"There are no hills in London"

[Jaded]

Sheffield as well.

[rogerzilla]

I think everywhere has claimed to be built on seven hills since Romulus and Remus.

[rogerzilla]

Adam

Bedfordshire has it's share of hills too.  I live very near this monster climb known locally as Vinegar Hill

Gmaps Pedometer

 

So the last few pushes of the pedals as you reach the climax of the hill are the Vinegar strokes?

[pdm]

And Sheffield.

Mmmmh. I thought Sheffield was built in 7 valleys ??

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

London is surrounded by substantial hills on the north & south, and is actually built on two hills.

...

It's actually built on seven hills, the same as Rome.

And Edinburgh. Except ours are noticeable. 

[rogerzilla]

And Sheffield.

Mmmmh. I thought Sheffield was built in 7 valleys ??

Bradford, OTOH, is built across a very deep valley.  I can't imagine it's much fun on a bike if you want to go to t'other side.

[vorsprung]

There are no hills in Devon however.  This is a bit of a myth as my commute in route above shows.  Note that the total climb on my Devon based commute is lower than that of the hypoxia of the OPs London journey

[clarion]

And Sheffield.

Mmmmh. I thought Sheffield was built in 7 valleys ??

I alwayd thought that, but I can't name seven rivers:

Don
Porter
Sheaf
Rivelin
Loxley.

What are the other two?

[pdm]

And Sheffield.

Mmmmh. I thought Sheffield was built in 7 valleys ??

I alwayd thought that, but I can't name seven rivers:

Don
Porter
Sheaf
Rivelin
Loxley.

What are the other two?

Meers Brook and Owler Brook

[citoyen]

Note that the total climb on my Devon based commute is lower than that of the hypoxia of the OPs London journey

Though to be fair, you do reach double the altitude. And altitude has a lot to do with perceptions of relative hilliness. OTOH, a lot of the climbing on my commute consists of barely noticeable minor variations in gradient - the odd metre of "climbing" here and there soon adds up.  

Kirst - yeah, OK, I'm not claiming Shooter's Hill could compete with anything you've got up there but it is certainly noticeable. I'd say it fits Biggsy's definition of a hill. Being a moderately fit cyclist, I can get up it easily enough, but it's definitely steep enough and long enough to get my heart pumping a little harder for a few minutes.

d.

[PaulF]

If we got rid of the potholes and speedbumps in London that would reduce much of the climbing/descending

[Adrian]

Kirst - yeah, OK, I'm not claiming Shooter's Hill could compete with anything you've got up there but it is certainly noticeable. I'd say it fits Biggsy's definition of a hill. Being a moderately fit cyclist, I can get up it easily enough, but it's definitely steep enough and long enough to get my heart pumping a little harder for a few minutes.

It is noticeable enough that at least one forum member on at least one occasion decided that it would be preferable to stroll up it whilst smoking a fag. It must therefore be a truly ferocious peak. 

[Regulator]

Kirst - yeah, OK, I'm not claiming Shooter's Hill could compete with anything you've got up there but it is certainly noticeable. I'd say it fits Biggsy's definition of a hill. Being a moderately fit cyclist, I can get up it easily enough, but it's definitely steep enough and long enough to get my heart pumping a little harder for a few minutes.

It is noticeable enough that at least one forum member on at least one occasion decided that it would be preferable to stroll up it whilst smoking a fag. It must therefore be a truly ferocious peak. 

 

[pcolbeck]

200 metres gain in 20 kilometres.  Scary      

Ha ha there's a 90m hill between our village and the next pub which is only about 1km a way. This was character building when our village pub was shut for 6 moths. London has gentle slopes not hills.

[pcolbeck]

In the list of English counties and unitary authorities ordered by highest point, London comes 40th out of 82. That makes it lots higher than such hilly counties as Hertfordshire and Lincolnshire, or cities like Torbay, Bristol, Brighton or Plymouth.

Eh Lincolnshire is famously flat. That's why it has fens and half it is reclaimed from the sea or marshes. The other half isn't noticeably lumpy either.

[Zoidburg]

I hope you londerners realise that these "hills" that you speak off actually are road bridges.

Look over the railing you can see next to the pavement, there is going to be a river or another road under it.

[clarion]

Lincolnshire has a bit of Wolds, but really deserves its reputation as pretty flat.  Perhaps Wowbagger was thinking of the towering mountain ranges of Norfolk?

[jogler]

Is that graph actual size?

pmsl

[Pancho]

I think everywhere has claimed to be built on seven hills since Romulus and Remus.

Who were apparently raised by a prostitute rather than a wolf. Or so says my daughter who says her Latin teacher pointed this out when they saw a brothel in Pompei. School trips are obviously not the same as when I was 13.

[citoyen]

I hope you londerners realise that these "hills" that you speak off actually are road bridges.

You're confusing London with Hull. My cousin, who grew up in Hull, told me that when he did his driving test, they had to find a bridge over the railway for the "hill start" section of the test.

d.

[pcolbeck]

I think everywhere has claimed to be built on seven hills since Romulus and Remus.

Who were apparently raised by a prostitute rather than a wolf. Or so says my daughter who says her Latin teacher pointed this out when they saw a brothel in Pompei. School trips are obviously not the same as when I was 13.

Lupa is latin for a bitch wolf and also Roman slang for a prostitute. It's more likely than the suckled by wolves tale.

[rogerzilla]

I hope you londerners realise that these "hills" that you speak off actually are road bridges.

You're confusing London with Hull. My cousin, who grew up in Hull, told me that when he did his driving test, they had to find a bridge over the railway for the "hill start" section of the test.

d.

Allegedly when Philip Larkin was asked what's good about Hull, the only thing he could think of was "It's flat and good for cycling".

[Wowbagger]

Lincolnshire has a bit of Wolds, but really deserves its reputation as pretty flat.  Perhaps Wowbagger was thinking of the towering mountain ranges of Norfolk?

I was really surprised by Lincolnshire when I rode there last year.

The flattest, easiest 60-mile ride I've ever done was from York to Brigg. As far as the Humber bridge, all in that county whose name escapes me for a moment but that's renowned for its hills, it was incredibly easy riding.

After Brigg, once you reach Caistor, with its vertical high street, you stay above 400' for the next 30 or 40 miles - I doubt if there's another road in Britain which stays so high for so long as the B1225. Not only is it hilly, it's almost totally deserted, a natural barrier keeping the northerner at bay.  

Once you escape the hills, the ride from Horncastle to Boston is alongside a dead-straight canal for about 12 of its 18 miles.

After Boston, it's another 60 miles of dead flat, with headwind, until you reach Chris S's house. It's a bit like something from Tokien - the First Homely House after the North of England.

[clarion]

We managed a (short) day cycle camping in Yorkshire without crossing a contour line.  But the county makes up for it, with Park Rash, Rosedale Chimney, Sutton Bank, Tan Hill etc, which don't really have competition from The Great Wen.  Or even the worst that Lincolnshire can throw at you.

[MSeries]

We managed a (short) day cycle camping in Yorkshire without crossing a contour line.  But the county makes up for it, with Park Rash, Rosedale Chimney, Sutton Bank, Tan Hill etc, which don't really have competition from The Great Wen.  Or even the worst that Lincolnshire can throw at you.

to name but a few