Climbing in London

Highgate West Hill Climb

 Muswell Hill Climb

East Heath Road Climb

So how does one train to do the Etape? Well one should not live in London where there is nothing resembling Ventoux, except for the occasional French tourist one might pass on the way to the bike shop. A Big Hill Climb is around 300 ft (91 Meters) which is 5% of what Ventoux is. I guess the solution is to go up the same hill 20 or so times, but the boredom will surely kill you long before your legs give out.  Still one must adapt and I have found 3 climbs in North London which I combine to get some climbing in.

The first and I think the toughest is Muswell Hill. Its near my home and on the way to Hampstead Heath. Its only half a mile but its steep. When I first started taking cycling seriously it was the hill I like to climb. I was real proud of zooming up the hill until I started going to Provence, France regularly and realizing it was really a pimple compared to the Alps and the terrain leading up to the Alps. I did not know what climbing was until I went to France. But my name is not Pierre and I am not lucky enough to live in a country that has the best quality of life, best public services, best wine, best food and frankly the best cycling in the world. Even the best Counter-Terrorism from what I gather...I have to imagine I am Miguel Indurain.

OK, he is Spanish, but you get the point.

 

The most talked about is Highgate West Hill. Its one of two good climbs around Hampstead Heath, a beautiful park in one of the wealthiest parts of London, which is why I dont know anyone there. Here is a link to what the Guardian Cycle Guide said about the hill...

On the other side of the park is East Heath Road, also a nice city climb. If you go around Hampstead Heath, its almost a 5 mile loop with 500 ft of climbing. Its as good as any place in North London to get a good workout. Below is a map of the Park

Anyway its still a pathetic way to prepare for the ETAPE. I am ging to have to start heading out of London and start doing Centuries over as hilly course as I can find. As I speak I am planning rides to Glastonbury, A trip to Wales and hopefully a couple of Cyclosportives with my Intellectual Cycling Coach, Fausto Norfolk. Sadly he broke his thumb is a bizarre cycling accident while naked and is unable to brake.

My last 3 rides... click on the date to see them on MotionBased website.

February 7th - 19.63 miles

February 8th - 24.32 miles

February 15th - 28 miles