Seriously Steep Hills

[PpPete]

Grrr, 42 x 21 when I was a lad.

Moved down to 39 x 21 as I got older. Since accident was able to fit a 24 which helped, but that's it, can't fit anything lower to my bikes - the mech's won't take much more (old skool stuff).

So I'm well and truely stuffed now getting up steep stuff, especially after my shoulder op. Replacing the whole gear system on a 20 year old bike is a no-no. Time for a new bike I thinks

I think I have an old school mech that will handle a 14-28 freewheel. Let me know if you are interested and I will go a-hunting to see what I can find.

But don't let me put you off getting a new bike !

 

[ColinJ]

I really must take my road bike up north some time. Originally from Nelson but had a mountain bike when I left 20 odd years ago. It would be a challenge to see how I cope with proper hills!!

We'll be descending through Brierfield (near Nelson) on our way to Waddington on our local forum ride on Sunday and we will be climbing back from Nelson towards Widdop on the Season of Mists audax a couple of weeks later - that's got some really serious hills on it!

Grrr, 42 x 21 when I was a lad.

Moved down to 39 x 21 as I got older. Since accident was able to fit a 24 which helped, but that's it, can't fit anything lower to my bikes - the mech's won't take much more (old skool stuff).

So I'm well and truely stuffed now getting up steep stuff, especially after my shoulder op. Replacing the whole gear system on a 20 year old bike is a no-no. Time for a new bike I thinks

I started off on 42/28 in 1989 and found it too much of a struggle round here. I swapped the 42 ring for a 39 and that helped but anything over about 15% was still very hard. Eventually I bought a bike with a triple chainset and a 12-23 cassette and that was slightly better, but then I switched the cassette for a 13-26 and that was better still. Eventually, I discovered that Campagnolo do a 14-28 cassette which is what I use now. I spin out on fast descents but that doesn't bother me - 50 mph is fast enough!

Having said all of that - the infamous (some would say 'mythical'!) 'year that I was fit, I got up everything on the middle ring - I didn't use the granny ring on my road bike or MTB for a whole season.

I have worn joints and varicose veins now and they scream with pain if I climb steep stuff in too high a gear so I just sit down and twiddle a low gear. It doesn't matter what gear you climb in, it still takes the same power to climb at a certain speed, but lower gears mean less damage to your body. I'm not in the body-damaging business so I'm happy to go low and spin.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

As Colin J suggested , any hill is hard if the gearing is too high. Even the pros gear down for the big climbs so why ordinary riders persist in straining on 39/25 or worse is beyond me.

I have 30/28 available or would consider something like Sram Apex with 34/32 if I really didnt want a triple.

Abergwesyn Road near Lynne Brianne, I think its steeper than that in places.(The sign tells you what to do )

The Devil's Staircase... some of the hairpins are steeper in short stretches than 25% on the inside of the bends

 

[sdr gb]

An excellent website for hill info is climb by bike. Once went up Midgely Road in Mytholmroyd. Didn't see the chevron on the map when I planned the route. Rounded a bend to faced with a wall of tarmac. The view from the top made it worthwhile though.

 

[HLaB]

An excellent website for hill info is climb by bike. Once went up Midgely Road in Mytholmroyd. Didn't see the chevron on the map when I planned the route. Rounded a bend to faced with a wall of tarmac. The view from the top made it worthwhile though.

Great site; I did this a couple of times a few years back, apparently it an average of 11.1% for 3.95km and a max 22%, I didn't think it was as steep as that but I was on a hire bike with a 34-27

 

[ColinJ]

Once went up Midgely Road in Mytholmroyd. Didn't see the chevron on the map when I planned the route. Rounded a bend to faced with a wall of tarmac. The view from the top made it worthwhile though.

Quite tough that one, but not an absolute killer. This is the view down the hill ...

 

[briantrumpet]

Last night, I decided to ride the tougher (but shorter) route home from work - a hilly ride over Haldon from Clapham (near Exeter). It's a stone-cold cow of a climb. I've no idea on how it compares to "proper" hills, but it certainly hurts me.

It's a proper hill - I've only done it once up (and once down, when it was frosty!), and after the lumpy bits coming out from Exeter, it's certainly long enough, with the sharp ramp two thirds of the way up. The hill coming up to the ridge the other way (from Chudleigh) is a proper long drag as well.

I wouldn't classify either as 'killers', but they're not easy either.

 

[Crankarm]

Is this it here map ?
hardest mile = 515'
hardest ½ mile = 383'

Yes, that's the one although the steep side is encountered as you ride up the valley from Beulah which is fairly pleasant lulling you into a false sense of security before the carnage. I think a sign indicates 30% in one place. I cycled up it on a fully laden bike with 4 panniers and a bar bag .

Then there is a very very steep yellow road as you go north out of Machynlleth, over the bridge, turn left on to the A493 to Aberdovey but first right after about 200m is an even steeper hill even steeper than the Devil's Staircase. It is mental. Plus there is the mountain road travelling from Machynlleth to the B4518 which goes to Llanidloes which is seriously steep. Wales has some very steep roads, lots of them. It is either up or down, never flat.

 

[Parrot of Doom]

A favourite of mine when younger was Rawson's Rake in Ramsbottom:

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=53.647...VXtLbjHOkweTQLObFE-_YQ&cbp=12,284.97,,0,15.94

That's the steepest part at the top. The road is actually much longer than just that section, starting as it does in the centre of Ramsbottom. I rode it on a 42:21 Mercian Audax (which I still have). I haven't been up it for about 15 years, it would be interesting to see if I can still manage it

 

[Cubist]

Any of the three climbs from slaithwaite towards the A640. Steep (>1:4 at some points), hairpins, the lot. mint.

Strines is good as well.

I live at the top of one of those dan_bo!

 

[Cubist]

Is that the one that starts at the Silent Lady? Bugger if it is.

It's the Silent Woman dan_bo....... ain't no ladies in Slawit.

Climb out of Slawit past the Swan Pub, up through the Clough, round the hairpin, then straight on up past Bolster Moor on Slaithwaite Gate, and I live at just about the highest point on that road, just off Scapegoat Hill High Street.

Never done that climb on the road bike, and rarely attempt it even on the MTB.


Steepest one I've done for a bit is the climb up out of Dean House Lane to the back of Marsden Gate. At one point I was right on the nose of the saddle and the front wheel lifted on every pedal stroke.

 

[rsvdaz]

theres a few local to me on Dartmoor that the ToB chickened out of.

coming out of Widecombe on the other side of Haytor

and Holne hill which features in the Dartmoor Classic

 

[lukesdad]

The Devil's Staircase... some of the hairpins are steeper in short stretches than 25% on the inside of the bends

This is very true. Bamjo s picture shows the straight side, the otherside is the hairpins much narrower and the surface isn t so good. makes it a very tricky descent.

 

[R600]

I'm sure those who have done LEJOG will remember the big climbs on the A99 of 13% complete with hairpin bends.
I can't remember if they are before or after Wick.

That will be berriedale braes. about a mile each side,

 

[twobiker]

I have a 22 front 34 rear on my MTB and if I use that I may as well walk up, but so far not had to get off for anything, mind you you could use a calender to time me.