Hampshire Hill gradient comparison

marcusww

We are doing a Sportive in the New Forest where Blissford Hill at 25% gradient is part of the route. More local to me at a similar distance is Lynch Lane - on the side of Old Winchester Hill in West Meon. Does anyone know how this compares in gradient to Blissford Hill. I can find no references on the web for its % gradient.

slowbike

Can't help you with comparison - only my experience ...

I rode quite a few "hills" around home, always grinding up anything >7% before hitting Blissford Hill last spring ...
We approached it at a reasonable speed, but then I just clicked down through the gears until I was in 39/26 (my lowest) and just stood up and just about ground it out for the rest of the way ... It was hard hard hard ... but I'm glad I made it ...
Managed it again last autumn, possibly a little easier than the spring, but still ended up just standing on the pedals to get to the top in the easiest gear ...
Loads of ppl walk it (someone, walking up - "told off" my wife for attempting to ride it ... !?!)

There's usually a photographer at the top and that helps for motivation!

u can always check bikehike.co.uk for comparison of the gradient... *

*edit - except that gives Blissford as 13% ...

clickrumble

Not a great deal of help I know, but if my ride includes Lynch Lane I go down it, rather than up!

Ben6899

I can't offer a comparison, but I can talk about Blissford Hill.

It might be 25% gradient, but if you attack it then you'll be over the top in less than 30 seconds (no bravado). Watch out though; there's a nasty wasp - living in a bush at the top - which likes to sting cyclists in the neck!

lostboysaint

Blissford Hill is no problem, as Ben said it's a quick attack. The best comparison locally that I can think of for gradient, certainly over a reasonable distance, is Harvesting Lane on the back of Butser Hill. It's not as steep but is nice and draggy so will prepare you well.

jameses

I would agree that it's really not much of a problem. It may be steep, but it's short so shouldn't really give you too many problems. As far as I remember, it's pretty early on in the sportive as well (I'm assuming it's the wiggle ride you're doing?) and the rest of the route is undulating at best, so you're likely to still be in a reasonable condition by the time you get there.

Mikey23

Is that the one you do at the end of the rattler? I saw it looming ahead and approached in negative mindset and in the wrong gear... Naturally I failed. Hopefully I will be ready for it this year

pride4ever

Pissball hill....:)

RowCycle

I use the bikehike website. Go to http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php and search the map for your road of interest. Make a route over that road and click on elevation data and gradient. Shows the gradient of the road (or whole route).

noiseboyfeetman

Ben6899 wrote:

I can't offer a comparison, but I can talk about Blissford Hill.

It might be 25% gradient, but if you attack it then you'll be over the top in less than 30 seconds (no bravado). Watch out though; there's a nasty wasp - living in a bush at the top - which likes to sting cyclists in the neck!

Last time I did that hill, which must've been back in the autumn the whole road was swarming with wasps, that's some incentive to get up the other side! I'm hoping they were removing the nest, no doubt it'll be back though even if they did.

kingderham

There is a pub at the top.
Seen car's struggle up Blissford

nawty

If this is the 87 miler then I think Blissford is about 2/3 or 3/4 of the way in, a lot of people walk it and I've seen people walk it quicker than others have ridden it.

I've only gone up it once which was on my first ever long ride, I made it up, just, but I didn't attack it as there was a family on bikes at the bottom who kinda got in the way.

The pub at the top, the Foresters Arms, does a cracking ploughmans!

marcusww

I can just about get up Lynch Lane but am still unsure about the steepness of Blissford.

TheSmithers

Lynch Lane in West Meon: http://app.strava.com/segments/1417580.

itboffin

TheSmithers wrote:

Lynch Lane in West Meon: http://app.strava.com/segments/1417580.

Holy crap that's steep :shock:

Have added that to my list of places to avoid