List of climbs around Dublin & Wicklow

FrankGrimes

Reckon it would be a good idea to get a list going of the different climbs around Dublin and Wicklow as it would be handy for people to be able to see what sort of challenges are out there and pick a route accordingly to get a good test for their level. No reason not to add further threads for other areas too if this proves useful.

Not sure how this should work, but I guess location & name for a starter with maybe a rough estimate of length and gradient (e.g. mild, medium, steep, mad, mental, vertical)? Am sure riders with GPS devices will be able to help give more accurate stats, but ballparks will do for the moment.

So I'll get the ball rolling:

1. Hell Fire Club (Firhouse to Cruagh viewpoint); dunno, about 5km?; Steep.
2. Glencree (lower lake to carpark above higher lake); 1km; Medium/Steep.
3. Sally Gap; ?; ?
4. Slieve Man; ?; ?
5. Wicklow Gap; ?; ?
6. Howth Head; ?; ?

tunney

Steep whats that now?

Some would say the "climb" to hellfire club isn't a climb.

Percentages would be a much better way of rating the hills

FrankGrimes

Not sure what you mean by percentages, but I was just throwing the idea out there and that's clearly sounds more scientific so probably makes sense.

As the recent poll showed that the vast majority of posters on here are not extremely serious cyclists, I'm sure the majority here would regard the Hell Fire Club as a challenge - moreso for some than others I'm sure, but that's the whole point of what I was trying to do: get some way of giving an indication of how most people categorise particular hills/climbs and so any means of categorising that shows length and the ballpark average gradient/percentages/steepness will do the job.

I just reckoned it might help people set a plan for themselves - e.g. 'I'll try climb X for the next couple of weeks, then climb Y looks like the next good test, then I'll aim for Z'.

Chips Lovell

tunney wrote: »

Some would say the "climb" to hellfire club isn't a climb.

Do you do it in your 55t ring?:D

Gavin

Rings ? Tunney doesn't use gears. He has a unicycle with a power tap. It's all he needs.

tunney

el tonto wrote: »

Do you do it in your 55t ring?:D

HAHAHA no. After all the great advise about ratios I went out and put a 34x30 on.

tunney

What *WOULD* be useful would be a graph of the evalation - polar, garmin etc etc - of each climb.

lukester

I'd definitely find a list of climbs and their gradient and length useful. Even an anecdotal scale based on collective opinion/experience would be handy.

cyclopath2001

While physical condition and how much weight you're hauling are direct factors in a hill-climbing experience. Wind direction, surface quality and familiarity with the climb are important too. Who's forcing your pace is also in the mix.

Wicklow gap can either be an unending grind or a "is that it?'" experience depending on wind direction. Sally Gap is one where knowing when to give a spurt to get past the bend overlooking Lough Bray helps. Saving a bit for the crossing of the gap into strong Southerly winds is a matter of experience.

Drumgoff and Slieve Mann are quite straightforward climbs, usually not much affected by the wind, but certainly needing patience and a good choice of gearing.

Howth is a hop-skip-and-jump once you get familiar with its different gradiants and occasional respite sections.

The trick with a climb is not to wallow in a low gear all the time, but to know when to fight back and get the speed up when the gradiant eases.

Drapper

Taylors Grange Pub to the ariels on 3 rock! tarmac all the way up! only 400m of climbing but in 4km.

clossest thing to the Alps! ;-) short but sharp

give it a bash!!