South London hills

I think I'd need to strap my kneecaps on rather thoroughly to attempt either of those, and I'd still end up walking most of it.

Would I be allowed to attempt it with gears?

I think I'd need to strap my kneecaps on rather thoroughly to attempt either of those, and I'd still end up walking most of it.

Would I be allowed to attempt it with gears?

i think that all should be included unicycle even if you want. all we really need to make sure of is that the hill decided upon is not so severe that it scares anybody off and there is a public house very nearby. oh and the dates calendar should be looked at so that it doesnt clash.

Vanbrugh Hill is worth a try - SE3

• Tommy, I think I saw you yesterday coming down, early afternoon? I was headed up on 48/16...
  
  

I started my loop by heading down Chalk Pit lane (thanks to BMMF's suggestion earlier in this thread) to check it out, it's flipping awesome. Will build up the self-loathing and inner-hate to tackle it in the next week. It looks not only b@stard-hard, but consistently-b@stard-Bruce-Lee-hard.

Think I saw BMMF earlier as well on a sportif out towards Chiddingstone, Rollapalooza team kit?

• Tommy, I think I saw you yesterday coming down, early afternoon?
  
  

On Titsey hill, sounds about the right time? Red bike, mudguards, if I was coming down that hill, a look of terror on my face.

I was headed up on 48/16...

How did you get on with that ratio up there? Or should I not ask. :)

Yep, red bike w. mudguards, heading down Titsey. I thought you looked quite serene gliding down, but was surprised to see another fixed rider! Apologies for not sticking it in the Spotted thread.

I, like you, came a cropper on Titsey a few years back, the indignity was soul-crushing and made me determined to master it. A few years on and l'm 'comfortable' with this cruel mistress. It's ok, just power up and over the first 'kick' and keep going. And going. And going. And sprint for the roundabout at the top. I know it's not healthy, but hell, what is these days?

Well that's your challenge for the summer set then eh?

Well done. You've mastered a monster!

Defiantly a summer challenge, I want to have it, I felt it was defiantly doable, just not easy, like anything worth while doing a I guess.

how long/steep are these hills we are talking about? ive been riding the downs for the last week and while there arnt many really long hills, its has constant undulations with lots of crests that are testing me. lack of traffic means i can keep my speed though.

Check the map links / names. It will not be perfect distance wise because of the slope but it will give you an idea.

I was TTing on the Essex/Herts border yesterday, so not me. Plenty of other Rollapalosers out there doing their sportive business.

Titsey's okay, but I don't like climbing (relatively) busy main roads like that (and Westerham/Biggin for example). I'm more often descending Titsey Hill to either do a sharp left half way down, and do White Lane (the 'real' Titsey), or reach the bottom and go up Chalk Pit.

But I've been a hill-free zone for months now. My powers are sleeping. [/evil laugh]

Yes, know what you mean about traffic, haulage trucks hoofing it to keep up the momentum no matter what, belching fumes.

Oh yes, forgot to report Swains Lane was resurfaced last week, no scraffly gravel halfway up. Whoop whoop. Look out for the North drinks folks posting PB's on the TT of Death...

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

Canonbie road is a heck of a steep road, went down that very slowly, scared of getting too much momentum up

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:

Now, here's where I'm confused, although I've not actually ridden up Vanbrugh Hill and perhaps I should add it to my list of things to do before I die, because I regularly ride up the hill in Greenwich Park and to me it's a walk in the park - actually it's a ride up a hill in the park, but I digress - so how is it that when both hills basically run from the same fairly level road at the bottom to as near as damn it the same level at the top that Vanburgh Hill looks to be twice as high as the hill in the park, huh?

don't know, was the first time I rode up a greenwich hill at all ... it would come down to a try I guess. But I am not really good at hill riding, nor am I a very strong rider in general I think. All I do is my 10 mile commute 4 days or 5 days a week, and then some cruising on the weekends. I know I got a long way to go.

There are no hills in South London. Come up to North drinks via Swains Lane and see what I meen.

Wiki disagrees.

[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest_points_in_London[/ame]

Wiki disagrees.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest_points_in_London

Very informative page, very well done.

Wiki disagrees.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest_points_in_London

Good page tommy. I nearly consider myself told.

what about central hill (south) thats quite steep!

sydenham hill, college lane are two

BringMeMyFix "Titsey's okay, but I don't like climbing (relatively) busy main roads like that (and Westerham/Biggin for example). I'm more often descending Titsey Hill to either do a sharp left half way down, and do White Lane (the 'real' Titsey), or reach the bottom and go up Chalk Pit."

......no one has mentioned nearby Yorks Hill yet where the Catford CC hold their annual hill climb
ideal for fixed and hardly any traffic

Now, here's where I'm confused, although I've not actually ridden up Vanbrugh Hill and perhaps I should add it to my list of things to do before I die, because I regularly ride up the hill in Greenwich Park and to me it's a walk in the park - actually it's a ride up a hill in the park, but I digress - so how is it that when both hills basically run from the same fairly level road at the bottom to as near as damn it the same level at the top that Vanburgh Hill looks to be twice as high as the hill in the park, huh?

It just kicks up sharply just before the old nurses home on the right as far as about ulundu road then flattens off - short and sharp.....

BringMeMyFix "Titsey's okay, but I don't like climbing (relatively) busy main roads like that (and Westerham/Biggin for example). I'm more often descending Titsey Hill to either do a sharp left half way down, and do White Lane (the 'real' Titsey), or reach the bottom and go up Chalk Pit."

......no one has mentioned nearby Yorks Hill yet where the Catford CC hold their annual hill climb
ideal for fixed and hardly any traffic

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.

I still think Chalkpit is worse, from memory. The severity of climbs is about more than steepness alone.
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.