How to cycle up a STEEP hill. 5 tips! Ft Bushcombe Lane

[@z1522]

Never been as hill obsessed as many Brits, but some amateur races in Colorado felt similar. Mountain bike on steep single track trails adds complications of balance, maintaining traction, and dodging obstacles like roots and rocks, where it is often a function of near-standstill wobbling without falling over, otherwise the similar objective is to succeed without dabbing a foot down, not necessarily being faster than another. On pavement, a slight variation in style can save the day, where standing can become akin to a slow hiker's cadence, rather than a typical racer's stroke - once cadence drops below 60, stand more upright, and visualize each stroke as a hiking step on a trail or staircase, pulling up on the lower foot if needed, and focus more on balance than pedaling. This can't be sustained for long stretches, but may get you past the steepest cruxes.

[@MartinPGrindrod]

Spot on with every point, living on the edge of the Cotswolds I see so many riders struggling with overgeared bikes, I think most road bikes are overgeared for the vast majority of riders - perhaps it's also a bit of an ego issue - look at me with 52/36 crankset and 11-28 cassette, personally I run 46/30 crankset with 11-42 cassette on my roadbike.

[@andrewon2wheels]

Totally agree with you. I don’t understand why people do it to themselves! That’s great gearing you’ve got there. Same as me! It’s made climbing so much more enjoyable! Best upgrade I’ve ever made to my bike!

[@garyjones6519]

Nice video , thanks for sharing your experience. I particularly like #2 and #4 .. study the climb beforehand is essential . Yesterday I did a nice route from Carsington Water through Matlock with 6 official climbs, and several nasty unofficial ones. Studying the climbs and route design was key …. Although contrary to you I left the hardest, Riber (9/10) until last ……. I am using a 34/29 setup …

[@andrewon2wheels]

Thanks mate. Glad you enjoyed the video Some serious climbs around there. Riber is no joke. Fair play doing that last! 💪🚴‍♂️

[@michaelanderson001]

Bushcombe Lane is quite local (about 3-4 miles from here). It used to be the first climb on the Cotswold Corker Audax. During those Audaxes I climbed it (on my steel audax bike, including mudguards and a full Carradice Barley saddlebag) with a 26 x 27 gear (nothing wrong with triples). Several years later, with that Audax ride no longer taking place, I've completed the climb with the local Cheltenham CTC group (normally in February each year). Now, the local Cheltenham & County CC use Bushcombe Lane for their annual hill climb in September. After a hiatus of a few years, I entered the hill climb event in September 2023. I decided to use my carbon fibre Dolan Dual bike (without the mudguards). Two attempts prior to the event saw me fail, so I decided to fit a gear extender for the rear derailleur and a cassette with a larger sprocket. My front chainring was 26/34/46 and the rear cassette was a 9-speed 13-36, so I effectively climbed Bushcombe Lane in a 26/36 gear. At my (pensionable) age, I have nothing to prove by trying it again, having done it several times in the past.

[@andrewon2wheels]

What a hill to have on your doorstep! Agree, absolutely nothing wrong with a triple chain ring. I’ve actually entered that hill climb in September! Looking forward to it. It is normally a good event?

[@michaelanderson001]

@@andrewon2wheels It has been rumoured that the National Hill Climb event is going to use Bushcombe Lane in the very near future.

[@andrewon2wheels]

@@michaelanderson001 it’s very narrow to take the crowds for it! Challenging enough for it though!

[@dakiro222]

very useful and down to earth, thanks. I am scared of the hills...

[@andrewon2wheels]

Thank you for the very kind words. Tbf I used to be scared of them too. Biggest factor which changed that for me was the easier gearing. Complete game changer!

