*That* hill

Emphursis
Emphursis Posts: 124
edited July 2013 in Road beginners
We all have that one hill that seems to get the better of us. When I was at uni, I managed to conquer mine, although it was only a short hill sprint. But now I'm home for the summer and found my new nemesis, which is a completely different kettle of fish

http://app.strava.com/segments/1240437

It only has a 5% average over the whole 2 miles, but the steep bits at the start and end, both 1/2 a mile, have averages of 10 and 13% respectively and are Cat4 in their own right (according to Strava anyway).

So, what's your nemesis, and if you've beaten it, how did you manage it?

Comments

  • Agent57
    Agent57 Posts: 2,300
    This is mine:

    http://app.strava.com/activities/59293813#1102919096

    Jubilee Tower, Quernmore, Lancs. A few miles from home. I'm currently 725th/951 on Strava. My best is 16:04 but the KOM time is 6:54, so I'm a little off the pace. ;)

    I guess I can't really claim to have beaten it yet, but at least I can get up it without stopping now.
    MTB commuter / 531c commuter / CR1 Team 2009 / RockHopper Pro Disc / 10 mile PB: 25:52 (Jun 2014)
  • Wirral_paul
    Wirral_paul Posts: 2,476
    Here's the one that i have never liked - the gradient looks steady on Strava but in reality it is forever changing between about 3% and 20%. Loosing weight rapidly as well as getting stronger - and suddenly it was ok climbing it (just frustrating having to keep waiting and getting attacked by countless flies in the heat!)
    http://app.strava.com/activities/68458592#1320979588
    Did it yesterday after 3 tough climbs and managed to break my mate - the first time he's ever walked up a hill with his bike. He did say he wanted to do some hills though!! ;);)
    http://app.strava.com/activities/68458592
  • Jon_1976
    Jon_1976 Posts: 690
    This http://app.strava.com/activities/67623371#1301208705 it's a well known road round here,and is often used for hill climb championships. You get a nice 25% warning sign halfway up and handrails for ascending walkers. Did it the other night, whilst there was no traffic. Heart rate was sky high and legs were melting. Pretty chuffed as I've been aiming to do that without putting a foot down for a while.
  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    http://app.strava.com/segments/1071199

    this one without a doubt. straight round a corner from cold and up, up, up. not managed to ride it yet and now get defeated by it pschologically before i even get there. and im not a wuss and am well used to doing cornish hills...
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    At the moment it's this one: http://app.strava.com/segments/2306376
    Not for nothing it's called "The B*tch" on Strava. I'm yet to make it up in one go, although I was close to the top yesterday when I had to stop. Of course another cyclist came steaming straight up while I was stood there!
  • Bustacapp
    Bustacapp Posts: 971
    http://app.strava.com/segments/705525
  • dai_t75
    dai_t75 Posts: 189
    I actually made it up 2 climbs this weekend where I had failed previously, what made it sweeter was I was training with some weight in the paneers this time :D

    http://app.strava.com/activities/68441139#1320611350
    http://app.strava.com/activities/68441139#1320611627

    My nemesis at the moment is probably this one (tried once and failed, hopefully will be ok next time):
    http://app.strava.com/activities/65061567#1238664794
  • Schoie81
    Schoie81 Posts: 749
    This one has me beat at the moment - http://app.strava.com/segments/1171496

    I can't work out why!?! I do this regularly - http://app.strava.com/segments/755074 - without too much problem and this one - http://app.strava.com/segments/1042137 occasionally. Neither of these have ever made me stop, but the first one I can't get up.

    Attempt no. 3 tonight!!!
    "I look pretty young, but I'm just back-dated"
  • Guanajuato
    Guanajuato Posts: 399
    For a long time, thiswas mine, along with the climb from the oppositedirection were my nemesises (nemisii?). A real feeling of elation when each was ticked off. Still no speed demon, but a clear indication of improving fitness. You're going about it right!

    My favourite local climb is the A6 up Shap. 9 Miles of never immensly steep, but a real work out. Probably about as close as we get to an alpine climb in England - most of the other lake district passes are just brutally steep but quite short. I avoid them. only because of the bloody tourists, not because they'd kill me of course. :mrgreen:
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    This nearly killed me. Temp hit 41C on the way up, the 2 km section at 10% just about broke me and my Garmin went on the blink when I poured a bottle of water over my head - so I'll need to do it again...

    http://app.strava.com/segments/635742
  • Mikey41
    Mikey41 Posts: 690
    This one:
    http://app.strava.com/activities/61658678#1157289440

    Finally conquered it on that very ride. It starts by ramping up to about 13%, then eases off a bit to about 5%, then kicks up again twice to 10% right at the top.

    Next time I will try not getting out of the saddle for the first bit, should be better off that way.

    My new Nemesis is this one:
    http://app.strava.com/activities/67523005#1298958707

    Which I still need to take a few breaks on. This one will be rather more of a challenge :)
    Giant Defy 2 (2012)
    Giant Defy Advanced 2 (2013)
    Giant Revel 1 Ltd (2013)
    Strava
  • defycomp2
    defycomp2 Posts: 252
    It's a pain but I can do it. Averages 1:10 but the bottom is a lot steeper with bits at 1:6 and a few sharp bends don't help either.
    http://app.strava.com/segments/2934241
    Summer - Giant Defy Composite 2 (Force 22) (retd)
    Cannondale Synapse Sram Red ETap
    Winter - Boardman CX Team (Rival X1 Hyd)
  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    Agent57 wrote:
    This is mine:

    http://app.strava.com/activities/59293813#1102919096

    Jubilee Tower, Quernmore, Lancs. A few miles from home. I'm currently 725th/951 on Strava. My best is 16:04 but the KOM time is 6:54, so I'm a little off the pace. ;)

    I guess I can't really claim to have beaten it yet, but at least I can get up it without stopping now.


    The KOM on that has most of the decent KOMs around Oxford too.. the bastard!
  • Guanajuato
    Guanajuato Posts: 399
    Did the Tough Trough Sportive this weekend, which included timing up Jubilee. I managed about twice the time of the KOM, (14:02) but 60th out of 138. I have to say I was worried about it but it wasn't as bad as Underbarrow or Brigsteer hills to the west of Kendal. It wasn't the hardest climb on the route by any stretch of the imagination. Judging by the walkers, that was the last climb out of Gressingham which was not steep or long, but came after 65 miles with over 6000ft of climbing. Cross O'Greet was the hardest for me.
  • dai_t75
    dai_t75 Posts: 189
    Guanajuato wrote:
    For a long time, thiswas mine, along with the climb from the oppositedirection were my nemesises (nemisii?). A real feeling of elation when each was ticked off. Still no speed demon, but a clear indication of improving fitness. You're going about it right!

    My favourite local climb is the A6 up Shap. 9 Miles of never immensly steep, but a real work out. Probably about as close as we get to an alpine climb in England - most of the other lake district passes are just brutally steep but quite short. I avoid them. only because of the bloody tourists, not because they'd kill me of course. :mrgreen:

    Apologies for hijacking the thread - just wondering if I could use your local knowledge Guan!?

    I am doing LEJOG in a couple of week and at the moment I have planned to go through the lake district as I have never been to that part of the country before and don't know if I will again. Here is the route planned at the moment:
    http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2077268

    Would you say we would be better off sticking on the A6 to Shap?

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