Climbing training in Dorset/New Forest

alpineaddict
alpineaddict Posts: 247
edited June 2014 in Training, fitness and health
Hi folks

Title kind of says it all... Looking at getting back into cycling after a couple of years off the bike and am in dire need of some climbing training as I'm planning on hitting the Alps in Mid August... Not planning on long TdF 'days' out, as my milage is not great currently... but do fancy trying my luck up a couple of Cols...

So, anyone in the Dorset (Bournemouth) area know of some good hills to get my legs burning on...?

Thx in advance folks

Comments

  • rrsodl
    rrsodl Posts: 486
    Today I did some hill climbing in the Purbeck, there are some really nice places to ride. To be honest I didn't know many places so I just followed those that knew the way :) We set off from sandbanks towards Swanage then before Swanage we turned right and did some nice hills, one was quite hard and a few riders had to walk the last part. We ended up by Corfe Castle and ended up in Wareham. The last part was flat so nothing much of interest for you there.
  • stifflersmom
    stifflersmom Posts: 177
    http://www.kingstonwheelers.co.uk/coaching4.shtml
    You don't necessarily need hills to improve climbing ability...it is about putting in a steady, manageable effort for a period of maybe up to 2 hours. This article is useful, and there is plenty of good tarmac inbthe New Forest to train on. There is a chain gang that leaves Waitrose car park in Christchurch at 08.30 every Saturday that may help you maintain a steady effort.
    Also, lose weight. ..that will make a huge difference. If you want to do specific climbing training then you're looking at hill repeats, and you're probably better heading to the Purbecks for that rather than the New Forest, although you could plan out a decent repeating loop around North Gorley and Frogham where the roads climb out of the Avon valley. Enjoy your training, and your trip!
  • rrsodl
    rrsodl Posts: 486
    stifflersmom wrote:
    Also, lose weight. ..that will make a huge difference. If you want to do specific climbing training then you're looking at hill repeats, and you're probably better heading to the Purbecks for that rather than the New Forest, although you could plan out a decent repeating loop around North Gorley and Frogham where the roads climb out of the Avon valley. Enjoy your training, and your trip!

    Wight is it that some people assume everybody needs to lose weight? I've had a few laughs at people suggesting to lose weight when people come back with "I only weight 50kgs" or something like that :lol:
  • Dave_P1
    Dave_P1 Posts: 565
    Head to the Purbecks, Blandford & Shaftesbury areas for hills.
    Product & Race Reviews Here
    Various vids including many Trail Centres
  • djhermer
    djhermer Posts: 328
    A Dave says, you need to get to the Purbecks or north Dorset. Nada on the Bournemouth Poole Coastal areas or the forest. Climbs out of swanage, lulworth are good and around the ranges (west and north of corfe castle). Or heading north towards the various Abbases, Shaftesbury, bulbarrow etc.

    Drop me a PM if you want to hook up. I'm heading to Purbecks from Bournemouth on Saturday mid morning. Over the chain ferry and take in climbs out if swanage, ranges, lulworth etc finishing with flats back to Bournemouth via wareham and Poole.
  • alpineaddict
    alpineaddict Posts: 247
    Folks... Thx loads for the responses... Seems N Dorset and the Purbecks (more likely) will be for me... I used to ride form SBanks ferry out over to Corfe quite a bit, so know whats there... Just wondered if anyone had any other places... Never really ventured out to N Dorset...

    Whilst I understand that smaller guys do make better climbers... At 5ft 10, I am not heavy at all at 11 st and I think I would look ill if I lost too much weight...

    stifflersmom - Thx for the link... really interesting read and might hook up with these guys...

    djhermer - Thx again for the advice and I'll ping you a PM today...

    :D:D:D:D:D:D
  • twotyred
    twotyred Posts: 822
    Stifflersmom's link is all you need to know but doing some shorter hill repeats as well isn't going to do any harm
  • Dazza @>@'
    Dazza @>@' Posts: 65
    Dave_P1 wrote:
    Head to the Purbecks, Blandford & Shaftesbury areas for hills.
    +1
    ZigZig hill has a few of Alpine like bends on the B3081 heading out of Shaftesbury.

    https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0 ... dg=feature

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