Hills that make you get off and walk

kelsen

Kieran_Burns wrote:

My mate has entered the Cannock Chase 100 Sportive and Marchington Cliff is on the route (one of 4 similar climbs). He wants to me to go along.

As his Soigneur? Y'know, to provide escort and massage services?

Kieran_Burns

Maybe as a point and laugh when he topples off halfway up. I could not climb those hills on the middle ring (39/28) I'd be in the granny ring without a doubt.

willy b

Not ridden (or walked) but next time in in Wales I want to ride this:

Steepest Road in Europe:
Ffordd Pen Llech in Harelch (Wales)
http://app.strava.com/segments/1005887

Kieran_Burns

Oh flipping 'eck. It ALSO includes the bloody one I picked out as well!!!

ketsbaia

Tried to get up Mont Caro near Tortosa in Spain last year after around 50 miles in pretty searing heat and plenty of wind. Got halfway up but ran out of water. Was utterly gutted. Not helped by the two miles of terrible, rutted concrete on the way up to the mountain that I had to pick my way over twice on my new, lightweight wheels.

I have unfinished business with that mountain. Would post a link to it but haven't worked out how to do that from Google Maps yet.

Never had to get off and walk up a hill in this country, but haven't tried any of the stupid ones (Winnats, Hardknott, Succombs, etc.) yet.

Kieran_Burns

ketsbaia wrote:

Tried to get up Mont Caro near Tortosa in Spain last year after around 50 miles in pretty searing heat and plenty of wind. Got halfway up but ran out of water. Was utterly gutted. Not helped by the two miles of terrible, rutted concrete on the way up to the mountain that I had to pick my way over twice on my new, lightweight wheels.

I have unfinished business with that mountain. Would post a link to it but haven't worked out how to do that from Google Maps yet.

Never had to get off and walk up a hill in this country, but haven't tried any of the stupid ones (Winnats, Hardknott, Succombs, etc.) yet.

Map my ride profile: here

and the Google van doesn't make it to the top. This is as far as it gets

(to get the Google maps link look just to the left of the top left of the image. There is a link icon, use that.)

ketsbaia

Yeah, that's the feller. After the initial steady gradient over an abysmal road surface, it gets much smoother and much steeper. Didn't get to the top, but it looks like the surface deteriorates as you near the peak.

I'll do it when I go back next year.

willy b

Kieran - Assume you've ridden Riber climb near Matlock?.

Love that climb.

supersonic

This is another good urban climb in Sheffield, Myrtle Road:

antlaff

Did this one last night 13% av over 1.6km - climbs 215m. tough at the start as over 20% and levels out to 11% near the top.

http://goo.gl/maps/IyqEE

notsoblue

I've been up Winnat's pass in Castleton twice. Had to walk once.

jongooligan

willy b wrote:

Not ridden (or walked) but next time in in Wales I want to ride this:

Steepest Road in Europe:
Ffordd Pen Llech in Harelch (Wales)
http://app.strava.com/segments/1005887

Mmmmmmm......... isn't that the one that you can only ride down? If it's the same one I'm thinking of it's a one way street.

roger_merriman

jongooligan wrote:

willy b wrote:

Not ridden (or walked) but next time in in Wales I want to ride this:

Steepest Road in Europe:
Ffordd Pen Llech in Harelch (Wales)
http://app.strava.com/segments/1005887

Mmmmmmm......... isn't that the one that you can only ride down? If it's the same one I'm thinking of it's a one way street.

it is indeed.

mroli

roger merriman wrote:

jongooligan wrote:

willy b wrote:

Not ridden (or walked) but next time in in Wales I want to ride this:

Steepest Road in Europe:
Ffordd Pen Llech in Harelch (Wales)
http://app.strava.com/segments/1005887

Mmmmmmm......... isn't that the one that you can only ride down? If it's the same one I'm thinking of it's a one way street.

it is indeed.

See here: http://www.100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/hill-no-89-92-fford-penllech.html

Its not that bad. Out of the 100 climbs book, the worst undoubtedly are Bealach Na Ba if the wind is against you. Hardknott and Wrynose (just because), Bwlch-y-groes which had me seeing stars with a special mention for the only hill in either book that I've refused first time - Bishop's Wood 113 - with no run up and a soaking wet leaf strewn road, I couldn't get enough purchase first time to stop the wheel slipping. I had to run back down and do it again.

willy b

Winnats Pass is another brilliant climb!

