Cycling up Patrick's Hill in Cork

22%. :eek:

The Tour of Ireland will have the cyclists go over it again this year something like 4 or 5 times on the final stage. Last year Cavendish gave up after just one lap, he turned around and decided it wasn't for him.

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Last year Cavendish gave up after just one lap, he turned around and decided it wasn't for him.

This is among the reasons I can't warm to Cav. I know a victory in the TOI isn't worth much on his palmares, but if Magnus can drag himself up it...

It is a steep one all right! Took me two gos to get up it on my fixie without falling off (46-17 gearing.)



As DePurpereWolf says there is a short bit one way going down but it is not steep and you can cycle up it the wrong way if you are careful.

Oh, I'm in that youtube video!

blorg wrote: »

As DePurpereWolf says there is a short bit one way going down but it is not steep and you can cycle up it the wrong way if you are careful.

Don't some of the the roads going across have right of way too?

Malari wrote: »

Don't some of the the roads going across have right of way too?

Not on the steep bit certainly, maybe further down.

DePurpereWolf wrote: »

No, the wellington road cross is a three stop-sign cross, but you'll be coming from the wrong side (one-way bit) going up the hill, so you still have to be careful anyway. But in theory they all have to stop.
Cork drivers are blind for that stop sign, and there is no such thing as a traffic cop in this city, so you can get away with pretty much everything here.
Really, only 10% of car drivers actually obey that stop sign.

Fair 'nuf. I don't drive up there that often, let alone cycle it :pac:

As for cops, apparently a dozen taxi drivers were issued with penalty points one afternoon last week, when they were all caught doing u-turns at the top of Patrick's St!

Just to clarify...

(Map my ride)

Looking at the photo: the guy in the foreground is crossing Patrick's street by the Fr Matt Stat, the barriers mark the start of the Bridge. Bridge Street starts with the guy in the yellow top beside the cop car and extends as far as where the guy in the blue T shirt is crossing the road on the right (apparently Bridge street is the shortest street in Ireland) this is the start of McCurtain Street and the base of the hill. The road here is one way down but is quite wide so bikes do regularly cycle up this section. . Further up the Wellington road cross roads is located were the guy in the luminous jacket is standing. The hill reverts to two way from here on. The hill is steep from this point on but is very manageable. Looking up the hill again where the green barrier finishes and the road narrows is where things start getting interesting. The gradient takes a sharp increase from steep to bloody sharp. Once you hit the blue house on the right (which my sister lived in years ago) your nearly there but do be careful of on coming traffic, its so steep there there is a brief moment where drivers cannot see where they're driving so you are warned.

I was going out with a girl who rented at the top of this hill so I know it quite well. I having cycled down this hill more times than I can remember I think its best done in winter with a light sprinkle of ice, wakes you up nicely. I have cycled up it only a few times. Each time was when I was 'lubricated' by a night out. I had a big old steel framed mtb, no fancy clip less pedals, oil or properly inflated tyres! no sir, fall outta the Sin e and straight up... happy days:D

boulds photo brings it back in disturbing clarity. Three attempts in the past while in UCC.

One spud fall into parked car (to peds hysterical amusment), one broken chain (and swift change to a reverse gear I didn't know I had), and one success (and minor heart attack at the top).

To be honest it is no trouble on a geared bike, racing it would be another matter, I could not get over how slow the pros appeared to be going up it on the ToI. Quite a contrast to the stage finish in Waterford. I think that hill in Wicklow is probably worse, principally due to the road surface.

They re-tarred it earlier this year so it's grand now to get up. Used be messy as there was a mini stream on the steep bit. It's a nice climb to finish a spin on. Have done it on the road bike with a 39x23. Make sure all is in working order though, chain was on the way out the first time i tried it and gears slipped all the ways up!
Coming down is fun, would love a straight run down to patricks st.

Made a stab at it this evening. Got up to just before the blue house on the right. Front wheel was lifting which seemed ridiculous. Possibly in too low a gear. Gave one of the lads from work a good laugh watching me though. I'll try again next week!