London's Toughest Hills

Pentonville road, so hard my ears started bleeding with all the effort

dooks - i've been up Highgate 3 times and not cleaned it yet (48:18), so am happy to join you in the fail-zone.
It's only a few mins away from work, so will be adding it to my commute occasionally now to help burn off some of the Americaland pancake lard i've recently added.

Nice pun there, pajamas :)

I'm far from new to the hills game, but need to start riding up some of the fuckers if I'm going to enter any hillclimb comps this year.

I'd be up for tagging along, and either come geared, or get the fixed set up for the road again with whatever kind of gear you're all using. If you end up doing that Peckham climb (I don't know it) once only, I could just do some repeats while you take the sensible pub option.

bristol has hills. they crush the spirit. they make me say 'oh shit' when i see them. there is one round the back of the bridge that comes up from the bottom of ashton court. it's totally evil. park street is nothing.

anyone new to the hills game up for cracking a few of these soon? summit to do at the weekends....

ps me and asm were talking about gellatley road off Peckham / Brockley.

That's short but sweet and has the added attraction of going in to an even steeper climb with a slight bend in the road just as you go past a pub with lots of people languishing with cigarettes and drinks outside.
Go ride Highgate Hill, then do Highgate hill west, Then do swaines lane.
Stop at the top for a pint (in the flask) after each completed hill.

Nice way to spend a day.

BMMF, i've sort of just decided to do catford in the last couple days. so will need some guidance on training. did swains lane last night on the way home after racing at hillingdon. very fun, when your legs are shot and road is slippery :O

bristol has hills. they crush the spirit. they make me say 'oh shit' when i see them. there is one round the back of the bridge that comes up from the bottom of ashton court. it's totally evil. park street is nothing.

been up that. piss easy ;) was on my mtb tho (possibly granny ring). on my way to bristol bike fest 12hr ride

you guys doing a recce of the actual catford hillclimb stretch? wouldnt mind riding down there and try it out. was a nice ride last year.

Constitition hill in Bristol. Went down it last week with PJ. The thought of going up it gives me nightmares.

With all this talk of hill climbing, next Tuesday is a good time to start with North drinks waiting to welcome anyone with open arms who makes it up the hill.

If you do, give me a shout. I'll drive over and meet you on a suitably geared fixed wheel bike :0)

The second to last time I rode up Yorks I was coughing my guts up for 5 minutes after. The last time was the morning of the hillclimb proper, too many people around to act like a complete tool at the top, so I held myself back on the climb up ;0)

been up that. piss easy ;) was on my mtb tho (possibly granny ring). on my way to bristol bike fest 12hr ride

try doing it on a 75" then. (not park street).

and try the climb up to dundry. or burrington combe. or any of the mendips really, or failing that, get train to abergavenny, ride the beacons. savagery, but definitely the riding here is amazing.

I do armitage road in Golders Green on the way home ( nr Basing Hill pk) which is a short run but steeper than any I know...as far as steep and long goes I reckon its got to be from Swiss Cottage up to Hampstead Heath in the North...but you need a few hills to break up the tedium

Constitition hill in Bristol. Went down it last week with PJ. The thought of going up it gives me nightmares.

i like that bit where it drops away so steeply that you can't actually see the road.

BMMF, i've sort of just decided to do catford in the last couple days. so will need some guidance on training. did swains lane last night on the way home after racing at hillingdon. very fun, when your legs are shot and road is slippery :O

No problem - maybe liaise via the rollapaluza forum?

Depending on the job situation, I'll be aiming to get out that way a couple of times a week soon - just think about your perceived strengths/weakness, and let me know what else you need to know :)

My training's going to be scant - skipping all the 'base' preliminaries, and getting straight down to the masochistic stuff...

Constitition hill in Bristol. Went down it last week with PJ. The thought of going up it gives me nightmares.

With all this talk of hill climbing, next Tuesday is a good time to start with North drinks waiting to welcome anyone with open arms who makes it up the hill.

-rep for spelling of Constitution and most other words.

dooks. Swains lane is easier to go up. It is steeper, yes but shorter and no speed bumps to destroy your rhythm. I can often be found doing laps of Swains Lane (Up) / West Hill of a Saturday when the weather is good. Also head off to Ally Pally crouch hill etc. Good fun

Is there a website / thingy that provides gradients so we tell who's got the toughest climb? If not it'd be a good idea.

abergavenny. my first ever sportive was iron mountain. over an hr of climbing and that's after 60miles! super fast downhills at the end of it tho. beaut countryside.

Map my run gives you milage the you click on the gradients thing at the bottom and it gives you the meaters climbed and desended.

Is there a website / thingy that provides gradients so we tell who's got the toughest climb? If not it'd be a good idea.

This.

see i like a gentle or medium incline. there's something about riding fixed that seems to give an advantage in these situations i find. but as the gradiant ramps up and the advantage of momentum is lost things get progressively less fun. if i'm honest i fucking hate slogging up steep hills. it's about the least fun thing you can do on a bike. but for some reason i feel compelled to keep banging my head against this one till i've got it down.

How about this route. Start at Archway, up Archway road to the station for a bit of a warm up. Back down then up Highgate hill to the top followed by Dartmouth Park hill Swains lane and Highgate hill west finishing at the flask for light refreshments and half a bitter shandy.

you guys doing a recce of the actual catford hillclimb stretch? wouldnt mind riding down there and try it out. was a nice ride last year.

will definitely be a recce or two

No problem - maybe liaise via the rollapaluza forum?

Depending on the job situation, I'll be aiming to get out that way a couple of times a week soon - just think about your perceived strengths/weakness, and let me know what else you need to know :)

My training's going to be scant - skipping all the 'base' preliminaries, and getting straight down to the masochistic stuff...
cool. base is solid, good the longer it goes, struggle on short sharp bits, but once in rhythym not bad.

How about this route. Start at Archway, up Archway road to the station for a bit of a warm up. Back down then up Highgate hill to the top followed by Dartmouth Park hill Swains lane and Highgate hill west finishing at the flask for light refreshments and half a bitter shandy.

the other day did muswell hill, down archway, back up to highgate village, down highgate hill, back up swains lane, down north rd, up bishops avenue, down highgate west, up fitzjohns av, then back home down highgate.

the other day did muswell hill, down archway, back up to highgate village, down highgate hill, back up swains lane, down north rd, up bishops avenue, down highgate west, up fitzjohns av, then back home down highgate.

Fair play, that sounds like a killer.