[Closed] Best downhills... on a road bike?

Doing LEJOG taught me that descending on road could be as good as desecending off road.

2 that stood out...

The one down to Tintern Abbey and one down to Laggan.

Gospel Pass to Hay is a hoot.
and Gospel Pass to Talgarth is good for some Air Miles.
Down The Tumble is fast with good viz.
Llangattock Mountain to Llangynidr or Crickhowell.

Coming down off the malvern the other week was good, I think it was the malvern, it was on the CTC worcester sportive. Also ridden honister pass, and coming down off kirkstone into ambleside recently. All brilliant.

Going DH on any bike is equally as fun IMO, all that matters is as fast and as close to the edge of grip as is possible.

Bealach na ba?

The Rest and be Thankful is a bit of a blast. As is the road from Nant yr Arian down to Aber.

Dukes pass heading into aberfoyle. Steep,twisty,good road surface fast and a pub at the end.

TandemJeremy - Member

Bealach na ba?

I've done it the wrong way round and can imagine it would be good.

From the top of Bwlch y groes down to Vyrnwy.When you know it you can change direction as the bike goes light over the blind crests...never thought a road decent would make me giggle out loud.

Cheddar gorge is the best ive done so far but planning to get to the alps this year and find better 🙂

Surprised to see Arthurs Seat on the list.

I've done that 16 times and I don't relish the chance to do it again.

McKenzie Pass in Oregon - 22 miles of hairpin descent heaven. Though only in summer.

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Bealach na ba

+1 its great.

ARTHERS SEAT IS RUBBISH - THE ROUNDABOUT HALFWAY DOWN KILLS YOUR MOMNETEUM

oops sorry

TSY enlighten me please:

The one down to Tintern Abbey . . .

Marko

Exactly TeeJ, although it is quite fun gauging the speed of traffic coming up the hill and trying to make the roundabout with near frozen hands.

Marko - coming from Chepstow.

Blackstone Edge, Rochdale.
Kirkstone down to Windermere is ace.

Oh, Mt Ventoux is pretty awesome too.

Ride ambassador Lorraine Kelly then whittled them down on the basis of route itself, views offered, historical resonance and what it means to the individual.

I never thought of her as a descender.

[img] http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQJapw6QWwyDp20dTOiNwRtr3acL8f2CDCZ3TO3k2ACM8xsqdIjPg [/img]

Cheddar gorge is the best ive done so far

Me too! Put a massive grin on my face though - tis a great reward for climbing up Burrington.

TSY.

Well it's flat(ish) to St Arvans and then sort of down to Tintern. I guess you need to pedal to get the most out of it though.Not sure if it counts as downhill.
Mind you if you ride it at the weekend then you'll get to overtake the Tartan rug brigade or more likely you'll get flattened by born again bikers creaming the corners on their mopeds and super bikes.

Having said that I don't 'get' road riding period.

Marko

Newlands Corner is fairly short and too busy to be much fun. It's the only one I know on the list but doesn't give me confidence in the rest.

Locally I'd pick Dorking from Leith Hill (Coldharbour), or Headley Village to Juniper Hall, ie the back of Box Hill, that's just lovely, some people call it 'Little Switzerland'.

For anyone out doing Ventoux, also do Gorge de la Nesque. It's a roller not a blast, but my what a road.

In Majorca, the descent to the village of Sa Collabra on the north coast is epic, but be careful it's **** busy, I nearly got smeared across the windscreen of a Thomson tour bus, I slowed down from that point. Early start maybe a good idea! From the same col back the other way in the direction of Puerto Pollensa was less scenically awesome, but more fun for me.

Newlands Corner, Dorking - they are having a laugh if they think that's a great descent.
Slightly out of the Uk; Coomanspic Pass in Kerry, down to Portmagee, a ridiculously straight steep and long descent (mrs kilo thought she was having a near death experience when her bike started to shimmy descending that one year - I thought she stopped at a tea shop :D)

Oh, Mt Ventoux is pretty awesome too.

