's quite local to me so I often ride it. There are about 5 roads into brill all up hill, all quite hard but two or them are complete B.A. Stards.
Ps. What is a cat 4 hill?Trek Madone 3.5
Whyte Coniston
1970 Dawes Kingpin0 -
'Borrowed' this from another forum...
Category 4 is the easiest of the rated climbs, Categories 3,2,1 are progressively harder with Hors Categorie (HC, or,above categorization) the hardest.
They are rated on the basis of length and steepness. However there is a fair amount of subjectivity in the ratings, particularly in deciding if something is HC. Where the climb comes in the Stage, road surface and historical significance of the climb can also be factored in.
Thus a climb that would be a Cat 1 climb in the middle of a Stage, may be rated HC if it's a mountain top finish.
Also, the overall profile of the Stage can have an effect. For example, the only hill on a flat stage may get a Cat 4 rating, where a climb of the same length and grade on a mountain stage would not even be rated.
If you look around, you'll find various charts as to grades and lengths for the categories, but I'm not sure there's a definitive one, given the subjective elements.
An HC climb typically would be over 3,000 vertical feet, and above 7% grade. (i.e. L' Alpe de Huez with 3900 vertical, and about 9% average IIRC), On the other end a Cat 4 is going to be several hundred feet over a km or two.my isetta is a 300cc bike0 -
p9uma wrote:I rode up that hill today too. It's quite local to me so I often ride it. There are about 5 roads into brill all up hill, all quite hard but two or them are complete B.A. Stards.
Ps. What is a cat 4 hill?
Climbs are categorised by their difficulty:
http://www.triathlonphil.com/category-climbs-in-cycling-explained/
eg. "Category 4 – the lowest category, climbs of 200-500 feet (70-150m). Length usually less that 2 miles (3km)"
I think I will be going back and tackling the other roads -> I went up the short, steep one today, so will come from the other direction and try one of the longer/less steep ones.0 -
Strava is the new Tour de France0
-
Rode up Dunkery Beacon on Exmoor over easter which according to strava is a cat 2 (making it the first cat 2 climb I've ever attempted), regardless of category if was effing tough, but the superb panoramic views were stunning.0
-
team47b wrote:'Borrowed' this from another forum...
Category 4 is the easiest of the rated climbs, Categories 3,2,1 are progressively harder with Hors Categorie (HC, or,above categorization) the hardest.
They are rated on the basis of length and steepness. However there is a fair amount of subjectivity in the ratings, particularly in deciding if something is HC. Where the climb comes in the Stage, road surface and historical significance of the climb can also be factored in.
Thus a climb that would be a Cat 1 climb in the middle of a Stage, may be rated HC if it's a mountain top finish.
Also, the overall profile of the Stage can have an effect. For example, the only hill on a flat stage may get a Cat 4 rating, where a climb of the same length and grade on a mountain stage would not even be rated.
If you look around, you'll find various charts as to grades and lengths for the categories, but I'm not sure there's a definitive one, given the subjective elements.
An HC climb typically would be over 3,000 vertical feet, and above 7% grade. (i.e. L' Alpe de Huez with 3900 vertical, and about 9% average IIRC), On the other end a Cat 4 is going to be several hundred feet over a km or two.
Thanks for that detailed reply, much apprieciated. So Cat 4 then....no biggy?Trek Madone 3.5
Whyte Coniston
1970 Dawes Kingpin0 -
p9uma wrote:team47b wrote:'Borrowed' this from another forum...
Category 4 is the easiest of the rated climbs, Categories 3,2,1 are progressively harder with Hors Categorie (HC, or,above categorization) the hardest.
They are rated on the basis of length and steepness. However there is a fair amount of subjectivity in the ratings, particularly in deciding if something is HC. Where the climb comes in the Stage, road surface and historical significance of the climb can also be factored in.
Thus a climb that would be a Cat 1 climb in the middle of a Stage, may be rated HC if it's a mountain top finish.
Also, the overall profile of the Stage can have an effect. For example, the only hill on a flat stage may get a Cat 4 rating, where a climb of the same length and grade on a mountain stage would not even be rated.
If you look around, you'll find various charts as to grades and lengths for the categories, but I'm not sure there's a definitive one, given the subjective elements.
An HC climb typically would be over 3,000 vertical feet, and above 7% grade. (i.e. L' Alpe de Huez with 3900 vertical, and about 9% average IIRC), On the other end a Cat 4 is going to be several hundred feet over a km or two.
Thanks for that detailed reply, much apprieciated. So Cat 4 then....no biggy?
Most british Hills would be classified as 4 or 3 with a few cat 2s around in the Lakes/Peaks/Exmoor etc0 -
Congratulations, I assume it was rated as a 4th cat on Strava as there is no official way of rating hills that I'm aware of. A first cat climb on the Tour of Britain would struggle to make 3rd cat on the Tour de France (the information above explains the Tour de France system and even on that the category can change from one year to the next depending on its position in a stage - the Giro only has categories 1 to 3 with no Hors Category equivalent so 20km monsters like the Stelvio are rated as 1st category).
