Steep hills.

[AnythingButVanilla]

I have granny gears on both my hybrid and road bikes and still get off and push up hills. I'm starting to have actual panic attacks about Normandy next month.

 

[Sittingduck]

Had to get off and walk up one the other day. It was over 20% and I didn't have the gear for it
I've since been back and done it with a different bike.

Do tell....

 

[Andrew_P]

Had to get off and walk up one the other day. It was over 20% and I didn't have the gear for it
I've since been back and done it with a different bike.

Coulsdon Two Step?

 

[Ningishzidda]

There's a particularly steep hill near where I live. I've not yet ridden all the way from bottom to top.
I always stop half way up for a cigarette.

 

[fossyant]

Are you jesting about the ciggy. If not id stop smoking, you might get up the hill

 

[ColinJ]

Are you jesting about the ciggy. If not id stop smoking, you might get up the hill

I once did the Rossendale Mountain Bike Challenge when it included a climb of Ramsbottom Rake ...

(The helmet cam rider was clearly pretty fit!)

... and one of our number got dropped. He eventually caught up as we discussed which way to go at the top of the climb. We asked him what the hold up had been and he replied that he'd run out of breath on the steepest bit so he'd stopped for a ciggy break!

 

[sheffgirl]

I found a YouTube video of the hilly portion of my commute backwards, it doesn't look so steep in a car, but it definitely feels it

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Kad9Y_dczo

 

[gaz]

Do tell....

Tupwood Lane just south of Caterham. My gestermation of 20% might have been a bit over, it looks to be more 16% at the steepest.

Coulsdon Two Step?

*grumbly grumbly grumbly*

 

[Rob3rt]

I once did the Rossendale Mountain Bike Challenge when it included a climb of Ramsbottom Rake ...

(The helmet cam rider was clearly pretty fit!)

... and one of our number got dropped. He eventually caught up as we discussed which way to go at the top of the climb. We asked him what the hold up had been and he replied that he'd run out of breath on the steepest bit so he'd stopped for a ciggy break!

They used the Rake for the National HC Championship last year. It is a proper British climbers climb, short and savage. This year they are using the Stang.

 

[Andrew_P]

Tupwood Lane just south of Caterham. My gestermation of 20% might have been a bit over, it looks to be more 16% at the steepest.

That looks like a weekend challenge, need 37th to top the CC leaderboard

 

[gaz]

That looks like a weekend challenge, need 37th to top the CC leaderboard

Go for it! If you follow the road around to the left afterwards then there is a really nice view here

 

[Hip Priest]

I prefer the long approaches...short sharp 15% and I'm walking...no shame in.
That. Rather that than bust a chain.or pedal just out of some stubborn wish not to walk up any.hill.

You've got a healthier attitude than me mate! I obsess over the hills that have defeated me, and resolve to get over them. I did a 100k sportive last year in a decent time, but I was so gutted I had to walk for 200yds up a hill that I felt I hadn't completed the route

 

[ColinJ]

They used the Rake for the National HC Championship last year. It is a proper British climbers climb, short and savage. This year they are using the Stang.

I went over to watch when they held the championship there in 1999. Won that year by an anorexic-looking Jim Henderson who definitely had his power-to-weight ratio sorted, but looked as if he would be blown away if you sneezed in front of him!

The top riders were impressively on top of their fixed gears but I had to laugh at the optimism of some of the also-rans ... Why on earth would you stick a gear on your bike that you were incapable of turning over on a steep climb like that! Some of the riders did inadvertent trackstands towards the top and looked as though their heads were going to explode. IIRC, one or two actually fell over.

 

[matthat]

Where I live it is generally too flat, I have to cycle about 7 to 8 miles to find a hill. Flat is good, but the lack of tackling hills seems to have stopped me building my stamina, I see cyclists elsewhere whilst out and about in the country tackling big hills and admire their ability to climb places I would give up on much sooner.

I to used to be in southport!! Parbold is probably the one and only challenge around that way.

 

[matthat]

I to used to be in southport!! Parbold is probably the one and only challenge around that way.

I really must start finishing reading threads before quoting!! @Roadhump I presume you know the area pretty well but a good ride is Mere Brow,Croston,eccleston,wrightington then the easier way up Parbold Hill and the best way down! Then as i'm sure your aware there is plenty of lanes back across to southport either clieves hill way or back scarisbrick along Drummersdale and wyke lane. I lived just by the red lion and have ridden most of the lanes around that way!