Shortly after finishing my first 12 hour TT in 2016, I started getting pains in my right hip and lower right back, and also delayed muscle fatigue in the right glute.

I assumed it was related to cycling a lot that summer, but cutting back on training and racing didn’t diminish the problem, in fact, it got worse. I went to osteopaths and physiotherapists, they were all confident a bit of massage and physio would make leg stronger and get better. When it didn’t, after a few months my osteopath said he would ask for a second opinion as he felt he couldn’t do any more. (I appreciated his honesty). Another osteopath at the same clinic said it was probably all in your mind. So I tried to think away the pain and carry on, but it didn’t work out.

Then I tried the Egoscue method. Egoscue concentrates on improving your body posture, the logic is that if you out of position, you place strain on joints e.t.c. I was out of position with my head forward, one shoulder higher than the other and a bent back. I religiously did the egoscue exercises for a few months. My posture improved, but the hip issue was unsolved.

Then I heard it might be FAI, so I did an internet search and became convinced that was the end of cycling. However, not all the internet is useless. When I announced my retirement on my blog, a few readers said there were solutions to FAI. I was deeply grateful for those comments as it encouraged me to keep trying.

I went to GP and he suggested an X-ray. When I went for an X-ray there was a mixup and I had no appointment (I think I went to the wrong hospital) Anyway I was getting impatient so went to a private doctor who specialised in back pain. (at that point back pain at top of the pelvis was worse than hip.) The private doctor sent me for an MRI, which was reassuringly expensive. The doctor said the MRI scan revealed nothing was wrong; backs often cause pain and it may heal itself in a few years – perhaps suggesting it was all in the mind or something. Hearing there was nothing wrong was both encouraging and discouraging. Encouraging because it sounded good in theory, but in practice, I didn’t believe it.

Then someone suggested it might be arthritis. A quick internet search seemed to confirm this diagnosis so I went into Blackwells and bought a book on arthritis that suggested all arthritis can be cured by a change in diet to fruit and veg, no wheat, dairy e.t.c. The fear of arthritis sent me back to the GP. The GP thought arthritis unlikely but he sent me for an X-Ray. This time I made it to the right hospital and got an x-ray of my hip.

When the X-ray came back, the GP pointed to the hip and said look at the bone spur on the right femur, it is FAI. I got a referral to a private clinic in Oxford that deals with FAI (Oxford Nuffield). When I went to the private consultant, he looked at X-ray and said that is not FAI – it’s just a quite common bone spur and it won’t cause any of the problems I had. However, he did think something was wrong and suggested another MRI.

The second MRI the doctor was quite excited because he clearly saw FAI at top of the hip joint and a laberal tear in the muscle. He said untreated, it would probably develop into arthritis. The back pain he didn’t fully understand but thought it was all connected. By this time I had researched hip arthroscopy as a treatment for FAI. The internet gives mixed reviews – many say it is waste of time, other (including some blog readers say it helps). The consultant was 50/50 about operating but he passed me onto a colleague who specialises in FAI in young adults (mostly athletes as they are the most likely to notice it is problem). The doctor gave a reasonable chance of improvement but said it was up to me as there is no guarantee. A big factor that made him willing to operate is that I had spent two years of doing physio, being patient, resting, riding through e.t.c. I felt I had come to the end of that particular road. After two years of exercising, stretching, strengthening and yoga, you just don’t feel more of the same is going to change anything.

I had the operation. It went well. After a few weeks, I was tentatively back on my bike. After a few months, I felt some old pain in my lower back and I had to cut back. But, when I tried again in 2019, I mostly felt better.

I would say I am back to 90-98% fitness. I still get some lower back pain if I really push it. At the end of the hill climb season, it was getting a bit bad, so it was a good excuse to rest up over winter. This year I have steadily got back to fitness and I feel it is pretty good. About twice a week I am doing 40-60 miles at 22-23 mph and really enjoy it. Average weekly mileage is currently about 120 miles.

