I just go over and back Shooters Hill for my hill training. From Deptford to Welling and back. Do that for at least 6 times each weekend. Gives me enough to manage bigger, steeper hills. But very slowly!
Sounds good. Love a long day as well, but racing means I can't fit many of them in. Club are planning Chorley to Edinburgh to Chorley over two days - about 700km, so that'll be ace with about 20 of us signed up so far
Where is there a 2 mile climb in Kent?
Depends what you define as a 'climb' @Leroy Ambrose , is it length, gradient or a combination of both?
Like @Anna_Kissed said Cudham to the top from Green Street Green is well over 2 miles (About 3 and a bit top to bottom) but the average grade is only 3% - https://www.strava.com/segments/1557263 - Like Anna says you can go even further to the top of Brastead which will give you even more climbing but I couldn't find a segment for that. If you're cruising up it I wouldn't call it a climb but if your crazy doing it on a 65'' fixed gear or doing a TT on the circuit which starts and finishes half way up I'd call it a climb after an effort like that.
Another one is Clarks Lane, coming out of Westerham all the way to the top of Titsey, which is about 3 miles - https://www.strava.com/segments/4262268 - Again its only an average of 3% but it does have some steep ramps in the middle. I've never actually been up it that way as the road is usually quite busy and is much more fun to bomb down it onto Pilgrims Way but others who do it that way often assure me its hard!
The closest that you'll probably get to a proper oop north climb in shandy drinking Kent is either Toys, an average of 7% over 1.6 miles - https://www.strava.com/segments/614813 or Chalkpit which is an average of 7% over 1.4 miles - https://www.strava.com/segments/4447628 - but the last half after the hairpin is atleast an average of 12% or over.
In my opinion Chalkpit is the hardest climb in Kent in terms of a combination of length and gradient, the bit after the hairpin is so brutal.
But its a personal thing, I'd be interested to hear other people's opinions on climbs they love, hate or love to hate?
Sounds good. Love a long day as well, but racing means I can't fit many of them in. Club are planning Chorley to Edinburgh to Chorley over two days - about 700km, so that'll be ace with about 20 of us signed up so far
Where is there a 2 mile climb in Kent?
Depends what you define as a 'climb' @Leroy Ambrose , is it length, gradient or a combination of both?
Like @Anna_Kissed said Cudham to the top from Green Street Green is well over 2 miles (About 3 and a bit top to bottom) but the average grade is only 3% - https://www.strava.com/segments/1557263 - Like Anna says you can go even further to the top of Brastead which will give you even more climbing but I couldn't find a segment for that. If you're cruising up it I wouldn't call it a climb but if your crazy doing it on a 65'' fixed gear or doing a TT on the circuit which starts and finishes half way up I'd call it a climb after an effort like that.
Another one is Clarks Lane, coming out of Westerham all the way to the top of Titsey, which is about 3 miles - https://www.strava.com/segments/4262268 - Again its only an average of 3% but it does have some steep ramps in the middle. I've never actually been up it that way as the road is usually quite busy and is much more fun to bomb down it onto Pilgrims Way but others who do it that way often assure me its hard!
The closest that you'll probably get to a proper oop north climb in shandy drinking Kent is either Toys, an average of 7% over 1.6 miles - https://www.strava.com/segments/614813 or Chalkpit which is an average of 7% over 1.4 miles - https://www.strava.com/segments/4447628 - but the last half after the hairpin is atleast an average of 12% or over.
In my opinion Chalkpit is the hardest climb in Kent in terms of a combination of length and gradient, the bit after the hairpin is so brutal.
But its a personal thing, I'd be interested to hear other people's opinions on climbs they love, hate or love to hate?
Yeah, I've done all the hills round Brasted chart a lot - used to ride on them weekly until I moved up North. This was well before racing though, so never really given any of them an effort. Toys is horrible - the surface makes it brutal, and the little ramp before the top, just after Puddledock Lane, can be a real selecter if you've gone too hard at the bottom. Only ever done Clarks Lane going up a couple of times - generally used to come down it.