[@lauratimmins2177]

Luv your video! At 65 I'll get some assist for the very step hills with my new e-assist Creo 2 where we live in Ontario . Done the hills and mountains on my steel frame Marinoni touring bike and as the stoker on our steel frame touring tandem through Europe, US, Cuba and Canada where we live. My captain isn't ready for an e-assist bike. Lol We're thinking of the Lands End John O'Groates Route in the future on the tandem. First the Danube this year. Cheers! 😊

[@andrewon2wheels]

Thank you Laura for the kind words. Glad you enjoyed the video. Sounds like you’ve had some epic journeys on your bikes! E-bikes are great fun! Need to get mine fixed. Lands End John O’Groats will be another epic to add to your already impressive list of adventures!

[@frantzs1077]

Tip1: Get easy gearing.. For road bikes that would be sub-compact GRX cranks with smaller chainring 30T. Bolt diameter center is 80mm and theoretically could fit 26T, but guess what... Non available for GRX pattern, so I had to get mtb 26T chainring with 64mm bdc and drill new holes. Now I have front 26/46 in front. Went on first ride yesterday and it works. Shifting is not perfect but my speeds are low and I have time. Also waiting for 11-40 cassette and few sprockets for converting to 14-40. This would cover almost all climbs around here. That's about as low as you can get for road bikes. My logic would tell me this would be available in bike shops for elderly or not fit or someone who prefers climbs over speed, but solution these days is just buy electric bike to help you climb... For extreme climbs I'm using MTB with triple in front. Smallest chainring 22T. 11-46T cassette in back.

[@andrewon2wheels]

That is some serious easy gearing! Gets my approval! 🙌🚴‍♂️👍

[@JSC131]

This is toughest hill in country a absolute beast!! Great effort.

[@andrewon2wheels]

Thanks mate. It is brutal! One of the toughest but I’ve found a few tougher. Rhwir road, Abdon Burf are insane.

[@JSC131]

Yes Rhwir road is near my way Blaenavon? haven't rode it but heard its a tough one.

[@andrewon2wheels]

@@JSC131 that’s the one. If it’s near it’d be a great hill to use to get stronger.

[@kieron88ward]

That 360 camera freaks me out, I keep thinking the cars are coming at you.

[@richardharding9385]

Rode that hill about 10 times it was always the 1st hill on the Cotswold Corker back in the 90s & 2000s. Only managed to ride up it without stopping two times. As the ride was usually late Feb it was often wet or icy leading to rear wheel spin. The 2 times I was successful it was bone dry.

[@andrewon2wheels]

I would not want to ride that climb in icy conditions 😳 That’d terrify me! It’s bad enough in the dry!

[@Cokecanninja]

There's a hill in my neighborhood that I'm unable to climb despite my low gearing (38t chainring, 48t cassette). It's so steep when I put enough power in to move forward, the bike wheelies and I can't stay straight. I know it's a skill issue, I need to practice standing up at low speeds to get my weight forward on the bike and keep the front down.

[@andrewon2wheels]

What’s the name of the climb?

[@Cokecanninja]

@@andrewon2wheels It's not a named climb, just a random road in my neighborhood. It's only 0.45 miles long but the first section is crazy steep. I'll have to measure it and see exactly

[@andrewon2wheels]

@@Cokecanninja let me know when you’ve checked.

[@hughjanus7354]

Tip no 1.1 for climbing get yourself a set of low profile tyres, as that's impacting gearing as much as the cassette and the chain rings.

[@andrewon2wheels]

Low profile? What do you mean? Narrower tyre?

[@hughjanus7354]

@@andrewon2wheels tyre that is not tall, reducing circumference as that's what changes gearing.

[@secretagent86]

Well done

[@andrewon2wheels]

Thanks mate. 👍☺️🚴‍♂️

[@LivandTrekGoCycling]

Some good tips 👍🚴

[@andrewon2wheels]

Thanks mate. Glad you found some of the tips useful 👍🚴‍♂️

[@DeadCat-42]

I lived at the bottom of straight street in Cincinnati... It's hard to walk up it! It's so steep you can lean forward and touch the ground without bending. I don't like biking DOWN it! .

