How hard is Ditchling?

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heliphil

heliphil

Guru
Location
Essex
having done Ditchling a few times plus a few BIG mountains in the Alps, the hardest hill I have done was a quick sprint up the 1 in 3 /4 in Polzeath in Cornwall, it felt really hard but only for a minute or so - It took me 3 hours to ride up the Timmelsjoch last summer but I was not puffing and panting so much....

So - its really difficult to compare hills.....

Equally my 14yr old daughter made most adults look a bit silly going up Ditchling two years ago but she's light and swims 10+ hours a week....
 
perplexed

perplexed

Guru
Location
Sheffield
marinyork said:
See above :biggrin:.

Surprise view is not quite as big and not as steep. Baslow hill is a different hill classification to the beacon, it isn't that steep though.
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Ta...:biggrin:
 
rich p

rich p

ridiculous old lush
Location
Brighton
My 53 year old wife does it 2 or 3 times a week on her commute with a pannier full of stuff. A nice climb but no Alpe d'Huez.
 
Old Walrus

Old Walrus

Guru
Location
Hassocks, West Sussex
If you are in the area and want another bit of fun pop a little further east and take a 'quick' spin up Streat Hill Bostal (starts opposite the junction of the B2116 and Streat Lane). It's a farm road leading to the top of the South Downs, starts steep, gets steeper and throws a speed sapping hairpin into the equation just when you don't want one.

At the top you join the South Downs Way so either have suitable tyres or gird the loins for an interesting return back down to the main road, be warned there is no run out at the bottom.
 
dellzeqq

dellzeqq

pre-talced and mighty
Location
SW2
rich p said:
My 53 year old wife does it 2 or 3 times a week on her commute with a pannier full of stuff. A nice climb but no Alpe d'Huez.
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Rich - nobody is going to believe that Terry is 53!

I do mean Sheephouse Lane, which, for reasons that I cannot possibly fathom is called 'Friday Street' by the locals. There's a twenty metre rise at 1 in 4.

Other North Downs toughies

- White Hill Lane going up to Caterham - this is a particularly annoying item because, having thrown yourself up a 1 in 5 (I'd have walked if my then new SPD-Rs had let me) you come to a pub garden at the top, full of Range Rover driving oiks. 0.62 Ditchlings.

- Barr Hurst Lane near Ewhurst which goes up about 110 metres with a short stretch labelled 21%. 0.66 Ditchlings, but it is a beautiful ride.
 
funnymummy

funnymummy

A Dizzy M.A.B.I.L
Location
Lancing West Sussex
Old Walrus said:
If you are in the area and want another bit of fun pop a little further east and take a 'quick' spin up Streat Hill Bostal (starts opposite the junction of the B2116 and Streat Lane). It's a farm road leading to the top of the South Downs, starts steep, gets steeper and throws a speed sapping hairpin into the equation just when you don't want one.

At the top you join the South Downs Way so either have suitable tyres or gird the loins for an interesting return back down to the main road, be warned there is no run out at the bottom.
Click to expand...

#3 flies up that one, I walked it - In my defence I did have 8 stone of child & trailer on the back on me :whistle:
 
brockers

brockers

Senior Member
Location
hollowed out volcano
dellzeqq said:
Other North Downs toughies

- White Hill Lane going up to Caterham... 0.62 Ditchlings.

- Barr Hurst Lane near Ewhurst... 0.66 Ditchlings, but it is a beautiful ride.
Click to expand...

I think I'll adopt that as a unit of measurement, though I might revert to fractions of the imperial unit 'Toys' when on my steel bike.
 
zigzag

zigzag

Veteran
can't believe there are seven pages discussed about one hill :smile: i went up the hill three times during last month - each time different way. the easiest and slowest way was to spin up in low gear, like i did yesterday. if you feel energetic, faster is to grind up in higher gear (42/22 in my case). one must not forget to look around - beautiful views when approaching the top.
 
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