South London hills

It's probably been discussed to death on Catford HC threads. [smug]I've been the fastest up on fixed 3 times [/smug] - 2m04, most recently (in 46x22 / 55inch). Only gone under 2 minutes once in training. We went up it recently, sort of by accident, on a Ant's Kentish Rollapaluza CC clubride. Well, me and hippy rode up, the rest walked, but no shame in that, as it's fucking ridiculously steep, although the short section of 20% between the two 25% stretches is a bit of a breather :O I still think Chalkpit is worse, from memory. The severity of climbs is about more than steepness alone.
Yeah, me and bmmf, regular little mountain goats we are..

mmmm.... mountain goat! I shall go there tonight!

Send me some. Oh, and say hi to the PubBUG guys/gals (Chris and Steve esp) if you see 'em.

I'd agree - Chalkpit is a beast - first time I went there with a few friends we got a bit lost and ended up in a nearby housing estate and had to stop and ask an old boy for directions - "you boys don't want to go that way" he said "its 1 in 4 you know". Heh. Titsey is nothing in comparison.

Could you please post a google maps link, I can't find a Chalkpit hill.

Could you please post a google maps link, I can't find a Chalkpit hill.

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=51.270937,-0.013475&spn=0.026366,0.077248&z=14 Chalkpit Lane is the road name.

I grew up near Chalkpit and used to nip up and down it on my road bike. Wouldn't dream of doing it on fixed, but I went out on the downs at the weekend and the slightest incline was enough to send me backwards because I'm soft as all hell.

The only thing about Chalkpit is that it's not long, so you don't have the psychological pressures of longer stuff like Titsey, Ide or Toys. For steepness it simply cannot be beat though.

It sounds likeI need this Chalkpit lane in my life. Is 69 gear inches to much? How dose it compare to Swains? Sownds a lot harder.

I was going to say that I haven't been up Swains, but actually it rings a bell, where is it again? Description of Chalkpit would go something like, from railway bridge at the bottom - slight incline (300 yards?), followed by longer stretch of something slightly steeper (this was the bit that always got me - you know what's coming but you're already struggling slightly - going down through the gears on a road bike), then up past the quarry (from whence it gets its name), steeper now, and steeper still, until you hit the sharpish turn right, which is possibly the steepest part (ie, if you pull on your handlebars too much you will flip over backwards), then it levels out ever so slightly - DON'T RELAX AT THIS POINT, BIG MISTAKE - because then it gets steeper again, before level out round a left turn, that brings you up to a junction.

Botley Farm is the pub just over the way from the top of Chalkpit.

One thing if you were going to race there, it's narrow - you can get past oncoming traffic, but you may sometimes find there's not an awful lot of room.

slight incline (300 yards?), followed by longer stretch of something slightly steeper (this was the bit that always got me - you know what's coming but you're already struggling slightly - going down through the gears on a road bike), then up past the quarry (from whence it gets its name), steeper now, and steeper still, until you hit the sharpish turn right, which is possibly the steepest part (ie, if you pull on your handlebars too much you will flip over backwards), then it levels out ever so slightly - DON'T RELAX AT THIS POINT, BIG MISTAKE - because then it gets steeper again, before level out round a left turn.

Fuck - I got breathless and started sweating just reading that

Oh cheers. That sownds like fun. I am always up for a hill climbing chalange.

Swains leads up to Highgate. There is a longish incline that gets gradualy steaper. Then you get to the cemitary gates and it really ramps up for about 50m. This gradualy dies down but it is a tough hill (unless you are MikeC or BMMF who do laps of it). Come up to north drinks and give it a go.

Ah, I knew I knew it, but I haven't been up it, fixed or otherwise. Yes, might well give it a go at some point, thanks for the invite.

[q]Is 69 gear inches to much?[/q]

Difficult to say really, I wouldn't think it would be too much though. I haven't ever ridden it on fixed though, in fact it's a while since I've been up it on anything. As I say, it IS short, so if you feel you can do it with one big effort, then you might be able to go with something highish (not velodrome high - going up hills high).

It sounds likeI need this Chalkpit lane in my life. Is 69 gear inches to much? How dose it compare to Swains? Sownds a lot harder.

I've limped up Swains in an 82" gear. There's no fucking way I'd manage that on Chalkpit.

At a guess, my optimum gear for Swains (at pace) would be in the mid-60s. For Chalkpit, low 50s (69" would be a tendon snapper, and balancing act, if at all possible).

Try to imagine Swains, but at the end of the steepest section, there's a 25% steeper hairpin, followed by another 150m of the same 25% steeper gradient. Something like that.