My usual route would have been something like: Out from Cr*ydon via West Wickham and up Layhams, down Clarks, Caf at Westerham then up Hosey, down Crockham, through Four Elms, up Ide, down Bessels Green Rd, through Chevening and up Polhill then back down through GSG, Farnborough & Keston.
Funny to look back on those runs now and think they qualified as 'hills' when I've got the West Pennine Moors, Forest of Bowland and Peak District on my doorstep
If I had to rank the hills in North-West Kent in order of spitefulness I'd go with:
5 - Ide Hill - Nice long climb (about a mile and a half all told) - gradient never gets bad, but still not that easy to get into a rhythm 4 - Church Hill, Cudham - not as long, but much worse than Downe Road IMO cos of the hairpin and constantly changing gradient 3 - Toys Hill - Longer than you remember every time you do it, awful surface 2 - Yorks Hill - Long stretch at 16-18%, shit surface, never dry 1 - Succombs Hill - short, but brutally steep. Absolute leg ruiner if you hit it at anything other than full pace cos of the gradient
Tried riding up lockyers hill, which is in between Vigo and Great Buckland. It's a short climb but 25% most of the way up. Failed on a poor and wet road with my excuse being the tyres kept slipping as I rode out of the saddle. https://ridewithgps.com/segments/376315-lockyers-hill
@Anna_Kissed for a short while a few years back, when I was fit(ter) I held KOM on Strava on the Cudham climb...well, tied it with the mate I was cycling with that day...we must have had a gale force behind us...! Never got anywhere near it since and am well down the table of merit now.. :-(
I've just looked up The Shark route on ridewithgps. It seems to have a lot of the hills you're mentioning. All in one day. I think I need to do some serious climb training not just pootling up and over Shooters Hill. The Greenwich Mean Climb looks even more hilly. I might have been very ambitious with this but wtf I'll give it a go.
@iainment many years ago if I wanted some proper training i'd rent a chalet at Camber sands and spend all day out. For hills go to Hastings. For mileage, Romney marsh. Fish and chips on the beach in the evening. Perfect.
Chapeau, Charlton Charlie. I enjoy climbing Cudham Lane. It offers the opportunity to 'go hard' or 'steady state'. It's long enough to do intervals, too. If the weather's good, there's a fine view from the top, just beyond Hogtrough Hill.
Chalkpit Lane (in Surrey, albeit near to the border with Kent) is the hardest long climb I've ridden. The gradient, and view up the road as one comes out of the hairpin, make for a very tough physical and mental challenge.
Succombs Hill, off the A22 near Caterham, is very steep. I had no idea of the gradient when I first rode up it. It was raining, there was a line of traffic behind me and I was trying to prevent wheel-slip.
Those who cycle in the Knatts Valley, near Farningham, may know of the short, sharp climbs that rise from it; Donkey Lane, Botsom Lane and Knatts Lane. The first two rise to the A20. Botsom Lane is a hard climb. Knatts Lane is steep, twisty, and the surface has seen better days.
Cotman's Ash Lane, near Kemsing, is a testing climb. There's an interesting 'time-warp' pub, The Rising Sun, at the summit. It's like stepping back into the 1920s. Or the 1880s.
Bower Lane, rising from Eynsford, is a long climb. Steep at the bottom, it undulates and twists up to Romney Street.
One of my favourite climbs is Exedown, north of Ightham. The hors d'oeuvre is a tiring drag - not steep, but long - to the Pilgrim's Way. The real climbing starts as you approach a left-hand hairpin. Then it's up, up, up, to the top of the North Downs - with the reward of a splendid view to your left.
If anyone wishes to join me on a grimpeur ride in the Spring, perhaps with a beer en route, PM me. Vive le velo!
@iainment many years ago if I wanted some proper training i'd rent a chalet at Camber sands and spend all day out. For hills go to Hastings. For mileage, Romney marsh. Fish and chips on the beach in the evening. Perfect.