Conclusions

• I really missed cycling so I tried really hard to get better. The focus on getting better and trying different exercises were useful for filling in the gap from not being able to cycle.
• I tried many, many different things. Massage, osteopathy, rolfing, trigger point therapy. Generally things where someone does things to your leg, didn’t give me any benefit.
• I feel there is great value in physio, strengthening and certain yoga movements (which I continue today. I have created a daily routine of yoga and strengthening, which has helped general core strength and I think helped make surgery more successful.) However, in my case, this physio approach wasn’t enough to make full recovery. For example, I signed up to an FAI exercise programme. I think it was worth the money, but I disagree with their claim you only need exercise.
• Doctors and practitioners were a mixed bag. Everybody tends to view your ailment through their filter. A physio says you just need physio, the back specialist only thinks of your back and seemed to dismiss or miss the hip angle. And those who think it is all in the mind, will tell you it is all in the mind. The hip specialist at the Nuffied Prof S Glyn-Jones was very good. I had great confidence and he seemed to really know what was going on.
• I think I got lucky with my GP diagnosing FAI, even though the consultant swore he would not have diagnosed FAI from my x-ray!
• The hardest thing was getting a proper diagnosis and knowing where to go. It was one time, where I felt you had to not rely just on doctors, but actually get to know the issue yourself. You have to know which person to go to.
• Needless to say, there are conflicting opinions on the internet. I felt the most reliable source was the comments section of cyclinguphill.com – so there you go.
• Every case is different and I am only writing about my own long zig-zag path.
• Ultimately, the £7,000 for private operation was a really good choice. I think without it I may not have made full recovery.

Diagnosis from hip specialist

Notes from my operation

Right hip arthroscopy, labral repair, osteochondroplasty and stabilisation of carpet lesion with stem-cell rich bone marrow concentrate and Tisseel glue.

Evidence of large labral tear from the 3 to the 9 o’clock position. Bed prepared. 4 CynchLok knotless anchors impacted with excellent fixation of labrum. Small associated carpet lesion but there was good chondral labral stability, therefore, this was stabilised with bone marrow concentrate yielded from the rim of socket. Bone marrow processed using NTL Biologica method and mixed with Tisseel glue. The rest of the hip was pristine. The femoral head was in good condition. Good ligamentum teres condition, no loose bodies.

The peripheral compartment entered after a traction time of 21 mins. There was evidence of a large CAM lesion on the anterior/lateral of the femoral neck, this was removed using a 4.5 burr. The edges smoothed. The hip was placed in the impingement position with good excursion of the femoral head/neck junction beneath the rim of the socket.
Thorough irrigation. Good

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After the national hill climb in late October. My cycling went into mini-hibernation. Every ride seemed to get shorter and slower. My mid December I was reduced to a few miles around Oxford here and there. It was a long wet, cold winter, which seemed to fit the mood of third lockdown or whatever number it was. In the past year I have barely noticed when we go in and out of lockdown – it all merges into one long thing.

Since the New Year things have been picking up. I have been going a little quicker, a little further and have been enjoying the lengthening days.

A few weeks ago we had bad flooding around the Thames basin. It was hard to find roads which were not flooded.

I did a u-turn. One cyclist said they managed to cycle along the wood boards, but my drop handlebars didn’t fit and I wasn’t in the mood for slipping off.

Last Sunday was the warmest day of the year. A balmy 11 degrees and it felt warmer in the sun. I did a rare thing – I had a leisurely ride and even stopped off at Brill to eat a banana. There were plenty of cyclists on the roads.

Yesterday, 1 March seemed like a good day to get the time trial bike down from the loft. The roads have dried up and I quickly charged up the electric gears. There are few better things in cycling than to go from your heavy winter training bike with mudguards to a super-fast tt bike. Suddenly you are 3mph faster and it feels really good!

The problem with getting the TT bike is that I don’t want to go back to the slow road bike!

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Winnats Pass is a tough climb in the Peak District from the village of Castleton heading West through a steep limestone cleft.  It averages over 10%, with a considerable section of 20% + near the top.

