Best road descent in the UK

I was always a MTB owner as a teenager but living in the Chiltern Hills gave some spectacular opportunities for speed.

Favourites

Featherbed Lane - descent of 3/4 mile from Felden to Hemel Hempstead, before they put the hump in to cross the A41 bypass it was good, but the downhill section from that bridge made 45mph possible on knobbly offroad tyres (early cycle computer gives the figure)

Descent into Chesham from Bovingdon - 48mph

Box Hill near Bovingdon (cant remember the speed)

Now I live near Rickmansworth and frequently set off the speed camera on Scots Hill (A412) - thats fun.
 
Had my nephew take me on a short run from Harwarden Bridge out into Llangollen, and finished with the Horseshoe pass. 3hours of constant uphill, always getting worse, with tiny respites of downhill before more punishment.

Finally made it to the top (after that wierd last bend that feels like its actually going downhill ???).

Downhill from Horseshoe to Harwarden again was PURE delight :) Had a few lumps in my pants at the bottom of Horseshoe, but it was fun.

Still haven't found out what I did to upset the bugger ? I'm 50 FFS, not in my "got way too much energy to burn 20's". Was worth it though, very beautiful, even with the lumps in your pants.

Max speed: "Parbold Hill". 56-14 off the top 2.00am in the morning when it should be quiet. Never again. A part of me is still there shitting bricks because I was cutting corners right into an oncoming juggernaut (by the church corner). Dunno if I actually missed it, or if its a ghost writing this. Dunno how fast it actually was .... too busy watching the road, but fast enough to have no time for my life to pass before me.

That was last year, and I fancy seeing in 65, so in future its just ordinary fast for me, no more "I'm still 20 fast's". Laz
 
my own personal must do...

Just because it was apparently an old club run for my parents' old club, Sevenoaks Wheelers, now dead. From Hildenborough, climb River Hill up to the top, then turn round at the top and then all the way down again.
 
Rode the steep A-road descent from the top of the Ridgeway into Wantage town centre last Wednesday; to be frank it was 'orrible, possibly due to being on a heavy tourer with well stuffed panniers and a touch of speed wobble (and cross winds too - oh, goody). :(

In contrast the drop down from Combe Hill to Kintbury earlier in the ride was a picnic.

David
 
Recently done the B7007 into Inverlethan in the Scottish borders, not real steep but at nearly 10miles long great fun and chance to get up some high average speeds.
 
one-eyed_jim":1kt6l877 said:
By contrast, I'm told the circuit of Llyn Vyrnwy is the longest flat road in the UK...

Stuff the descents, having put my climbing legs to the test yesterday I need to live there.
 
Exmoor has some great descents (I live here so shout if you want routes).

I chased a mates Fiat Panda down Countisbury a few years ago and couldn't go faster than 48mph on the mtb. Completely out of gearing and loads of wind resistence held me back. The real trouble started after I stopped for a lift up the hill to Lynton and burnt myself on the front rim taking the wheel off to put the bike in the Panda :-0

Will :)
 
+1 for Holme moss Woodhead side. Closest I've been to Galibier in the UK in terms of "whoop" factor.
 
Back
Top