Do you prefer going up or down big hills.

elderone

Today on my hilly ride it actually occurred to me that I actually prefer going up long hills rather than coming down them.When I climb a big hill even at my own slow steady pace,once I get to the top I always seem to patt the bike and myself and offer up lots of praise.
Now coming down a big hill I get to the bottom and just feel relief at making it down,shiny side up.No joy or praise,just thank goodness that,s over.
Taking the above as my cycling experience to date,it seems to me hills are more rewarding.
So am I alone in this?.What is your preference. :?:

djm501

I get much more of a sense of achievement from a big climb no doubt.

But I love the speed of a good descent too. My record is 56 mph - that was FUN!

Being a hefty type I excel at the latter and am slow at the former. Different games altogether. As a cycling achievement the climb has the more personal kudos for me though. I can only descend well because I have no sense of self preservation and am a dead weight against the wind Climbing required LOTS of training and I still can't do the really nasty ones - the Devil's Staircase in Wales is unfinished business with me...

smidsy

Well on the basis I am better at descending I suppose it would have to be that.

simonhead

I prefer the up, i am a big guy and the achievement of getting up there is the buzz. Also i am a bit of a pu$$y when it comes to descending, wont go much over 30 unless I know the road really well and its empty.

Bozman

Up, going out of Ashbourne Derbys on the A52 Leek road and out of Cheadle through Oakamoor are a couple that I enjoy in my area, there's the Via Gellia but that's more of a slope that goes on for a while. I'd love to go abroad and have a blast at them there real hills before I'm too old and knackered.

#david2012

As I'm improving I feel going up is much more of a challenge and that challenge is always changing as I attempt different climbs. Coming down on the other hand feels Less about me and my improvements more about confidence in Technique.

antfly

It's all about the descending for me, the faster the better.

djm501

The buzz with climbing hits at the end though no? I say I love climbing but don't mention that halfway up - especially on a steep one

ct8282

For me its about the climb. I took on the Rusper hill this morning. Its a love hate relationship I have with this particular piece of road. It hurts like crap, but I love grinding to the top and then rolling away after the crest with jelly legs feeling proud of myself. Each time I climb it I get slightly faster too which is very satisfying, but the pain doesn't change.

I do also very much enjoy downhills but the more gradual ones where you can find a really nice consistent rhythm and pick up a decent average speed, say 30mph+ and just fly along. Coming down the Rusper hill on my second ever outing on my roadie and I hit 41mph, it was terrifying. But last Thursday I went flying down it at 46mph but it wasn't scary at all. I think my technique and confidence has grown quickly so I'm comfortable with higher speeds now.

Mikey23

I like getting up good hills which is fortunate living in Cornwall. Don't like steep descents, they really scare me.. I think it's a matter of confidence and I don't have it...

Ber Nard

The state of the roads round here puts me off letting rip down hill - most roads now consisting of potholes lightly dusted with gravel. If I had lovely smooth roads to ride on then I'd be a lot happier descending.

That said, if I see a hill when I'm not out on the bike, I imagine what it would be like to ride up it, not down it.

Rob

roger_merriman

I'm a MTBer mostly so I do like a bit of speed, this said does depend on the hill, some are rubbish down, blind bends etc, where as others are more sort of false flats etc, and just tedious to climb.

In other words it depends on the hill.

Schoie81

I've never really thought about it, but now you mention it, yes I think I agree. On the way up, I hate the hills, but it is a good feeling when you make it to the top without stopping. And i'm still very cautious when descending, so definitely a relief to be in one piece when I get to the bottom of some hills. The nearest hill to my house is a nasty one, but the day I got my road bike I tackled it and climbed it. I've still avoided descending it though - its a hill which, coming down, gets steeper as you decend and then right at the bottom there's a sharp bend with some 'rumble strips' (annoying in the car, no fun at all on a bike) and cars tend to come around the corner on the wrong side of the road to keep their own momentum for the climb up the hill. I go an extra 2miles to avoid coming down it!!

@Ber Nard - glad its not just me!! Since I got the bike every time I drive up a hill I haven't cycled up yet, there's always that voice there - I wonder if I could get up this on the bike!!

