So, this Ditchling Beacon...

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theclaud

Openly Marxist
Location
Swansea
Nah. It's quite nice really. The views are spectacular. :smile:
 

Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
You'll easily get up it on a 53x25 gear or for comfort go for a 39x25 :smile:. Anyway it's not the going up that is the difficult bit, it's going down the other side. Make sure your brakes work. They will get hot!!!
 

theclaud

Openly Marxist
Location
Swansea
Crankarm said:
You'll easily get up it on a 53x25 gear or for comfort go for a 39x25 :smile:. Anyway it's not the going up that is the difficult bit, it's going down the other side. Make sure your brakes work. They will get hot!!!

Not if you don't touch 'em :smile:
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
I think DB's reputation far outstrips how it actually is. It's really not that hard a climb. Easy to spin up in less then 10 minutes. Only thing that can be a pain is cars, as it's quite narrow in parts. On the FNRttC Martlets Brighton ride, there were a good few novice riders who did it easy enough bless' em.
 

theclaud

Openly Marxist
Location
Swansea
ianrauk said:
I think DB's reputation far outstrips how it actually is. It's really not that hard a climb. Easy to spin up in less then 10 minutes. Only thing that can be a pain is cars as it's quite narrow in parts.

Exactly. It never gets ridiculously steep, but it certainly goes on a bit. On the plus side, it winds around a bit so you never have to see the whole climb stretched out ahead of you. And it shelters you if there's a southerly...
 
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HeyWayne

HeyWayne

New Member
Location
Bedfordshire
I'm 18st and 6ft 7 on a ruddy great mountin boik - there's a lot to lug up that hill and I haven't been cycling for ages.

Worried me about t'other side now - maybe I should upgrade my v-brakes after all...
 
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HeyWayne

HeyWayne

New Member
Location
Bedfordshire
Question is, do I stay in the saddle and just drop it down into 1st/2nd and slug it out - or use my weight to help me up?

I think I know the answer...
 

theclaud

Openly Marxist
Location
Swansea
HeyWayne said:
Question is, do I stay in the saddle and just drop it down into 1st/2nd and slug it out - or use my weight to help me up?

I think I know the answer...

On an mtb I'd definitely make use of the granny ring and stay in the saddle...
 
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HeyWayne

HeyWayne

New Member
Location
Bedfordshire
Am I right in thinking that the main difference between MTB's and road bikes is the gearing (other than the obvious appearance and weight). So a MTB is more suited (easier) to the novice hill climber?
 

theclaud

Openly Marxist
Location
Swansea
HeyWayne said:
Am I right in thinking that the main difference between MTB's and road bikes is the gearing (other than the obvious appearance and weight). So a MTB is more suited (easier) to the novice hill climber?

An mtb isn't really better for anything involving mainly tarmac, unless the gradient is utterly absurd, but the extra-low gearing is a decent trade-off. Bar-ends help on long climbs - have you got those?
 
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HeyWayne

HeyWayne

New Member
Location
Bedfordshire
theclaud said:
An mtb isn't really better for anything involving mainly tarmac, unless the gradient is utterly absurd, but the extra-low gearing is a decent trade-off. Bar-ends help on long climbs - have you got those?

Indeedy I have. Ordered myself some semi slick/hybrid tyres (hopefully in the right size) too and have padded shorts winging their way to me.

By better I of course meant more suited - to hill climbing for heavy set novice cyclerists. :smile:
 
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