100% Hill

In my teens when my mate and I would often go 40 - 50 mile trips for trainspotting there was one fairly straight hill, not particularly steep but long. My mate had a speedometer on his bike (I only had one of those peg things that clocked up the mileometer). There was one occasion when there was zero traffic around and we belted down this hill as fast as our legs could keep up with the pedals and he told me his speedo read 50mph. It was hairy, no helmets in those days, fun but we didn't do it again.

That strikes me as about spot on. 50mph is about as fast as you wanted to go ever on a push bike.

12-16 mph on the flat.

Ha ha! Attending secondary school involved two 1 mile walks and a bus ride:-(

Cycling was much better although wet weather capes and icy roads were a drawback in Winter.

Come Spring, the bike mudguards came off and the derailleur gears changed for a fixed 52 front and 12 tooth rear. I never measured actual road speeds but following the local bus in the rear suction zone was easy:-)

The Hog's Back?

Or A25 east of Guildford?

well I didn't like the A25 so I crossed it and used the back roads to Guildford I'd come back along the A246 or retrace my steps. Depending how fit I felt.

Yes I bet the hill from the Leatherhead-Dorking road up to Box Hill is nasty on a bike.

There are a few killer hills near me in North Yorkshire: Rosedale Chimney Bank, a road out of Littlebeck towards Blue Bank, Blue Bank itself. 1:3 or 1:4. I met a cyclist coming down Rosedale Chimney as I was going up it, and he looked to be struggling to control the bike and nearly came off on one of the hairpin bends.

Rosedale Chimney really sorts out the sheep from the goats in terms of car drivers. I was behind a car that ground to a halt. I was keeping well back as I always do, but this guy kept rolling further and further back with every attempt to do a hill-start, so eventually he used up the very generous safety space I'd left. I got out (leaving the car in first gear and the wheels turned so my car would roll into the bank if that didn't hold it!) and offered to drive his car to the top for him, since he was panicking. I was quite pleased that in a strange car with a petrol engine (I'm used to a diesel with more low-speed torque) and a clutch of unknown bite-point, I managed to set off on my second attempt

- and even when I stalled the first time, I didn't roll back an inch because I know how to coordinate handbrake, clutch and accelerator. Setting off in my own car after that was a bit easier - I didn't need to race the engine as fast to generate enough torque to overcome gravity.

It's tempting when I'm on my e-bike to see how it manages on a really steep hill - how much effort I have to put in myself in first gear to supplement the electric motor assistance.

In the days when I frequently used to have to be at Aldershot by 09:15, using the M25 clockwise was always a gamble once you'd passed the M23. I too often used the A246 and regained A3 in the West Clandon area, heading for the Hog's Back with its 60 limit and police camera vans in lay-bys.

Maybe, at just one point, but the steepest continuous road may be what is now called Treflys Street in Gerlan, Bethesda. A continuous 25% - end-to-end. At the top there's a vehicle-grounding acute left turn and at the bottom a re-re-re-repaired drystone wall - and then about a 50 ft drop.

Alarming in the summer, unstoppable during most of the winter. I know, I used to live there... ;<}}

I've cycled up Rosedale and my girlfriend did as well. Also Hard Knot from Wrynose Bottom (didn't manage the other side as the road was wet and I need to stand up to keep the front wheel down. A 26" frame makes for steep seat stays). Rode down to Robin Hood's Bay (caliper brakes that were used on mopeds in Holland) but not up - muscles cold after lunch and stil ~150 miles to go. Gave up riding up steep hills as broke lots of expensive components and high quality frames - more than 1 in 7 and walk.

Smiley, you too. My Dad used to encourage the fixed, which was on the other end of the axle so just turn the wheel around but I don't think he would have approved of making use of the suction zone. I recall one bus driver stopping where there wasn't a stop and I presumed to tick me off but I went around the other side of the bus and then took a non-bus route for the rest of the way.

Trolley buses were useless - away far too fast, fixed or derailler made no difference.

No Trolley buses in West Herts.

The 12 tooth gear required a stronger chain so the pedal ring had to be changed. Few bus stops on my way home so I doubt they saw me.