Howth Hill is holy Hard!

Raam

cantalach wrote: »

But it would be far from true to say generally that hills in Kerry were easier than hills in Wicklow!

I found myself on a bugger of a hill coming out of Portmagee near Valentia Island during the week. I was panting like a dog.

smithslist

TBH honest all, where we are discussing the toughness of certain climbs, personally i think all climbs are hard, no matter the gradient as you always try to climb it as fast as possible and always try to do better the last time you climbed it, and if you are not feelin it in your legs then wats the point of being on the bike (unless you are takin it really easy, ie a recovery spin)

Dont get me wrong, i can make it up climbs like wicklow gap and howth etc and have being racing for 2yrs now, but i prefer to reach the top exhausted, at least i feel i got a good workout done on that climb

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Went up the north side of howth there on saturday on my fixie. Bloody tough. Necked a bottle of gatorade at the shop or i'd say i wouldn't have got home

unionman

Sean_K wrote: »

Went up the north side of howth there on saturday on my fixie. Bloody tough. Necked a bottle of gatorade at the shop or i'd say i wouldn't have got home

I couldn't do it on my fixie. But had a crack at both sides on my road bike yesterday. Went well, slow slow slow, but stayed the climb to the end (both times) without getting short of breath. MTB guy climbed north side in front of me, swinging shoulders and out of the saddle. He got up there a lot faster than me.

Good practice.:D

Thomas_S_Hunterson

unionman wrote: »

I couldn't do it on my fixie. But had a crack at both sides on my road bike yesterday. Went well, slow slow slow, but stayed the climb to the end (both times) without getting short of breath. MTB guy climbed north side in front of me, swinging shoulders and out of the saddle. He got up there a lot faster than me.

Good practice.:D

There was about 5/10 metres that I got off and walked it because I physically couldn't push the pedals but other than that it was me crawling up at a snails pace, sweat pouring, making an absolute fool of myself, losing face in front of passing motorists.:p

Andrewf20

I do it (Howth hill) regularly on the mtb. Its good for the fitness alright. Ive started timing myself from bottom to the top (summit car park).

beans

I found myself on a bugger of a hill coming out of Portmagee near Valentia Island during the week.

Remember this from when I was a kid, on family holidays. Yeah, that's a steep one!

Did the easy side of Howth yesterday, really enjoyed it. But damn the road out to Sutton X from the village is crap eh?

unionman

Sean_K wrote: »

There was about 5/10 metres that I got off and walked it because I physically couldn't push the pedals but other than that it was me crawling up at a snails pace, sweat pouring, making an absolute fool of myself, losing face in front of passing motorists.:p

Commiserations, I know that feeling only too well.

This time last year I was in west Cork (Beara peninsula) and cycled from Ardgroom to Allahies on my fixie (the freewheel hub was busted so I had no choice - and it was my first time to ride fixed gear:eek:). It's around 25km, and there are some steep and twisty climbs. Like that, some law of physics seemed to dictate that at a certain point, getting off and walking was the only option. Then the hair raising task of descent without freewheel:eek::eek::eek:.

The experience on a road bike is altogether different I can assure you, so you can put most of your experience down to the bike. Fixed is fine on short urban hills, you can just attack them.

ROK ON

Fair play to you. Some of the roads around Allihies and Ereyies are tough for a car, on a single speed bike that is some going. Have walked in the area and was left out of breath.

cantalach

Raam wrote: »

I found myself on a bugger of a hill coming out of Portmagee near Valentia Island during the week. I was panting like a dog.

That'll be the hill you come to if you on the coast road just south of the town - a nasty piece of work alright. The last mile to the top averages over 10% and lots of that is in excess of 15%.

Another nice climb in that neck of the woods is the Ballaghisheen Pass (Bealach Oisín). The turn off for it is about 1-2 km north of Waterville on the main RoK road. A quiet road with a great surface takes you away from the coaches into the heart of the peninsula. It's pretty flat for about 20 km until you get to the bottom of the pass.

Raam

cantalach wrote: »

Another nice climb in that neck of the woods is the Ballaghisheen Pass (Bealach Oisín). The turn off for it is about 1-2 km north of Waterville on the main RoK road. A quiet road with a great surface takes you away from the coaches into the heart of the peninsula. It's pretty flat for about 20 km until you get to the bottom of the pass.