R0B75

Brilliant is not a word I'd choose to describe Winnats Pass. Soul destroying evil is perhaps better. I've done it once, all of it, but I won't do it again.

But, it is beautiful at the top as that picture shows.

Gren82

Went up winnats pass by accident a few weekends ago. Completely un aware and un prepared for it as I thought it was further along the valley. Hit about half way up and had to dab my foot down as id started to quickly. Given a bit of forward planning though I'd be able to slug it up probably. ..

kelsen

Scott Street in Glasgow springs to mind. It's not particularly long and probably quite tame compared to some of the other climbs on this thread, but I just remember it being a right basta' to stagger up whilst pished oot yer heid at 3 in the morning!

ETA: http://www.glasgowfixedgear.com/discuss ... glasgow/p1

dhope

4 pages and nobody has mentioned Balham Hill?

rolf_f

dhope wrote:

4 pages and nobody has mentioned Balham Hill?

Well it goes without saying doesn't it. If you are having a discussion on the finest fighter of WW2, you don't really need to mention the Spitfire do you? The only reason Balham Hill wasn't included in the tour route is that the pro riders aren't hard enough.

vermin

dhope wrote:

4 pages and nobody has mentioned Balham Hill?

Oof - have you seen the new KOM up there? Ave 68.4 km/h. That's pro.

kelsen

vermin wrote:

dhope wrote:

4 pages and nobody has mentioned Balham Hill?

Oof - have you seen the new KOM up there? Ave 68.4 km/h. That's pro.

Pah! Bloody new-fangled metric system, making speed look faster than it really is.

bigmat

NEW KoM? Damn, they're dropping like flies...

Not entirely convinced 68.4kph is credible...

willy b

Looking at his GPS trace i'd be inclined (no pun intended) to agree.

Stevo_666

Another one if you're in the Succombs Hill area and feeling like puishing yourself: Tithepit Shaw Lane where it joins the B270. Not quite as bad as Succombs, but hard work.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?aq=&q=tithepit+shaw+lane&ie=UTF-8&hl=en

jimmypippa

Gren82 wrote:

Went up winnats pass by accident a few weekends ago. Completely un aware and un prepared for it as I thought it was further along the valley. Hit about half way up and had to dab my foot down as id started to quickly. Given a bit of forward planning though I'd be able to slug it up probably. ..

I went up the old Mam Tor road yesterday. Cycled from my house, round the Derwent valley reservoirs, and back. I did go down Winnats on the way to the reservoirs. Often Winnats is too busy for my liking.

I find the old road quite pleasant, although there is one step that I haven't yet managed to cycle up. I think it is probably my lack of technique rather than strength. I slowly toppled over there yesterday, just after finding myself doing a wheelie.

(Streetview picture from the top of the old road here)

roger_merriman

Didn't quite make it up Devils Dyke today on the Capital To Coast just a touch too steep. I also found two other short sharp hills on way back from Capital to Coast, that I couldn't quite grind up bad route planning on my part really since longish rides on the SS I at least do get a drop off in low rpm torque.

mrbobuk

dhope wrote:

4 pages and nobody has mentioned Balham Hill?

...a southerner's hills are a northerner's flats.

First.Aspect

mrbobuk wrote:

dhope wrote:

4 pages and nobody has mentioned Balham Hill?

...a southerner's hills are a northerner's flats.

A northerner's mountains are a Scotsman's hills.

I made it to the top of Great Dun Fell yesterday - at least I think I did; visibility was only about 20yds.... I didn't get off and walk, but slugs were overtaking me at one point.

keyser__soze

roger merriman wrote:

Didn't quite make it up Devils Dyke today on the Capital To Coast just a touch too steep.

Ah, had fun on that hill on a blast to Brighton last year. My rear shifter broke pretty early on and left me with only the 11 tooth at the back as I also managed to mangle the head of limit screw on the RD trying to get myself a more usable gear, meaning I was alternating between 50/11 on the way down and 34/11 on the way up. Was a bit of a grind to get up Devils Dyke but just about managed it, 10mph at 40 rpm. Was secretly quite relieved when the group I was with had a few beers on the seafront and decided to train it back .