11,49 €
Mehr erfahren.
- Herausgeber: Crowood
- Kategorie: Lebensstil
- Sprache: Englisch
Riding up hills is the ultimate challenge for a cyclist. This guide is a compliation of some of the best hills in London and the South East. It's not just a definite list of the Top 50 toughest climbs; instead, author Adrian Bond has selected some of the most iconic, the most thrilling, the most interesting, varied and, of course, toughest, hill climbs that this region has to offer. Hopefully, there's something here for everyone, whether you're a 'Weekend Warrior' or a serious road racer. Just get out there and enjoy the ride.
Das E-Book können Sie in Legimi-Apps oder einer beliebigen App lesen, die das folgende Format unterstützen:
Seitenzahl: 115
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014
Ähnliche
CLASSIC CYCLE CLIMBS
London & the South East
Adrian Bond
THE CROWOOD PRESS
First published in 2014 by
The Crowood Press Ltd
Ramsbury, Marlborough
Wiltshire SN8 2HR
www.crowood.com
This e-Book first published in 2014
© Adrian Bond 2014
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978 1 84797 761 8
CONTENTS
Overview map
About the author
Acknowledgements
About the book
Introduction
1. Ditchling Beacon
2. Cob Lane
3. Kidds Hill
4. Steyning Bostal
5. Tennyson’s Lane
6. Fernden Lane
7. High and Over
8. Bo-Peep Lane
9. Firle Bostal
10. Walking Bottom
11. Box Hill
12. Chalk pitLane
13. Leith Hill
14. Whitedown
15. Ranmore Common
16. Barhatch Lane
17. Succomb’s Hill
18. Woodhill Lane
19. Butser Hill
20. Stoner Hill
21. Knights Hill
22. Watership Down
23. Blackgang
24. Wroxall Down
25. Sailor’s Lane
26. Pheasant’s Hill
27. Dudley Lane
28. Kop Hill
29. Ivinghoe Beacon
30. Whitchurch Hill
31. Streatley Hill
32. Faccombe Hill
33. Quarry Wood
34. Uffington White Horse
35. Blowingstone Hill
36. Watlington Hill
37. Aston Hill
38. Swains Lane
39. Muswell Hill
40. Robins Nest Hill
41. Wellington Hill
42. North Hill
43. Yorks Hill
44. Toys Hill
45. Titsey Hill
46. Carters Hill
47. Hogtrough Hill
48. White Hill
49. Exedown
50. Star Hill
Local bike shops
Check list
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adrian Bond lives in South East London and is a cyclist first and foremost, and a writer some way after. He is yet to win an award in either discipline, although he did complete La Marmotte over the summer, a 174-kilometre sportive in the French Alps with 5,000 metres of climbing – probably the combined total of all the climbs featured in this book! He was bitten by the cycling bug aged 14, when he rode from Birmingham to Lands End, back in the days when he was contractually obliged to call his mother every evening from a public phone box. Now, of course, he uses his mobile.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to all the cyclists (and non-cyclists) I have met along the way who have shared their local knowledge and helped enormously in putting this all together, making this a guidebook ‘by cyclists, for cyclists’. Particular thanks to Duncan for his input into the climbs of his native Berkshire (if he described a hill in overly vulgar terms it was generally worth checking out).
Special thanks must go to my riding companions and part-time models, Nic and Nick (aka the Nic & Nick Modelling Agency) for patiently riding up the same hill on repeat whilst I tried to get some arty shots. My lovely sister Sarah, and fab Rachael (plus Jade) for all of the above, plus inspiration and continued encouragement. Not forgetting Mike W, whom I cruelly dragged out to some of these hills.
Finally, thanks to Crowood Press for allowing me the opportunity to fulfil an ambition.
ABOUT THE BOOK
The book is divided by county, starting in Sussex then running in an anti-clockwise direction and finishing in Kent. The climbs are ordered alphabetically within each of the counties.
Each description starts with a table of facts about the climb, including a difficulty rating out of 10 within the context of the 50 climbs listed in the book. Also included is the address of a local café or tearoom where tired riders can compare their own experience over a tea or coffee and slice of cake.
The map shows the start and finish point of the climb and the route it follows. We would recommend taking an OS map or a GPS system to help in plotting your route in more detail.
At the end of the book is a list of bike shops in the region, organized in book order. Each bike shop relates to one or more of the climbs so there’ll be one nearby if you’re in need of spares, repairs or just some good local advice.
INTRODUCTION
To cyclists, hills are like playgrounds. Mountains are more like theme parks. Going upwards is the ultimate test for us bike riders: it is the quickest way to gauge your fitness level, provides the best workout and eventually earns you the reward of an exhilarating descent. In the words of many a mountaineer, ‘Because it’s there’ sums up what hills mean to cyclists. By researching this guide, I have ridden climbs I had only heard about. It has been very satisfying to tick some of these hills off the list. With the popularity of Strava, tackling these hills has the added appeal of pitting yourself against the rest of the cycling community, even the chance to compare your performance against the pros.
In this guide I have attempted to compile a guide to some of the best hills in the South East. It is not a Top 50 ‘best of’ list – more a selection of some varied and interesting ascents covering geographical regions. Of course, some counties are more blessed with lumpy bits than others, so apologies to the likes of Hertfordshire, but it really is your fault for being mostly flat!