Aye, did that one too, it was lovely. There was no one else around for miles (apart from the missus)
We did the Gap of Dunloe early one morning before it got busy. It's quite magical there, again, completely empty when we were there.
Molls Gap is nice too.
Didn't get to do the Connor Pass as it was seriously wet the day we went to Dingle, I mean REALLY wet.
We did do the Healy Pass though, now that's a class climb. Not steep, but the twists and turns really make it feel good.

cantalach

Raam wrote: »

Didn't get to do the Connor Pass as it was seriously wet the day we went to Dingle, I mean REALLY wet.

Shame, but good call - on wet days it tends to be shrouded in cloud with shockingly bad visibility at times.

ronanoc

I started cycling earlier this year and did the South side of Howth as my frist cycle, and nearly puked!

I now can do it south and then turn around and do it north. I still have to shout at myself to keep going, but it's a nice spin.

If you want a really steep short hill, from town turn right at Sutton Cross, and then take the next right again. You'll be heading out towards the little tower thing and it's all flat. Then you turn up into a residential area, short okay climb, and turn right at the next juntion. I think the area is called South Hill, but I've heard some people refer to it as the Martin Hill. It's an absolute killer.

barnabyjones77

Sorry to revisit an old thread. I've done the village side climb in a howth a few times (and massively struggled) but get there in the end.

The South Side looks much tougher to me, its much longer although less steep, and I'm afraid to try it.

Is it really easier?

whomadewho

Like any sort of physical activity Op, if your body is not conditioned you are always going to struggle at the start.

I did the howth Hill cycle for the first time around two years ago. My mates who I was cycling with were so casually cycling up where I though was going to have a heart attack.

2 years later I've completed the Wicklow 200 and the Ironman 70.3 in Cork. I used the the howth Hill for training up and down both the Sutton and the howth village side. 2, 3 and 4 hours at a time. The more you do it the more conditioned you will be.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119954928#Comment_119954928

It is much more gradual so easier to ascend. There is even a few slight descents as you climb.

magicbastarder

It's actually four climbs in a row, in a sense.

2011abc

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LyUx_uOzlYw when men were men …

Londonirish72

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119957321#Comment_119957321

Men were men but by God - look at some of the dodgy 'taches on the spectators. Shudder.

neris

Youve not climbed Howth Hill from the village side unless youve done it up the road to the right of the church and then swung a right up onto Windgate Road

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119959873#Comment_119959873

Never done it but it's now on my list.

For reference, these are the three ways discussed in the thread so far up to the Summit car park done quickly using Garmin's mapping tool (& I know there are a good few more ways up):

1 = up Carrickbrack Rd

2 = descent to village via Thormanby Rd

3 = Windgate Rd & a bit of Carrickbrack Rd - this is visibly the steepest but #2 is not too far behind (although this is obviously on paper - IRL might be tougher)

magicbastarder

another option is just at the green start marker there, swing right onto strand road and up fintan's road - it's less consistent than going up past the graveyard i reckon, starts flatter but the steepest section is definitely steeper than going past the graveyard:

and a bit further up, you can swing onto thormanby road to get to the summit pub:

magicbastarder

also, from the village side you can also get to windgates by going up through grace o'malley park; it's a bit windy but the extra length means a gentler gradient than offered by going for the 'take the right at the church' option.

neris

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119960140#Comment_119960140

On the Strand Road route instead of going up Fintans Road keep going down towards the Martello tower and take the little kicker up to Sutton Castle followed by a nice recovery on the flat and then into the tough part from South Hill up till you get round the bend

CramCycle

I'm sensing a growing appetite for a boards.ie TT like we used to have many years ago.

magicbastarder

I vote no. I've lost some fitness...

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119975041#Comment_119975041

We have our first Commisaire volunteer or bike holder

wheelo01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119975080#Comment_119975080

I can hold a bike, I can't do hills for sh1t, but I do do them - SLOWLY

morana

Another option is to go to the end of the harbour and up the ramp there follow the road around and go up the old (tram?) track which brings you back out onto Thormanby rd.

We used to do intervals when you go right at the church and then up windgates out at the summit and back down. Usuaully started when we seen the sign for t"he haggard". Very hard. I think it was about 22% and also we used to do a TT from the library in the village upto the pub, that was the fingal 5 day race. That was when I discovered pacing!!!

DrumcDub1

Cycled this from the Sutton side this morning and found out how misleading the flat can be in estimating fitness.

Bigger lad so didn't expect to fly up but my god I was crawling.

Lose a few pounds and repetition seems the next step.

Any tips welcome!