Hill climbing

[HLaB]

Anyone know any 25% gradients near Glasgow?

Are you for a cycle up the Tak Ma Doon and then to north Stirling. This is the steepest climb I know near'ish you (Carlie Craig). According to the Edge its only 20% but by your reckoning that must be touching 25%

Edit: are any of these near you?

 

[magnatom]

Are you for a cycle up the Tak Ma Doon and then to north Stirling. This is the steepest climb I know near'ish you (Carlie Craig). According to the Edge its only 20% but by your reckoning that must be touching 25%

Edit: are any of these near you?

That's a cool web site! It's a shame it only has average and not maximum gradient. I'll have to have a close look at that.

I'd certainly be up for a ride taking in Carlie Craig. You'd have to hang back for me though!

 

[Scoosh]

I'd certainly be up for a ride taking in Carlie Craig. You'd have to hang back for me though!

Sounds a good ride idea B)

I'm in ..... when ???

Regarding OP - all I have read says that the best way to get better at climbing hills ... is to climb hills. Sounds too simple but I think it works - I did Cleish Hill today from the Cleish (N) side and thoroughly enjoyed it B). Not too steep, and I'm practising sitting down and spinning.

I'd certainly echo the concept of using only one gear on your commutes - doesn't have to be on the best bike either.

 

[HLaB]

Sounds a good ride idea

I'm in ..... when ???

Regarding OP - all I have read says that the best way to get better at climbing hills ... is to climb hills. B) Sounds too simple but I think it works - I did Cleish Hill today from the Cleish (N) side and thoroughly enjoyed it B). Not too steep, and I'm practising sitting down and spinning.

I'd certainly echo the concept of using only one gear on your commutes - doesn't have to be on the best bike either.

The next forum ride I was glad when I did it I was on the compact Bianchi.

I remember my first 100 miler that finished with the Nivingston Craigs (Cleish Hill). A familiar story when I started off the sun was splitting the sky but by the time I'd got to the craigs it was pouring and the rain was running down the hill in what seemed liked rivers , flowing faster than i could go up.

I like to vary things on the climb sitting up is fine on a constant gradient but sometimes it doesn't feel right. I like to stand up a bit (up a gear or two) sit down for a bit (drop down a gear or two) and repeat this often. I find it gives relief to different muscles and lets me go on further. Depending what the hill is like I do more of one or the other, you get to know what feels like. Its usually stand up more for a short hill and spin more for a longer one.

PS with my commute being short I like to do it on the heavier bike.

 

[MacB]

Mags, just to follow up on the SS idea, by all means get a specific bike, but I wasn't suggesting hammering your good bike hard enough, or at a poor chainline, to do any damage. I just found that I'd gotten into the change gear automatically mode, often for slopes that really weren't worth the gear change. I didn't do any damage to my bike and I was a great deal heavier than you, and significantly less fit, when I started this.

The point is that you spend a lot more time out of the saddle, it doesn't have to be massively honking. You just get comfier doing it and your 'out of the saddle' stamina improves very quickly.

 

[magnatom]

Guys,

I definitely up for a 'hilly ride'. When are you guys available? I can normally do Fridays and Saturdays, when I can get a day pass!


MacBludgeon,

I just don't want to use just one gear. I don't want to wear down one cog.

What I have been doing is generally standing up more on my commute and trying to use higher gears. I'm definitely improving. I'm managing to stay in the large front ring most of the time now. In fact, this morning I only had to drop once just at the top of the tunnel. I'll be doing a 50 miler tomorrow, and I will certainly try and stand more.

 

[I am Spartacus]

Only 1 more thing to say about hills..

USE GEARS GUYS

with regrets to anyone with 1 gear or less fitted to their bike

 

[magnatom]

I had a look at the Cols d'Ecosse website. Apart from Crow Road and Tak Ma Doon, none of these are really in range (there is one in Greenock, but I have no urge to go there and it is tiddly compared to my other locals).

One that caught my eye was Bealach na Ba from Applecross. It averages 7.3% and involves 625 metres of climbing. Now that is a hill!

 

[Scoosh]

I had a look at the Cols d'Ecosse website. Apart from Crow Road and Tak Ma Doon, none of these are really in range (there is one in Greenock, but I have no urge to go there and it is tiddly compared to my other locals).

One that caught my eye was Bealach na Ba from Applecross. It averages 7.3% and involves 625 metres of climbing. Now that is a hill!

How about this (the wee one)


... or THIS (the BIG one)

Maybe CC Team for 2010 ???

 

[HLaB]

Guys,

I definitely up for a 'hilly ride'. When are you guys available? I can normally do Fridays and Saturdays, when I can get a day pass!

I not took a summer hol yet so I've still got a few days left, so I could probably do a Fri and I'm off every Saturday; just let us know if you've got anything in mind.

 

[HJ]

I think you are looking at it the wrong way Mags, your approach is about sheer brute strength, when it is actually about stamina. What you really need to do is up your distance...

 

[Seamab]

The "Carlie Craig" climb referred to is the Sheriffmuir road and can be started either from the Bridge of Allan side (just adjacent to the main entrance to Stirling Uni) or from the Blairlogie side at Logie Kirk just before the Wallace monument.

Both roads meet up a short distance into the climb. The Bridge of Allan side is harder but a better road surface than the Logie Kirk side. It starts out fairly brutal and keeps that way for a fair bit before easing off at a viewpoint car park when it changes to a less steep but still challenging climb all the way up past the Sheriffmuir Inn (near 3 miles in total).

A hilly route would be to start in Stirling , go over Sheriffmuir to Blackford (crossing the A9) then past Gleneagles, Auchterarder and over to Dunning, up the Path of Condie, Stronachie down to Cleish, up Nivingstone Crags, Knock Hill, down to Saline and on back down to Stirling. Need to map it out for distance, but it would be a challenging run...

 

[magnatom]

I think you are looking at it the wrong way Mags, your approach is about sheer brute strength, when it is actually about stamina. What you really need to do is up your distance...

Oh yes, I aim to do that as well. However, time is always limited due to the ever growing family!

50 miles is beoming my normal training distance, and this weekend I will be taking in Tak Ma Doon and Crow Road.

I should manage the odd 60 miler here and there. Anything more will be very occasional.

 

[magnatom]

I not took a summer hol yet so I've still got a few days left, so I could probably do a Fri and I'm off every Saturday; just let us know if you've got anything in mind.

I'll see what I can organise, time wise, although time is tight at the moment.

I could perhaps take a day off as well on another day of the week. I shall ponder....

 

[oldgreyandslow]

MacB
I see your in the same locale as me, where are the hills near here? I have the same issues as the original poster, when it gets just a little hilly I seem to just die, its the legs not the lungs!