There aren't many. I've found five:

Newbiggin: http://bit.ly/1NACoS
Mickleton: http://bit.ly/2rl7CT
The Stang: http://bit.ly/1W0caD
Westgate: http://bit.ly/2cvAZ1
Lintzgarth: http://bit.ly/aGjMV

Any more? They need to show a double chevron on an OS map, and be in County Durham.

There's only three within 2 miles of my house, but there's plenty of single arrow ones too 🙂

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=400807&Y=443484&A=Y&Z=120

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=402894&Y=440799&A=Y&Z=120

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=401431&Y=446114&A=Y&Z=120

(not in co. durham though)

shocked to find that Peth Bank wasn't a double. Probably just felt it, doing Uni hill climbs with bastard hangover.

I'm not near a map to check, but is Crawleyside in Stanhope not a double chevron?

EDIT – It isn't, but the climb up to Bollihope Common on the other side of the A689 from Crawleyside is.

new ride coming soon-

"The County Durham Double Chevron Century Challenge"

It isn't, but the climb up to Bollihope Common on the other side of the A689 from Crawleyside is

This one? http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=399005&Y=538880&A=Y&Z=120 I'd seen that but thought it was two single chevrons close together.

Very tenuously on the subject… In Vin Denson's autobiography (The Full Cycle) there is talk of a race over a circuit featuring the Bollihope Burn which is (I think) called the Vaux Grand Prix (Brewery presumably rather than place). There is a photo of it here in the 1967 edition said to be at Hill End.

Anyone know anything of this? The Bollihope Brun is reached out of Frosterley, and that gives you the (brutal but not double chevron!) Hill End climb, but whether it turned right for Stanhope at the B6278 for a short Frosterley/stanhope lap or left for a more extended lap possibly involving a return via Woodland, Hamsterley and Wolsingham I don't know. A very, very good Northern circuit in that case. 🙂

I'd seen that but thought it was two single chevrons close together.

Maybe it is then. I can't say for certain what it is, I'd just noticed it when I was looking at Crawleyside.

If you're looking for good climbs in Co Durham, I can show you a few 😉 . They might not all be marked as double chevrons on the map, but some feel steeper than those that are (especially on the back roads). Weardale is your friend… it's not difficult to put 2500-3500m of climbing into a shortish loop using some of those climbs, plenty of them over the 600m mark on the snow roads- brutal though.

A very, very good Northern circuit in that case

If you weigh 10 stone after a thorough soaking, yes. Otherwise, jolly hard work.

BD – when your bro is better*, as him to ask H, who probably has a series of stories from that circuit (if the mad old bugger isn't too busy giving me sh*t from a distance).

*flu, if he hasn't told you. He's been alarming several Wheelers.

Anyone know anything of this?

I've emailed a friend who was involved in road racing for years, to see if he knows anything about it.

That loop would be really good: the climb from Woodland over to Stanhope is great. I've not done the climb above, but rode over the Westgate to Newbiggin road on a ride earlier this year (map).

IR 12 stone after a thorough soaking

That's a favourite road of mine too mike, not too steep though. Was a few inches of snow up there a week or so back- ski tows looking good too.

Really like the road form Westgate descent down to Newbiggin now the gates have gone.

That's not the Mickleton one I thought it would be – Bail Hill (next road East) is definately steeper than Botany. Although the later is a nice little descent – normally two lines of tarmac seperated by grass.

Whats a double chevron climb?

Why not search out all the single chevrons and do "The County Durham Double Century Chevron Challenge"?

Whats a double chevron climb?

On maps, roads have a chevron (like a 'V') if they're steep and two of them if they're really steep.

94 miles with 9065ft climbing – first draft of the CDDCCC ride: http://bit.ly/3Z75vb

When?

I like!

me too, can i come mike

Mike, I do some similar routes to that on a regular basis- I'd usually figure 8 at least once to the west ofwestgate for some more interesting climbs and big altitude gains. You also have gone down a track rather than the road in the same area (dunno if that was deliberate mind)- but then you miss the utterly sadistic climb towards Racehead- short but the hardest of them all IMO. Although some of the stuff further west isn't double, they're good, and if you nip into Cumbria and Northumberland you can avoid doubling back, get up to close to 700m and bring in a few more 'double chevrons' for good measure. I like the look of it though.

Sprocdoc found another double chevron NW of Westgate, so I redided it: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/CDDCCCv0-1

103 miles, with 9885ft of climbing.

You also have gone down a track rather than the road in the same area (dunno if that was deliberate mind)

Pave innit? 😉

Although some of the stuff further west isn't double, they're good, and if you nip into Cumbria and Northumberland you can avoid doubling back, get up to close to 700m and bring in a few more 'double chevrons' for good measure.

I want to stick to County Durham climbs and double chevrons. I would like to tweak it a bit to hit 2 miles (10 560 feet) climbing though, so open to suggestions for tweaks – I've ridden some of the roads round there, but not many and don't know them that well.

When? Dunno. Spring?

Profile:

Tasty 🙂

That makes me feel sick

Chappeau Mike!!!I was going to put someything together last night, but Mike has the local knowledge, me being a Northumberland boy and all…

crouch_potato – I wouldn't mind coming out with you one day to get a new route or two… Possible?

Just realised that I had the route going down the extra one sprocdoc found to the NW of Westgate, so so more tweaking will be needed.

Rather than redoing the full map, as that takes ages and there will be more changes needed, I'm sure, I've just drawn the diversion. To avoid having a double back or climbing the Westgate climb twice, I've taken it through Allenheads which adds Cumbria as a third county the route passes through. It also avoids the slight looping around that the older route had (and that 20 miles has 3000' of climbing!)

You're not really sellng this to me now! 🙂

You're not really sellng this to me now!

If you were starting and finishing in Darlington, like I will be, you'd be doing an extra 40 miles and 1500' of climbing. You'll ride to Cumbria and like it! 😉

It's actually quite quick to draw once you get used to the route, so here's version 0.3

Anyone fancy starting in Darlington?

I'm in Sunderland, but definitely up for it! Often thought theres scope for a big ride round them there hills!

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/gb/darlington/783125853972310855

looks excellent!! DO we have to wait until spring? I guess we'd need the longer daylight hours!

I think we might need a bit more than the current 9 hours 🙂

may i suggst a road bike peleton and a MTB peleton?

[ducks for cover]

may i suggst a road bike peleton and a MTB peleton?

Depends how many do it, I suppose. My most suitable bike is a singlespeed, so I'll be slow anyway.

it should be no problem to get at least 50/60

it should be no problem to get at least 50/60

Blimey!