thirdcrank wrote:ANTONISH wrote:.... the climb is steeper and longer than I remember from late fifties/ early sixties. ....
Yup. Although the evidence is everywhere, it's a little-known fact that much of the money spent on roads in the UK goes on the surreptitious annual modification of climbs to make them steeper and longer. They used to need navvies to do this but now it's all mechanised and some newer roads have built-in jacks towards the top. I think metrication has something to do with it so a hill you once romped up in a 69" gear, is now a struggle with 20" or less.
And I thought it was me getting older - must be the same people putting in hills that weren't there in my youth.