London's Toughest Hills

Gypsy Hill 3 times a day.

the one in tuffnell park killed me!
dartmouth park hill i think??

Dartmouth Park Hill is kind of in 2 halves, with a flat bit in the middle. Used to be part of my daily route home, but in 3 months I've lost the ability to cycle up hills.

Dartmouth Park Hill is kind of in 2 halves, with a flat bit in the middle. Used to be part of my daily route home, but in 3 months I've lost the ability to cycle up hills.
but boy can you drink!!

You don't ride a BJ - black with red wheels do you?

Yeah, that's me. Are you a local then?

I think that Cressida is the toughest one of the roads that climb up to Hornsey Lane. None are very long but they do ramp up a fair bit. Good sprint up there though, especially fixed.

I'll see you those 2 hills, and raise you a Chalkpit Lane, up out of Oxted, past the quarry.

Cheers for that BMMF, I'll check it out. Think I've been down that, one freezing night last November.

I'll see you those 2 hills, and raise you a Chalkpit Lane, up out of Oxted, past the quarry.

Don't know that one. It's in Surrey you see. Going from east to west we have:

Sundridge Hill : 260ft rise in 2220ft = 11.7%
Brasted Hill : 240ft rise in 1775ft = 13.5%
Hogtrough Hill : 200ft rise in 1300ft = 15%
Titsey Hill : 430ft in 5000ft = 8.6% (although the steep section at the beginning is 10%)
Chalkpit Hill : 440ft rise in 3000ft = 14.6%

Interesting stats :0)

But to be honest, I don't know why I bother knowing about hills. Being 13 1/2 stone I'm fucking shit at climbing them.

I'll see you those 2 hills, and raise you a Chalkpit Lane, up out of Oxted, past the quarry.

That's the toughest climb I've found in that area - it's brutal.

Good stats, thanks. Nice to have it confirmed that Chalkpit is the most evil. It's all so-so for a while (well, at least 10%), then you hit a 25% hairpin, and then it feels like a constant 20% for ages.

Fine, as long as you don't meet one of the psychotic lorries from the quarry - there's been quite a lot of local community action to make the road safer and get the drivers to behave more responsibly. Most of the time you go up it, there's not another soul on the road.

Hogtrough is a bit boring. The little ramp after the Pilgrims Way is exciting, but a bend or something would be nice :S

That's the toughest climb I've found in that area - it's brutal.

Yeah - I even had to use my 21t the last time I went up ;)

I have to use a 21t as well. On the front :S

Brilliant topic! - thanks for all the suggestions to check out! fwiw, my three favourite "hills"/"climbs"/"ascensions" are Highgate West Hill, Muswell Hill and Vanbrugh Hill, Greenwich (I've not tried Vanbrugh Hill fixed).
I also like the Hampstead area around Holly Hill, Holford Rd, Christchurch Hill.

dunnit!#

dook's top training tips: pump up tyres and have 2 pints of paulaner before a leisurely cruise to base-camp.

take that highgate west hill. in your face.

Congratulations - Muswell Hill, here you come... :)

ta.

might need rum for that one.

corenlius, cornelius, where for art thou?

Moved from the Hackney thread..

Don't waste time with Highgate West - like you said, too much traffic/too many parked cars.

Swains Lane is parallel to it (go right at the rdbt at the bottom of HW), and Muswell Hill has no speed bumps, plus a bus lane all the way up, which for the most part is bus free.

Yeah, I noticed Swains on the map when I got home and recalled it being mentioned here a bit. Is it just as long? I'm trying to find some different places to ride to get my distance mojo back for next year's rides.. was quite happy with my little detour up some hills in Norf Lundone.

It's a bit shorter if you designate the startpoint as the zebra just past the left hand bend (having turned right at the rdbt).

They're about the same in time though - I've done them both in 2mins.

2mins? Yeah, well, err, um, I was totally close to that today.. ;)

I'm older and slower now - and it helps if you have lpg trying to suck your wheel for the first half :)

Well, I've always been built like a trackie.. which kinda doesn't help. I'll have to get you to tow me up one day so I can set a respectable time.

Actually, I wonder how good is mikec's route? I might throw in some extra stuff during my commute. A climb or two couldn't hurt training-wise.

Gelatly is a breeze, it's over before you really feel the burn. It's a bit of a shocker when you don't know when it finishes though! I might pop down there one evening this week and do a couple of reps. Swains lane still gives me fucking nightmares... Last time I tried it was many moons ago now, back when I was considerably more unfit.

Well, I've always been built like a trackie.. which kinda doesn't help. I'll have to get you to tow me up one day so I can set a respectable time.

Actually, I wonder how good is mikec's route? I might throw in some extra stuff during my commute. A climb or two couldn't hurt training-wise.

It's good - as is the one Brett put up on bikely ages ago.

I was dragging people out to (and up) those hills when a bijou residence in London's famous West London was still a fantasy in your pre-pubescent grey matter.

[quote=asm;273048]Gelatly is a breeze, it's over before you really feel the burn. It's a bit of a shocker when you don't know when it finishes though! quote]

all true, I did it Saturday on the way back from Herne Hill and no problems on 48:17 so forget it - or rather, do it with no worries.

It is still a nice little surprise fucker the first time though - and the pub on the half-way is still a cruel twist for the unwitting..

well said

This covers a few:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Nth-Ldn-Hills

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/41910

Wish I still had the fucking legs to do it. Training imminent I think.