@Bozman - Via Gellia is a nasty one - not necessarily for the climb but lots of corners and lots of HGVs!! I'm trying to picture the A52 Ashbourne-Leek road, but I can't think of it... :?

smoggysteve

I love going up hills. Whenever I go out riding, I always try to take in at least 1 cat 3 climb which are plentiful around where I live. Unfortunately, I am moving soon to another job near the dutch border which is as flat as a pancake. Nearest climbs are at least 50 miles away. Boo.

finlayson99

Love the grind and the endorphin buzz getting to the top of a good climb. The downs are fun but I'll take the ascent any day.

aberdeenal

I'm in the ascending camp - don't enjoy descending at all............my bib shorts don't like the descent either!!

supermurph09

Ascending for me, probably because I'm better at it and have more confidence in my skills. However there is one descent http://app.strava.com/activities/53810186#976693410 that I particularly like coming out of the peaks, it's about a mile long, straight and very smooth. Hit about 43mph on that one.

motogull

Up hills here too. Whenever I look for a new route its all about adding the most challenging climbs possible. I'm near a long fast smooth wide descent which I really enjoy too.

declan1

I'm quite a fast descender - people call me crazy (they are the ones who go really slow though).

I much prefer climbing though. If I see a long hill in the distance I can't wait to climb it!

Finlaz22

Definitely climbing. One bad crash and you'll take some time to enjoy descending again...

elderone

looks like i,m in the majority then,which is cool.Climbing must be one of the few things where you can be slow,knackered and miles of a strava KOM pace,but still think you did great.Love it.

kingofthetailwind

Defintely climing for me too. Descending is fun, but there's no sense of achievement. There's a category 2 climb just to the north of Belfast. I love climbing that and then looking down to the city. Awesome.

iPete

Climbing, it really separates the men from the boys or the skinny race snakes from the rugby players

markhewitt1978

It depends on the decent, I don't like steep down hill, too dangerous, but a slight down hill which runs out for 10 miles, that's nice

socistep

I seem to do pretty well at hill climbs, picked up a few local KOMs on strava etc., I wouldn't say I massively enjoy going up them but its always good getting to the top!

With descending I just don't have the nerve to let go and go full pelt down the hill unless I know the hill or can see the hill in front of me, even then if its steep/twisty I'm still cautious. I did the ripon revolution sportive on sat and there was a long climb up from masham in windy/wet conditions, that was good getting up there but the other side was a steep/twisty descent, 2 people flew past me and down the hill who I'd passed on the climb up but I barely went over 20mph - guess its the level of risk is different for everyone.

Some descents can be great though, the 2nd big hill in that sportive was Greenhow Hill out of Pateley bridge (in the 100 climbs book), tough climb with the wind at you but you then turned left and there was a gradual descent with the wind behind, had 4/5 miles flying over 30mph and made the slog worthwhile!!

IanREmery

For the first month after I had my roadbike at the end of March I would have said neither, as I was having to get off and walk up climbs :-( and was petrified going down them again.

Now though, the fitness have improved greatly but the nerves are still there so I'm much happier climbing than descending.

Sunday morning I knocked a full 2 and a half minutes off my climb up the Rhigos mountain http://app.strava.com/activities/62295953#1173810633 but then the very wet and windy descent frightened the living daylights out of me http://app.strava.com/activities/62295953#1173810642

marylogic

Definitely going up.

It's the one time I really feel I can hold my own with other cyclists.I'm rarely passed at speed going up a hill but it happens all the time on descents and the flat. I sometimes even pass other cyclists going up hills and secretly enjoy it

I have become increasingly obsessed with hills - I also like to spot them when I'm out driving and feel a frisson of excitement if I see a double chevron on an OS map (am I really just a bit sad?)

I descend like Bradley Wiggins (well he did say he descends like a girl)

markhewitt1978

I love hills, I'm just not that good at them

southdownswolf

If it involves a hill I like it. Up,down, dont care as long as it is hilly.

sherer

both for me. I get the sense of achievement when I get up a hill but also love the descents too, that's usually one of the few times I get some fun out of being on the bike. Did a technical descent in the alps a few years back, no barrier to my side just a sheer drop, didn't know which way the round went but absolutely loved it.

Htron

After having to bunny-hop over a large stick (thick enough to easily lock/destroy a wheel) on a descent at approx 40mph, I am left with the strong urge to not die, therefore now prefer ascending!