Training - What Training?!

The beer might be better but the roads in Flanders are crap. Either cobbled climbs or narrow tracks with crumbling edges or ridge seals. I haven’t ridden in wider Belgium, only races in Flanders.

We have one in Somerset called ‘Draycott Steep’. I’ve ridden it twice, once with with 34/28 and once with 36/28, it’s bloody painful and I’d go so far as to say almost unrideable on thin road tyres in the wet but I’ve only done the dry.

Looking at the stats, it doesn’t look crazy savage but it’s a different story IRL. :wink:

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@FatPom pretty similar to Mow Cop and I feel your pain but a good feeling when you finally get to the top and look behind :smiley:

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This is my local one, it’s right on the limit of my ability. If I go there near the start of a ride I can get up it but if even slightly tired just can’t do it. I avoided it completely for years so it was quite a good day when I managed it for the first time.


Ps. The Tour of Britain went up there a few years ago so i tuned in thinking “This will be good.” I don’t think they even noticed it, 1km just isn’t enough to trouble them, however steep.

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All this talk is making me want to get out and do some climbs.

Just checked the last time I actually went out on my bike was just over 3 years ago and the ride went up Mow Cop haha

This is my good local one. It’s not very long though, struggle to find long climbs down this way unless you head over towards Dartmoor, and i’ve not actually got around to riding on Dartmoor yet.

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@JibberJim what would you say the steepest/longest climb to us is?

Please don’t say Box Hill

I did a 125mile sportive from Cheddar years ago and we ended up climbing out of Blue Anchor and Watchet. I remember going up a hill called either Crocombe or Newcombe around that area. Bloody hell that was steep!

No Box is very tame. It’s not steep at all and you can ride it in the big ring

Did a few days cycle touring with my mate around Devon. We were riding Hybrids with 2 panniers each so pretty heavy, and on the second day stopped at the pub for lunch in Lynmouth .

We hadn’t really paid attention to the route out of Lynmouth in terms of elevation, turns out the contour lines were so close we didn’t notice them, so ended up doing this b&^&^&d on a belly full of fish and chips with well heavy bikes. Even in granny gears we both had to stop half way up. We then could not get started again. Only thing I’ve ever had to walk up.

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Did Whiteleaf in a Sportive, only 9.2% average but it kicks up to 18% half way through

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Got a few to choose from in Lancashire. My favourites:

Jubilee Tower for quite a longer 3km climb, avg 6% peaks at 16%

Or the Rake for short and sweet; 900m; avg 11%, peaks at 23%.

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'tis but a bump in the road

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North downs hills are cat / bec hill climb courses depending on which you prefer (one is sustained steep the other is gradual and getting very steep) but they are nothing like any of the ones mentioned in other areas, and they are not that long.

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I don’t know why people don’t like Salcombe, I much prefer it to Peak Hill, don’t find anything bad about it at all really - it’s the only hill I think Maryka has stopped on half way up though, so obviously others dislike it.

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Upping the run commutes the last 2 weeks. 3 double days for 39 miles…working so far

Just warming down after CP20 test on Zwift. All because my wanky laptop updated before an event earlier, and no more races at a handy time.

Ramp tests are for Fannies :facepunch:

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And…the number?
Pure watts and W/Kg, please

What bloody planet are you on?
I could barely walk up that! Only good thing about that, is the view from the tower at the top and the tapas at the bottom!