Beaten by a Hill!

Post by **Mick F** » 16 Mar 2007, 12:45pm

I was out the other day, and couldn't get up a particular hill in one go.
Take a look at http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/getamap/ and click "Get a Map" and input SX356656 to see the hill I'm talking about.

I didn't get off and push, but leaned on the bank to get my breath back so's I could carry on. It took three goes to get to the top!

Yes, yes, I know I could re-gear my bike. Maybe my 30/23 = 35 inches isn't low enough for some, and until now, I've not had a problem!

The hill must be three-quarters of a mile long at about 1 in 4 gradient. It just goes on and on. Good grief!

Mick F. Cornwall

2014 Edit:
The OS link above is out of date.
This is a link that works.
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=callin ... ngdom&z=16

thirdcrank · Post by **thirdcrank** » 16 Mar 2007, 1:55pm

Mick F

I cannot help remembering that on an earlier thread your uncle reohn2 and Grandad Thirdcrank warned you about this sort of thing and the benefits of low gears :wink:

There was a time when I felt undergeared in 44 x 25 (47") on Sutton Bank which is one of our big hills up here. I struggle in that to ride up our street now. I keep kidding myself that the highway authorities keep making these hills steeper but it comes to us all. So long as curates out shopping are not overtaking you there is still hope. Is it phyllosan that fortifies the over forties? I can't remember. Not much good for me anyway in the bus pass years. :roll:

Post by **Mick F** » 16 Mar 2007, 3:50pm

Yep. You're right TC! Yes to re-gearing!

But hang on a sec ....

I won't go UP that hill again, will I. I was just out riding the lanes, and got caught out. I should've known better, the lane is only 8 or so miles from here!

But point taken.

This takes me back to the Derailleur vs Hubgear argument. At least I COULD alter some of my ratios, if I wanted.

Regards,
Mick F. Cornwall

thirdcrank · Post by **thirdcrank** » 16 Mar 2007, 4:00pm

MickF

I suppose every walk of life has different milestones. In cycling, there comes a time when your biggest cog is bigger than your smallest* chainring. I was 55 when that happened to me and I swapped from 30 x 25 to 26 x 27. Looking on the bright side, there are plenty of teenagers who could not ride up some of these hills (the personal bright side that is)

* And to the grammarians, I do know that it is the smaller chainring in a double but I am talking triples. :oops:

The red face is not from embarrassment but from puffing and panting up hills.

horizon · Post by **horizon** » 16 Mar 2007, 4:55pm

Mick F.: if it helps, you may like to know that I have to read all your gear ratios in reverse. So your lowest gear is 30/23 (F/R) while mine is 22/30 (F/R). In fact it may help if all gear ratios were expressed as say 22tF/32tR to distinguish them from front and back and from inches.

Mrs Tortoise · Post by **Mrs Tortoise** » 16 Mar 2007, 9:34pm

I'm glad some one else is brave enough to admit the odd hill beats 'em. In my case too many Lion Bars doesn't help, but if one does beat me, I go back again and again until I manage it. I don't fly over them like Nicole Cooke, but I get there eventually. So keep trying Mick.

dodger · Post by **dodger** » 16 Mar 2007, 9:44pm

That hill should be erased from the landscape.
What I don't understand is - What happens to all that kinetic energy built up coming down towards the hill? It all seems to evaporate in the first 10 metres and then it's hard work and stops for oxygen.

thirdcrank · Post by **thirdcrank** » 16 Mar 2007, 10:17pm

MickF

Thanks for pointing me to a great resource.

Perhaps we could have a competition for the worst hill in the world?

I nominate the one at ref SH910220.

Post by **Mick F** » 16 Mar 2007, 11:25pm

TC! I wanna go there! WOW! Good hill!

Actually, having zoomed out, I found out where it was, and I/we've been there many years ago. Driving! Also, been there as a kid with M+D, in a car too.

Yes, also, Ordnance Survey Get-a-Map is great. I've often used the facility and used 'Screen Grab', printed, then changed the map centre, then 'Grabbed' again, printed, and glued the papers together to make a map for the day!

Mick F. Cornwall

thirdcrank · Post by **thirdcrank** » 17 Mar 2007, 7:53am

Mick F wrote: Ordnance Survey Get-a-Map is great. I've often used the facility and used 'Screen Grab', printed, then changed the map centre, then 'Grabbed' again, printed, and glued the papers together to make a map for the day!

I bet you didn't do that for LEJOG? :wink:

(I have known one or two tight-fisted people who might have tried.

Post by Si » 17 Mar 2007, 11:27am

thirdcrank wrote:MickF

Thanks for pointing me to a great resource.

Perhaps we could have a competition for the worst hill in the world?

I nominate the one at ref SH910220.

Ha! Memories of pain return. I did that one last year, up the steep side. I was forced to stop near the top because I was going so slow that, when a car came the other way, I couldn't be sure that I would be able to keep to my side of the road, what with all my wobbling and the sweat in my eyes

But had a nice sit at the top for 25mins while I waited for the rest of the group

But the worst thing about it is the drop dowen the other side into Bala - after all that effort to get to the top the descent is just so tame! :twisted:

thirdcrank · Post by **thirdcrank** » 17 Mar 2007, 2:09pm

It might be reasonable to expect that somebody driving down such a steep hill on such a narrow road, would have the decency to stop until you had passed. Except at the very bottom you would have been visible from miles away. Anybody with an ounce of wit would appreciate your achievement and get out to applaud. :evil:

simon l6 and a bit · Post by **simon l6 and a bit** » 17 Mar 2007, 3:32pm

Mick, your hill looks to be about 130 metres. Have you not been eating your porridge? That's Ditchling Beacon stuff, no more. I really do think you should go back and give it another go.

Thirdcrank's hill, on the other hand, looks like the Himalayas. It has contours in places where other hills don't have places. Why would anybody attempt this monster? Psychiatric testing beckons.

I cannot think of a single hill that compares with Thirdcrank's or, indeed comes close. Which makes me very glad I live in the soft south.

(BTW Streetmap offers the same grid reference search)

thirdcrank · Post by **thirdcrank** » 17 Mar 2007, 7:20pm

Simon

I am not sure about 'si'- chiatric testing ( :roll:

) He seems pretty sound to me. I chose a hill in Wales partly so nobody would get on about the Yorkshire born, Yorkshire bred bit, but also, that one is a monster. The view back down the valley is brilliant and this is now red kite country - probably waiting to feed on the corpses of cyclists who died in the attempt.

Post by Si » 17 Mar 2007, 9:05pm

I must admit, that Thirdcrank's hill is the first one that's stopped me in over ten years (not counting off road ones of course). It is a real brute - not as steep as some: for instance the steep bits on the Devil's Staircase are steepers, but there are just more of the slighty less steep bits on Thirdcrank's hill and they go on for longer! Even if I'd not dabbed when the car came I doubt if I'd have reached the top in one effort. (of course the 28degree C. temps and 50miles of hills already under the belt didn't help :wink:

).

The last one that stopped me was coming out of Tintagiel (sp?) back up to the top of the moors, with full touring kit aboard.

Of course, neither of these are a patch on Hardnott or Wrynose :shock: