How steep?

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

hi bonj,

do you know church lane in hebden bridge? i've been up it only a few times and it's much steeper, or so it seems, than the other roads marked with a double chevron. maybe colinj will know better as he lives there.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

hi sam,

i use bikehike as well. do you know how to read the gradients properly? eg, if it goes from -15% to +5%, does this mean that section is 20%. i've looked in the help section on bikehike but it wasn't much help

 

[bonj2]

hi bonj,

do you know church lane in hebden bridge? i've been up it only a few times and it's much steeper, or so it seems, than the other roads marked with a double chevron. maybe colinj will know better as he lives there.

No i don't know it personally, ColinJ probably does as he lives there like you say.
Double chevron is "anything ABOVE 20%", so it could be anything from 20% up to low 30s percent. Basically your 1 in 5s, 1 in 4s and (more rare) 1 in 3s.

So a 1 in 5 would have a double chevron, but a 1 in 3 would also only have a double chevron.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

ahh,

didn't spot ABOVE on os. i stand corrected.
colinj will know this. church lane is infamous round our way.

 

[jimboalee]

A simple inclinometer.

The tape measure is 65mm wide. The tape is extracted to 650mm.

The spirit level is a cheap one from Poundland ( a Spiritlevel Shaped Object ).

The device is set to 10%.... Doesn't look a lot, does it?


The whole thing can be carried to your local hill, and when you get to the steep bit, stop and do some measuring.

Later at home, do the maths and find out the gradient FOR REAL, not what is on some map or website.

 

[bonj2]

that's great but doesn't the tape measure bend?

 

[ColinJ]

do you know church lane in hebden bridge? i've been up it only a few times and it's much steeper, or so it seems, than the other roads marked with a double chevron. maybe colinj will know better as he lives there.

Oh yes! It starts in Church Lane but a lot of people refer to the higher part as 'Mytholm Steeps'. The steepest part is 1:4 or 25% for about 100 metres. The first part of the climb from the church to the top of the 25% section rises about 125 m in 700 m so it averages about 18%. It slackens off above that to 10% for about another 650 m; that actually feels easy after what has gone before!

I've posted this link many times before but here it is again - a Slideshow showing the climb from Church Lane to Mytholm Steeps and on towards Blackshaw Head.

NB I loaded the photos in the wrong order - click the Pause button (bottom left), scroll to the last picture in the slideshow, click on it, click Options (top right) and check the Play Backwards box, then click the Play button (bottom left).

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

bugger it. i'm going to do it tomorrow. going to tea shop in hebden after. wonder if i can get up it in one go on a brompton.

 

[ColinJ]

bugger it. i'm going to do it tomorrow. going to tea shop in hebden after. wonder if i can get up it in one go on a brompton.

Good luck with it Shaun! Watch it though - rain is forecast and it is very easy for your back wheel to slide out on the 25% ramp when the road is wet. I've had a few clipless pedal moments up there in the past!

If you are a real glutton for punishment, have a go at Horsehold too! You can see it on the little map I posted above. Go over the canel by the Co-op in Market Street, and turn right straight onto the climb. It only goes up to a few farms and bridleways but you get some great views from up there. Watch out on the descent!

 

[ColinJ]

So Shaun - how did you get on?

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

watched grand prix instead. then took daughter on driving lesson. going tomorrow tho

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

did it today colinj. managed to cycle the brommie 2/3's of the first part, i.e., to where the last hairpin is after last terraced house. then cycled 1/3 of the remainder. i don't think there is a gear low enough for me to haul my ass on the brommie all the way to the top without pushing. took some piccies. cycled gingerly back down and had cheshire cheese baked spud with a coffee in the tea shop. rode home. it rained really really hard all the time i was out. now the sun's out. typical.


the ride is here

www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=17148

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

out of curiosity, has anyone on here managed to clear church lane on a push bike? mmm might be possible on a mtb in granny.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

here is the proof

 

[ColinJ]

Well done on getting as far as you did on a Brompton!

out of curiosity, has anyone on here managed to clear church lane on a push bike? mmm might be possible on a mtb in granny.

I've tackled it 6 times on road bikes and the current score is 3:3! I can get up it okay on my MTB with its 22/32 bottom gear.

'Pain in the Pennines' went up it and a lot of people did succeed in getting up it, though many didn't.

The Milk Race was sent up it at least once. I was chatting to a local who walked up the hill to the steep bit to watch the carnage. Apparently either the riders hadn't been warned of the severity of the climb, or low enough gears weren't available to them. At any rate, the best riders got up it then a few toppled sideways still attached to their bikes by clips and toestraps. After that, everybody had to get off and walk!