You may, naturally, have a different opinion on some of the hills; I may have overlooked one of your favourites (or is that least favourite?) but I hope, like me, you get the chance to ride some of these classic climbs. There should be something for everyone, so get out there and enjoy.
1. DITCHLING BEACON
Anyone who has ridden the London to Brighton charity bike ride will know all about this unforgiving ‘leg killer’, coming as it does 80 kilometres into the route, as legs begin to get weary. Its constant gradient changes offer challenges at every turn.
As the highest point in East Sussex, it looms large – like a beacon, unsurprisingly. From the village of Ditchling approximately one and a half kilometres away (where you can fuel up at the tea rooms on West Street), the ‘Green Monster’, as it has been tagged, provides a picturesque backdrop. Approaching the climb along Beacon Road there is a slight uphill drag, with a clear view of what is to come.
The climb itself starts just as you reach the Underhill Lane crossroads; don’t be tempted to turn off – just follow the road as it continues on and veers off to a sharp left (watch out for vehicles here, including cyclists descending at speed). The gradient increases slightly but you can stay seated and get into a good rhythm; you should be able to stay in a mid-sprocket gear too for the first half a kilometre as you ride through a canopy of trees. The road surface is pretty good but there are some stray stones that need to be avoided.
As the road turns to the right it also turns upwards but a few pedal strokes out of the saddle should get you over this short rise. In the shade of the wooded escarpment you can comfortably stay seated, but looking ahead you can see a couple of rollercoaster rises where again you may need to go to a lower gear and power over, with some flatter ‘platforms’ interspersed. At approximately one kilometre into the climb, the gradient really starts to bite. A sharp left-hander and the view opens out wonderfully to the left. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is the top though, as it is not over yet. Back into the trees again and the short ramps continue to disrupt the tempo.
Around a dragging left bend, grinding out of the saddle, and you are out of the woods (literally). The view of the downs on a clear day is fantastic, but you can enjoy that fully at the top. Once you see the signpost warning of horses, there is just a tough 80 metre ramp up to the summit and a nice clear area to pull into on the left to recuperate and enjoy the vista.
THE GREEN MONSTER
Ditchling Beacon was featured in the Tour de France back in 1994, when the biggest cycle race in the world made one of its regular visits to the UK. Sean Yates (who lived locally) was one of the few British riders back then who rode in Le Tour. He told of tackling this climb on a gear of 42 × 16. For most of us mere mortals, at least a lowest gear of 39 × 21 would be needed. During the charity bike ride every June, the climb causes what can only be described as devastation, with hundreds of less experienced cyclists either crawling their way up or forced to walk their bikes up the one and a half kilometres, before enjoying the glorious freewheel descent into Brighton.
Being the highest point in Sussex, the beacon was the site of an Iron Age fort. According to a local resident, in the days of the horse and cart it was possible to hire a cock horse at the base of the hill, to assist with successfully hauling a cart to the top of the beacon. On the climb itself, you may notice the short flattened sections – a feature of the time when horses were given a chance to rest on their difficult journey without the cart rolling back.
Today, the climb has become notorious as a ‘must do’ for every keen cyclist. In my opinion it does have something of an aura about it, particularly as it seems to attract a regular pilgrimage of cyclists to ride up the ‘Green Monster’. If you haven’t tried it yet, have a go and see if you can get anywhere near the fastest time of 4 minutes 19 seconds!
2. COB LANE
The wooded climb up Cob Lane in West Sussex is a sweeping brute hitting gradients of 20%, sandwiched in the High Wealds between the North and South Downs.It is located on the outskirts of the village of Ardingly (Cob Lane is hidden away just off the B2028). The London to Brighton bike ride passes by en route to Ditchling Beacon (which is only thirty minutes’ ride from here), so this could be a good warm up!
The ascent begins just after you cross the narrow bridge (beware of approaching cars) over Cob Brook and with woodland all around you, the road is single track so keep an eye on your line on some of the blind bends. Within 50 metres you are scrambling for the lowest gear (27- or 28-tooth sprocket would be recommended) and it’s out of the saddle as your speed drops dramatically. The first 150 metres has you fighting to turn the pedals as it suddenly and rudely approaches the 20% mark through snaking S-bends. Depending on the time of year you may find a coating of leaves on the surface which could cause some slipping. As the road curves to the left there’s a chance to get back in the saddle for a precious few metres’ recovery but it is quite short-lived. Here the woodland to your left opens up a little to offer glimpses of the surrounding rolling hills. As the road then veers sharply to the right, it again steepens and another burst out of the saddle may well be in order and with it the burn starts all over again. It may be short but it is a long way from sweet!
Keep fighting onwards and upwards, it will soon be over as its just 50 short but painful metres up to the B2028, and the village of Ardingly (birthplace of newscaster and keen cyclist Jon Snow).
Turning right will take you past the South of England Showground to Wakehurst Place (Kew’s lesser known country garden) which has a great café with sun terrace, serving a fine selection of cakes, sausage rolls and toasties.
3. KIDDS HILL
Deep in the majestic Ashdown Forest in Sussex (the setting for AA Milne’s Winnie the Pooh), Kidds Hill is not to be taken in jest, as its nickname ‘The Wall’ accurately suggests. Those who have ridden The Hell of the Ashdown or The King of the Downs sportives will be very familiar with this daunting climb.