Nearly killed myself taking an s bend at 35mph in the wet on ventoux. Had 2 and a half months off the bike from the crash.

I liked the descent from the Col de Mente I think. The tourmalet is a pretty awesome descent too. Also did the Col de Sarenne descent (other side of Alpe d'Huez). It's very bumpy and pretty dodgy in places (proper big ditch type drainage things across the road in places), but once it smooths out its fantastic, and epic views.

But really great descending only happens on a mountain bike IMO.

TSY - only 16 eh? You young whippersnappers.give up far too easily.

A couple I'd recommend....

Cairngorm to Glenmore
Clisham towards Lewis

I did Ventoux west to east in 2009 (not the Tour route which is from the south and didn't look much fun really). If I went back I'd reverse that, the eastern road is gradual and scenic, the western (the drop off is actually north from the summit) had a new surface and was steep, it would be an absolute scream. Less cars that side too.

I forget the names of the towns but there are only 3 roads. The southern and eastern routes join a few miles before the summit so you'd still get to ride the white desert, Simpson memorial etc.

Oh also the descent from the Galibier, which is like 45km of downhill. Haven't done it myself, but heard it's a good one.

I did Ventoux west to east in 2009 (not the Tour route which is from the south and didn't look much fun really). If I went back I'd reverse that, the eastern road is gradual and scenic, the western (the drop off is actually north from the summit) had a new surface and was steep, it would be an absolute scream. Less cars that side too.

I forget the names of the towns but there are only 3 roads. The southern and eastern routes join a few miles before the summit so you'd still get to ride the white desert, Simpson memorial etc.

Bedoin, Malaucene, and Sault. Sault and Bedoin join up at Chalet Reynard and then continue to the top. Sault is a very dull climb, and a very dull descent. Although it would be interesting to do on it's own, as you can big ring it almost all the way to Reynard as it's so gradual.

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Comments on my Dad's clothing are unnecessary, I already know 😳

Back down Wrynose pass towards Ambleside. From the Highlands down into Glencoe - good rest on that one. Bowden hill in Lacock, Wiltshire - regular 55mph descent....!!!

Newlands Corner, Dorking - they are having a laugh if they think that's a great descent.

I reckon they just got a few maps and stuck pins in the places they'd heard of.

In the UK I can't understand why no descents from Wales are listed, so many fantastic descents. Top of my list is Black Mountain, but the are loads of brilliant road descents.

In the Alps I think Galibier is OK, but while it is 45km overall I'd say only 20km or there a bouts (towards Alpe d'Huez) is actually fast. The rest is up and down.
Col du Glandon is superb! Much narrower than many others, but twisty and exciting in a good way. All the bends are predictable and give you confidence when flying down.

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Think that might be the superbagners, which I only remember as being a beast of a climb that I turned myself inside out just to get to the top.

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Not too sure about that one.

dunno about the UK but had fun in the Alps this year

Col du Lauteret

Alpe d'Huez

Snake pass -----> Glossop.

Got serious steering wobble once coming down there at 45mph, caused by a vicious side wind. The armco barrier was trying to magnetise me for a few seconds 😯

Top of the Rest and Be Thankful down to Lochgoilhead is good fun, coming the other way the Hell's Glen descent looks like it should be fun but seems to come up short, maybe just too straight. The wee descent towards the Cairndow/Dunoon road from the top of Hell's Glen is a good way to end the climb although too short to be anything special.

The Moulin Road descending into Pitlochry isn't the longest but has maybe my favourite sequence of corners ever, just the right shape and spacing for some effortless flipping the bike over beneath you.

I would say the Lecht and GlenShee roads but when I rode them it was freezing/wet/windy so I didn't so much descend them as survive them.

If I could ride it 'closed road' then the descend from Ben Lawers Visitor Centre to Bridge of Balgie would be spectacular, quite 'exposed' as a road goes, in as much as it wouldn't take much to go tumbling off down the side of it, loads of corners of varying shapes and sizes, and finishes at a cafe. Problem is I've done it three times now and every time have either ended up stuck behind traffic or scrubbing loads of speed for blind corners.