@iainment many years ago if I wanted some proper training i'd rent a chalet at Camber sands and spend all day out. For hills go to Hastings. For mileage, Romney marsh. Fish and chips on the beach in the evening. Perfect.
Do they still do the 12 hour TT on Romney Marsh?
Google says yes. I remember even a flat Romney marsh was a bastard into a westerly wind.
@iainment many years ago if I wanted some proper training i'd rent a chalet at Camber sands and spend all day out. For hills go to Hastings. For mileage, Romney marsh. Fish and chips on the beach in the evening. Perfect.
Good idea, I might try that. Just chips for me though!
@iainment many years ago if I wanted some proper training i'd rent a chalet at Camber sands and spend all day out. For hills go to Hastings. For mileage, Romney marsh. Fish and chips on the beach in the evening. Perfect.
Good idea, I might try that. Just chips for me though!
@iainment many years ago if I wanted some proper training i'd rent a chalet at Camber sands and spend all day out. For hills go to Hastings. For mileage, Romney marsh. Fish and chips on the beach in the evening. Perfect.
Do they still do the 12 hour TT on Romney Marsh?
Google says yes. I remember even a flat Romney marsh was a bastard into a westerly wind.
I'm thinking of doing the 12 hour uo here next year, as a precursor to the 24 hour in 2020. Realistically I've only got this year of being competitive in road races & crits, so thinking of doing more long distance events
@iainment many years ago if I wanted some proper training i'd rent a chalet at Camber sands and spend all day out. For hills go to Hastings. For mileage, Romney marsh. Fish and chips on the beach in the evening. Perfect.
Good idea, I might try that. Just chips for me though!
@iainment many years ago if I wanted some proper training i'd rent a chalet at Camber sands and spend all day out. For hills go to Hastings. For mileage, Romney marsh. Fish and chips on the beach in the evening. Perfect.
Good idea, I might try that. Just chips for me though!
@iainment many years ago if I wanted some proper training i'd rent a chalet at Camber sands and spend all day out. For hills go to Hastings. For mileage, Romney marsh. Fish and chips on the beach in the evening. Perfect.
Good idea, I might try that. Just chips for me though!
@iainment many years ago if I wanted some proper training i'd rent a chalet at Camber sands and spend all day out. For hills go to Hastings. For mileage, Romney marsh. Fish and chips on the beach in the evening. Perfect.
Good idea, I might try that. Just chips for me though!
@iainment many years ago if I wanted some proper training i'd rent a chalet at Camber sands and spend all day out. For hills go to Hastings. For mileage, Romney marsh. Fish and chips on the beach in the evening. Perfect.
Good idea, I might try that. Just chips for me though!
@iainment many years ago if I wanted some proper training i'd rent a chalet at Camber sands and spend all day out. For hills go to Hastings. For mileage, Romney marsh. Fish and chips on the beach in the evening. Perfect.
Good idea, I might try that. Just chips for me though!
Treat yourself, have a sausage with them....
Be a Greggs vegan sausage roll.
If you can get one. Greenwich greggs was sold out this morning.
@iainment many years ago if I wanted some proper training i'd rent a chalet at Camber sands and spend all day out. For hills go to Hastings. For mileage, Romney marsh. Fish and chips on the beach in the evening. Perfect.
Do they still do the 12 hour TT on Romney Marsh?
Google says yes. I remember even a flat Romney marsh was a bastard into a westerly wind.
I'm thinking of doing the 12 hour uo here next year, as a precursor to the 24 hour in 2020. Realistically I've only got this year of being competitive in road races & crits, so thinking of doing more long distance events
That's something i've always fancied doing. I was never fast but enjoyed churning out the miles. Food is an important factor with the 12/24s.
Cyclo-cross National Championships: Cyclopark, Gravesend, Sat 12th / Sun 13th January.
This will be a good event to watch. Cyclopark was the venue for the South East round of the Cyclo-cross National Trophy Series, in November 2017. The success of that event led to Cyclopark hosting the National Championships.
The races for Senior and U23 men and Senior and U23 women will take place on Sunday 13th January, in the afternoon.
