Long climbs, UK

[Scoosh]

If anyone fancies a day of climbing fun next year, may I put in an unashamed plug for the Snow Roads 300k audax, on 14 May. Starting from Kirriemuir in Angus, it has 4,800m of climbing fun including the mouth-watering attractions of the Cairn 0'Mount, Cabrach, Lecht and Cairnwell.
There's a map of the route here: http://gb.mapometer....ute_844993.html

Mr Scoosh of the parish did a storming ride here for his first 300k last year, and there will be cake, beer and bridies at the finish.


Anyone?

Me ! Me ! Me !

 

[srw]

Whiteleaf Hill and Kop Hill near Princes Risborough are both rather closer to Hendon than anything else that has been mentioned. They're each about a mile. If you want something longer, turn around at the top, go back down and start again.

On the other hand, you could just enjoy the view!

What is it about climbs that gets people excited? They're a means to an end, not an end in themselves as far as I'm concerned.

 

[jimboalee]

Whiteleaf Hill and Kop Hill near Princes Risborough are both rather closer to Hendon than anything else that has been mentioned. They're each about a mile. If you want something longer, turn around at the top, go back down and start again.

On the other hand, you could just enjoy the view!

What is it about climbs that gets people excited? They're a means to an end, not an end in themselves as far as I'm concerned.

I went on the 'Chilterns Midweek Meander' a few years back. Were these hills on that? I didn't notice any special long hills.

 

[jimboalee]

I've been to the gym.

Set up the bike to do 4 km every 10 minutes ( 24 kmh ) at an absorption of 240 W. ( about 80% MHR ). This represents a 2% gradient.

It took me 45 minutes to get rid of 600 kCals.

So according to my theory, an 18 km hill of 2% gradient is 'long'.

Alternatively, a 3% gradient hill would be 15km long, which counts out that long hill in West Yorkshire ( got the location right this time ).


BTW, when I'd finished the 600 kCal experiment, I repeated it to confirm the first result.

 

[asterix]

So I've been reading about Holme Moss, Great Dun Fell and Bealach Na Ba as some of the longer road climbs in the UK, but was wondering if anyone had any other good suggestions? Especially in the South East.

I did my first mountain climbs a couple of weeks ago in the Southern Alps and I've got a taste for climbing and really want to improve. But I'll have to stay in the UK for the time being because I'm totally skint.

Not the SE, but Glenshee springs to mind.

They have rather spoiled it by 'improving' the road for motorists but it's still a challenge altho possibly a rather distant one for you.

If your climbing in the Alps was fairly intensive you might find 2 weeks a short recovery time. After a little longer perhaps you will find your climbing has already improved.

 

[Ball]

I've written a little blog entry here on the tiny little hills around my area that I have to use when I want to do any climbing in the evenings and can't really head out too far:

http://saddlewithaview.blogspot.com/

You can see why I'm so desperate to find something a bit more challenging. Although a couple of these are perfect for tackling 10-15 times in an evening and none of them too far from home.

 

[jimboalee]

You don't have to find long climbs to train for climbing. Just load up your bike with weigh training discs and a low gear and grovel up the North Downs.

Its the continuous Wattage output you are aiming for. Lots of mass up a shallow climb can equal a light mass up a steep climb.

You don't have to find long climbs to train for climbing. Just load up your bike with weigh training discs and a low gear and grovel up the Chilterns.

Its the continuous Wattage output you are aiming for. Lots of mass up a shallow climb can equal a light mass up a steep climb.


I've changed the location, but same principle applies.

 

[lukesdad]

Of course you could always do something like ride to the top of Pen -y Fan from the bottom of the Usk resevoir. God knows the distance or gradient but it takes me a few hours to do it. Of course you would need a Mtb.

 

[lukesdad]

You don't have to find long climbs to train for climbing. Just load up your bike with weigh training discs and a low gear and grovel up the Chilterns.

Its the continuous Wattage output you are aiming for. Lots of mass up a shallow climb can equal a light mass up a steep climb.


I've changed the location, but same principle applies.

You don t need weights, just ride it faster.

 

[jimboalee]

You don t need weights, just ride it faster.

I took the OPs request was for longer hills in time terms rather than length.

Its OK screaming up a short steep hill, but then there is the question of endurance.

I was going to suggest he gets a trailer and puts an anvil in it, chooses an 18" gear and trudges up his local hills thighs-a-burning for an hour each.

 

[lukesdad]

Ive only indicated long climbs in my post I could name some steep ones that would make your eyes pop As I said to make the longer ones harder ride them faster.

 

[jimboalee]

Ive only indicated long climbs in my post I could name some steep ones that would make your eyes pop As I said to make the longer ones harder ride them faster.

But that makes them short duration and if you ride them hard, it'll be lactic or even phosphocreatine.

Load up the trailer with a big lump of metal and go up slow for a long time at just under LT.

Which is more-or-less what I simulate on the gym bike.