What's the steepest trail you know you should be able to climb but can't?

I managed to do the climb up to the Tower on the North Downs once but have never managed it again 😳

Leith Tower? Come on, it’s a bit nadgery round the roots but just suck up the pain, it’s only a minute.

That one straight up out of Steyning to the bench with two gates in it is the perfect combination of length, steepness and exposed chalk. I can and have done it but once you spin, there’s nowhere to get going again and you’re doomed to be gate opener.

I have a singlespeed. There’s loads I can’t get up but not as many as there were a few years ago )

Going back to the St Martha’s climb, I’ve just checked the map – the one I was referring to is the footpath trail heading up from Chilworth Manor. The Downs Link climb that runs parallel is easy by comparison.

That makes more sense s’monkey!!!! I use that as a descent only! But it is cheeky – surely a footpath?!?! The climb up from Shere recreational ground up towards Nettles/North Downs (the gully type BW not the nice track on the side) is quite something!!!

Yep, it is indeed a footpath – rarely anyone on it though 😀

Ou est this Nettles you speak of? Don’t recall that.

CwmCarn the initial big climb from the carpark, something will always catch me out can ride all the sections just about but no way near having the fitness to put it all together into 1 long ascent without the odd dab or pause for hitting a large rock wrong etc. I was there last night and some of those roots looked like someone has been out polishing them secretly.

Westy bank woods to the top of Middle Hare Head

I second Stonor. I can’t keep my front wheel down on the bugger.

I’m 1 dab away from a clear on the slog up past Carding Mill to the top of the Long Mynd, but i always seem to have a little dab just after the stream crossing where you turn right about 2/3rds of the way up ;-(

Just here in fact:

Carding Mill Valley climb

The climb in the Pentlands from Logan house (road between gelncorse and loganlea) up to the gap between Carnethy and Turnhouse. I can ride it all, just can’t quite keep up the power output to clean it.

Great thread.

My nemesis is ‘Cyclists Dismount Climb to N.D’ at the end of Hole Hill and after the railway crossing. I know that it can be done but it’s the little steep stoney bit at the bottom of the climb, always gets me. Added to that I always seem to be a fair few miles into a ride by the time I get there, so it remains unclimbed by me.

That one’s relatively easy compared to the climb to the right at the bottom of Smiths Combe, I’ve only managed it twice in 20 years and only seen one other person ride it.

Forgot that one but then I rarely rode smiths. Never particularly rated as a descent and as mentioned getting back out again was a shit.

Cardiac hill at Cannock 😉

The North Downs way halfway between Reigate and Boxhill suddenly goes down off the top, through Mount Wood I think. It’s a mental downhill but it defeated me going back up and there aren’t many that do.

Just rechecked the map and I think it is Juniper Hill.

I feel good now adsh as I cleared the wormsley climb you describe twice recently. It is s bugger though. Will have another go at stonor soon

I’ve cleaned it a couple of times in the last year but it’s a pig. I generaly hit something and bounce into the trough in the middle and then can’t reclip.

Where is this Stonor climb?

That short climb at Lee Quarry that STW used in the trials at the Weekender. Looked easy, for most people it wasn’t. I got up in practice but not in the competition.

I’ve managed the climb out of Smiths combe a few times. It does take some doing, and one mistake and it’s all over. As Candodavid says Cheddar Gorge walk as an ascent is a decent technical climb, but the one I’ve only managed once it’s the climb up from Black rock onto the north side of the Gorge. Absolutely fiendish.

Mastilles lane from Kilnsey in the Yorkshire Dales. Nowhere near as hard as some on here but my personal nemesis. I always get off for the last bit where it stops being just steep and becomes steep and loose. Maybe it’s psychological about seeing the whole climb in front of you all the way up?

Spacemonkey – yes that’s the one – the drop about half way that was always full of water until some kind soul dug a drainage ditch for it 🙂

Drum Mountain. It just seems to go on and on.

That trail up to St Martha’s is bloomin steep with some natural steps and its quite narrow and overgrown at the bottom iirc…tough one indeed. Seem to recall walking my dog down it: she threw up halfway down…can’t be a good sign

Just rechecked the map and I think it is Juniper Hill.

