Leeds tourers - find me a hill please

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
mikeymo
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Leeds tourers - find me a hill please

Post by mikeymo »

I'm newish to cycling, but so far going well. I've built a very nice bike. Not really finding anything a massive strain so far, just pleasantly 'stretching'. Planning a short, light tour of the Outer Hebrides/West of Scotland next year. B&B touring, not fully loaded.

I'm keen to find out if I'm up to it, and the gearing I've got on the bike is suitable.

Within easy reach of north Leeds, or even in Leeds, what's a decent long hill, comparable to the normal steepest I might encounter on a tour. Pool Bank?
thirdcrank
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Re: Leeds tourers - find me a hill please

Post by thirdcrank »

Within the boundary of Leeds there's Otley Chevin. More of a test than Pool Bank and a relatively quiet road.
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foxyrider
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Re: Leeds tourers - find me a hill please

Post by foxyrider »

The little climb west out of Pately Bridge should test your mettle! That bit at Pool doesn't even need a gear change.
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thirdcrank
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Re: Leeds tourers - find me a hill please

Post by thirdcrank »

If you are prepared to go as far as Pateley Bridge, there are plenty of climbs in that area, most of which are steeper than Greenhow (the little climb to the West.)
mikeymo
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Re: Leeds tourers - find me a hill please

Post by mikeymo »

thirdcrank wrote:Within the boundary of Leeds there's Otley Chevin. More of a test than Pool Bank and a relatively quiet road.


Do you mean Otley Chevin main road (A660)?
thirdcrank
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Re: Leeds tourers - find me a hill please

Post by thirdcrank »

No. The official title is East Chevin Road. It starts off Gay Lane (a couple of hundred yards from Chevin cycles.) The surest way to find it from the top is from the roundabout on the A 658 near Leeds Bradford INTERNATIONAL Airport.
mikeymo
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Re: Leeds tourers - find me a hill please

Post by mikeymo »

thirdcrank wrote:No. The official title is East Chevin Road. It starts off Gay Lane (a couple of hundred yards from Chevin cycles.) The surest way to find it from the top is from the roundabout on the A 658 near Leeds Bradford INTERNATIONAL Airport.


Thanks. Yes, I know the one you mean. Good suggestion. Will let you know when I've managed it (or not!).
thirdcrank
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Re: Leeds tourers - find me a hill please

Post by thirdcrank »

If you live in Leeds you have stacks of great cycling country - with or without hills - right here on your doorstep.
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foxyrider
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Re: Leeds tourers - find me a hill please

Post by foxyrider »

Of course if you are planning on the Hebrides training for headwinds might be more appropriate! :D
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Paulatic
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Re: Leeds tourers - find me a hill please

Post by Paulatic »

foxyrider wrote:Of course if you are planning on the Hebrides training for headwinds might be more appropriate! :D

+1
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colin54
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Re: Leeds tourers - find me a hill please

Post by colin54 »

Double post deleted.
Last edited by colin54 on 20 Sep 2018, 1:21pm, edited 2 times in total.
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colin54
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Re: Leeds tourers - find me a hill please

Post by colin54 »

I used to find the climb up to Ilkley moor from either side pretty taxing,

you can go up the canal and approach from that side, there's a roughish road over the top

and very steep road down into Ilkley and plenty of cafes.

I loved going up there.

P1050471 (640x575) (3).jpg


My regular loop from North Leeds was through Weardley etc up to Almscliffe crag,

back down to Otley, draggy main road back to Leeds,I never got up that Gay lane/East Chevin in one go,

once I discovered the bridleway half way up through the woods I used to go along that instead,that felt

like a tough hill to me, (overweight ex smoker ).I found Old Pool Bank a stiff climb,turn right at the

bottom of Pool Bank.The climb from Beamsley up to Langbar's a fairly tough short steep hill, longer and

draggy with some steep bits from the Ilkley end,nice up there.

If you haven't already you could get yourself a copy of Ordnance Survey Landranger map 104

and look for where contour lines are close together or roads marked with single or double chevrons,

( Indicating steep or horribly steep respectively ).

Spoilt for choice out of north Leeds, have fun.
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mikeymo
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Re: Leeds tourers - find me a hill please

Post by mikeymo »

foxyrider wrote:The little climb west out of Pately Bridge should test your mettle! That bit at Pool doesn't even need a gear change.


Well, I just got up Pool Bank. I did need to change gear, it turns out. I'd have got up in one, but there's road works with traffic lights half way, so being a responsible cyclist of course I had to stop ;-)
thirdcrank
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Re: Leeds tourers - find me a hill please

Post by thirdcrank »

Only you know what sort of hill you want as a challenge but I don't think of Pool Bank as a big hill. Not that any hill is easy so well done for riding up it. IMO the main thing about Pool Bank is the heavy traffic it carries: very unpleasant these days and the site of many bad crashes, especially at the junction of the A660 and A658 by the Dyneley Arms. Old Pool Bank is much quieter (closed to through motor traffic on part of its length) and a tad steeper. There's a couple of short steep hills in Leeds eg Arthington Bank, but I still think that the (East) Chevin is the only significant test in Leeds ie within the current district boundary.
mikeymo
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Re: Leeds tourers - find me a hill please

Post by mikeymo »

thirdcrank wrote:Only you know what sort of hill you want as a challenge but I don't think of Pool Bank as a big hill. Not that any hill is easy so well done for riding up it. IMO the main thing about Pool Bank is the heavy traffic it carries: very unpleasant these days and the site of many bad crashes, especially at the junction of the A660 and A658 by the Dyneley Arms. Old Pool Bank is much quieter (closed to through motor traffic on part of its length) and a tad steeper. There's a couple of short steep hills in Leeds eg Arthington Bank, but I still think that the (East) Chevin is the only significant test in Leeds ie within the current district boundary.


Well, I'm 60 and never been sporty, at all, so wouldn't describe myself as any sort of athlete. Though I don't smoke, drink or take drugs (god, I'm boring!) and actually when I was examined in detail in preparation for a medical trial last year pronounced very healthy by the consultant. My RHR is in the low 60s and my blood pressure is 126/72, and I'm within normal BMI, so all fairly good. Healthy but out of condition I suppose would be an appropriate description. But I'm a beginner at cycling.

So Pool Bank (from Pool to the Dyneley Arms) was quite enough for me, in my condition. Mainly I was interested in whether I could actually stay on the bike and get up it, in terms of gear ratios and leg strength. Which I could, I never needed to stand, and I don't think my cadence dropped too low. It's the stamina that's the issue, how LONG a hill I can tackle. Though as I could actually pedal the bike, if a hill was too long I'd just have a rest. If I'd carried on to the airport (I turned left for Leeds) I'd have started to run out of steam I think. Given that I've probably only cycled a few hundred miles over the past year, what I clearly need to do is lots more of this. Let's call it 'training'. Probably the same route a few times.

I didn't especially feel the need for a lower gear than my 22", just better legs! Though if it were any steeper I might be searching for a lower ratio. I'll do a bit more, and if I think it would be useful, play with the chainset/cassette to get a bit lower. I'm not bothered about the top end. At the moment it's 118", and I hardly ever use it. And for touring does it matter? Most of the places that sort of top gear would be useful are exactly the places where I'll freewheel and have a rest. Bear in mind this is a 32lb bike. Not one of the lightweight things made out of pencil lead like the bike that some young whippersnapper was riding when he hurtled past me up Pool Bank. Though it is gratifying that I was the same speed up it as somebody called Brownlee! Probably not the one we know though.
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