There are always those ones, aren't there, that, even though you've done them loads of times, are always harder and/or longer than you think. And they're not necessarily that long, or that hard, but definitely more so than you had in your head when you started, and they get you every time....
Example one - the track from the drive up to the Cage in Lyme Park. Every time I think "oh, I'll just spin up to the Cage", and every time, about halfway up, I'm thinking "bloody hell, this is harder than I remember".
What's yours?
The climb up the blue at glentress always feels like a proper slog! Much more slog than a blue should be! 😄
Y Wal at Afan... i always forget the stony steeper bit about 1/3 of the way up that drags on a bit.
Example one – the track from the drive up to the Cage in Lyme Park. Every time I think “oh, I’ll just spin up to the Cage”, and every time, about halfway up, I’m thinking “bloody hell, this is harder than I remember”.
Have you been up the road out the back of Lyme Park? Goes under the canal then starts climbing. And it goes on for roughly 37 miles...
we've got a beautiful couple around QECP
in the summer they are nothing but ~10 minute climbs
but in the correct conditions the fireroads turn into inches deep thick sticky clay/chalk mud that makes an already soul destroying climb, into one of utter regret
and it doesn't stop there, once you complete the climb you end up with probably another KG of the stuff on your tyres
Stairs up to my bedroom!
Quantocks, the climb up Bicknoller Combe (I think it is) up to the main ridge, comes out just along from Bicknoller post. Never gets any easier.
Have you been up the road out the back of Lyme Park? Goes under the canal then starts climbing. And it goes on for roughly 37 miles…
You mean Shrigley Lane? Yep, many a time in my yoof, when we wanted to escape our grim childhoods on the mean streets of Poynton. And yeah, it keeps on giving (especially if you go for the full Bakestonedale experience)
Streat Bostal - it always has a kick at the top no matter how fit you're feeling
The climb up the blue at glentress always feels like a proper slog! Much more slog than a blue should be!
Oh yes, I've only done it once, but it seemed an awful lot of uphill for a short downhill.
And Llandegla. Is it 3 miles uphill, straight from the cafe? Certainly felt like at least 3 miles.
there's a hill up to the car park at barbury castle near swindon. i remember that being a lot tougher than it should (haven't ridden up it for years though).
Chew Reservoir access road
Truleigh Hill going East from the river Adur / A283. It's not even long. It doesn't even look hard. There are no corners.
But it's deceptive and has it gets steeper, the trail gets broken up into gulleys and flintstones and shit.
Maybe I am too unfit or old but even when I was young I struggled... Very rewarding at the top though.
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I find every climb longer and harder than it should be!
More practice needed I reckon 🙂
The Golden mile from Coniston side up to Tarn hows
I did this as part of an MTB route on Long Mynd
I thought road climbs on an MTB aren’t that bad. I was wrong
Asterton Bank
http://shrophills.blogspot.com/p/asterton-bank-long-mynd.html?m=1
I think traffic and a broken that edge meant I was very worried about wobbling
The first one back after the lunch stop..
The climb about 5 miles from home that I end up doing at the end of most long road rides. It's a 6-7% drag on chipseal with only one minor bend. Only about 65m up. I never ride it fresh so it always feels demotivating for its stats.
Also, Kop Hill in the Chilterns. Steppy rampy thing, momentum and pace killing sections of steepness that just beats me down. Whiteleaf Hill next to it is harder overall but has it's positives as a testing climb, I'd always rather go up Whiteleaf than Kop.
3 of us did the Bonnette on loaded MTBs with full size knobblies on a long time ago, that was a beast of a climb. Beautiful though, would do it again tomorrow. The worst climbs are the minor 50-100m featureless straight ones on bad surfaces.
I second some of those ascents on the Long Mynd, just unpleasant! 🙂
The start of the road up from The Old Hall in Whitehough heading over the A6 and towards Chapel always surprises me, though I have no idea why. I've ridden it hundreds of times and in my head it's virtually flat, so when it turns out that it isn't I find myself vaguely bemused. And repeat. I think I must have been a goldfish in a previous life.
+1 for Truleigh Hill, it's horrid, and one of those featureless 200m, straight ones with a horrid surface
Asterton Bank
That gets into the 'Classic Road Climbs' list, I think. Needed a lie down at the top first time I did it towards the end of a hot day at the Mynd.
The traditional answer to this is Fremmy Edge from Reeth in Swaledale. Fairly unrelenting and steep tarmac followed closely by baby head rocks..
Alternatively, Walna Scar from Coniston. You go into it thinking the road climb would be the warm up for the off-road stuff. It is not the warm up.
Y Wal at Afan… i always forget the stony steeper bit about 1/3 of the way up that drags on a bit.
I was going to post this.
There are also several in the Quantocks that're jusy bloody difficult. They just don't relent.
The canal home at the end of a big ride. Those tiny kicks up seem to hurt more than the actual climbs up the hills.
Linnets clough from Bottom's Hall, Marple.