Winnats pass has featured in the now-defunct Tour of Peak road race and also featured as a venue for the National hill climb Championship on a record ten occasions (most recent 1977). It will also be the venue for 2021. There is now a popular Tour of the Peak sportive, run in May. The sportive offers closed roads for Winnats Pass.

The climb travels through a natural amphitheatre with steep slopes and rock faces on either side of the road. It provides an excellent location and challenge. The main drawback of Winnats pass is that it can be quite busy with motor traffic.  (unfortunately, the old A road through Mam Tor was closed due to subsidence.) Combined with the narrowness of the road, it can become a little crowded. As a result, you are likely to be greeted with the reassuring smell of burning clutch as cars struggle up the 20% inclines.

Winnats Pass old Hill Climb Course

The National Hill Climb Championship has been held on Winnats Pass on ten occasions. They used to be able to get a road closure because the alternative A road to the top was still functioning.

The winning time was around 3.20 – 3.30. It is hard to know the actual course but this is a rough approximation.

2021 National hill climb course

The 2021 National hill climb has been confirmed as Winnat’s Pass. The course is said to be

“Start at first kerbstone on left 5 metres above Cattle Grid. Proceed uphill to finish at Cattle grid sign just before Cattle grid at top. 0.56mile/ 985yds”

Best approximation so far.

Twitter – Winnats Pass

Strava – Hill climb course Winnats Pass

Winnats Pass Full climb:

• Distance 2.3km
• Avg Grade 9.4%
• Max Gradient: 20%
• Elev Gain 214m
• Strava segment – full climb
• 100 climbs #33

After leaving the village of Castleton you turn left. Initially, the climb is not too steep, but the gradient increases until you come to a fairly constant section of 20%, which lasts for quite a bit.

On the top of the moor, you see the quite impressive Mam Tor.

The climb starts off at a gentle gradient as you leave the village; it steadily increases – up to 10% in the middle, and steeper towards the top. For a good section, you have a gradient of 20%. Difficult if you went too fast at the bottom or if you run out of gears. There are also two cattle grids to negotiate. Finally, there is a false flat taking you to the top.

1977 National Championship

In 1977, the National hill climb championship was held on Winnats Pass. It was won by John Parker (3.22) Southport RCC. The times suggest it must have been the last half of the climb, rather than the full. One note I have from the 1947 championship (won by Vic Clark) was that the distance was 983 yards (max. gradient -1 in 4.)

The final paragraph in the Cycling Weekly report from 1977  Nat HC was:

“They are a strange breed these men of the mountains. For minutes after they lay moaning and groaning like extras from a film battle, they where asking where next year’s championship will be held.”

Cycling Weekly report from 1977

Other National championships on Winnats Pass

• 1977 – John Parker 3.22
• 1972 – Granville Sydney,  3.23
• 1967 – Paul Wildsmith – 3.43
• 1966 – PD Greenhalgh – 3.11
• 1963 – Granville Sydney 3.18
• 1959 – Gordon Rhodes
• 1957 – Eric Wilson 3.56
• 1953 – R Keighley – 3.43
• 1949 – Bob Maitland 3.50
• 1947 – Vic Clark 3.28

One downside to the climb is that it is quite popular with motorists. Even motor cars can struggle a bit on the steep part, you might smell a whiff of burning clutch as you struggle up the last part. The road is wide enough for a bike and car, but with two cars passing it can get a little tight.

Overall, it’s definitely a climb to check out. There is a good little circuit around Mam Tor, Edale and Winnats Pass if you wanted to get a few ascents in.

2012 blog

The only time I have visited Winnats pass was after racing up Cat & Fiddle in September 2012.

Starting in Macclesfield I went back up the Cat & Fiddle (much more slowly) and made my way over to Buxton against a fierce headwind. From Buxton, I took the road to Whaley Bridge, the opposite side of Long Hill, a climb I have frequently raced on. From Whaley Bridge I took a reasonable B6470 road to Chapel en Le Firth. A menacing black cloud was threatening in the distance, I was tempted to turn around, but wanted to reach Winnats pass if I could. The climb out of Chapel en le Firth was steady and long. Peaslows is just to the south, – a little steeper.

