Portnalls Road Climb

[TonyM]

Dear ACC members.

Need some help if possible please. Croydon council are placing 650+ homes on Cane Hill citing that quite a few people will cycle down Portnalls road to shop in Coulsdon and carry it back up the hill on the bike again. (Obviously wearing normal clothes)

May i have your opinion ( 1=v.hard, 2=hard and 3=average and 4=easy) as to how difficult this will be with a bag/rucksack of shopping and an average gradient of 6.9% (Speed bump to post box) compared to Box Hill's Zig Zag of 5.2% please?

Its very important to try and keep the traffic assessment associated with this huge development realistic and keep cyclists using this road safe!

Your help is really appreciated.

Tony Maynard

[Nick L]

Hi Tony,

I'd say the average casual cyclist would find it tough going up there unladen, but with shopping I'd say hard to very hard. Personally, I'd dance on the pedals up it with my Waitrose bags hanging off the drops

Nick

[TonyM]

Thanks very much indeed Nick. Really appreciated.

Would love to get 10+ comments for Croydon Council here please ACC members. Do you agree with Nick?

[HSam]

went up there today. Laden with shopping; hard for most, if not very hard. It's no cake walk...unless you're Nick Alberto Leeder.

Cheers,

Sam

[Phil H]

It's a bit of a stiff one particularly if you're hitting it cold from CSS. Goes on for longer than you'd think too.

For someone with luggage, well if they have appropriate gearing and aren't in a hurry it's certainly possible. I haven't been up there in a while but I've never had trouble with traffic - the road is quite wide for the most part.

[TonyM]

Thanks v v much for the input. Helps in trying to keep this road safe for cyclists!!

[Jon C C on a Bianchi]

1=v.hard

(sorry it's late)

[TonyM]

Thanks Guys. Appreciated!!