Strava 100/200 climbs

Events
1

I’ve found these to be a good way to plan a route in a new area. And being me, I’m now toying with becoming a puerile ticker (i.e. visiting areas in order to tick them off).

Some are pretty rubbish (Monsal Head, I’m pointing the finger right at you) but a lot have been worth seeking out.

I’m expecting to hit 50 / 200 tomorrow around Sedburgh (would have been 49 but turns out the Coal Rd is on the list but not called the Coal Rd so I missed it previously).

Any must do’s to add to my list whilst I have the summer to do them?

Would definitely value a 2-3 hr route in the Surry hills for when I visit my mum next month - never cycled there

2 Likes
2

If you like savage steep climbs then the lesser known ones I’ve done that are a real challenge are

Bushcombe Lane near Cheltenham, proper steep 25%er that gets worse as you go on.

Caper Hill in North Yorkshire, unrelentingly steep with no chance of weaving. There’s a few horrid ones around here.

Some real great ones around Exmoor and the roads around there are super quiet which is a bonus.

3

There’s a much, much better one a bit further east towards Sheffield, which I did in 2020. It’s used my a club as a hill climb. Cannot recall the name of it, but it’s not on either list!

Peaslows is also garbage.

Bank Road / Riber are only good when done as the Matlock CC HC double header.

Used to go up Rowsley Bar once a month.
Again, nothing special.

Mow Cop is also nothing special, very urban.
Much better ways up it that that.

Cat & Fiddle I really like. But only at <8am on a weekend with no cars. It’s not really a “climb” either. Just 10km of sweeping roads generally pointing uphill. There’s also a lot of descending.
Probably closest thing we’ve got to an alpine road?
From there, over Axe Edge, down behind Buxton Raceway to Glutton Bridge, pass Chrome/Parkhouse Hill, swoop round to Longnor, Brierlow Bar, Harpur Hill, reverse Long Hill, Kettleshulme road back to Macc :white_check_mark::ok_hand:t4:

Swiss hill is hilarious in its monstrosity.
I’ve done it twice this month on the Gravel bike.
I quite enjoyed it :face_with_peeking_eye:
You can only do it when it’s bone dry.
Otherwise your wheel skips everywhere.
Descend down the main road, then do Woodbrook Road, too. Which is slightly easier.
If you’re doing cobbled climbs around here, may as well do The Beast of Bollington and then meander over to Jenkins Chapel to do The Corkscrew, too (then Pyms Chair, into the Goyt, up to the Cat, descend to Macc, then back to Alderley)

The Rake is nuts. I’ve watched the HC there before. Never done it. Back wheels slipping everywhere.

Did you do Curbar Edge/Gap the other month?
That’s brilliant. Not sure if it’s on the list?
Views from the top are ace.

Holme Moss? Utterly meh of a climb.
Done it every year for the past four years.
It’s just pretty steady and fairly easy.

There are far better climbs around he hasn’t mentioned. Like the one up to Abney Gliding club from Grindleford, via Sir William Hill Road :heart_eyes:
Just don’t have a chorizo scotch egg beforehand :face_vomiting::face_vomiting::face_vomiting:

@cobbie - that Dovestones on you did recently is my favourite. The main road one. A635 all the way into Holmfirth. Lovely climb, same gradient all the way. Just tap it out. Flat tailwind across Saddleworth. Mental descent into Holmfirth, brought right out at Bloc Coffee, which is also right on the Holme Moss junction :white_check_mark::ok_hand:t4:
(Descent off Holme Moss and the ride back to Glossop is awesome!)

From the 200…I think!

Gun Hill (Tittesworth) is good. Fantastic descent to the reservoir for a coffee, then up the back of the Roaches (could wait for the coffee and get an ice cream from the van at Luds Church)
Then another brilliant descent to Royal Cottage and can then go up the mile climb to Flash (highest village in Britain)

Larkstone Lane :heart_eyes:
First time I rode this I lived in Derby and it was on the Bike Radar 100mile sportive route.
It’s savage. But in a lovely little spot.
Well worth seeking out.

4

Exmoor I know about, would involve an expedition (as would anything in the south West), can’t see it happening this year.

I think the furthest south I’ve gone with these is Staffordshire! Luckily they are weighted towards the north. Missed out on Cheddar Gorge due to high winds last year.

Savage and steep is not my favourite - prefer long, gentle, beautiful and remote :rofl:
Might have to do a trip to the Cairngorms I think

5

What are the climbs in the Surrey hills?

Barhatch, Box, Whitedown, Coldharbour and Combe?

