I did it!

[Crandoggler]

Bit of an achievement for me today.

I'm 115kg of man and I usually struggle to keep the pace up whilst on the inclines. There's a hill near me called Streatley hill, it's a bit of a bastard and features in the top 10 climbs in Britain.

Anyway, I've never done it before. I had gone down it by accident once, which was hard enough just stopping.

Anyway, today, I thought let's have a go. It's absolute torture all the way up, but I made it! In quite a shite time - but I didn't get off the bike and kept going!

Here's the strava segment and my ride:

Hill
https://www.strava.com/segments/729782

Ride
https://www.strava.com/activities/453872956

Just noticed people have done it at 11mph. That's incredible!

 

[Ian H]

Excellent! I haven't been up that way for a while, but it is a nice little tester.

 

[contadino]

The thing is, now you know it's doable, there's no need to stop and walk in future.

 

[Bobby Mhor]

Well done you
shoot time or not, you got there...
My Strava hill segment times are way, way down, mind you I'm a fair bit heavier

 

[Crandoggler]

The thing is, now you know it's doable, there's no need to stop and walk in future.

Never had to get off yet!

 

[Ian H]

The thing is, now you know it's doable, there's no need to stop and walk in future.

Nothing like putting the pressure on.

 

[youngoldbloke]

I distinctly remember coming to a standstill and keeling over sideways onto the verge on that hill! - sometime around summer 1962, can't remember exactly. I must have been about fifteen and was on my way to Worthing from Birmingham for the annual family holiday fortnight. I'd persuaded my family that it was a good idea for me to cycle while they all went by train. It was a 2 day ride, I'd stopped overnight at Streatley and Goring YH. I used clips and straps and shoeplates, and couldn't pull a foot out of the pedals quickly enough. I can't remember much else about the trip, other than puncturing high up on the south downs, and oddly I have no memory of how I got back - I think I must have returned on the train with my parents!

 

[welsh dragon]

Many congratulations indeed on your achievement

 

[stephec]

13%, anything over 7% and I try and avoid it.

That's quite impressive.

 

[Crandoggler]

I distinctly remember coming to a standstill and keeling over sideways onto the verge on that hill! - sometime around summer 1962, can't remember exactly. I must have been about fifteen and was on my way to Worthing from Birmingham for the annual family holiday fortnight. I'd persuaded my family that it was a good idea for me to cycle while they all went by train. It was a 2 day ride, I'd stopped overnight at Streatley and Goring YH. I used clips and straps and shoeplates, and couldn't pull a foot out of the pedals quickly enough. I can't remember much else about the trip, other than puncturing high up on the south downs, and oddly I have no memory of how I got back - I think I must have returned on the train with my parents!

I feel your pain. It's absolutely brutal at the top - 18/19%. I started to run out of grunt, I didn't really feel exhausted, I just felt like I couldn't physically push down hard enough on the pedals to keep the wheels rotating. Mad stuff, will have to try and beat my record next time :-/

 

[Mrs M]

Well done

 

[ColinJ]

Yes - well done!

It does look a tough climb (and I'm not trying to dismiss your achievement in getting up it), but it does surprise me that it is counted as one of the top 10 climbs in the UK. I would have thought that you could find 10 harder climbs in just the Lake District, for instance?

Those 10 climbs can't be selected on length, average gradient or maximum gradient because there many even more brutal climbs dotted about the country. Does the author of the book explain why those climbs were chosen? (And as matter of interest, what are the other 9 climbs?)

 

[User19783]

Great and well done,

I do the hill quite a lot, when I am in training, I do loops, so when you get to the top, take the first left, it takes you down a nice lane, take a left at the bottom, which then takes to the main Reading Road, turn left again, until the traffic lights, and then do all again, enjoy.

 

[Cuchilo]

Nice one

 

[Oldfentiger]

Chapeau!!