White Downs Lane

AdrianStuart

Has anyone done this climb?

I started 3 weeks ago, absolutely loving it and racked up 240 miles on my bike already. I am attempting this on the weekend. Heard its meant to be brutal, am I going to be let down?

http://100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.co.uk ... downs.html

ugo.santalucia

I do it on a regular basis... well if you have just started cycling, you will probably find it brutal... in time you will find out it's not that bad, compared to other slopes in this country with no mountains...

drlodge

I've done it the othe way (downhill), going up hill via Crocknorth Road and Critten Lane, of those two Crocknorth Road is fairly severe. Don't remember what White Downs Lane is like going down, it'll be quite a tough climb but the start on the A25 may already be elevated so less of a hill than the other 2 ways up. Leigh Hill is another good climb (go up Hollow Lane nearly opposite off the A25, and loop south/east/north through Coldharbour ending up in Dorking).

farrina

Slightly off topic, for which I hope you will excuse me, but what a great site you have linked to (Don't we all like to check our local hills to see what other cyclists think).

This one gets my vote - terrifying (and that's going down it!) ... attempting to get up it still gives me nightmares
http://100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/hill-no-88-91-bwlch-y-groes.html a granny gear is required unless you are a real pro.

Regards

Alan

AdrianStuart

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I do it on a regular basis... well if you have just started cycling, you will probably find it brutal... in time you will find out it's not that bad, compared to other slopes in this country with no mountains...

Good stuff. I have done Box Hill around 7 times now and I found Newlands corner a good challenge.

I am taking part in the QEF Sportive on the 23rd and that includes Leith Hill. That's next on the list.

Cubic

Yeah, it's a pretty challenging climb. I'd recommend taking the early slopes nice and easy as the gradient really kicks up after the sharp right-hand bend, so you'll want to have energy in reserve.

Try Coombe Bottom Lane as well, it's really close and quite hard too!

drlodge

Combe Lane is a b4stard, heading north. I can just about make it on my 42-28 gears.

Monty Dog

Rode up on 50x17 fixed once - (that was enough!)

hstiles

You'll like this then

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=106081460404632274986.000001130c1756fcc590a

jibberjim

Monty Dog wrote:

Rode up on 50x17 fixed once - (that was enough!)

I got round the corner and onto the main climb 1 legged when my crank broke and I was limping my way home - couldn't keep it going though so walked it eventually.

It's quite a relatively short hill (3 minutes for me vs 6 for Box or 8 for Leith) but it is steep so you don't get a chance to rest and have to keep the gear turning over - nice low gearing is very advised.

dabber

Just hope that any car you meet that is coming down the hill pulls over for you (it did for me)... I wouldn't like to have to stop and then restart.

Wrath Rob

If you want to discover the Surrey Hills, join one of the cycle clubs that head out that way for some nice tours. Shameless plug for the Kingston Wheelers on my part

IShaggy

Monty Dog wrote:

Rode up on 50x17 fixed once - (that was enough!)

Good effort there - I did ranmore common road the other week on my single-cross which is currently set up with 76" and 35mm tyres. I literally thought I was going to rip the bars off on the steep part. So no way I'm taking it near Whitedown :roll:

hstiles

Chapel Lane is one of my faves, partly due to the look on people's faces when you point at the sign announcing the 20% gradient section.

Monty Dog

I was daft enough once to ride a full circuit of the Surrey Hills on a fixed gear - more than 200km and over 3000m of climbing..... I then had to take a few weeks off because of chronic knee inflammation. Whitedown and Horseblock Hollow are always the toughies.

AdrianStuart

I managed my way up White Downs yesterday in the heat. Safe to say I can barely feel my legs or a**e.

tiredofwhiners

AdrianStuart wrote:

I managed my way up White Downs yesterday in the heat. Safe to say I can barely feel my legs or a**e.

I went up on Saturday - shaking with exertion at the top I looked down to see my gears had failed and I had gone up it in third gear as the rear shifter was stuck in three.

And yes, I had to stop on the way up as a result. Not sure I would describe this weekend as 'the heat' though.

AdrianStuart

tiredofwhiners wrote:

AdrianStuart wrote:

I managed my way up White Downs yesterday in the heat. Safe to say I can barely feel my legs or a**e.

I went up on Saturday - shaking with exertion at the top I looked down to see my gears had failed and I had gone up it in third gear as the rear shifter was stuck in three.

And yes, I had to stop on the way up as a result. Not sure I would describe this weekend as 'the heat' though.

No its wasnt the bahamas but yesterday it did get up to 27 which once you start going up that hill felt like 87!

drlodge

I did White Downs Lane on Saturday, starting off thinking "oh this is easy, where's the hill", then saw the 18% sign and the corner with the steep long slope. Had to stop twice on the way up as my legs had nothing left in them, but had done 4 hills before it - Staple Lane, Crocknorth, Boxhill and Leigh Hill the hard way.

http://app.strava.com/rides/21268824