Leith Hill - Any tips?

[sleaver]

I attempted Leith Hill yesterday for the first time and lets just say it broke me and it is the first time I have had to stop on a hill, oh, and the second.

Part of the problem was that I thought the route started going up before the actual hill so I was thinking if I'm in trouble before I even get to it, I'm in trouble and so at one point I even started to think about turning around but then I would have had to remember the route back. At this point my confidence was shot. Then a cyclist in front of me while peddling faster than me almost caused me to stop so after thinking how I was going to unclip, I just thought "This is going to hurt" and speeded up to go around him. Then it started going down and I realized I had done it.

So, does anyone who knows it have any tips on how to conquer it please? Yes, I know part of the answer will be along the lines of "Practice makes perfect...." I would like to know I can do it before RideLondon ideally

Could always do this if anyone fancies joining me http://leithhilloctopus.s3-website-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/

 

[Dave 123]

Move to Cambridge?

 

[vickster]

I think it'll be hard to ride up it on Ride London for all the folk like me who'll be walking...get quicker on the rest of the course and enjoy the walk up the hill

 

[Cuchilo]

The best tip I can give is practice on its sister , white down hill

 

[JasonHolder]

Where do you live mate? I'm doing a long ride on Wednesday, could meet up and have a poodle up it together if you want?
Just had a look on maps. Could meet up in Guildford?

Pacing is the number 1 rule of surviving.
2) ride lighter gears (what chain set and cassete you got?) I've just moved up to a 12-28. Doesn't make me faster up hills at all. What it does though is allows VERY easy climbing.

 

[Onyer]

I live near and this is one of my rides. Once you have done it a few times it is not so bad - it's all in the mind! Other hills to try are Barhatch road in Cranleigh and White Downs Road near Abinger Hammer. Both of those are worse than Leith Hill. Also approaching Leith Hill from the south is tougher, because it is steeper, than from the North. I might have a go at this Octopus as long as my back holds up! Sometimes I get off and walk because my back is aching too much. But keep practising.

 

[sleaver]

Move to Cambridge?

Belgium looks good and I've got family there. I saw someones ride in Belgium and they had less climbing in over 400k than I did in 60k and mine was less than 500 meters.

... it's all in the mind! ...

I think that was part of the main problem. I didn't know I was on the actual hill as the rout started going up before Leigh Hill so in affect I started panicking because I thought I was in trouble even before I got to it. The other things is that my brain doesn't grasp the idea of putting my body through a bit of pain. It likes exercise but not suffering

...Also approaching Leith Hill from the south is tougher, because it is steeper, than from the North....

This is the route I took unless it screwed with my mind so much that I'm now getting North and South confused

@JasonHolder I live near Horley in Surrey but unfortunately I have to work on Wednesday. Thank you for the offer though. I was going to look at my gears last night but forgot, however they are the standard ones that came with the bike so it looks like a 50/34 chainrings and 12-28 cassette. Unless I didn't realise, I would say it was safe to say I was in the granny gear

I also did it as part of my first metric century and had Box Hill afterwards so I did complicate it a bit. On the second stop, a rather nice looking woman came out of the house that the garden wall belonged that I was propped up against so that may have extended my rest

http://www.strava.com/activities/139925767

 

[JasonHolder]

Thursday then surely not working Thursday Haha

 

[Onyer]

have just put the "Octopus" into my garmin. There is an error on the Number 6 climb. It should say "L at B2126 Etherley Hill" then "L at Ockley onto A29" I think the worse one will be the Tanhurst Lane climb - that is a stinker. I'll look out for the garden wall!!

 

[Eribiste]

Given some reasonable cycling fitness, hills, especially famous named hills, are as much a mental challenge in my experience. I ride at a 'steadier' pace for three miles or so before I arrive at the monster, change down to the wheel of weakness fairly early in the climb and settle down to a bit of hard work, telling myself "I've got this sucker, it's mine". Also, I have to get to the top, because if I don't, I can't have one my wine gums as a reward, and that would never do.