You can definitely get a decent loop in pretty much all of those in one ride

6

There appear to be 3 grouped close together - Leith Hill, White Downs & Box Hill from the first book. The ones in the second book might be further south - Coldharbour Lane, Barhatch Lane & Combe Lane; again they look to be in a group.

I know roughly where Toys Hill is and there’s again two more close to it; York Hill & White Lane.

Guessing that Warren made several visits and picked the ones he liked the best.

I might be able to reach Ditchling Beacon from my mum’s outside Eastbourne too

7

No, that’s where he lived, Reigate (actually not sure where he actually lived, but he always rode for Norwood Paragon)

Barhatch is really not worth visiting, whilst its biggest problem is that there’s no nice route to the start and you’re messing around with shit to do it, it’s mostly just boringly dull, steep for no fun - mind you that’s like York and White in Kent - but at least they have a history (which was one of the criteria), it’s just “the steepest” in Surrey, there are loads of better climbs, and all of them in better routes.

The 6 surrey ones you mention are two very simple loops, you could easily do it in one ride without being too overtaxing

1 Like
8

A lot to go through there @Poet

Not into cobbles - did one on an early version of the Cheshire Cat (which might have been Swiss Hill?) - had to walk the top bit as it was green and my wheel slipped.

I might well look at route over to Buxton to do Axe Edge & Larkstone Lane (love Manifold Valley). Love the Goyt valley climb so always happy to do that again.
I do like climbs like Cat & Fiddle & Holme Moss where you go from urban to moorland - steady and long is good for me :grinning:

I know the Abney climb but not cycled it - used to play pool in the Sir William when rained off from climbing. Looks like I could make a decent loop of unexplored roads around that. :slight_smile:

The Isle of Skye Rd was into a stiff headwind for me, with the torpedo too so it was a slow slog. Having just been up to Chew reservoir, it was a bit dull in comparison and very busy being a BH Sunday.

Gun Hill I have done, suffering badly with EIA. Did the climb to Flash on the same ride.

Hmm, a camp & cycling trip to the Peak could be on the cards

2 Likes
9

I had no idea - that blows my theory that he did three separate trips there out of the water :rofl:

1 Like
10

Rake is a good climb. I did it on a Preston club ride, had never heard of it and no warning, just saw the handrails and realised something good was coming.

2 Likes
11

Is there a way you can see which ones you’ve done on Strava?

Asking for a friend who isn’t very IT literate :lying_face:

2 Likes
12

Does this friend work in IT?

Asking for a friend.

13

You can buy the app for a few quid & it will link to your Strava so it populates the ones you’ve done.

You could then cancel & get your money back if your tight :wink:

4 Likes
14

Just had a look at the Midlands climb.

Christ that was depressing. Didn’t expect to have done many, but the few I have rocking in 2/10. I really don’t understand how the real steep ones are doable… And I like going uphill.

1 Like
15

I’ll ask him when I see him :grin:

I’ve done a few across Yorkshire moors & dales, Lakes and Northumberland, I think! Some might depend on which direction it is from, e.g. I’m guessing Hardknott is the horrible bit from the bottom rather than the smaller bit after Wrynose?

I might see if I can get the app.

2 Likes
16

You must’ve done more than that?
Between mine and yours;

Swiss Hill :white_check_mark:
Mow Cop :white_check_mark:
Winnats :white_check_mark:
Peaslows :white_check_mark:
Mam Nick/Tor :white_check_mark:
Pym Chair :white_check_mark:
Ace Edge :white_check_mark:
Gun Hill :white_check_mark:
Larkstone Lane :white_check_mark:
Rowsley :white_check_mark:
Bank/Riber :white_check_mark:
Monsal :white_check_mark:
Curbar :white_check_mark:
Burbage Moor✅

I’ve not done Pea Royd Lane or Slack Hill.

1 Like
17

Midlands 4/75 :flushed:

1 Like
18

Cheddar Gorge is not a climb of note in terms of difficulty, I’m surprised it rates a mention. There are two steep hairpins but the bits before and particularly after are just ‘tapping it out’ for a couple of kms.

However, if you are in the area, there is a road from Draycott (off the main Wells/Cheddar road) to the glider club nr Priddy. It is absolutely FO steep.

I just looked it up on VeloViewer, the stats aren’t that dramatic actually. It seems a different story IRL :smile:

19

Draycott is a brute, a proper wrestle. Weston Hill which is on the list in Bath is also a killer and not too far from Cheddar.

2 Likes
20

Even I’ve done Pea Royd…

1 Like