Massive steep hill

Frank the tank

If you are reasonably fit a 50/34 with a 27 will get you up most stuff in our delightful isle.

Ride regular and push yourself on at least one ride a week and you should be ok.

To me, riding a bike your body tells you everything. I f it gets steep get out the saddle when it is no longer possible to maintain progress seated. Use your gears that's what they're there for.

ENJOY.

iron-clover

Ah, good ole Streatley. That was by far my favourite climb when I lived in Didcot for a year- mainly because there are only a few to actually choose from down there (there are only a few tarmac routes over the Berkshire downs and one of those is the A34...) and I agree it does catch you out if you're not used to hills. Luckily I'd been in Guildford for a couple of years, and Streatlely was not too dissimilar to some of the climbs up the North Down ridge such as Whitedown.

I always went up it with a 34x25 gearing, and although I did find it hard going when tired or not aiming to push really hard it never felt insurmountable- the worst part about it is that it starts fairly steep at near 10%, but then rears up nearer the end to sap your strength.
If you have low enough gears and the endurance to reach the top (even really low gears can't get you up if you don't have the energy) then it shouldn't be too much of a problem if you take it steady.
You can always practice on the next road along to the East which ultimately goes to the same place but takes a slightly shallower (but no less high) route, which was preferred when on our club runs to save the group being blown to bits.

But if you can get up Streatley, I'd reckon you can get up pretty much anything south of the Peaks as they don't get much steeper or longer at that gradient.

rolf_f

Veronese68 wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

CiB wrote:

Note that Streatley is also in the 100 Cycling Climbs book so is one of the hardest around. Don't beat yourself up over it.

It's a 5 out of 10! Up here, every couple of miles is a climb that would rate a 5 out of 10. Simon Warren could have written another book called 100 best 5 out of 10 climbs in West Yorkshire and still have had plenty of material for a sequel!

To the OP - from the same book is Whiteleaf near Princess Risborough which is a 6 and in the new book Kingston Hill though that's only a 2 out of 10 and presumably barely more of a hiccup in the topography than the infamous Col du Balham Hill. Give those a go for some more upward fun!

Kingston upon Hull? Kingston, Jamaica?

Kingston Blount apparently - I'd probably suggest the OP something better than a '2' if I was going to send him to Jamaica.

Manc33 wrote:

This is why I ended up on a 52/38/24 chainset with a 11-32t cassette, yes on a road bike.

I was in that lowest gear last night getting up a 9% incline. Last night was one of the only times I got up it without having to stop.

Now there'd be absolutely nothing wrong with the above comment if you happened to be riding 50lbs of fully loaded (tent etc) touring bike up the 9%. Please tell me you were riding 50lbs of loaded touring bike.......

Manc33

Rolf F wrote:

Now there'd be absolutely nothing wrong with the above comment if you happened to be riding 50lbs of fully loaded (tent etc) touring bike up the 9%. Please tell me you were riding 50lbs of loaded touring bike.......

No. I'm only about 155lbs as well.

tazmon

I've ridden Streatley (made it up without stopping for most attempts) on a 34/28 and it never seems to get any easier! It's always part of my route which includes Whitchurch hill too, I seem to be improving on the flat and less steep hills but those two have still got the better of me :-)