My first Century ride (and a new found respect for cyclists down south!)

[mwktar]

Completed the Wiggle New forest 100 this weekend why was my first ever imperial century ride.

I live in south Wales, where i've always thought the real hill climbers are made! Gotta say, the word undulating has a much more sinister meaning than i first realised!

Where I live, you tend to have some serious climbing in parts of a ride so i thought a ride down south with those "undulating" hills would be fairly straight forward.

Undulating, it turns out is posh for little and often. Not a single categorised climb for the entire route but good lord did my legs hurt!!!

If anyone is interested the route I rode is here

 

[xxDarkRiderxx]

I have just one word. Incredible.

 

[sussexrider]

Great ride, I did the 100 on Saturday, but my garmin recorded over 6000ft of climbing!

Come back for the Spring Sportive mostly in the forest and a lot less climbing

 

[Lilliburlero]

Well done

 

[Incontinentia Buttocks]

Brilliant stuff, can't wait to be uninjured again so I can do my 2nd century, think I'll give the "undulating" route a miss though!

 

[EltonFrog]

I've ridden the WNF 100 twice actually one of them was 125 miles, it's a lumpy route.

Well done.

 

[Goonerobes]

Well done, I hope that you enjoyed riding around my stomping ground.

 

[mwktar]

Well done, I hope that you enjoyed riding around my stomping ground.

It was nice - i think it would have been nicer on the original route though (which had to change due to the pony drift) Thinking of popping back in April if they adjust the route to run through the new forest properly again

 

[mwktar]

Great ride, I did the 100 on Saturday, but my garmin recorded over 6000ft of climbing!

Come back for the Spring Sportive mostly in the forest and a lot less climbing

I was the Saturday too - you probably overtook me :P

 

[Bollo]

Glad you enjoyed it. That bit just north of the New Forest between Winchester and Salisbury is my stomping ground. I'm always surprised how easy it seems to rack up the ascending metres while never really getting over 200m elevation. Although there's nothing that can even compete in terms of length and incline with more obviously hilly areas, it's very difficult to find a stretch of even approximately flat road.

 

[jonny jeez]

It was nice - i think it would have been nicer on the original route though (which had to change due to the pony drift) Thinking of popping back in April if they adjust the route to run through the new forest properly again

Go back anytime, the new forest is open all year round these days.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Well done!
We did a swap: While you were in the South, finding it surprisingly hilly, I was in the Brecon Beacons, finding it unsurprisingly hilly. I managed 1300m (4,200ft) in just 50 miles. So I think your comment about real hill climbers in S Wales has some merit!

 

[Winnershsaint]

Having spent part of my teenage years in Breamore and having mates in Godshill, Stuckton, Frogham, Sandleheath and Damerham I rode this area quite extensively and know the road between Woodgreen up to the Fighting Cocks in Godshill particularly well. One friend lived on Blissford Road in Godshill and part of our time on bikes involved free-wheeling down Blissford Hill to see how far we could get without pedalling or stopping/falling off, only thing was we then had to climb back up to do it all again. With only five gears at your disposal it was a bit of a wrestle, as was climbing up Southampton Road from Fordingbridge towards the Forest.

 

[Winnershsaint]

It's funny but you could be led to believe that southern England really doesn't have any real climbing at all. Certainly it has nothing to compare with the Lakes, Pennines, Wales and the moors of the west country, but anyone who has done Pru Ride London, L to B or any one of the many sportives and charity rides that criss-cross landscape of southern England on any given spring and summer Sunday will tell you something different.
Much of the landscape is chalk, only rarely exceeding 200 metres, but the nature of the topography is such that it provides short but challenging climbs as the OP pointed out and on most routes it really is little and often. There are many within easy riding distance for me in the south Chilterns in the Hambleden and Stonor valleys and a recent 60 miler I did starting and finishing in Odiham racked up over 3000 ft of upping and downing. Many climbs are well known such as Box Hill and Leith Hill while there are others that remain much less so. I have a number of favourites that I have ridden locally and further away. Those up towards Christmas Common like Watlington Hill and Britwell Hill basically climb the chalk escarpment of the southern end of the Chilterns, as does my particular nemesis Howe Hill which follows the B481 out of Watlington.

 

[Buck]

Completed the Wiggle New forest 100 this weekend why was my first ever imperial century ride.

I live in south Wales, where i've always thought the real hill climbers are made! Gotta say, the word undulating has a much more sinister meaning than i first realised!

Where I live, you tend to have some serious climbing in parts of a ride so i thought a ride down south with those "undulating" hills would be fairly straight forward.

Undulating, it turns out is posh for little and often. Not a single categorised climb for the entire route but good lord did my legs hurt!!!

If anyone is interested the route I rode is here

Great ride by the looks of it and kudos on Strava - further than I have ever ridden.