Beating the Bison

It was Wilf’s idea really. I was desperate to get out on the road this weekend, and Wilf suggested we climb the Bison… Bison Hill is one of the steepest road climbs in our area, well known to local cyclists, and not a climb I’d yet tackled. It’s relatively short, climbing 280ft at an average gradient of over 8% over 0.6 miles. It’s a kilometre of lung-busting effort taking you from the valley floor up to the top of the Dunstable Chiltern escarpment at the entrance to Whipsnade Safari Park.

And we did it. Not in a time that will trouble the top of the Strava score board, but without feeling the need to stop.

Wilf and I celebrate reaching the entrance to Whipsnade Safari Park, and the top of Bison Hill

This fitness foundation ahead of starting more intensive training in the spring is really encouraging, especially as I’ll be facing some climbing on my main rides in the summer:

• After 47 miles of the London to Brighton we need to get over Ditchling Beacon, a landmark of the South Downs. It’s 0.9 miles of climbing at a fierce 9% average gradient, rising 438ft. Ouch

• During the RideLondon-Surrey 100 there are two main climbs down in the Surrey Hills. After about 50 miles we climb the steep Leith Hill. It’s similar to Ditchling Beacon, 0.9 miles in length at an average 8% gradient, rising 371ft

• Then, after another 10 miles or so, we re-join the London 2012 road race route to climb the famous Box Hill. This zig-zag climb is not as steep, rising at 5%, though it’s long, so over 1.6 miles you still rise 411ft

Rather oddly I quite enjoy the pain of climbs, and living in the Chilterns I’ve got plenty of options around to train on over the next six months. I guess we’ll be up the Bison again before the summer is out.