Hills that make you get off and walk

clarkey cat

I had to get off and walk up a hill on Sunday. :oops:
I made it 3/4 the way up but a slippery drain cover and at one particularly steep bit and that was it.
Most embaressingly this was a hill inside the M25

Succombs Hill, nr Warlingham.

Anyone know it? Been defeated by it?

Anyone else care to admit they've had to get off and walk in recent times?

Gallywomack

Cudham Lane/Church Hill near Downe, and Hogtrough Hill, which goes up the North Downs escarpment from Pilgrims Way near Brasted, both made me get off and walk a couple of months back. Both inside the M25.

I conquered both the following week, I think it was mainly the shock of running out of gears that made me give up the first time around. I didn't expect to have to grind up anything and panic set in.

daviesee

clarkey cat wrote:

Anyone else care to admit they've had to get off and walk in recent times?

Not since I had the original 10 speed, ie 2 x 5.
Then again, your circumstance was as much to do with slip as effort. Some things can't be helped.

clarkey cat

I had some berk revving behind me as he had to wait all of 10 seconds until a small layby I could pull into and then he was screaming something at me as he went past. Pathetic.

markhewitt1978

Peth Bank. http://goo.gl/maps/yZ2v8 signed as 20%.

I've cycled up it before but on my hybrid which had lower gears. This time up on my road bike I attacked it all wrong and ended up grinding to a halt, front wheel starting to skip around as it lost grip. Too steep to get going again to had to push up to where it flattened slightly. Still got a PR on the segment!

el_presidente

Pebble Hill - just like this poor dude on Streetview

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ll=51.256114,-0.263844&spn=0.022507,0.07081&t=m&z=14&layer=c&cbll=51.26224,-0.263855&panoid=IdEW0hLKm6jvFwErFtkr1A&cbp=12,0,,0,0

In my defence I was 110 miles into a London - Brighton - London ride

rjsterry

Done Succomb's Hill twice. Not stopped, but then I did have a car right on my tail both times, which provided some 'encouragement'. That said, I was nearly seeing stars by the time I got to the top. It is a brute: no way to get any sort of run up, and the S-bend for added piquancy. I think I'd have struggled if I'd slipped on some ironwork.

redvee

Not rode it yet but this looks like it will beat a few cyclists.

http://tinyurl.com/lu9e82c

asprilla

redvee wrote:

Not rode it yet but this looks like it will beat a few cyclists.

http://tinyurl.com/lu9e82c

I think the camber would defeat me, never mind the hill.

hegyestomi

clarkey cat wrote:

I had to get off and walk up a hill on Sunday. :oops:
I made it 3/4 the way up but a slippery drain cover and at one particularly steep bit and that was it.
Most embaressingly this was a hill inside the M25

Succombs Hill, nr Warlingham.

Anyone know it? Been defeated by it?

Anyone else care to admit they've had to get off and walk in recent times?

You find it!
I went down that hill (by car) and tried to locate it afterwards to attack it by bike but never seen it again!It is very steep and narrow, two lanes but no space to overtake you as it is very busy. Well done getting up to 3/4!

clarkey cat

It's just off the roundabout by the big Ann Summers headquarters. Thought about popping in and getting the wife something but didnt want to extra weight to carry up the hill!

asprilla

clarkey cat wrote:

It's just off the roundabout by the big Ann Summers headquarters. Thought about popping in and getting the wife something but didnt want to extra weight to carry up the hill!

You cold have popped it don the leg of your shorts; that's would have intimidated the WVM.

clarkey cat

I'm sure he'd have just been bemused to know why I had rabbit's ears hanging out my lycra.

Stevo_666

clarkey cat wrote:

I had to get off and walk up a hill on Sunday. :oops:
I made it 3/4 the way up but a slippery drain cover and at one particularly steep bit and that was it.
Most embaressingly this was a hill inside the M25

Succombs Hill, nr Warlingham.

Anyone know it? Been defeated by it?

Anyone else care to admit they've had to get off and walk in recent times?

I've been up it in a car and thought what a barsteward it would be on a bike. Looks like a 1 in 4 or thereabouts - possibly worse at that sharpish left hand bend part way up.

Might have to give it a try some time...

edds

There are several crazy inclines around warlingham. I have some relatives that live there and every time we visit we find another crazy hill which test the car. Drove up Chalkpit Lane last time and I started off thinking it would be fun to cycle but it just kept going.

jonomc4

Gallywomack wrote:

Cudham Lane/Church Hill near Downe, and Hogtrough Hill, which goes up the North Downs escarpment from Pilgrims Way near Brasted, both made me get off and walk a couple of months back. Both inside the M25.

I conquered both the following week, I think it was mainly the shock of running out of gears that made me give up the first time around. I didn't expect to have to grind up anything and panic set in.

I get dragged up those by my cycling mate (who loves hills) - I get up them, but not with much elan and stop the bike and kick him really hard as he lays resting on the ground waiting for me.

rjsterry

The last time I was beaten by a hill was on one of the lanes on Caerphilly Mountain. From memory it was more of a mental thing than physical: I hesitated and then realised that I'd come to a complete stop. I think it was this but I'm not exactly sure. What I do remember was having a clipless moment and toppling sideways into some brambles and rocks like those blocking the gate. Not dignified.