I am looking to replace my aging Norco VFR commuting bike and thought the collective wisdom of CL would be able to help. My commute is only 7 miles through the glorious Chilterns countryside, a bit up and down but only 300ft of climb total. It needs to be reliable all year round, smooth out potholes, fit full length mudguards and panniers. I have been considering the Planet X London Road flat-bar as a replacement. Anyone have any experience of Planet X bikes or perhaps an alternative recommendation. Thanks.
Planet X are good value for money. They haven't got the QC of the more expensive manufacturers hence the generally lower prices, but unless you're unlucky enough to get a lemon (slightly more risk than with a bigger brand) they're generally very good value. Don't know the specific bike you mention, but most of the reliability of a bike is in the components rather than the bike itself - with a Planet X you'd probably be able to afford a better groupset than with a 'better' brand bike, (105 instead of Tiagra, for instance) which - for a commuter bike - would make a big, big difference
If you can afford it, cyclescheme perhaps. Get a touring bike. I have a Genesis Tour de Fer and it's great. I commute on it, long rides at the weekend, it's strong enough for what gravel bikes do and it takes a heavy load. Great all rounder. There are many fantastic tourers out there from £400 and up that do this. And at the back of your mind you know you could cycle round the world if you fancied it!
Upgrading your bike. I'm thinking of using cyclescheme this year to upgrade my bike. Which item gives more bang for your bucks? I am thinking wheels or drivetrain but not sure which to prioritise. Any thoughts?
Upgrading your bike. I'm thinking of using cyclescheme this year to upgrade my bike. Which item gives more bang for your bucks? I am thinking wheels or drivetrain but not sure which to prioritise. Any thoughts?
Drivetrain
Unless you're racing, wheels are the biggest waste of money you can sink into a bike. Unless your wheels are absolutely awful, if upgrade the drive train every time. What are you running at the moment, and how much money do you have? The benefits of going from, say, Tiagra to 105 are immense. From 105 to Ultegra, still bug (though not as much bang for your buck). If you've already got Ultegra, don't bother with Dura Ace. Performance is almost the same and you pay almost twice the price to shave a tiny bit of weight
Comments
Like @Anna_Kissed said Cudham to the top from Green Street Green is well over 2 miles (About 3 and a bit top to bottom) but the average grade is only 3% - https://www.strava.com/segments/1557263 - Like Anna says you can go even further to the top of Brastead which will give you even more climbing but I couldn't find a segment for that. If you're cruising up it I wouldn't call it a climb but if your crazy doing it on a 65'' fixed gear or doing a TT on the circuit which starts and finishes half way up I'd call it a climb after an effort like that.
Another one is Clarks Lane, coming out of Westerham all the way to the top of Titsey, which is about 3 miles - https://www.strava.com/segments/4262268 - Again its only an average of 3% but it does have some steep ramps in the middle. I've never actually been up it that way as the road is usually quite busy and is much more fun to bomb down it onto Pilgrims Way but others who do it that way often assure me its hard!
The closest that you'll probably get to a proper oop north climb in shandy drinking Kent is either Toys, an average of 7% over 1.6 miles - https://www.strava.com/segments/614813 or Chalkpit which is an average of 7% over 1.4 miles - https://www.strava.com/segments/4447628 - but the last half after the hairpin is atleast an average of 12% or over.
In my opinion Chalkpit is the hardest climb in Kent in terms of a combination of length and gradient, the bit after the hairpin is so brutal.
But its a personal thing, I'd be interested to hear other people's opinions on climbs they love, hate or love to hate?
