How do you know the % rating of hills?

[albion]

Well, I'm of the intent to cycle the 70 miles to Whitby tomorrow.

It is many a year since I headed over Birk Brough?
Is that as steep as I recall in my youth?

My good excuse for not attempting the 'donkey track' is having 23mm tyres.
I assume that one is just the track alongside the steps up to the abbey.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@Donger I use the formula from climbbybike in my database to work out how difficult a ride was, and from that how difficult per mile, its useful for comparing over time as well, for instance using the formula and adapting it to give a useful figure, yesterdays 58Km ride had a difficulty of 277.63 (this figure is dirrived from the formula) and per mile of 7.68, todays ride of 70Km had a difficulty of 571.69 and 13.08/mile, these compared with what have been discussed are very easy ride, something like 32ft/mile yesterday and 43.65ft/mile today

 

[HLaB]

Found web sites always vary significantly when it comes to elevation and gradient and rider's reports vary too

 

[Donger]

@Donger I use the formula from climbbybike in my database to work out how difficult a ride was, and from that how difficult per mile, its useful for comparing over time as well, for instance using the formula and adapting it to give a useful figure, yesterdays 58Km ride had a difficulty of 277.63 (this figure is dirrived from the formula) and per mile of 7.68, todays ride of 70Km had a difficulty of 571.69 and 13.08/mile, these compared with what have been discussed are very easy ride, something like 32ft/mile yesterday and 43.65ft/mile today

Thanks for that Nigel, but you appear to have mistaken me for Carol Vorderman. I'm afraid I'm not even on the same page.

 

[albion]

A pure list.
http://cyclinguphill.com/100-climbs/

Strangely I would very occasionally do three 20% hills on my West Durham route yet it is relatively hardly listed. (there must be 12+ at 20% )
Veer a few yards off the C2C N7 towards Consett and you will usually wish you hadn't .

Oh my, Cragg Vale appears in the other/easy 100 list !

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Thanks for that Nigel, but you appear to have mistaken me for Carol Vorderman. I'm afraid I'm not even on the same page.

In other words the ride today was almost twice as difficult as yesterday per mile, but only 1/3 extra elevation per mile, which surprised me as today I seemed to climbing or going down, where as yesterday there was only two what you would call short climbs and the rest pretty flat.

 

[Geoff Crowther]

Boy, this thread is running away with itself. I'm lost with all the maths but consider myself properly educated now.
Cheers for all the interesting info.
Geoff

 

[JasonHolder]

Climbbybike.com is a site I quite like to visit to see profiles of big hills that I plan to take on, as well as the big climbs that feature on the major tours. One of my local hills, Haresfield Beacon near Stroud, features on the site, and it states that the maximum gradient is 25%. That stat alone doesn't tell you what a beast it is though. It's one of those nasty so-and-sos that keeps getting steeper every time you come round a bend. Eventually, when you come round the last right hander, you see a concave road surface stretching out above you, seemingly getting exponentially steeper the further you go. The last time I attempted it, I got to within 200m of the top and finally had to stop around where the Cotswold Way crosses the road. When I tried to start going again, I repeatedly pulled a wheelie, and just couldn't keep my front wheel on the ground. I gave up, disconsolately, and turned the bike around to go back down with my tail between my legs. Believe it or not, I actually had to walk the bike down a few metres to a spot where I could physically remount the bike, it was so steep. Personally i reckon it is quite a bit more than 25%, and I don't think I'll ever be able to beat it.

Always roll down the hill to get started and then turn around. where exactly is harefields beacon? Can't say I've heard of it.

 

[Donger]

Always roll down the hill to get started and then turn around. where exactly is harefields beacon? Can't say I've heard of it.

Look up the village of Haresfield (which is at the bottom of the hill) on the map. I'd say it is about half way between Quedgeley and Stroud as the crow flies. The Beacon is the viewpoint at the top, looking out over Stonehouse, the Stroud valleys and the Vale of Gloucester. A half mile or so after the top, the road meets the road that runs from Edge towards Whiteshill and Randwick. My brother managed the climb about 30 years ago. when he was touring fit. He lay on the grass palpitating for 15 minutes afterwards and thinking he was having a heart attack! I was determined to put one over him by doing it at the age of 53 and a weight of 20st. Sadly I must admit defeat. I sense you are thinking of doing it, though, and I wish you luck. Tell us about it when you've done it Jason. Whatever you do, don't stop at the sign saying "Cotswold Way", or you might not get going again. At that point you have about another 200 metres to go.

 

[albion]

Anyone one else noticed that 10% hills can on occasions look steeper than 25% hills? (e.g.Low Fell down the 10% hill towards the Team Valley PO delivery depot)