Keep enjoying the hills, along with the wind they are nature's way to make you train hard
0 -
Nickel wrote:Most british Hills would be classified as 4 or 3 with a few cat 2s around in the Lakes/Peaks/Exmoor etc
Other than the Bealach na Ba and possibly Bwlch y Groes (probably too short though) I doubt anything in Britain would get classed as a 2nd cat in the Tour de France. Certainly nothing in Exmoor. British hills are similar to the Ardennes and I don't think there are any 2nd cat hills when the TdF goes there.
From memory Ditchling Beacon was a 4th cat when the TdF went over it despite how it feels to many a London to Brighton charity cyclist!0 -
Pross wrote:Nickel wrote:Most british Hills would be classified as 4 or 3 with a few cat 2s around in the Lakes/Peaks/Exmoor etc
Other than the Bealach na Ba and possibly Bwlch y Groes (probably too short though) I doubt anything in Britain would get classed as a 2nd cat in the Tour de France. Certainly nothing in Exmoor. British hills are similar to the Ardennes and I don't think there are any 2nd cat hills when the TdF goes there.
From memory Ditchling Beacon was a 4th cat when the TdF went over it despite how it feels to many a London to Brighton charity cyclist!
Dunkery Beacon is about 1300ft climbing over 5km, averaging 8% but much steeper in some sections - some way tougher than Ditchling I'd say. Certainly the toughest climb I've done in the UK (including Bwlch and Rhigos on Dragon ride).0 -
bartman100 wrote:Pross wrote:Nickel wrote:Most british Hills would be classified as 4 or 3 with a few cat 2s around in the Lakes/Peaks/Exmoor etc
Other than the Bealach na Ba and possibly Bwlch y Groes (probably too short though) I doubt anything in Britain would get classed as a 2nd cat in the Tour de France. Certainly nothing in Exmoor. British hills are similar to the Ardennes and I don't think there are any 2nd cat hills when the TdF goes there.
From memory Ditchling Beacon was a 4th cat when the TdF went over it despite how it feels to many a London to Brighton charity cyclist!
Dunkery Beacon is about 1300ft climbing over 5km, averaging 8% but much steeper in some sections - some way tougher than Ditchling I'd say. Certainly the toughest climb I've done in the UK (including Bwlch and Rhigos on Dragon ride).
Yup Dunkery's a brute! From the cross roads at Luccombe to the summit you climb 1000ft in 2 miles, regardless of category its the closest I've ever come to putting a put down!0 -
I live at the top of a cat 4 and a a consequence when i cycle home from work have to ride up the bloody thing. not nice at half 4 in the morning some days.The only disability in life is a poor attitude.0
-
Mouth wrote:I live at the top of a cat 4 and a a consequence when i cycle home from work have to ride up the bloody thing. not nice at half 4 in the morning some days.
Not discrediting you there, But Cat 4 in Notts, where? Gedling, Calverton ? not disputing what you say, just genuinely interested as someone who has to suffer the flatlands of the Notts/Lincs borders in Newark, usually have to head for Calvo and Woodboro or into the Vale (de void of) Belvior to find as much as a mole hill.0 -
I am confident that if the TdeF ever took in Wrynose with Hardknott immediately after, that one or the other, or both would get Cat 1.0
-
Hi
Anyone ridden the hill out of Martley in Worcestershire towards Tenbury Wells, or the climb out of the Teme Valley after that or the climb out of Bromyard on the A44. There's another toughie just after Tenbury heading towards Leominster. I'd love to know what the categories are for these as I managed two out of 4 (the climb out of the Teme valley, the B4204, was as steep and longer than Ankerdine Hill and I got half way before I thought my heart was going to give in) without stopping on a 50 miler at the weekend. Yes, going up is good but give me rolling stuff with short kickers as opposed to mammoth grinds.
I should have known the hill was steep when I heard cars changing down.Someone's just passed me again0 -
buzzwold wrote:Hi
Anyone ridden the hill out of Martley in Worcestershire towards Tenbury Wells, or the climb out of the Teme Valley after that or the climb out of Bromyard on the A44. There's another toughie just after Tenbury heading towards Leominster. I'd love to know what the categories are for these as I managed two out of 4 (the climb out of the Teme valley, the B4204, was as steep and longer than Ankerdine Hill and I got half way before I thought my heart was going to give in) without stopping on a 50 miler at the weekend. Yes, going up is good but give me rolling stuff with short kickers as opposed to mammoth grinds.
I should have known the hill was steep when I heard cars changing down.
