Some avoid hills at all costs, some long for them. There aren’t long mountain passes in London but you will find some seriously steep hills and there’s no question – they’re a tall order to conquer. For the purposes of this blog, the M25 is the boundary; all 10 hills are within this. If you struggle to ride up the approach to London Bridge then you should be prepared for a walk when tackling one of these. Click on the hyperlinks to see the technical profile of each hill.
Canonbie Road SE23
How do you know if a road is steep? How about looking at the houses that line the road? It is almost comical how steep this road looks. At the top, you will get a very rare, uninterrupted view of London in two opposite directions.
Points Hill SE10
Staying in residential areas but in Greenwich. The parked cars sometimes make it even more difficult when you have to change your speed to give way. Give yourself some serious points if you reach the top.
Blackheath Hill SE10
This one is the least steep on the list but the high volume of traffic makes it particularly challenging. Slow moving traffic will keep you warm with their exhaust but you’ll want to hold your breath.
Swain’s Lane N6
The infamous stinger of a climb in Highgate. It’s both feared and respected. The wall on the left side and the overarching trees are a little claustrophobic, that is if you’ve got the capacity to think about anything other than the pain in your legs and lungs.
Fox Hill SE19
Tucked away behind Crystal Palace, you will know about it if you live/cycle nearby. It’s got some brothers and sisters along the ridge but this one is the steepest of them all. The pain doesn’t last very long… but the test is if you can actually get over it.
Brasted Hill TN14
We are heading south, very near the M25 now. The start of the steep part tickles around 12% and with no respite, gradually work its way up to 20% at the top. From the bottom of the hill, you can see all the way to the top which is very intimidating.
White Lane RH8
A quiet climb next to Titsey hill. The gentle curves and greenery hide the finish from your sight. It gets steeper just as you think you are about to finish but mind over matter. There’s a hill climb race on this hill every year organised by BEC cycling club for anyone who wants to watch others suffer.
Succomb’s Hill CR6
The relatively busy traffic on this hill which takes you up to Warlingham will keep you wanting to go up it faster. When you see the S bends up the road, prepare yourself for the real stuff.
Bug Hill CR3
This is the least violent hill on the list (if hills can be called violent). It does get steep but the gradient changes very gently so no surprises and you will usually have enough peace and quiet to focus on your thumping heart and screaming legs.
Downe Road TN14
This one has a nasty surprise for you right at the end, before it lets you into Cudham. The majority of the climb is very manageable but the final ramp feels like the road engineers are saying “oops we made a miscalculation, let’s just finish the job quickly and join this bit straight up to that bit”.
Aaaaaand we’re over the top. Anyone else feeling exhausted just from reading about these hills? There are others that would be excellent contenders for sure (we don’t presume to be the ultimate authority). If you know of any gems that should be on this list, let us know in the comments section.
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