Cycling up big hills!

[Mr Blobby]

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?

 

[Marc]

I conquered Ditchling Beacon on lasts years London to Brighton...not exactly a Mountain but good enough for these parts!
Would love to cycle through the Alps one year.

 

[bhafc99]

It's famous amongst cyclists - doing that climb is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, so no wonder there's so many.

Tom Simpson was so full of amphetamine and methylamphetamine that he became delirious and unaware of his own dehydration and exhaustion – not something likely to happen to your average club cyclist these days. More likely that one of them'll hurtle off an edge!

Taking part in a transatlantic yacht race was a similar achievement for me: people have died doing things like it, and though at times you question both your own sanity in tackling it and the perversity of voluntarily 'suffering' for pleasure, the sense of achievement makes it worthwhile, and lasts forever.

 

[The Large One]

I conquered Ditchling Beacon on lasts years London to Brighton...not exactly a Mountain but good enough for these parts!
Would love to cycle through the Alps one year.

When the Tour de France came to Brighton, they classified Elm Grove as being a higher grade of hill to climb (which they had to do twice) than Ditchling Beacon.

But in short, Mr Blobby - no, I would not do anything so daft.

 

[Fourteenth Eye]

I hate cycling up big hills & brighton is full of them.

Elm grove is the worst. it looks managable until your collapse on the floor a blithering mess

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

I conquered Ditchling Beacon on lasts years London to Brighton...

Without dismounting at all on the climb?

 

[The Large One]

Southover Street is a bastard to climb, but Hartington Road is worst. Hartington is not even, and goes flat then steep, steep then flat - you can't hit a rhythm.

I've not tried Albion Hill, officially the steepest street in Brighton. That would be plain bonkers.

 

[Cian]

I tried cycling to college for a few days till I started to suffer from the fact thats theres a big big valley in the way - short steep descent then almost instantly into a long, long shallow-ish ascent, and viceversa in the evenings. Whereas if I drive, I get to use the nice flat motorway

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

I cycle up Ditchling Road going into work and up Carden Hill coming home, which is a good workout, but I'm sure Yorkie would tell us that most Yorkshire folk would laugh at the thought of us imagining we have hard to climb hills down south.

 

[Marc]

Without dismounting at all on the climb?

nope all the way up and in the 2nd to last gear as the bastard bike would'nt change down to the lowest! first ever attempt too!

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

nope all the way up and in the 2nd to last gear as the bastard bike would'nt change down to the lowest! first ever attempt too!

Nice one, I really must give it a go, although I should imagine having cars up your backside must get on your tits a bit. Might have to be a dawn ride to get round that problem, and also avoids the scenario of people watching me wobble to a grinding halt halfway up

 

[wolfie]

I've done the Beacon 3 times now. The biggest problem this year on the L2B was getting round 90% of the participants who started pushing as soon as it started. It is great coming down though.

 

[The Large One]

Do you cycle down the Beacon like that kid in the Hovis ad? Legs out wide and praying for dear life that he doesn't come off?

 

[Theatre of Trees]

Do you cycle down the Beacon like that kid in the Hovis ad? Legs out wide and praying for dear life that he doesn't come off?

Used to wonder when watching that advert whether that kid had his nadgers intact after speeding down that cobbled streeted hill on that suspension-less bike.

 

[London Calling]

I've the south downs way, which has plenty of steep. high gradient, off track climbs that make the beacon a flat surface in comparison.

I made a point of never (but once) put my foot down or stopping as I was climbing up. I went with a mate who compete's in Mountain bike races, even he gave up at one point when faced with a small but near vertical chalk cliff.

Afterwards it was the most fit i have ever been!

LC

 

[Muhammed - I’m hard - Bruce Lee]

bloody cyclists!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CHAPPERS]

I've not tried Albion Hill, officially the steepest street in Brighton. That would be plain bonkers.

I can hardly walk up that bastard.

 

[Beach Hut]

If memory serves me correct when the Tour De France went up that mountain the last time where Tom Simpson died the Eurosport commentor (who is very good) read out Psalm 23 as a moving tribute the the great man.

A surreal and very moving moment.

 

[Gwylan]

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.

 

[adrian29uk]

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