Energy sapping hills

[endoman]

Holme Moss. Although not from Holmfirth- that, for me at least, is the relatively easy route over. If you come over the tops from Greenfield that means you've just been climbing for twenty minutes- half an hour, then descending for five or ten minutes, so you're already a bit tired AND your legs are cold. Then take a right take a right at the Ford pub, and you have heavy, undulating roads for 500 yards. Then a REALLY steep descent with a few 90 degree bends with added drystone walls to keep you on your toes, then another mile or two of the same heavy, undulating roads. Then Holme Moss. If you're lucky there'll just be a headwind.

look forward to it in Tour of Peak :-(

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I think it's a mental thing. If you have an obvious hill then you get yourself ready for it, maybe not consciously, but if it's a climb that is surrounded by landscape that makes it seem less steep than it is then you aren't in the right frame of mind.

That sounds a very reasonable explanation. From the bridge to the final climb at the end looks dead flat so it's hard to accept having to go down a gear or two.
I know it's not just me as I often pass other cyclists who are either going slow or have got off to push on the last bit.