Chalkpit - deceptively steep; lures you into a false sense of security (a false flat?); just after the hairpin, you realise it's stabbed you in the chest and pummelled your arms with a baseball bat.

Toys (steep side) - the ramp that just keeps getting steeper, and has a laxative effect on the final section.

Yorks - disorientating final section and bastard steep.

Chalkpit - deceptively steep; lures you into a false sense of security (a false flat?); just after the hairpin, you realise it's stabbed you in the chest and pummelled your arms with a baseball bat.

Very much that. Although the false flat is still very much uphill, it's just less uphill than that dreadful hairpin - I'm sure that's the steepest bit, but you're quite right, the steep bit after that is the one that punches you in the gut.

Toys (steep side) - the ramp that just keeps getting steeper, and has a laxative effect on the final section.

Made me snort a small bit of beer onto my keyboard this. It's quite true.

vanborough hill ftw!

Fuck, I tried that one ... nearly burst my lungs ... had to turn off it at that junction, in order to avoid the walk of shame:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Forest+hill&sll=51.52653,-0.100106&sspn=0.014258,0.037508&ie=UTF8&ll=51.482599,0.008368&spn=0.00306,0.018754&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=51.482596,0.008379&panoid=NIGOnEf43YbMI83v47S1GA&cbp=11,172.9120536643549,,0,10.457665903890158

[smug]been there, done that[/smug]

Short but frigging steep. No way could I have got up without clips as pulling on the bars was not enough, I had to pull up on the trailing pedal too. 48/18 BTW

did chalkpit lane today. fck me, that was tough. there were points on the climb where i thought i was trackstanding and not moving at all. made it all the way up but for a moment there it felt like my forearms and/or lower back was going to give way.

chalkpit makes toys hill (which we did few kms back) seem flat. well, the first longer part anyway. was told that chalkpit is harder than titsey and titsey-white. glad we went for the tougher climb. i needed that

Good effort Desi. It's damn tough, isn't it?

I'm putting together a 50 mile and 70 mile hilly route from south London and plan to include many of these hills in it.

Back on the topic of hills in South London, I stumbled across Canonbie Road the other day, just between East Dulwich and Honor Oak. It's well short, but fucking steep, way harsher then Gypsy Hill etc. I nearly did the 'going backwards' thing
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/304776

EDIT: Just realised this was discussed on the first page. Well done me.

Them two roads that go up to crystal palace parade. Knights Hill up to Crown Point. That one that goes up the side of streatham common is a tough walk let alone ride ! and forest hill / honor oak park.

btw are there any south London rides? (am new to this board)

yep. tough but doable (i failed to get up yorks hill!). did a 90+km loop today. lots of fast smooth descents and sharp hills. dont know the area that well but went along what looked like part of the Ride of the Falling Leaves route. and we looped around westerham and did hosey hill twice.

the ride home along the ridge was great. we were pushing 40+kph all the way to croydon. fair few trucks though

Nice on fatboyralph, i live in Oxted at bottom of Chalkpit and can testify that's it's easily the toughest test i've found in Surrey/Kent/London. Not the longest hill, but steep and hurts like hell

might give some of the nearby ones a go. tulse hill is easy, long and easy from both sides.. never tried the york hill. try to avoid hills on account of one brake :oO

Back on the topic of hills in South London, I stumbled across Canonbie Road the other day, just between East Dulwich and Honor Oak. It's well short, but fucking steep, way harsher then Gypsy Hill etc. I nearly did the 'going backwards' thing
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/304776

Stunning views from the top.

EDIT: Just realised this was discussed on the first page. Well done me.

Streetview is great for getting a sense of these climbs.

might give some of the nearby ones a go. tulse hill is easy, long and easy from both sides.. never tried the york hill. try to avoid hills on account of one brake :oO

It's possible that you are confusing York Hill near Tulse Hill, with Yorks Hill:

http://www.rapha.cc/ride-to-the-catford-hill-climb

Nice on fatboyralph, i live in Oxted at bottom of Chalkpit and can testify that's it's easily the toughest test i've found in Surrey/Kent/London. Not the longest hill, but steep and hurts like hell

After taming it on a 19t recently, I'm starting to think that Succombs is the steepest (but short), and Whitehill Lane up into Caterham (the one people will have been down a million times on the way to Brighton) might be capable of beating Chalk Pit in a fight. I'll do some research soon...

Imagine living at the bottom of Chalk Pit Lane - I'm so envious.

I used to go down/up Succombs Hill on my way to/from school every day.
That hill is scary in a car, let alone on a bike!