[@michaelvincent8306]

Or you do what I do if you have Addisons disease you get off and walk a bit but don't give up

[@happygilmour24]

What camera system are you using for this. Enjoyed the video

[@andrewon2wheels]

Thanks mate. Glad you enjoyed the video. I use the GoPro max 360 camera. Mounted on the handle bar on a large selfie stick.

[@secretagent86]

I use triple chainring. So i have a 30 x 28. I am. Very overweight so 15 percent peak gradient max on short distance

[@andrewon2wheels]

A triple chain ring must be great for all gradients. If there was a way to have a triple chain ring on my bike and still have my 4iiii’s power meter on, I’d have a triple as well.

[@badabing8884]

Or get yourself a mid drive e-bike. Fantastic on steep hills and you still get your heart rate up which it’s all about.

[@andrewon2wheels]

I have an e-bike as well (it’s out of action atm though as it won’t turn on). They’re great fun too. Can absolutely get a good work out of them as well if you use the different assist levels.

[@hughjanus7354]

Rear hub drive would be more beneficial for climbing, increasing weight distribution at the rear, when you need traction out of saddle.

[@steveread1798]

Just fyi it’s pronounced “Bush Cum Lane”. It’s a killer hill so well done for doing it.

[@JamesSmith-qs4hx]

42/52 downtube shfter crew in the house...😃

[@andrewon2wheels]

I couldn’t survive on gearing like that.

[@stevenfreeman7798]

At 64 and over 15 stone i think i will give that one a miss lol!!

[@andrewon2wheels]

Last year when I tried Bushcombe lane, I was 15stone. Having seriously easy gearing makes moving at that gradient possible.

[@andrewon2wheels]

@joieDeVivreDesi fair play mate! 🙌🚴‍♂️💪🔥 What’s your favourite steep climb you ride up?

[@harrydelaney6623]

when u sais u went away and built power how did you do that??

[@andrewon2wheels]

Hey harry Good question, one which in time I should go into more detail in a video. The short answer is I kept going to steep hills and kept trying to get up them and get up them quicker. On my commute back home from work I would purposely add in a steep hill or 2, two or three times a week. Repeatedly doing that made my legs and cardiovascular system get stronger over months.

[@harrydelaney6623]

@@andrewon2wheels brilliant thanks for the reply love the climbs my self but would like to get stronger

[@andrewon2wheels]

@@harrydelaney6623 just keep hitting the hills. The simplest and best way to get stronger at them. You get good at what you repeatedly do.

[@hughjanus7354]

For practice, get a set of heavy, high rolling resistance tyres, something that will add +30 watts to your average effort at 18mph.

[@johnd1727]

Get a quality ebike. Critics generally do not realise an ebike is an assist bike.(not in the USA) It is not motorised in that it does not have a throttle - it only assists when you pedal. The rider determines the workload in the SETTINGS setup where typically system ON/OFF/Mode1/Mode2/Mode3 selection and percentages are selected. The system auto selects OFF at 25 km/hr - which over-rides the system setting. There is a weight penalty as the system weighs ~3.8 kgs. So all things considered an ebike can actually be harder to ride - on a flat course for example because of the assist cut out and weight penalty. Personally I use an aluminium x-35 hub ebike in summer (hilly location/ mid-tropical 35+ summer temps) and a unassisted carbon 12 speed in winter. There is an average speed difference over the exact same hilly course - but that is totally irrelevant. I ride everywhere on Heart Rate/Cadence/Distance/Time - in that order of importance. btw...Top marks Andrew. I wouldn't attempt even walking up that hill. I couldn't ride up it - ebike assisted or otherwise. A motorbike? - too reckless whilst wreck possible. As a airline pilot in a former life I used to fly over places like that - enjoyed the view.

[@Tarmaccyclocross]

Or get yourself an electric moped (chEat bike) and be a lazy

[@andrewon2wheels]

Where is the satisfaction with that?

[@SRobinson1485]

So if you get an rear hanger extension do you still have to get a longer rear mech?

[@andrewon2wheels]

No. I didn’t need to change that. Kept the standard rear mech.