Cycling up big hills!

[HampshireSeagulls]

seagullion

Bloody car drivers >>

Bloody idiots in 4x4s >>

Bloody van drivers >>

Seriously I love cycling up hills simply becuase I have my own technique for getting up them. My legs are like conkers but my stomach needs some serious work lol

I have a special technique too.

I hold on to the back of a car/4x4/van.....

 

[ditchy]

What's the name of that street that leads from Preston up to Dyke Road - it's a really narrow, pedestrian-only street (is it South Street?). That surely must be steeper than Albion Hill.

is that the drove ?

 

[Spiros]

I have just come back from a holiday in Provence (only a week, not a year like the book).

We were staying in Bedoin which sits at the foot of Mount Ventoux. We sensibly drove from the town which sits at 295 meters to the summit (1,909 meters) and passed hundreds of crazy people cycling up as they attempt one of the famous climb from the Tour De France. The fact that they pass a memorial to Tommy Simpson

"During the 1967 Tour de France, English rider Tom Simpson collapsed with heat exhaustion and died on the ascent of Mount Ventoux while challenging for the yellow jersey. "

they still carry on to the top. Are these people mad? It takes them on average 2 1/2 hours to cycle up and 20 minutes to go back down, one overtook us and we were doing 65kph! I think the average gradient is 7.5%, but its 20% for the last few hundred meters to the very top!

Anyone on NSC done this cycle ride or something similar?

Did exactly that ealier this year. Some time last summer a mate and I discussed over a pint or two how we would commemorate our 40th birthdays this year and he suggested cycling up Ventoux. Neither of us are club cyclists and were both considerably unfit and overweight for the task. I took it seriously for about 6 months and got fit enough to complete the job in 2 3/4 hours. The last 6km on the bare mountain took 3/4 hour without stopping and was the most physically difficult 45 minutes of my life. When I got to the top I couldn't speak for about 15 minutes

Obviously an Albion shirt was the only thing to wear and I selected the Palookaville top due to it's superior moisture management capabilities.

The only problem is having done one mountain my mate wants to do another next year. The Col du Telegraph has been mentioned...

 

[Mr Blobby]

Re: Re: Cycling up big hills!

Did exactly that ealier this year.


I bow down to your madness! The cyclist we spoke to at the top were all very much on a high at actually making it to the top! We spoke to people from Canada and Australia who had made the trip specifically to complete the Mount Ventoux challenge. I downed an extra glass to two or rose in peoples honour that evening (well must evenings actually, and errm lunch times, didnt quite manage it for breakfast!)

 

[Spiros]

It's definitely a real high when you make it. We went down to Ventoux specifically for the cycle ride doing 1600 miles driving in a (long) weekend. One factor did not help though - my mate booked us into a hotel running a 'gourmet weekend'. We planned on eating loads of pasta and having no booze the night before the ride but ended up having a 7 course gourmet dinner and a skinful of aperitifs, wine and brandy instead!

 

[Curious Orange]

I've cycled to the top of Leith Hill on a BMX, that's only about 50 foot shy of being a mountain!!

 

[8ace]

is that the drove ?

Yep, one-way only because of it's steepness.

 

[Sonic The Hedgehog]

Been up the Ventoux in a car. Went up the other side (from Malaucene). It was 22 degrees and sunny at the bottom, but was just 4 degrees at the top and blowing a gale, and this was in early June.

Went down the other side towards Bedoin, but had to stop halfway as the brakes were overheating.

Glad I did it the 'easy' way as I could never drag my carcase all the way up.

 

[The Large One]

What's the name of that street that leads from Preston up to Dyke Road - it's a really narrow, pedestrian-only street (is it South Street?). That surely must be steeper than Albion Hill.

It is. But it's in Hove, and I need my passport to get there.

 

[cardboard]

It is. But it's in Hove, and I need my passport to get there.

No its on the Brighton side of Dyke Road right near Preston Park so its definitely Brighton

 

[lost in london]

Re: Re: Cycling up big hills!

Did exactly that ealier this year. Some time last summer a mate and I discussed over a pint or two how we would commemorate our 40th birthdays this year and he suggested cycling up Ventoux. Neither of us are club cyclists and were both considerably unfit and overweight for the task. I took it seriously for about 6 months and got fit enough to complete the job in 2 3/4 hours. The last 6km on the bare mountain took 3/4 hour without stopping and was the most physically difficult 45 minutes of my life. When I got to the top I couldn't speak for about 15 minutes

Obviously an Albion shirt was the only thing to wear and I selected the Palookaville top due to it's superior moisture management capabilities.

The only problem is having done one mountain my mate wants to do another next year. The Col du Telegraph has been mentioned...

I've just come back from a weekend in the Lakes, did a few of the passes there which were pretty testing. Was my first weekend on a road bike and absolutely loved it. Me and a couple of mates are going to do a 2 week tour of France next summer, hopefully including L'etape and taking in some of the bigger French climbs, Ventoux and Tourmalet are top of our list so far.

 

[REDLAND]

Hill/mountains are ONLY there to be cycled down, DH style of course