Prepping for Etape 2014 - any good hills to train on near Brighton?

[Trebor68]

I'm just starting my training for next year's Etape and need some long hills to practice on - ideally c.7-12% gradient.

Does anyone have any recommendations in Sussex, Hampshire or Surrey - within striking distance of Brighton?

Cheers

 

[ianrauk]

Ditchling Beacon and Devils Dyke.
You can go up and down those to your hearts content.

 

[Beebo]

You will struggle to find any hills, even in Scotland or the Yorkshire, that will give you an Alpine pass experience. 20km constant gradient is very hard to recreate, as Ian says, Ditchling Beacon is a slow grind, but wouldn't merrit a mention on the Tour.

 

[rich p]

You will struggle to find any hills, even in Scotland or the Yorkshire, that will give you an Alpine pass experience. 20km constant gradient is very hard to recreate, as Ian says, Ditchling Beacon is a slow grind, but wouldn't merrit a mention on the Tour.

It depends how many times you do it! It's quick to descend so reps are easy.
I believe @Foghat did it 10 times in a row which gives you 10 miles at an average of 10%.
Sompting to Steyning and back via the Bostal is a good training hill. Max of 17% on the north side and an easier slog of 7% or so from the south. Do that a few times.

 

[Foghat]

I believe @Foghat did it 10 times in a row

Indeed I did, and non-stop. But that was 20 years ago - the traffic level these days would make repeating that feat a pretty unpleasant experience now, I think.

ianaruk's Devil's Dyke suggestion is probably better, as the traffic is a bit less up-your-arse, and the gradient is less irregular than the Beacon's numerous steep humps.

Another good one for Alps training was the climb up from Maresfield past Duddleswell onto the top of Ashdown Forest. Right sort of gradient for the shallower Alpine passes, and reasonably long for SE England. The other advantage of this one is the blistering (steeper) descent down The Wall (Kidd's Hill) the other side, to Coleman's Hatch, which clearly one must then climb back up for steeper Alpine pass training. Repeat 10 times!

 

[jdtate101]

Having done the Marmotte the best advice I can give is to get out to the Etape a few days early and ride some of the climbs. This will not only acclimatise you but your can then learn to pace such long climbs. As others have said, there is nothing in this country similar and doing 10x 1mile is different to doing 10miles uphill. Other than that do lots of high power/low cadence stuff (ie work on your torque) as you will spend a lot of time grinding it out. You've started about the right time as 6 months is really the minimum needed to ramp up for one of these epic alpine sportives.

Enjoy, it will be the best sportive of your life....

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Ashdown Forest. Google the route of The Hell of Ashdown Forest and go and do a few hill repeats.