+1 for Duke's Pass, brilliant 'racing line' practice.

Descent into Calgary Bay when going round Mull clockwise, not much height loss but lots of corners, bridges and scenery, a real surprise when I rode it the first time.

Descent into Kinlochhourne. Way too short but some crazy road building and lots of consequences for a small slip!

Can't name any outside of Scotland, in case you hadn't noticed 😳

Some great looking descents there. The one down to ambleside is indeed a good one. Also did one down to Lake Garda last year that seemed to be endless switchbacks.

all that matters is as fast and as close to the edge of grip as is possible.

I think this is my problem with properly enjoying road descents. Don't ride them at anywhere near the limit (well round the bends anyway.) The consequences of getting things wrong just seems so much worse than when riding off road. Usually going much faster, with rubbish brakes, wearing much less, on a very abrasive surface with big drops and stone walls to hit, and on coming traffic!

Edit: Have had things like this happen too...

Got serious steering wobble once coming down there at 45mph, caused by a vicious side wind. The armco barrier was trying to magnetise me for a few seconds

Prays on my mind a bit these days. Must be getting old!

I used to like Eastby to Barden Towers (near Skipton).
But I've never had a road bike - just a mountain bike with slicks on.

Got 70mph one day (although I always worried about rabbits jumping out)

Got 70mph one day

😕

Can't say I've did too many road descents so have very little experience so this probably doesn't even compare, but flying down the tak ma doon when coming back from carron valley is great fun!

There is a road that runs from Rhayader to devils bridge. There is a decent into a village called Cwmystwyth about two thirds of the way along. Absolute bliss. Just enough to squeeze a car down, fresh smooth tarmac and you can see for miles down it. 40mph+, racing lines all the way and huge grin.

Old Winchester Hill is a pretty straight run down to a T junction with the A32 at Warnford. Apart from the view at the top, I really can't see the attraction. Strange choice.

+1 for the Dukes Pass down to Aberfoyle - hairpins, great scenary and a good road surface. In the wet it can be a bit testing getting round those hairpins though!

I prefer the ascent/descent from the Rest and be Thankful along the B828 (Hells Glen) rather than the main road.

Some other favourites:

The String Road in Arran is great on a nice day looking down over the water - the top section in particular is fast - only hill in the UK where i've managed to hit 60 mph. Lochranza to Glen Sannox would be good too if it wasn't for the awful road surface

The C11 road from Glendaruel to Otter Ferry - bastard of a climb to get to the top but nice descent with spectacular scenary coming out the treeline and overlooking Loch Fyne and then the pub at the bottom on the water.

Rosset Gill

Ride ambassador Lorraine Kelly then whittled them down on the basis of route itself, views offered, historical resonance and what it means to the individual.
I never thought of her as a descender.

I was expecting a follow up post with a "going down" reference!

+1 for the col de Sarrenne, off the back of alpe D'huez. Snapped my frame on the rough bits this year though, so....Col D'Ornon, decending towards back into Bourg for me. Fast progressive turns with very little traffic to pass or avoid.

Another fave, Down Isoard towards Briancon is mentally fast in places, got bulls-eyed by a load of crickets at silly speed halfway down once, felt like being paintballed:)

TandemJeremy - Member

ARTHERS SEAT IS RUBBISH - THE ROUNDABOUT HALFWAY DOWN KILLS YOUR MOMNETEUM

Col De Tourmalet is my favourite road descent (11miles IIRC)
and my fav road descent in the UK is rideable from my front door in flat old East Lothian.

Something around Whiteadder GW?

Plus that roundabout halfway down is about the only interesting part of that descent, although it is fast.

I'm fortunate enough to get to ride down (and up) some 10-15km climbs in the Jura a few times a month. Pretty technical descents, esp the Saleve and you wouldn't want to get it wrong. Fave is probably from St Cergue to Nyon, especially if I've earned it by riding up the Faucille.

