Steep Hill - Cyclists Dismount

[All uphill]

I liked this in Shaftesbury; tells you and lets you get on with it.

 

[Solocle]

If you think that's bad, try Hardknott! It's truly the only tarmac road that I've struggled to get down (with a lightly-loaded road bike). Twice - damp and dry.
That's around 25%? No blue warning sign at the top!

[EDIT: I'm talking about East-bound, as opposed to @Solocle pic above which I think is West-bound. No idea which is tricksier!

I was headed eastbound, my photo was looking backwards! Yeah, I think 30% hairpins... The trick was to keep the speed low, as you used most of your braking envelope simply stopping the bike from accelerating to your doom.

 

[Low Gear Guy]

I've never seen one on the road, but offoad I've seen a couple.

This is on the High Peak Trail which has 2 inclines (use to have wagons pulled up by a pump house), they are a little rough in places but I have descended (and ascended!) them both. A better MTB rider than me could probably go quite fast but they are mixed use and just straight lines so probably not worth it.

View attachment 628263

I would have cycled down there but my brake pads were nearly finished and were unable to hold me on the incline when stationary!

 

[wiggydiggy]

I would have cycled down there but my brake pads were nearly finished and were unable to hold me on the incline when stationary!

Better safe than sorry! I definately went slow down it, I wouldn't have dared going fast.

 

[Kestevan]

Only downhill I've ever walked was the bottom 20m of hardknot heading East, on the C2C in a day sportive.

It was wet and water was streaming down the road which was also full of gravel. Didn't fancy coming off with another 130 miles to go.

 

[alchurch]

I've descended Hardknott. I dismounted on the ascent, but I managed the descent.
View attachment 628255
Now, Gold Hill, I've powered up it, but I've never dared descend it.
View attachment 628254

Like you, I have walked up part of hardknot. The middle 3/4 s are doable but the silly steep hairpins got me. My legs were toast by the time I got to those big stones , just clear of the wooded area. I would love to try the climb on fresh legs. I decended down the slope towards Wynose

 

[Illaveago]

I thought it was advice for people going up !

 

[alchurch]

I thought it was advice for people going up !

Yup, I was responding to another post in the thread

 

[oldwheels]

An old picture somewhere about the Campsie Fells I think. CTC sign. Taken by me many years ago.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

View attachment 628730

North Rode in Cheshire.

A modern cyclist, experienced in alpine descents and equipped with excellent brakes would probably point this out to his companion and laugh at the anachronism.

Don't ask me how I know.

It's not a particularly steep hill, but used to feature a farm half way down with slurry running across a gravelly bend.

An unwary cyclist descending this for the first time might just misjudge the bend, skid on the slurry and land in the hedge head first totalling their front wheel.

Don't ask me how I know.

[Now much less risky as the farm has been converted to posh housing as per most of Cheshire]

 

[Tail End Charlie]

I once ran out of road descending whilst fully loaded somewhere in the Yorkshire dales, fortunately no harm done other than to my ego as a camper van witnessed it all. It hastened my decision to fit a disc brake to the front.

 

[ColinJ]

An unwary cyclist descending this for the first time might just misjudge the bend, skid on the slurry and land in the hedge head first totalling their front wheel.

Don't ask me how I know.

[Now much less risky as the farm has been converted to posh housing as per most of Cheshire]

I saw a bunch do just that on a flat road in Cheshire!

I used to do the 'Manchester 100' every year out into the lanes of Cheshire. One part of the route involved a RH bend just before a farm. I went round that bend once and found the road covered in slurry, which had brought down several of the riders ahead of me.

I was watching out for it the following year, and... yes, slurry on the road AGAIN!

 

[roubaixtuesday]

I saw a bunch do just that on a flat road in Cheshire!




I was watching out for it the following year, and... yes, slurry on the road AGAIN!

Here?

"Cowshit corner".

One of our club broke his ankle going down on it.

 

[winjim]

I once went for a ride with a friend of mine, an experienced road cyclist, Strava and sportive type, who was suffering from an ear infection. His sense of balance had completely gone and on every moderately steep descent with even the slightest bend he would end up in a field or hedge. Refused to give up though and bloody mindedly rode and fell through the entire day.

 

[ColinJ]

Here?

"Cowshit corner".

One of our club broke his ankle going down on it.

View attachment 628758

Let me see if I can check that...