With the afternoon getting dark, I made straight for Macclesfield. From Whaley Bridge I took the road straight to Macclesfield. It was more direct than the Cat & Fiddle. This was one of those unsatisfying climbs with many false flats and several sections. When you think you’ve got to the top, you descend before another section of uphill. The climbing is the same as the Cat& Fiddle, but the Cat & Fiddle gives a greater sense of achievement because it’s all done at once.

Related

• • 100 climbs

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Wheelspin is not a pleasant experience, it can throw you off rhythm and make you feel like you are going nowhere. A reader asked for any advice after experieing several wheel slips on Streatley.

Factors which make wheelspin more like include

• The steeper the hill it is
• Riding style. Big jerky effort, low cadence, out of the saddle efforts may make wheelslip more likely
• Rear tyre pumped up high

Personal experience of wheel spin

The first time I had bad wheel spin was 2005 National hill climb on the Rake. The ground was damp and it was the first time I had raced on a climb as steep as the Rake (22%) It really knocked my rhythm. It felt like you were grounding to a halt. Since then I might have had some at the Cat and Bec hill climbs, which are also similarly steep but I can’t remember now.

When I went back to the Rake in 2012, I didn’t have any wheelspin, I think I reduced tyre pressure to 65psi because it was damp.

How to avoid wheelspin

• I find the best way to avoid wheel spin is to avoid entering climbs like the Rake or Cat and Bec!
• On a serious note, I’m not an expert on avoiding wheelspin, because I preferred longer climbs rather than the very short and steep. A few riders say they experienced wheel spin on Streatley Hill (max gradient 18%) but I never have. Possibly because I spin slightly higher cadence than average or my tubs are good. In 2020 on Streatley, I reduced tyre pressure to 80psi – but only because others were talking about wheelspin.
• Of course, if you can remain seated whilst climbing, wheelspin will not occur. But, this is not really useful advice as no-one wants to climb the Rake or Streatley seated. (For what it is worth I did the first 150m of Streatley seated and then the rest of the climb out of the saddle)
• Lower psi to 60psi. If you think wheelspin is a big issue, the best is to ride 25″ tyres and reduce tyre pressure to as low as 60psi. Choosing wider tyres gives more traction

Best tyres to avoid wheelspin?

After the 2005 experience, I spent a long time researching the best tyres to avoid wheelspin. I eventually asked Jim Henderson and he advised some particiular tubulars as being fantastic for avoiding wheelspin, I regret to say I can’t remember what he said!

Since 2011 I have used

• Vittoria Chrono Evo tubulars (165g) 22″ which are super light and have been very good for avoiding wheelspin. For me these have been good, but there might be better. I’m not sure whether the Chrono Evo are still available.

My Vittoria may need replacing, and if it is Winnat’s Pass next year, it will be another steep one. If any reader has any tyre recommendations please share!

The post Wheel spin in hill climbs appeared first on Cycling uphill.

The 2020 National Hill Climb was held on Streatley Hill and was promoted by Reading CC. In many ways, it was quite an innovative event. Chip timing, live stream, live commentary (good quality) And perhaps most impressively 479 riders signed up, with a special effort to encourage more women to enter. I believe over 109 women and 104 juniors were on the startsheet, which is impressive growth from a few years ago. For quite a few years, the Hill climb championships has seen increased interest and growth, but this year’s event has set a new standard. The organising team did an excellent job in difficult circumstance. It will be interesting to see how it progresses in the future.

The depth of the field is also reflected in the standard of this year’s hill climbing. I’ve come back after four years out of the sport, and on coming back, it seems the bar has been raised quite a bit. Of course, like everything else, the event has been overshadowed by the current Covid-19 situation and I think we have to be thankful the event was able to go ahead. Fortunately, time trials are more suited to socially distancing than the majority of amateur sports, but it must have required quite a few last-minute organisational changes to keep the event on track. The event was not without some Covid casualties. I know of two Welsh riders (Ed Laverack men’s defending champion) and Rebecca Richardson (3rd women 2019) who were unable to attend due to Welsh lockdown. But still, around 400 riders were able to start in an event which did as much as possible to minimise any risk.