Some nice ones on the Etape Cymru - proper sphincter tightening stuff

Uk decents...Almost came unstuck properly on the drop from the Belach na ba this year. 2 wheeled slide after a bit too much caffine on the climb.....

Still, probably a contender for best UK. Got to love the Peaks too though.

The Tumble has got to be a firm favourite.
The top open section of the Gospel pass is lovely too .. Get past the narrow lanes, and the rest down to Hay on Wye is nice also.
And the wide winding road down into Monmouth is pretty good too.

Here in S.Wales there are loads of fantastic climbs and descents.

Omar Little - I was on Arran a month ago and the Lochranza - Sannox road was being resurfaced.

I like the Devils Beeftub descent into Moffat - not very quick but nice and flowy. The descent from Lowther Hill to Wanlockhead is fast and the surface is great. You can then carry on all the way down to Mennock to give about 7 miles of descending. The Lecht is great in either direction but the wind usually spoils things a little. In England Kirkstone is great and I like Fleet Moss down towards Hawes - very straight but insanely quick. 60mph = brown chamois.

fastest I've done in the UK was past the winking man, Buxton -> Leek, 64mph

Ive not ridden many of the downhills in the uk, but favourites of mine would be Kirkstone pass either side, or the Struggle. And also Honister Pass and Birker Fell.

Got to remember that the list was compiled for a Sky Ride publicity thing so they're not going to be aimed at the serious roadie, more the gentle pootler type. Easily accessible, not too challenging but still good fun to a novice without scaring them witless!

Snake Pass into Glossop, Cat & Fiddle into Buxton and Long Hill into Whaley Bridge are all good local descents but they're a nightmare in the wind.
Kirkstone Pass heading north to Ullswater is probably my favourite Lakes descent.
[url= http://www.visitarran.net/map/ ]The road across the middle of Arran[/url] from Machrie to Brodick finishes with a fantastic descent on new-ish tarmac, I've had well over 50mph on that. 🙂

IDave.... Respect.
So does confidence with speed on the road come from experience? I'm new to road biking this year and enjoy the descents on the Leek to Buxton road but find speeds approaching 50mph pretty hairy.

For me most of the Lakes passes are not too good - too much time on the brakes and i prefer descents where you can just feather the brakes and take bends pretty much flat out. Newlands either way is good, and Honister towards Newlands. Kirstone back to Troutbeck is good, but you need a few pints at the Kirkstone inn before going down the struggle - really scary descent that one.

Lambs Fell in the Trough is fantastic going towards Slaidburn but my favourite in the north is Tan Hill down to Reeth.

France - Col de La Columbier back towards Sallanches.

Any excuse to post this again

The road from Torridon to Diabaig, sea level to 1000 ish feet and back in ten miles with loads of bends and exposure.

mrblobby - Member
did one down to Lake Garda last year that seemed to be endless switchbacks.

I agree with the consensus on the Welsh descents.

Alpe d'Huez and Col du Galibier especially when overtaking cars.

Nobody's mentioned the Col du Glandon yet either.

Sorry but none of the UK descents compare to the continental ones.

Sorry but none of the UK descents compare to the continental ones.

Obviously not! On the continent they have proper mountains and they actually know how to surface roads. Generally a lot less traffic too and what traffic there is tends to get well out of the way!

I'm remembering all the descents I did in the Sierra Nevadas earlier this year. 🙂 One from Lanjaron to the coast was about 30 miles of downhill (OK, couple of slight rises but basically went from 3500ft to sea level) on blissfully smooth tarmac.

fastest I've done in the UK was past the winking man, Buxton -> Leek, 64mph

Thats proper!

The B8043 from the junction of A884. The best fun on a road bike so far. Better than all the usual suspects. A west highland gem....

I would also put in a shout for Ventoux as being pretty amazing.
I have also gone down the A38 Telegraph Hill, from Torquay to Exeter on the back of a tandem, (about 15 years ago)now that was seriously fast, over 55mph, overtaking cars, quite an adrenalin rush, more so cause i had no say in any control; just pedal and pray.

