Oh! the shame....

[HLaB]

At least you had the granny. I went 'Dunning' to 'Path of Condie' a while back and there was a mini car rally on. Climbing the 20.5% hill my bike got stuck in the middle 42 (at least there's 26 at the back) and being in the middle of the rally on narrow roads I couldn't really stop!

 

[Adrian_K]

At least you had the granny. I went 'Dunning' to 'Path of Condie' a while back and there was a mini car rally on. Climbing the 20.5% hill my bike got stuck in the middle 42 (at least there's 26 at the back) and being in the middle of the rally on narrow roads I couldn't really stop!

I bet some of the Mini drivers were more concerned about a 20% than you were, 'old' cars from the 50s & 60s were seriously under-powered.

 

[nigelnorris]

haha that's the funniest thing I've read on this site evar.

I've been cycling a new route the last couple of weeks and there's a couple of hills that have had me on my grannie ring for the first time. Worse than that, for the first time ever also I've had to stop 2/3 of the way up one of them to get my breath back. Three times I've done that route and still haven't got up this hill in one go. Just over a week of the holidays left so I've still got two or three more tries yet.

[On the way to Redditch, I think that the name of the road is Stoney Lane]

I did it today. I beat that hill. Oh yes I did, I beat it.

 

[nigelnorris]

[I had to get off at the top and lean my bike on the grass verge because I thought I was going to throw up, and my knees are on fire now. But I did it.]

 

[GrasB]

If you don't use it, lose it. That's why my hardtail has a 15t rear sprocket & a 46t chain ring most of the time. I do still have the original wheels & chainrings in case I want to go places that have these things called "hills".

nigelnorris, congratulations, it sure feels good when you reach a target like that.

 

[peanut]

[I had to get off at the top and lean my bike on the grass verge because I thought I was going to throw up, and my knees are on fire now. But I did it.]

well done nige. great feeling eh! It takes some serious pain to improve on hills.

 

[nigelnorris]

Thanks guys. I've had an awesome day. I've spent the whole six week summer holiday riding out in rain and all sorts trying to improve my fitness, and on what was most likely my last ride before I go back to work on Wednesday, I got my PB speed over a 50+ mile ride, and I killed that hill off - all in one ride. Fantastic way to spend the bank holiday, I'm still swimming in endorphins.

[And lager, I'm resting now.]

 

[ComedyPilot]

www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=18206

Did this on my loaded hybrid in May. Granny ring was compulsory.

 

[nigelnorris]

www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=18206

Did this on my loaded hybrid in May. Granny ring was compulsory.

haha that's the same distance but exactly twice the height of the hill I'm on about, so I obviously have a long way to go yet.

And that bikeheight site has shown me something else I didn't know, I only climbed at max 12%, I'd thought it would be more than that.

[Well this is the beginners forum ]

 

[Young Un]

You got a linky to that hill Nigelnorris, is it the one near Alvechurch that goes over the railwayu over the canal the up yet some more?

 

[nigelnorris]

You got a linky to that hill Nigelnorris, is it the one near Alvechurch that goes over the railwayu over the canal the up yet some more?

That's exactly the one YoungUn, it's Grange Road near Alvechurch. Almost exactly a mile and just keeps getting steeper and steeper. Really starts to kick in when you go over the little bridge and can see the black pipe going over the canal.

I've done the same route the other way round and it's much easier to get to the top from the other side, and it's a jolly whizz ride going down it. [Actually it scared the shoot out of me and I had the brakes on hard once I hit 40mph.]

Worked out how to save it on bikehike

www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=18217

 

[GrasB]

If you don't use it, lose it. That's why my hardtail has a 15t rear sprocket & a 46t chain ring most of the time. I do still have the original wheels & chainrings in case I want to go places that have these things called "hills".

nigelnorris, congratulations, it sure feels good when you reach a target like that.

hehe & I forgot to type what I really wanted to say: ..."hills". At least you're using all your gears & it's not just a extra weight on the bike slowing you down, they are there to be used & really it shouldn't be seen as something bad that you use them, more the fact it's good that you're pushing your self hard enough to need to use the lower gears.

 

[Young Un]

That's exactly the one YoungUn, it's Grange Road near Alvechurch. Almost exactly a mile and just keeps getting steeper and steeper. Really starts to kick in when you go over the little bridge and can see the black pipe going over the canal.

I've done the same route the other way round and it's much easier to get to the top from the other side, and it's a jolly whizz ride going down it. [Actually it scared the shoot out of me and I had the brakes on hard once I hit 40mph.]

Worked out how to save it on bikehike

www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=18217

Yup, I've only done it once and had to use 30-25 to get to the top. Didn't find it particularly hard, just steep.

The guy I rode it with came down there at more like 55mph and apparently he took off over the canal and travelling about ten metres before touch tera ferma again - he slowed down over the railway bridge

 

[iLB]

www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=18206

Did this on my loaded hybrid in May. Granny ring was compulsory.

i live about 5 miles from there and it is a focker, especially when its pooring with rain so the road resembles a stream, and the guy behind you (cough arallsopp cough) makes you laugh and you momentarily slip off the tarmac...

 

[Joe24]

I can beat that for embarrasment - on (I think) the very same hill.

Thought I'd take my (fairly new) Fixie out and see just how much of a hill I could do on 48 x 17.

Got about 2/3rds of the way up, blowing badly and realised I was coming to a standstill. Now, this was the very same day I'd decided to go clipless for the first time. I couldn't for the life of me work out how to unclip while still keeping the enormous amount of pressure on the pedals to prevent my fixie from rolling backwards!

After much deliberation, I decided to simply topple over very slowly

Geared too high, thats why!

Anyway, im going for penis points here.
I did this hill, in 48/18(fixed)
Which is apparently a 1 in 4, or 1 in 5. I asked the person who decided it would be fun to go up it(keep trying to get me off and walking, not going to happen!) and he said it only had one contour line or something.
Is ****ing steep though, and goes on for a good while