When is a climb too steep? When the pros have to walk

[Breedon]

Would of liked to hear original the sound track to that video

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Would of liked to hear original the sound track to that video

"Gasp, beep, beep, gasp, censored!, gasp!!"????

 

[johnr]

Quite a few years ago, during the Tour of Ireland, didn't Sean Kelly come to a halt/fall-off going a hill near the finish, & have to be pushed up by his team-mates, as it was too steep to set off normally??
Now, if that horse of a man couldn't restart..................


Worst climb that I know, that has caused chaos in the 'Tour of Britain', & especially on a damp/wet day (when it's a complete nightmare) is one that's called 'Shibden Wall' (officially Lee Lane)
I'm not sure if that's a local name, or just one that was made-up by the race presenters??

it's in the Shibden Valley, at Halifax (OS 104; SE 095 273), & climbs past the Shbden Mill Inn.
I know that my own attempts to ride it have failed in the wet.




Then, on normal roads, 'The Strines' in South Yorkshire (Mortimer Road) are the hardest I've ridden regularly

chapeau!

 

[johnr]

I'm not sure where it comes on the route, but the cobbles on Haworth main street during the t'Tour could be something in the wet (current odds 4:1 on)

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I think I've found that takes tthe biscuit for me this morning

I've been over at Halifax to run the 'Bluebell 10'
http://www.stainlandlions.com/Club_Races/2013/BluebellTrail/index.htm

In that, at approximately the 4 mile mark, is a partially cobbled (public/'normal') road called Trooper Lane.
According to the route information, it rises 570 feet in half a mile!! - that would be a serious climb in any fell-race!!
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1804097

 

[Zofo]

Looks the climb out of Matlock--ouch !

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Worst climb that I know, that has caused chaos in the 'Tour of Britain', & especially on a damp/wet day (when it's a complete nightmare) is one that's called 'Shibden Wall' (officially Lee Lane)
I'm not sure if that's a local name, or just one that was made-up by the race presenters??

it's in the Shibden Valley, at Halifax (OS 104; SE 095 273), & climbs past the Shbden Mill Inn.
I know that my own attempts to ride it have failed in the wet.

This week, someone, as a birthday present, bought me a copy of that '100 Greatest Cycling Climbs' book, & Shibden Wall is in there, rated at 8/10 (number 40, I think?)

 

[Rob3rt]

What are the ratings based on? I don't have the book, although wouldn't mind a copy tbh. The book doesn't contain the 100 most severe climbs though, it contains the "greatest" climbs. Loads of them are low gradient and/or rolling but are included for other reasons. For example, Long Hill is in there I think, that is barely uphill for much of the way. Similarly the Cat and Fiddle. Is Cragg Vale in the book?

Looking at that video of Shibden wall, I would say the difficulty is the cobbles, esp in bad conditions, not necessarily the gradient. I would have no problem with a gradient like that, but the cobbles would be slippy in the wet and even in the dry might cause you to lose momentum which can be hard to regain on the steeper bits.

 

[martint235]

What are the ratings based on? I don't have the book, although wouldn't mind a copy tbh. The book doesn't contain the 100 most severe climbs though, it contains the "greatest" climbs. Loads of them are low gradient and/or rolling but are included for other reasons. For example, Long Hill is in there I think, that is barely uphill for much of the way. Similarly the Cat and Fiddle. Is Cragg Vale in the book?

Looking at that video of Shibden wall, I would say the difficulty is the cobbles, esp in bad conditions, not necessarily the gradient. I would have no problem with a gradient like that, but the cobbles would be slippy in the wet and even in the dry might cause you to lose momentum which can be hard to regain on the steeper bits.

I think Yad Moss is in there too and that's just long but with some stunning views.

 

[Linford]

I've got a 30% gradient a couple of miles from where I'm sat now. It is the only hill which has defeated my 4x4 in the snow.

My training ride is up 20-25% gradient up another hill. I'm aiming to take in that 30% at some stage and see how far up I can get.

I won't lie, they are killers, and I'm crawling up them.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=bu...d=6IrioEHNL1XnwDbPvWxUFQ&cbp=12,68.67,,0,9.71

 

[GrasB]

Old news, also it was not the gradient of the climb on its own merit that was the killer, it was the point in the race it was placed and the preceding climbs. Even the race organiser said he took it too far.

I thought another part of the problem was that when riders came to a near halt they couldn't get going again due to high gearing & grip problems on the wet surface.

 

[Spinney]

I've got a 30% gradient a couple of miles from where I'm sat now. It is the only hill which has defeated my 4x4 in the snow.

My training ride is up 20-25% gradient up another hill. I'm aiming to take in that 30% at some stage and see how far up I can get.

I won't lie, they are killers, and I'm crawling up them.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=bushcombe lane&ll=51.949423,-2.033844&spn=0.011929,0.033002&hnear=Bushcombe Ln&gl=uk&t=m&z=15&layer=c&cbll=51.949538,-2.033461&panoid=6IrioEHNL1XnwDbPvWxUFQ&cbp=12,68.67,,0,9.71

I cycled down that once, without realising how steep it was. Not quite brown trousers, but my hands ached from pulling on the brakes at the bottom. You can't just bomb down it because you don't know what might be coming the other way, and there ain't no room to pass!

 

[Linford]

I cycled down that once, without realising how steep it was. Not quite brown trousers, but my hands ached from pulling on the brakes at the bottom. You can't just bomb down it because you don't know what might be coming the other way, and there ain't no room to pass!

We have got 3 roads (nearly) like that on that side of Cleeve Hill above Bishops Cleeve, got 2 like that on Aggs Hill and Ham, then Lillybrook hill and Leckhampton hill...I've got a good selection of killers to pick from all surrounding the town
Leckhampton hill and Lillybrook hill are my preferred choices as you can bomb down Lillybrook hill..I nearly touched 50 on Sunday down there

 

[Rob3rt]

I thought another part of the problem was that when riders came to a near halt they couldn't get going again due to high gearing & grip problems on the wet surface.

That probably was part of the problem, but you would have that problem on pretty much any hill over about 15-16% unless someone pushes you off. I know I can't (not that I am comparable to a pro of course). You just aren't going to get going again unless you go across the road, you can't do that with a whole peloton (or even a reduced peloton walking, weaving about and spectators adding difficulty) around you, so I don't think that complaint could really be levied about this incidence.

Going back to the original thread title, I don't think the question is off a hill being too steep (because the demands placed on the riders depends on the composition of the whole stage, not one hill), I think the question that should be asked is "when has an organiser taken the severity of a stage too far?" and the answer IMO is when they have prioritised the spectacle over the athletes well-being! I can see why they are tempted to add in these things and produce truly brutal stages, they are all searching for something to set their event apart from the others, in doing so, they try to out do each other etc, but somewhere along the way, the well-being of the riders becomes de-prioritised, the riders are people and not just a source of entertainment.

 

[winjim]

Then, on normal roads, 'The Strines' in South Yorkshire (Mortimer Road) are the hardest I've ridden regularly

Then, on normal roads, 'The Strines' in South Yorkshire (Mortimer Road) are the hardest I've ridden regularly

Strines? Pah! That's my evening pootle. On what some might term a "heavy" steel bike and all. Compact chainset mind...