You mean the one heading north up off Clifton’s Lane?

You mean the one heading north up off Clifton’s Lane?

Yes I think that’s the one, it goes up up up. What do you think of it?

Stairs Lane 1st 100metres or so are tough
Magna Via the one technical step usually gets me as Im well in the red

That one’s relatively easy compared to the climb to the right at the bottom of Smiths Combe, I’ve only managed it twice in 20 years and only seen one other person ride it.

Forgot that one but then I rarely rode smiths. Never particularly rated as a descent and as mentioned getting back out again was a shit.

Don’t ride it very often as you have to pass a lot of better stuff to do smiths combe but I hate that climb just because I’ve never managed it. I will do it one day but that short section where it goes round to the right after the first bit is so loose its nearly impossible.

Around Westhumble way going to add the bridleway that starts on a little road by a ruined chapel then runs up to top of Denbie’s…know on Strava as the Ups & Downs Final Climb

Also, on Ranmore, Landrover Descent but up

What do you think of it?

Its tough bit I’ve managed it…iirc the corner is the main problem as it gets steeper straight after and the surface is gravelly so front gets wandery and back can lose traction. Colley hill climb on Strava

Hill climb, lee quarry at STW weekender, it should be easy ish but cock it up every time

South Downs out of Kingston to the SDW taking the right hand track. But I will do it one day.

Well that day was today! 27 years after first trying it I got to the top in one go. I think the secret was chucking the water out of the bottle at the bottom of the climb. 🙂

Has a brief go at the trail in the right of the exit of Evian (noted earlier). Nah…….!!! The one opposite, fine!!!

Devil’s Chimney, Leckhampton Hill. Had 3 goes at it last night and failed. Will keep trying though.

avdave2 – Ditto, did it for the first time on Sunday, just buried myself at the second ramp to keep the momentum going. Had to stop at the top to text people about my ‘triumph’.
Nobody replied. Probably to in awe to text back.

Machen Mountain. This is going to be my new personal challenge. It’s very steep, very rocky and very loose. I’ve almost done it in the past, failed quite miserably last time though on fitness grounds.

Plus it’s one of those that’s hard to compare vs years past because it’s eroding a lot. I saw a police Ford ranger going down it last time, getting quite sideways and being generally held in place by the depth of the gulley. A very alarmed looking lady in the passenger seat added some more comedy 🙂

[/quote]Stonor Chilterns, it’s not that long, but it’s pretty stern from the get go, and there’s a nasty little left hander in the middle that’s just a git, after that it’s just a slog up to the top

darn this thread, forgotten all about that one I’ll have to go out & prove my metal now

DirtyLyle I got to the top and carried on towards the Falmer road and very nearly lost all chance to tell everyone of my achievement when a combine harvester decided it was fine to just drive into a very well used bridleway without actually bothering to check if any one was on it. I was quite literally and metaphorically very nearly brown bread!

Never quite made it up the Devil’s Staircase (Powys) on the singlespeed
Nearly made the top 10 on Strava pushing though 😉

Anybody everyplace done the Sawmill climb? That’s the steep one heading west out the sawmill end of Honeysuckle Bottom near Horsley.

I’ve never got more than about 2/3rds up before dying, but I suspect on the right day , not too wet not too dry, somebody could do it.

Jesus, there are so many climbs that I can’t do it’s not even worth listing the ones I can nearly manage

😥

The bottom section of the climb out of Rowantree car park, Bennachie, Aberdeenshire.
It’s 15%, about 200m long and has a lot of round edged step-ups. I’m confident I could climb it if I was warmed up, but as it is always at the start of any ride I never am. One of these days I may ride round in circles for 10 minutes and have a go.

welcome to lincolnshire

http://www.strava.com/segments/4327307

Any bridleway through something named ‘coombe’.

Especially between Hartland and Bude, or Porlock and Lynton. 3/4 or even 6/8 of the way up is not a win, it’s annoying. I’m not sure if should be able to climb lungbreakers I may have been able to manage 27 years ago. Quitting smoking today so optimistic. Rock/mud mix is also a challenge for any tyre combination, and once that first major wheelspin and dismount happens it can somehow puncture the magical equlibrium bubble that was previously floating me to victory.