Northcliff hill Training

[Robert Lofthouse]

Does anybody here ride Northcliff hill (to the top) regularily. I'm thinking about including it in a "Heavy Hill" route, and have been looking at the map book to try and plot a course up and down.

However, not really knowing the roads that well means that I'm really flying blind, so... what is the best way up (right to the top) and down, which would gain maximum hill climbing benefit from this, the one single big climb in the area.

I'll be coming from the East, so use Linden / Northcliff corner as an initial reference point - a route which starts on the Fairlands side doesn't help me much.

[MichH]

From Northcliff corner, head out along Milner to first right into Alida. Some circles and speed bumps, then follow onto <?:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />

Anderson Ave

(rd merges from right, then Anderson goes up the hill to the right). Turn 1^st left into

Hearn Dr

, 1^st right is Louie Av. You should be at the highest point now!

 

Alternatively, turn left on Beyers Naude to Frederick Dr, you meet up on Alida turn right up Anderson at the same point.

http://www.brabysmaps.co.za/wheels24/map_view.asp?q=scale}0. 01{x}27.97886{y}-26.146342

[MichH]

PS, never ridden it, some sections could be quite narrow, start early?

[Gumpole]

Prepare to be humiliated by Comrades runners on the really steep bits - hehe

[Robert Lofthouse]

Prepare to be humiliated by Comrades runners on the really steep bits - hehe [/Quote]Been there' date=' done that (up linksfield ridge) [img']smileys/smiley9.gif[/img]smileys/smiley19.gif

[steve]

When I was young (remember Northern Wheelers, Deale & Huth in Blackheath etc) there was a time trial up Northcliff Hill - I think I was fitter in tose days!!

[Robert Lofthouse]

PS' date=' never ridden it, some sections could be quite narrow, start early?[/quote']

Thanks, I think I'll try it on Saturday. I'll be at northcliff corner by 7ish (if I start from home at 6) anyone care to join me ??!

[slowpoke]

kc, sounds like a good idea... will you wait for me at the top? (ie we meet at 7, you drop me a few meters into the climb, we each climb at our own pace, etc...) slowpoke38818.7078935185

[Sir Fed]

When I was young (remember Northern Wheelers' date=' Deale & Huth in Blackheath etc) there was a time trial up Northcliff Hill - I think I was fitter in tose days!![/quote']

I remember that well. I was never a climber and suffered like a dog up there. I remember a club TT series (5 seperate TT's on one day!). Started up Northcliff, then William Nicol (Hyperama), Golf Club Terrace, Doreen and finished up Krugersdorp. The winner was the rider with the lowest agregate time.

[Robert Lofthouse]

kc' date=' sounds like a good idea... will you wait for me at the top? (ie we meet at 7, you drop me a few meters into the climb, we each climb at our own pace, etc...) [/quote']

sp, it's a date - anyone lese care to join us - it's gonna be fun smileys/smiley4.gif

[Mike]

It's a great climb, especially winding through the streets as you snake your way up to the top in the residential area's. Don't ask me to tell how to get up there, I did it by mistake once and enjoyed it!!!! Other nice hills fairly close by would be Doreen avenue just past Hill Fox and Golf club terrace!!!! You can do a circular route on them, and they really alot of fun when coming back down!!!! The cars try and keep up!! Haha

[Robert Lofthouse]

I hear Doreen is a kicker - only problem is that it's quite far out for me - Northcliff is about 90 minutes ride from my place (at a steady pace), so I pretty much use it as a turning point to start making my way back home.

I just figured that seeing as though I go that far, I may as well just incorporate a quick trip to the top into the route as well .... to catch the view, you see smileys/smiley2.gif

[amoryns]

ja doreen is 'n beer..ek sweer mens sal vinniger daar op gaan as jy net die fiets stootsmileys/smiley11.gif

[Robert Lofthouse]

Ok, slowpoke and I did it on Saturday, and I must admit ... I was a little disappointed - it was nowhere near as hard as I thought it would be.

There were 2 tough sections, just after the one harirpin bend on Hearn, the other just after the right turn (also on Hearn) which ultimately took you pretty much to the top - both of theses sections averaged 15% gradient (for about 200m each). The rest of the sections were steepish (around the 6-8% mark), but easily doable.

Pokey kicked my butt - my excuse was I was there on mtb MTB with knobblies (extra resistance and weight) and no front shock lockout (lotsa bouncing when I stood up, so seated spinning was the order of the day, and I'm nowhere near fit enough to make that stick properly). Ok, ok, I had lower gears, but that just means you can go slower and take it easier - speed goes out the window when you engage granny gear - so I left it out totally.

Nice ride though, and something I will include as part of my regular route.

Pokey even suggested that we organise a monthly Hubbers hill climb up and down. It took us 30 minutes to get to the top and come down the back of the hill and arrive back at Northcliff corner (and that was at a nice pace)

Now I just need to do Doreen to see what THAT fuss is about - but I'll do it on my road bike this time.

[DRIVETRAIN]

smileys/smiley4.gif

Yeah I'm game Slow poke for Hub ride up some hills...when we starting ???

"DTsmileys/smiley4.gif"

[slowpoke]

kc, you had also ridden much further to get there and had to keep some energy in reserve to get home.... smileys/smiley2.gif

drivetrain, michelleH and i are already doing weekly hill sessions up golf club terrace on thrsday mornings.... we meet at the engen at randridge mall at 5am smileys/smiley4.gif

in all seriousness, i'm thinking a monthly or 6-weekly saturday west-rand-hills ride.... start with hillsnax, then back down, then up doreen, across along ontdekkers, down at mollie (becomes long str) and then up northcliff. maybe the first time or two we can chose either hillsnax or doreen.... just until people like myself can cope with that amount of climbing smileys/smiley9.gif