Your greatest hill climbing feat......

[john59]

Pico de Veleta

A cycle tour of southern Spain. Cycling from Granada, up the ‘Pico de Veleta’ and down the other side, off road, on a jeep track. It all started from reading ‘Cycling in Europe’ by Nicholas Crane, a real inspiring book in its day.

http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Col=Pico-de-Veleta&qryMountainID=4755


John

 

[ColinJ]

Technically, the hardest climb that I've ever tackled was probably Park Rash in the Yorkshire Dales. In reality, I was pretty fit that day and had a 30/26 bottom gear so it didn't feel like a complete leg-breaker.



So instead, I'd nominate Mytholm Steeps on the outskirts of Hebden Bridge which I tried riding up only a few weeks after buying my bike back in 1989. My lowest gear was 42/28.


I was okay here...

Thought this was tougher...

Didn't like this bit much...

Decided this wasn't funny...

Found another steep bit round the bend...

And still it went up...

But it couldn't get any worse...

Could it?

Oh, bugger!

But I nearly made it...

Only some dozy pillock decided to overtake me on this bloody bend...

... forcing me onto the steepest part of the whole damn hill! My legs turned to jelly, I came to a shuddering halt, and fell over in the road still clipped into my pedals !!!


PS Sorry... my greatest hill climbing feat was to go back a month or two later (with my toestraps loosened!) and actually get up that hill without putting a foot down.

 

[Noodley]

That looks a great climb Colin

 

[Baggy]

So instead, I'd nominate Mytholm Steeps on the outskirts of Hebden Bridge which I tried riding up only a few weeks after buying my bike back in 1989. My lowest gear was 42/28.

Chapeau - my Fiat Panda 750L only just made it up that hill
Have you been up Tuel Lane?

 

[ColinJ]

That looks a great climb Colin

Aye, it's a toughie!

The Milk Race got sent up it (at least) once and an old local cyclist who was watching on the steepest section told me riders were falling off all over the shop! They'd been told there was a tough climb that day but they thought they'd get up it okay with their usual race gearing !

Here's my Mytholm Steeps slideshow, from which those pictures were lifted. [Click on options and select Play Backwards - I uploaded the slideshow photos in the wrong order]

 

[yenrod]

As much as I cannot report the Alps or the Pyranees i can say there's a rather 'heavy' climb in my area.

Which is just on 2ml long and not all tarmacced - all the way up, so some of the path is narrow'ish, 6ft wide at times; but by god its a total and utter bitch of a climb, mostly steep all of the way.

Ive done the Horseshoe Pass and didnt think much of it, to be honest.

Riding up, when you could, to the top of Winter Hill - from Horwich taking the Bolton Road (actually called Chorley Old Road) which which has a steady inclinous rise to it. Add in the the B5238 from Wigan to Horwich, Rd and its an 'incredible' overall ride.

But sadly now you can't go up to the top of W.Hill.

Though not sure on the paths on the North side of W.Hill - and if you can ride them

Done the Llanberis climb/road - that was proper climb - one of the best in the UK.

 

[Noodley]

Chapeau - my Fiat Panda 750L only just made it up that hill

I find it easier to cycle up some hills than to drive up them!

 

[ColinJ]

Chapeau - my Fiat Panda 750L only just made it up that hill
Have you been up Tuel Lane?

That's not so bad - 'only' 18% maximum, I seem to recall (Mytholm Steeps maxes out at 25%)! I normally go up it in my bottom gear and take my time. When I was fit in 2001 I could get up it without even using my granny ring .

Actually if you want a real tough climb out of Sowerby Bridge, there is one behind the railway station called Scar Head. I went to watch the Leeds Classic go up that years back. It's tough to even walk up.

 

[ColinJ]

One last one before I shut the PC down for the night...

Believe it or not, this is actually part of a national cycle route through Hebden Bridge!

The Buttress is a very steep cobbled path out of the centre of the town up towards the hilltop village of Heptonstall. It was probably an old packhorse trail many years ago. One day a cyclist on a heavily-laden touring bike and more cojones than sense will be killed trying to ride down it... It's particularly lethal at this time of year - wet leaf mulch, mossy cobbles and potentially ice too - yikes!

When I'm skinny again, I'll try and ride up the thing, but I might have to use my MTB...

PS - spot the unnecessary warning sign

 

[Lardyboy]

Getting up The Dragon's "Bwlch 2" this year without too much trouble.

 

[Noodley]

PS - spot the unnecessary warning sign

Does that say 'Cyclists - Have Fun'?

 

[a_n_t]

I'd nominate Mytholm Steeps

rode right by this last week and didn't even realise, doh!!!!

 

[Chuffy]

There's a hill coming out of Broadway. I bailed about 200yds from the top on a charidee ride. Went back a few months later to slay the dragon. Bailed at the same point. Rode down. Hit 46mph within a few yards until the vibrations blurred my vision so much that I had to brake.

Other than that, climbing onto the Haldons via Mamhead Hill on 53x16 single speed. Not an experience I'd care to repeat....

 

[cheadle hulme]

centre of the town up towards the hilltop village of Heptonstall.

For any literature fans, Sylvia Plath is buried at the church at the top of here

 

[cheadle hulme]

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&h...4009,-2.043441&spn=0.001342,0.005407&t=h&z=18

From my office in Hattersley into Stockport. Too steep for drop bar levers, hurts my arms too much.