London "hills"

vertigo16

I want to find a decent hill as close to central London as I can, to really get the blood pumping on a city-based ride. This wold be more like an additional extra at the end of a weekend ride, or something to keep me ticking over when I didn't have time to properly get away from London at the weekend. I like the look of Highgate Hill - long gradual incline out of the city on a reasonably straight road, finishing in a decent climb up to Finchley.

Anywhere else?

spasypaddy

go up swaines lane instead of highgate west hill

mlgt

Do the loop a few times and it can be challenging. But as above swaines, highgate west and muswell hill are the ones that spring to mind.

HTH

DonDaddyD

The upward stretch between Tooting Broadway tube and Tooting Bec. Norbury tube to Streatham Ice and Leisure centre.

Oh and the mighty, Balham Hill!

rjsterry

Lots of short sharp climbs around Highgate, and south of the river it's a bit more lumpy along the ridge that runs from South Norwood up to Shooters Hill but otherwise it's pretty slim pickings until you get out into the Chilterns or the North Downs. If you grab a train to bypass the suburbs, you can be out to the countryside for some proper cycling and back in a couple of hours.

monkimark

It's not exactly the alps but if i fancy making the commute to work (Tooting-Southwark) a bit more interesting, I take a route through streatham, up to crystal palace and around Dulwich, there are a few punchy little hills round there to get the blood pumping (for me at least)
http://goo.gl/maps/I0i3m

ugo.santalucia

If you are a Richmond Park roller, then try Nightingale lane, just off the A 307 and up to Richmond hill. I think in North London Muswell Hill is a respectable climb

vertigo16

Thanks everyone, that is very useful.

tgotb

ugo.santalucia wrote:

If you are a Richmond Park roller, then try Nightingale lane, just off the A 307 and up to Richmond hill.

The field below the Roebuck is good for intervals if you're on a CX bike. Ride up on the grass next to the path (dry and grippy close to the path, slipperier and more challenging a couple of yards to the left). Recover on the way back down, nice off-camber turn in the slippery waterlogged bit at the bottom, repeat.

TheBigBean

You can also do Ally Pally, Muswell Hill and then Highgate relatively consecutively which you might find more entertaining than loops.

Also, there are lots of ways up to Highgate, so you can add some variety if you get bored of Swains Lane.

Stevo_666

Crystal Palace is the first decent lump headed South - have a look at the thread on the 'College Road challenge' somewhere in here.

Mr_Cellophane

Loads in Lewisham.
One Tree Hill
Blyth Hill
College Road
Cannonbie Road

The other side of London
You could zig zag up the Harrigay Ladders between Green Lanes and Wightman Road
or the other side of the railway - Uplands Road heading south.

cjcp

ugo.santalucia wrote:

If you are a Richmond Park roller, then try Nightingale lane, just off the A 307 and up to Richmond hill. I think in North London Muswell Hill is a respectable climb

You can do a decent leg-burning circuit SW-way, taking in Nightingale Lane, Star & Garter Hill and Richmond Hill.

menthel

You could do ups and downs of all of the roads between Worple road and Ridgeway in Wimbledon. Plenty of hill there!