[Closed] Do you enjoy the ascent?

…let me think – going up Helvellyn versus going down?

I think I’ll take down, thanks.

The thing is, you don’t get that choice. So you might as well enjoy the up as well as the down.

Can I quote you on that during the carry up Dollywaggon? 😉

fwiw I very much prefer the ups to the downs on roadbike and crossbike, partly because a long downhill on the drops really makes one shoulder hurt. Also, scary. On mtb I'll often suggest taking slower tech ways up when quicker mindless grinds are available but really it's all just a way of getting to the fun bit.

So let’s be having some of the best climbs then:

The rocky jank after Watendenlath tarn - rideable in sections, but you'd need the output of a horse and perfect precision to get up it in one.

Cheddar gorge walk. Considered 'unrideable' by some but strava shows otherwise.

Again Cheddar gorge - Blackrock BW. You'd need to be Danny Mac on an ebike to do the first section, then its a relentless blend of incline, roots and rocks requiring swiss precision, all whilst adjusting traction and power by the second against your heart jumping out your throat.

Crook Peak BW at the Webbington end up from the fairy road. Short, anaerobic singletrack whilst putting power through Marbles.

The last 10km to the summit of Pico de Veleta in thin air from the ski station also ranks in a different way, its plain, but has a purpose. Certainly ranks on the roady side though. Plenty of locals were riding it on road bikes from the bottom too!

I enjoy being at the top after having done the climb.

Being at the top without having done the climb wouldn't feel as satisfying.

@johnx2 why would you carry up dollywagon? You ride up the zigzags?

I don't think you deserve the descents unless you earn them. I'm in the minority, but I'm happy on my shoddy high horse. Working hard to earn something valuable is an essential part of the human condition, and I generally will condescendingly deplore anyone who takes the easy shortcut - or who cheats - or, at least, cheats in my eyes =].

I love climbing. "God created climbs to train the faithful", as I like to remind myself, usually about halfway up.

why would you carry up dollywagon? You ride up the zigzags?

Wha? From Grisedale tarn?? Top section's tough enough.

Anyway 'fave' climbs, lets say Cam Fell way up Bucken Pike. Always an achievement to clean.

Working hard to earn something valuable is an essential part of the human condition

I did work hard to earn my eeb, they ain't cheap you know! 😀

I'm a textbook type-A personality so I'm pathetically competitive and my sense of self-worth is tied to meaningless achievements. So, I'm into climbing and think of it in terms of beating the hill and also beating other people up the hill. Can't help it. There's one quite technical, super-steep section of a climb here where if you stall you can't get started again. Rather than walk up, I'll always go back down and do it again until I make it. Which is quite motivating if I've failed twice and know that I probably couldn't manage a fourth attempt. I also really enjoy long road climbs and will travel to tick them off, again for the challenge and the self-validation.

Working hard to earn something valuable is an essential part of the human condition

It's a very shoddy high horse indeed.

I used to hate climbing. It was just a neccesary evil to get to the descents. Not that I'm any good at descents, but I like them.

Then I got older, and realised that I spend a lot more time getting up hills than down them, and I really don't like pushing bikes. Because that feels like defeat.

So, I started working on getting better at climbs. First that was getting just a little bit further on weekly rides, then I had a period of commuting where I built up a bit more fitness and stamina.

Now, with a two year old and covid, my riding is mostly limited to short, very local stuff. Living in Hull, that means big hills are a no no - but a few miles away in the Wolds there're as many short, steepish climbs as you could want, on and off road.

So now a lot of the time I try and smash myself up as many of those little ups as I can in an hour or so, with the result that on short, steep climbs I can power my way up in a big gear, but when it comes to bigger, longer climbs I really struggle. Long and steady is ok, long and steep not so much.

TLDR; used to hate them, learned to not mind them.

My ideal bike ride would probably be a long but but too steep Alpine climb on a road bike, followed by a bike swap at the top from my mechanic in the team car (I did say it was my ideal ride) to a mountain bike for some long swoopy singletrack back to the bottom.

Working hard to earn something valuable is an essential part of the human condition

Protestant work ethic? a totally manmade construct

Human condition is to lie in the sun with easily found food and sex all around you

Protestant work ethic? a totally manmade construct

Human condition is to lie in the sun with easily found food and sex all around you

Well nearly everything is man made but this is an interesting point. The satisfaction of working hard to achieve something isn't manufactured by a European religious sect, it applies across humanity IMO. In terms of physical work, though, our bodies produce endorphins when we do this which is clearly evolved as a way to promote us to exercise a bit.

which is clearly evolved as a way to promote us to exercise a bit

You know nearly all vertebrates release endorphins in their brains, right? Which is why you can't move for giraffe Olympics and tiger workout videos.

TJ is right; the strive for accomplishment thing is made-up bollocks.

why you can’t move for giraffe Olympics and tiger workout videos

Animals have evolved on the basis that excesses of food and sex are not regular occurrences.

Personally I usually don’t clear a technical ascent on the first attempt - the satisfaction comes on clearing it on the second or third attempt, plus the view (if there is one) and the expectation of what follows.

I do like a bit of climbing, but it needs to be on my terms & at my pace. Did a doorstep challenge in last year's lockdown, riding from your door, 50km max, no hill repeats, can only ride a section twice (up & down). I managed 7168' in 28.5 miles, got popped by a guy in Sheffield (I'm Stroud). In a normal local MTB ride the climbings essential to hit good bits of trail, but timewise I spend most of my time climbing.

Depends on the bike, climbing on a light zippy hard tail...it's what they are for.

I love the grind, the pain of it, think it's something to do with age, I get the fear on downhills now.