Some interesting recommendations here.

I love some of the descents in the Breacons. But I think that the gospel pass is a bit too narrow to let yourself go on. The Tumble is good (the inlaws live in Govilon at the bottom) but I prefer the drop from the tops into Llangyndir. They use the hairpin near the top as a backdrop in loads of car magazines.

In the Alps - col du Glandon is unbelieveable - hairpin after hairpin. Years ago some of the descents around the Sierra Nevada near Competa were great too - 20-25kms of beautiful bends.

The Galibier is great at the top but the bottom half with the tunnels is plain crazy.

the winking man is a very steep and straight road, good surface. after the first time down i knew what was coming so sprinted into it - main issue was a side road and a car wondering if they could pull out - shat myself a bit when I saw it. don't think i'm flexible enough now to get into a full tuck!

The B8043 from the junction of A884. The best fun on a road bike so far. Better than all the usual suspects. A west highland gem....

Very interesting... I've climbed and descended the A844 from Loch Sunart to Lochaline, you don't expect such a long climb in that area! Will be back to try out the B8043...

crazy legs thats one amazing video !

Something around Whiteadder GW?

64mph 😯

I've done just over 50 and that left the old clacker valve going some at times. That said, 30mph felt like light speed 6 months ago so who knows in the future.

Did nobody else notice that they also have Ham Common as one of the best descents? I can only assume they asked some people on a Skyride in Richmond Park on that one. As far as I know it's a totally flat road.

But I've never had a road bike - just a mountain bike with slicks on.
Got 70mph one day

And your Central heating thermostat is set to...?

The 'Tak ma doon road' coming from carron bridge into kilsyth.

"stabilizers - Member
The B8043 from the junction of A884. The best fun on a road bike so far. Better than all the usual suspects. A west highland gem.... "

Ahhh yes, superb. Done this in both directions and it is stunning bit of the country.

Another great one not mentioned is the long descent towards Durness on the A838. Not hugely fast, but with the scenerey opening up and (well for me) the end of a long, hard 8 days cyling in sight, it was a superb coast down.

In Britain, best descent without a doubt is the A470 going south east to Dinas Mawddwy. I do it a couple of times a year and never go quicker on a bike anywhere else. Blind left corner at nearly 60mph on 23mm slicks? Brilliant.

Best foreign descent that I've ridden: Luz Ardiden.
(My photo looking down the first third from the top)
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Possible contender but I've only driven it: Stelvio.

Down 'the struggle' from Kirkstone Pass, Lake District.

Actually, going down any of the routes is great fun!

In Britain, best descent without a doubt is the A470 going south east to Dinas Mawddwy.

Did that many many years ago, still remember it as they'd just re-surfaced and there was about an inch of loose fine gravel on the surface, not fun!

Am I alone in not really being arsed about descents when I'm on my road bike? I enjoy them a bit, don't get me wrong, but nothing like I enjoy even a mediocre descent on my mountain bike. Anything that I'm not able to work hard on I just find dull. If I go out for a 3 hour ride, I'd happily spend the entire time climbing if that was physically possible.

Best descent I've done was the Col du Joux Plane into Morzine BTW.

paulrockliffe, that was the question that prompted this thread. I'm of much the same thinking as you, but it seems that plenty of people do love road bike descents!

Personally I enjoy,

Dick Hudsons pub down to Eldwick; It's not very steep, it's not very long, it just has something about it thats enjoyable.

Also the A658 from Rawdon to Apperley bridge, again, not steep but a fast fun descent on a good road with some flowing bends.

and the descent from Birkdale into Nateby (B6270) Only steepens at the end but if you sprint the top bit, you take off over the little rises.

Oh, and not forgetting the Run off Fleet Moss into Hawes!!! I've hit over 60 mph down there, not for the feint hearted!

In fact, enjoy a vid of the legend that is Steetons own Sid Barras chasing down a breakaway. Ok he's riding up it, but probably as fast as most can ride down it. (3min 50secs) Look at the crowds!!