You can look them up on strava and it will give them a category if they fit the criteria.0 -
ALIHISGREAT wrote:buzzwold wrote:Hi
Anyone ridden the hill out of Martley in Worcestershire towards Tenbury Wells, or the climb out of the Teme Valley after that or the climb out of Bromyard on the A44. There's another toughie just after Tenbury heading towards Leominster. I'd love to know what the categories are for these as I managed two out of 4 (the climb out of the Teme valley, the B4204, was as steep and longer than Ankerdine Hill and I got half way before I thought my heart was going to give in) without stopping on a 50 miler at the weekend. Yes, going up is good but give me rolling stuff with short kickers as opposed to mammoth grinds.
I should have known the hill was steep when I heard cars changing down.
You can look them up on strava and it will give them a category if they fit the criteria.
Ta. I've tried that but I failed the technology test. I'll try again, but otherwise I'll do simple gradient calc.Someone's just passed me again0 -
dodgy wrote:I am confident that if the TdeF ever took in Wrynose with Hardknott immediately after, that one or the other, or both would get Cat 1.
I bet it wouldn't but we'll never get a chance to find out. The 1st cat climbs are almost all Pyrennean or Alpine monsters (the only exceptions I can think of are the Cote de la Croix-Neuve and Ballon D'Alsace). You could argue that Hardknott is as deserving to be a 1st cat as Croix-Neuve 2km at 15% v 3.3km at 9.5% but the Croix-Neuve is a higher climb and is arguably classified too highly when you look at other 1st cats in the Tour. The Ballon is 13km long and finishes at nearly 1200m so isn't really comparable to any British climb. Hardknott may be one of the select few that would make 2nd cat in the UK.
By comparison, the Col de Stockeu was used in 2010 and was a 3rd category climb. At 2.4km and 9.5% I would suggest it is similar to the toughest hills England and Wales have to offer.0 -
-
I was a watching one of the Classics on Eurosport and David Harmon's co-commentator ('scuse my ignorance - Graham somebody, ex-racer and now organises races including ToB - perhaps in the past and not now, I don't know) and he said that the categories assigned in the races he'd organised were based on cat 1 being the hardest for whatever climb was included regardless of how hard it actually is, and then all the others assessed against this. So if the hardest climb was hill x, it would get 1 regardless, and anything easier 2 and 3, and anything equally hard a 1 too, even if there are harder climbs nearby that they didn't go near.
For example the stage through Lancashire on the ToB a few years ago they gave Waddington Fell Cat 1 as I assume that was the hardest on the day, where I wouldn't expect that to be a cat 1 if some of the, much harder, Cumbrian climbs were included in the same stage. Anyway just passing on what I heard him say.0 -
buzzwold wrote:ALIHISGREAT wrote:buzzwold wrote:Hi
Anyone ridden the hill out of Martley in Worcestershire towards Tenbury Wells, or the climb out of the Teme Valley after that or the climb out of Bromyard on the A44. There's another toughie just after Tenbury heading towards Leominster. I'd love to know what the categories are for these as I managed two out of 4 (the climb out of the Teme valley, the B4204, was as steep and longer than Ankerdine Hill and I got half way before I thought my heart was going to give in) without stopping on a 50 miler at the weekend. Yes, going up is good but give me rolling stuff with short kickers as opposed to mammoth grinds.
I should have known the hill was steep when I heard cars changing down.
You can look them up on strava and it will give them a category if they fit the criteria.
Ta. I've tried that but I failed the technology test. I'll try again, but otherwise I'll do simple gradient calc.
Heading west out of Bromyard it shows a 4th cat climb "Green Lane climb" which is 1.2 miles at 4.9%. Going out of Martley towards Tenbury there is The Noak, 0.3 miles at 8% (uncategorised) and then Clifton Bank rises from the Teme towards Tenbury (1.6 miles at 6.1% 4th cat). Ankerdine by comparison is 0.6 miles at 11.5% (still only a 4th cat though).0 -
My workshop is about 1/2 mile from the start of the climb up to Brill (I'm on the B4011, outside Long Crendon, on teh Bicester side). I've started inluding Brill and a route through Dorton and Nether Winchenden on my way home. Bit daft really as I live in Thame, the opposite direction!0
-
OP: I live in Oxford, looks like a fantastic view. Can I ask where it is? Might climb it myself0
-
East of Oxford just the other side of the M40, there are a few ways to get there all obvious on the OS map, but via Beckley, Horton-cum-Studley, onto Boarstall, then Oakley is pretty nice. Also worth exploring the different routes to the top some are harder than others.
In the past I raced over Brill a few times, went up from the Long Crendon side which isn't too hard and then the descent down to Oakley which is mega fast clocked ~50mph down there.
The national U23 champs were held on the hill the other side of the saddle from the Brill hill (windmill) and that race looked brutal.0 -
yeachan153 wrote:OP: I live in Oxford, looks like a fantastic view. Can I ask where it is? Might climb it myself
It's in Brill, between Bicester and Thame.Trek Madone 3.5
Whyte Coniston
1970 Dawes Kingpin0
