Box Hill Obsession

[w00hoo_kent]

I did my Ride London test run late on a Sunday last year and Box Hill was the busiest bit but still not really busy to any degree. Would have been riding it between 5 and 6 in the early evening at a guess. Also, for me, the easiest compared to Newlands and Leith which I'd already ridden by the time I reached it.

 

[vickster]

Sunday is the worst day to do it unless it's peeing with rain. I can never remember if Saturday or Sunday is more the motorbike day, and cyclists more the other

And it's not so hard that you have to abstain on Saturday! I'd avoid between 10 and 4 on either myself

 

[ianrauk]

Sunday is usually motorbike day. But they are never any bother.

 

[Simontm]

When I was a young driver, I used to borrow my dad's high-performance car and head down the Mickies on the way to walk the dog because the police were only out to catch the bikers. That was why they originally put in the speed bumps wasn't it?

 

[Simontm]

Sunday is the worst day to do it unless it's peeing with rain. I can never remember if Saturday or Sunday is more the motorbike day, and cyclists more the other

And it's not so hard that you have to abstain on Saturday! I'd avoid between 10 and 4 on either myself

It's more the getting up! Reckon it will take me under an hour to get there from TD so leaving at 7 should be fine.

 

[vickster]

Sunday is usually motorbike day. But they are never any bother.

I'm sure. I just don't like motorbikes around me

 

[KneesUp]

I like this thread because it puts the 'hilliness' of where I live into perspective. I was a bit grumpy this morning because I still don't feel very fit - my rides are still hard work - and then I looked up Box Hill on Wikipedia and I see that the 'zig zag road' climbs 120 metres in 1.6 miles. And for comparison I looked at the route that would be the most obvious extension to my commute, and it climbs 119 metres in 1.66 miles - but it's not called a 'hill' or a 'rise' or anything, it's just a road - one of many, and not an especially hilly or steep one. And now I don't feel so bad about putting off riding it with my 10kg commuting luggage on my 14kg bike, and I feel better about my fitness knowing that even my flattest commuting route is 60% of Box "Hill"

 

[w00hoo_kent]

The South East doesn't do big hills, not a lot we can do about that. The Downs has some that are steep, but they don't tend to be long. That's just how it is. There's still plenty I don't want to do often/at all though. (Vigo).

 

[KneesUp]

The South East doesn't do big hills, not a lot we can do about that. The Downs has some that are steep, but they don't tend to be long. That's just how it is. There's still plenty I don't want to do often/at all though. (Vigo).

Oh yes, you can't fight the geology -it's just nice that it's not just me that thinks the hills I would encounter by extending my commute are reasonably serious ones

 

[iwantanewbike]

From the article: 'When asked if they saw the number of events being held on the hill to be "excessive", the meeting unanimously voted "yes".'

When you phrase a question like that to a bunch of NIMBYs, of course the answer is going to be "yes"!

 

[Cuchilo]

Sunday is usually motorbike day. But they are never any bother.

Unless they beat you up in your car with a baseball bat for cottaging .

 

[NorvernRob]

I like this thread because it puts the 'hilliness' of where I live into perspective. I was a bit grumpy this morning because I still don't feel very fit - my rides are still hard work - and then I looked up Box Hill on Wikipedia and I see that the 'zig zag road' climbs 120 metres in 1.6 miles. And for comparison I looked at the route that would be the most obvious extension to my commute, and it climbs 119 metres in 1.66 miles - but it's not called a 'hill' or a 'rise' or anything, it's just a road - one of many, and not an especially hilly or steep one. And now I don't feel so bad about putting off riding it with my 10kg commuting luggage on my 14kg bike, and I feel better about my fitness knowing that even my flattest commuting route is 60% of Box "Hill"

Lol I didn't realise Box Hill was so puny. If I turn right out of my front door I climb that amount in under 2 miles, and that's just on the way to meet up to start a ride.

Grindleford Hill/Surprise Climb/Froggatt etc (basically anything out of the Derwent Valley back towards Sheffield) are all double the length and elevation of Box Hill, and I'd class them as steady climbs home rather than difficult - there are loads more difficult hills than those in the Peaks.

Then again it is the Peak District so you'd expect it, it's just strange to imagine riding somewhere flat when you live somewhere so hilly and 50ft per mile is considered flat!

 

[rebelpeter]

Yes, but few others immortalised in song.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yw2yKNLEPc

I had one of these and the black knight

 

[KneesUp]

Lol I didn't realise Box Hill was so puny. If I turn right out of my front door I climb that amount in under 2 miles, and that's just on the way to meet up to start a ride.

Grindleford Hill/Surprise Climb/Froggatt etc (basically anything out of the Derwent Valley back towards Sheffield) are all double the length and elevation of Box Hill, and I'd class them as steady climbs home rather than difficult - there are loads more difficult hills than those in the Peaks.

Then again it is the Peak District so you'd expect it, it's just strange to imagine riding somewhere flat when you live somewhere so hilly and 50ft per mile is considered flat!

"Hunters Bar to The Hammer and Pincers" doesn't sound as dramatic as "Box Hill" but it's about the same

 

[PK99]

Within the next few weeks, I will begin to tackle hills Box and Leith for Ride London training as I have not cycled up either of them since I was a teenager - walked the dog up them practically every other weekend into my 20s!

Anyone a tad more knowledgeable know what is a good time to get there to avoid pelatons, sportifs etc?

Midweek!