The Rookie

Used to ride this as a kid on a Raleigh Hustler with a 3 speed Sturmey Archer hub, it absolutely used to wreck me, but it was there so I rode it! (walking up was faster!)
http://goo.gl/maps/RIUzZ

Home was the large white farmhouse on the right about 100m after coming out the woods though so rest was available!

iPete

Had to put my foot down on White down a few months back when a car passing took my momentum.

Was on a fixie mind

cyclingprop

This would make me walk. http://bristolcyclefestival.com/the-dundry-drubber/

Have gone up dundry once... but 4 times?!

jonny_trousers

I've never had to, but to be fair, I don't have massive experience of silly hills.

The closest I've been to it was riding up Hesiers Hill here. It's a byatch anyway, but my momentum was killed by a car coming the other way and I'd not got into a low enough gear in time. I had to turn around, roll to the bottom and have another go at it.

slowbike

I've had a stop on a 3/4mile 9-15% hill (dunno the average) - but that's cos I pushed too hard on the lower slope and the front wheel came off the tarmac. I've also stopped at the "top" of that hill as it joins the mainroad and carries on up ...
But I think that's it - I've never walked up a (tarmac) hill ... yet!

daddy0

I can cope with almost all of the hills around Biggin Hill including this one mentioned above:
http://app.strava.com/segments/3381057

But the last time I was going up here:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=westerham&hl=en&ll=51.286532,0.064483&spn=0.010495,0.038581&sll=51.548684,-3.165264&sspn=0.09255,0.154324&t=p&hnear=Westerham,+Kent,+United+Kingdom&layer=c&cbll=51.286532,0.064483&panoid=wgHZe_I39BYF0ffU-BZCbA&cbp=11,338.72,,0,12.36&z=15
...I had to stop. I was wobbling about a bit too much and contending with the cars going round the narrow bend at 60mph was a little scary. I still made it up, but only after I caught my breath and waited for the traffic to ease up. Then I sprinted to the top. Its great going down there though, take that bend just right and you're good for over 50mph.

When I first started commuting some mornings I didn't make it up Anerley Hill. Nowadays I know I can make it up there reasonably easily, but it still feels me with dread!

daddy0

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

I've never had to, but to be fair, I don't have massive experience of silly hills.

The closest I've been to it was riding up Hesiers Hill here. It's a byatch anyway, but my momentum was killed by a car coming the other way and I'd not got into a low enough gear in time. I had to turn around, roll to the bottom and have another go at it.

Ridden that hill a few times but always made it up there. I'm riding the FT Sportive on Sunday which goes down it, thats one scary downhill - someones going to get hurt...

okgo

Been close to wanting to get off and walk up Winterfold/Barhatch Lane and also the hills in Bec and Catford Hill Climbs, I never have mind you - but the combination of a brutal incline and 40-25 as smallest gear makes it a slog up the super steep ones, which is why I don't tend to ride them much as they are just pointless.

jonny_trousers

Daddy0 wrote:

Ridden that hill a few times but always made it up there. I'm riding the FT Sportive on Sunday which goes down it, thats one scary downhill - someones going to get hurt...

Ah, I'm riding that too! I've not paid much attention to the route. It is a scary downhill, but a fun one when you're feeling brave. If you want to risk the rare possibility of a car coming in the opposite direction, and you feel confident you can negotiate the loose stones on the bend at the bottom, you can get some serious speed on it. I agree, though, sportive riders who don't know the road riding in a bunch could find themselves in trouble.

clarkey cat

okgo wrote:

Been close to wanting to get off and walk up Winterfold/Barhatch Lane and also the hills in Bec and Catford Hill Climbs, I never have mind you - but the combination of a brutal incline and 40-25 as smallest gear makes it a slog up the super steep ones, which is why I don't tend to ride them much as they are just pointless.

That has made me feel better as my gearing is 39-25... and I'm about 2 stone heavier than you.

bigmat

Walked up Hardknott and also Winnats. Hardknott was about 85 miles into the Fred Whitton, was just about keeping going but had to swerve to side of road to avoid a car and just lost momentum. Couldn't get going after that. Winnats was riding into a ridiculous gale, got pretty much blown off the bike then couldn't get going again!

meanredspider

I thought I might have to at the dam, 400 miles into L2E, but ground my way up. That's the only time on the road I've contemplated hopping off.

On the Puffer, there was some tactical walking and some enforced walking caused by chain-suck in the incredible mud.

pitchshifter

Used an old pre-programmed course on my Garmin at the weekend thinking I would be heading to Box Hill. To my dismay, after 20 miles of headwind I find myself at the bottom of Crocknorth, I almost came to a standstill half way up using 39*25..

I hate that climb.

the_fuggler

Streatley Hill near me is the closest I've come to a refusal, but I got there in the end. Used to deliver papers up the first half of it, so God knows what happened in the intervening years. Actually, I do know. Chips and beer for the most part.