My usual route would have been something like: Out from Cr*ydon via West Wickham and up Layhams, down Clarks, Caf at Westerham
Out - https://www.strava.com/activities/200033401
Back - https://www.strava.com/activities/200033416
Funny to look back on those runs now and think they qualified as 'hills' when I've got the West Pennine Moors, Forest of Bowland and Peak District on my doorstep
If I had to rank the hills in North-West Kent in order of spitefulness I'd go with:
5 - Ide Hill - Nice long climb (about a mile and a half all told) - gradient never gets bad, but still not that easy to get into a rhythm
4 - Church Hill, Cudham - not as long, but much worse than Downe Road IMO cos of the hairpin and constantly changing gradient
3 - Toys Hill - Longer than you remember every time you do it, awful surface
2 - Yorks Hill - Long stretch at 16-18%, shit surface, never dry
1 - Succombs Hill - short, but brutally steep. Absolute leg ruiner if you hit it at anything other than full pace cos of the gradient
Must try it again on a nice sunny day.
List of 10 most difficult climbs in Kent
https://www.broleur.com/top-10-climbs-in-the-kent-alps/
All in one day. I think I need to do some serious climb training not just pootling up and over Shooters Hill.
The Greenwich Mean Climb looks even more hilly.
I might have been very ambitious with this but wtf I'll give it a go.
many years ago if I wanted some proper training i'd rent a chalet at Camber sands and spend all day out. For hills go to Hastings. For mileage, Romney marsh.
Fish and chips on the beach in the evening. Perfect.
Chalkpit Lane (in Surrey, albeit near to the border with Kent) is the hardest long climb I've ridden. The gradient, and view up the road as one comes out of the hairpin, make for a very tough physical and mental challenge.
Succombs Hill, off the A22 near Caterham, is very steep. I had no idea of the gradient when I first rode up it. It was raining, there was a line of traffic behind me and I was trying to prevent wheel-slip.
Those who cycle in the Knatts Valley, near Farningham, may know of the short, sharp climbs that rise from it; Donkey Lane, Botsom Lane and Knatts Lane. The first two rise to the A20. Botsom Lane is a hard climb. Knatts Lane is steep, twisty, and the surface has seen better days.
Cotman's Ash Lane, near Kemsing, is a testing climb. There's an interesting 'time-warp' pub, The Rising Sun, at the summit. It's like stepping back into the 1920s. Or the 1880s.
Bower Lane, rising from Eynsford, is a long climb. Steep at the bottom, it undulates and twists up to Romney Street.
One of my favourite climbs is Exedown, north of Ightham. The hors d'oeuvre is a tiring drag - not steep, but long - to the Pilgrim's Way. The real climbing starts as you approach a left-hand hairpin. Then it's up, up, up, to the top of the North Downs - with the reward of a splendid view to your left.
If anyone wishes to join me on a grimpeur ride in the Spring, perhaps with a beer en route, PM me. Vive le velo!
I remember even a flat Romney marsh was a bastard into a westerly wind.
That's something i've always fancied doing. I was never fast but enjoyed churning out the miles. Food is an important factor with the 12/24s.
This will be a good event to watch. Cyclopark was the venue for the South East round of the Cyclo-cross National Trophy Series, in November 2017. The success of that event led to Cyclopark hosting the National Championships.
The races for Senior and U23 men and Senior and U23 women will take place on Sunday 13th January, in the afternoon.
https://britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/183157/HSBC-UK-Cyclo-Cross-National-Championships
Good luck to them, would imagine some of them find riding a bike a painful experience after a hard day at the office:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/47483219
I have a Genesis Tour de Fer and it's great. I commute on it, long rides at the weekend, it's strong enough for what gravel bikes do and it takes a heavy load. Great all rounder.
There are many fantastic tourers out there from £400 and up that do this.
And at the back of your mind you know you could cycle round the world if you fancied it!
I'm thinking of using cyclescheme this year to upgrade my bike.
Which item gives more bang for your bucks?
I am thinking wheels or drivetrain but not sure which to prioritise.
Any thoughts?
Unless you're racing, wheels are the biggest waste of money you can sink into a bike. Unless your wheels are absolutely awful, if upgrade the drive train every time. What are you running at the moment, and how much money do you have? The benefits of going from, say, Tiagra to 105 are immense. From 105 to Ultegra, still bug (though not as much bang for your buck). If you've already got Ultegra, don't bother with Dura Ace. Performance is almost the same and you pay almost twice the price to shave a tiny bit of weight