The first bit is slightly rocky, mostly wet and a little steep in places, evens out, then climbs until the scout camp (Where I need a rest), then up on the lane to Gibb lane or right to The Banks.
Another climb is from Etherow Park carpark, Compstall, turn left near the Andrew's Arms and up and up and up, winding past the golf course, good views though to keep the mind sane.
We have suffered on those climbs, they are truly lovely:)
@IHN and @crazy-legs
Another Shrigley Lane fan / victim here!
Regularly used to ride that as a yoof, usually on the way back to my mate's house in Rainbow, and usually after a massive schlep round the peak with Cheshire & Peak MBC out of Bikes in Macc.
Bonkorama, many many times
Them were the days
The first* climb on the red route at Brechfa. Forest track, singletrack, forest track, more single track THEN more forest track followed by singletrack and then the climb continues on forest track for a bit.
It’s horribly endless and I never remember well over half of it.
*the whole red route is really just one endless climb back to the car park.
The climb up from Glenridding to the bottom of Keppel Cove.
I always think it's a quick twiddle before the real climb, but then I usually tackle it on the return leg of a Helvellyn double and it's horrible.
ogden water up withens new road, strava 'ogden cimb' its only 104m elevation on 1.78km
KOM circa 6mins although looks an ebike.
my pb just over 10 mins, 14 mins last week, always a damn headwind and needed a slash :0)
Done Polebank on the LongMynd (other side to asterton) - that's pretty hard, but not long. The climb to here https://goo.gl/maps/cCLAoJMkNbvgUghh9 goes on a bit.
Linnets clough from Bottom’s Hall, Marple.
The first bit is slightly rocky, mostly wet and a little steep in places, evens out, then climbs until the scout camp (Where I need a rest), then up on the lane to Gibb lane or right to The Banks.
Actually, you've reminded me, from Gibb Lane up Whetmorhurst Lane. I always forget how that gift keeps on giving too.
Afan +1
I always think the measure of a horrible climb is when you think it would make a really good descent.
That and you just sort of get to the top of it and then ........ climb a bit more?
Dudbridge Sainsbury's up to Rodbrough Fort, it's the Walkley Hill bit up to The Prince Albert that always stings.
This one in the Brecon Beacons:
It's not particularly steep, technical or overly long. It should be an easy 20-30 minute spin up to the saddle point just with a little bit of a kick at the end to get round the hairpin and to the finish. The trouble is that nearly the whole climb is on a very fine grass that's like fuzzy felt or a supremely kept golf course green, all thanks to regular use (but not too much to wear it out) and the sheep keeping it very short. The stuff is draggier than anything I've ever ridden on, velcro would be an improvement! It means that you expend far more energy than you should to get to the top, catches everyone out even if you've ridden it loads of times.
I always think the measure of a horrible climb is when you think it would make a really good descent.
I even tried that on it once and it's draggyness means you end up wither rolling down slowly or pedalling like hell and being just as knackered as if you'd pedalled up it.
every single ride i go on ends with a climb of 226ft. which in itself is not much. but last year i rode up it 349 times. and 62 times so far this year. i ****ing hate it.
"Road To Hell" from Denbigh, it's a long climb at almost 7 miles, but you begin the hardest section about a quarter of the distance in and then need to quickly recover on the short descent before pushing on again if chasing a time.
There's an AR video version on Rouvy app and they are currently doing a free trial in aid of the Turkey/Syria earthquake https://www.strava.com/segments/30132696
https://my.rouvy.com/virtual-routes/detail/36075
Locally in Hampshire, I'd have to say Harvesting Lane on the side of Butser Hill. It starts so tamely and then suddenly kicks up for the final half mile or so to the top, calling you out if attempting on tired legs https://www.strava.com/segments/25619024
susepic
Full Member
+1 for Truleigh Hill, it’s horrid, and one of those featureless 200m, straight ones with a horrid surface
Both Streat Bostall and West of truleigh hill are grim, I'll give you that. But nothing compared to the glorious pain of Absolute B****rd aka the tank tracks just off the SDW. Never gets easier.
The climb to the Whitehouse out towards Littleborough
nothing compared to the glorious pain of Absolute B*rd
very true, but I never bother with that cos it's such a btard, and "not on my route". Maybe i just need to get fitter and stronger
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reluctantjumper
Full Member
This one in the Brecon Beacons:“Sheep Track Climb”
I’ve never managed to clean that climb - the hairpin at the end always gets me.
Quantocks, the climb up Bicknoller Combe (I think it is) up to the main ridge, comes out just along from Bicknoller post.
Lady's Edge I think. Can't clear it anymore 😥
All of Dalby Forest, it's uphill out of the carpark and continues to be uphill until you get back to the car. Or at least that's what it seems like.
Have you been up the road out the back of Lyme Park? Goes under the canal then starts climbing. And it goes on for roughly 37 miles…
Apart from the downhill bits.
I've done Snowdon 3 times, the last time with a group of friends. I told them that the tarmac before you get off road wasn't that bad. No one liked me, including myself, by the time we got to the gate. Its hideous!
