F@*#ing optical illusions.

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Gasman

Old enough to know better, too old to care!
You may have heard of the Electric Brae in Ayrshire, a stretch of road where the shape of the land makes it appear as if you're coasting uphill. I seem to have found another one; Heighington Lane in Newton Aycliffe. Out for a ride this morning and came to this stretch which looked dead flat or even slightly downhill. Struggled to make double figure mph along it and got to the end severly out of breath. Now, I'm not that fit to begin with but this felt particularly disheartening. I've just done some googling and it turns out that this 1.4km stretch has a 40m rise along it in this direction! I'll try it the other way next time but I suspect it will turn out to be a double ramped hill!
 

Mo1959

Legendary Member
You may have heard of the Electric Brae in Ayrshire, a stretch of road where the shape of the land makes it appear as if you're coasting uphill. I seem to have found another one; Heighington Lane in Newton Aycliffe. Out for a ride this morning and came to this stretch which looked dead flat or even slightly downhill. Struggled to make double figure mph along it and got to the end severly out of breath. Now, I'm not that fit to begin with but this felt particularly disheartening. I've just done some googling and it turns out that this 1.4km stretch has a 40m rise along it in this direction! I'll try it the other way next time but I suspect it will turn out to be a double ramped hill!
Got one I find like that here. First time I rode it I was sure it looked slightly downhill but it's definitely not and is a bit of a slog.
 

mrbikerboy73

Über Member
Location
Worthing, UK
There's a stretch of road not far from me, it feels like you are going up hill but rides like a downhill. Someone named it as such on Strava so it's not just me that thinks it!
 

machew

Veteran
CatStairsImgur1.jpg


Cat going up or down?
 

jarlrmai

Veteran
There's a section on one my routes where it feels tough as hell, there doesn't seem to be much gradient I put it down to to road surface.
 

G3CWI

Veteran
Location
Macclesfield
There is a place near here where a stream appears to flow uphill. I cant recall the location but I have been and illusion is amazing.
 

Chris S

Legendary Member
Location
Birmingham
On some sections of the Harborne Walkway you think you are going downhill, until you realize that you have to pedal to maintain your speed. It's an old railway track and the embankments play havoc with your visual cues.
Augustusrdbridge2.jpg
 
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