Rosedale Chimney

[Hugo15]

Well today I managed to climb Rosedale Chimney. A brute of a climb in the North Yorkshire Moors. The road is 1 in 3 and is supposed to be the steepest bit of tarmac in England. Obligatory photo under the sign at the top below.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29204273@N05/2728600235/

 

[Aperitif]

Well done! Dismount please...(not on your nelly)

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Jolly well done hugo. I know that road and I'm ashamed to say that I would never try it.

 

[Tynan]

dear god

I had for a short while a night job in a factory somewjere on the outskirts of Huddersfield, the public transport option was a stroll up an insanely steep lane to the main road where the bus stopped, in the dark, and usually the rain

if I missed the us, (usually) there was a very isolated pub that greeted anyone walking in like the prodigal son, bless them

anyhow, erm ... not all bad at all Yorkshire but not now that I'm older

 

[Globalti]

Gawd, you did that climb on a road bike?

*bows deep with respect*

I did it on my MTB once with a 24 tooth granny ring and a 32 tooth first and it damn nearly killed me.

 

[Mr Pig]

Well done. How long does the climb take?

 

[Hugo15]

Yes was on a road bike, but being a sensible chap I have a triple, make the rides round the moors much more enjoyable. Got up on 30x26.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

chapeau hugo15

 

[Hugo15]

Well done. How long does the climb take?

Don't know, around 15 minutes at a guess. I went pretty slow on the lower bit as I knew that there was a decent stretch where I had no chance of sitting down (well not unless I wanted a quick exit off the back of the bike!).

 

[Danny]

Wow - it's hard just hiking up it.

 

[yenrod]

1:3 - wow, thats: some serious angle !

Ive a 1:6 I can whip myself with, but that...mmmm!

 

[Abitrary]

How do they measure hill ratios, though? It it's constantly 1:3, than that wouldn't pose a problem to most cyclists of any ability, as you would just steam straight up it.

If it was measured on average, and undulating, with little drops of 5:1 followed by 10 metre long climbs of 1:1, then it would be a different ball game.

 

[simoncc]

I've done this climb a few times, the last time on 28x28, the bottom gear on my light tourer.

 

[asterix]

If it was measured on average, and undulating, with little drops of 5:1 followed by 10 metre long climbs of 1:1, then it would be a different ball game.

In fact that is a perfect description of Chimney Bank except you left out the hairpins and road surace buggered up by a stream of struggling motorvehicles.

My first attempt ended just beyond the 2nd hairpin, although my bike wasn't really geared for North Yorkshire and I was accustomed to East Anglia..

Later encounters with the beast were on the Moors 'illy Imperial after already tackling 60 hilly miles. I adopted the tactic of buying an ice cream in Rosedale and enjoying it as I walked up the early stages (later it's too steep to enjoy an ice cream AND push a bike).

My only successful attempt was effortless but nearly thwarted by a suicidal sheep for which I had to brake suddenly, however I was on a 650cc motorbike.

Anyway, they do(did?) races up it!

After taking all the major road race honours again this year, Paul Curran turned his attentions to time trialling on Sunday with devastating effect in the RTTC national hill-climb championship at Rosedale Chimney, North Yorkshire.

 

[Mr Pig]

It's hard to get a handle on how steep hills are, well for me anyway. I'm surrounded by the things, which I quite like, but I've no idea how steep they are.

The surface makes a big difference too. The there are no tarmac hills near me that I think are as bad as this hill, going from what you've said. I don't think anyway. The hill out behind me is massive but the road up there is a series of climbs and drops, not one big climb.

The steep gravel tracks are trickier though, you need to be very smooth and consistent because if you loose traction and stop it's very hard to get moving again.