One reason Streatley hill was chosen was the hope that it would have created a great atmosphere on the hill. In normal times, I think the hill would have been packed with spectators, and it is a shame we didn’t have that opportunity to race through a thick crowd of noise and spectators, but, in the bigger scheme of 2020, this is a minor inconvenience and I got the feeling the riders were grateful for the chance to race, even if we didn’t have the packed roads of previous years.

Moving with the times, the race had live results, live feed and live commentary. My only quibble is that for us dinosaurs who do not use Facebook some things are not so accessible. But, in theory, after the race, you were able to watch a video of yourself competing. I was quite impressed with the quality of commentary and the commentator could even pronounce my name.

In the men’s event, Andrew Feather (HuntBikeWheels.com) took another well deserved title, with a storming time of 2.04. I believe Andrew Feather has now won 14 hill climbs on the run, probably a record. Just a second behind was Tom Bell (High North Performance) at 2.05. In third place was another podium for Adam Kenway (Vitus Pro Cycling/ Brother UK). There were also many very good rides throughout the field. In the women’s event, Bithja Jones (Pankhurst Cycles), who has also been on super form this year, took her first title in a time of 2:47.94. Mary Wilkinson of the Yorkshire Road Club took her third second-place. In third place two ladies were tied with exactly the same time Monica Greenwood (Macclesfield Wheelers) and Becky Storrie (Synergy Cycles).

In the world of pro cycling, we are seeing a new generation of young riders come through and set very fast times. It is the same in domestic cycling, with six junior men going under 2.30. The winner was Tom Williams (Webbs 1902 CC) in a time of 2.20.85 – not bad for a 16 year old! Matthew Houlberg (Meudon Pedal Heaven Le Col RT) 2nd and 3rd was  Lukas Nerurkar VC de Londres.  The junior women was won by Abi Smith (Moonglu CC) in 3.02, Ellen Bennett (Flamme Rouge Cycling Team) 2nd in 3.17.46 and Kat Richardson (Glasgow Triathlon Club.) in 3:21.47

The fastest vet man was Glyndwr Griffiths 2.22.

Next year’s hill climb?

One rumour I enjoyed hearing at this year’s event was that next year was provisionally planned for Winnat’s Pass. I’m not sure how reliable the rumour is, but suffice to say it’s a beautiful setting and has been used as the National Championship course on a record ten occasions.

My race

After four years with injury, the main thing was that it was great to be back racing this year. I never had too much expectations; these days the main thing is competing against yourself, how close can you get to former pbs. It’s a different way to approach the race. Less pressure and expectations – mainly doing it for the buzz of racing.

Thanks to Paul Jones for video

The race went fairly well. I paced it reasonably well and finished quite strong. My time was 2.33, which is OK. It wasn’t a super-special effort, but a reasonable effort all considered.

One thing about racing on closed roads is that I always forget the road is closed to traffic and out of habit, ride 2 feet from the left curb, even if this means going over the potholes.

The main thing is I got a lot of inspiration from doing the championship again. Nice to meet a few people (including quite a few first timers). If all goes well, I will be back in 2021 and will be trying very hard to go faster than – if not personal bests – at least faster than 2020.

• 51st – 2.33 (473 watts)

Some photos of the event

Adam Kenway in the queue to sign on. For a pro rider, Covid-19 has made it a difficult year.

The field for parking.

Fast vets

Newbury Velo and Reading CC were both heavily involved in organising. The event required quite a big team of volunteers helping with the road closures and socially distancing measures. I recognised a few faces from the London West district, who did a great job.

At the bottom of the hill. There were two starting gates to facilitate 30-second intervals (30 secs are definitely the way to go for a big event) The chap on the right is former champion Matt Clinton, who I think spends more time coaching other riders these days. Another former champion I noticed on the startsheet was Ben Greenwood (Macclesfield Wheelers). Ben won the 2005 National Championship on the Rake (my first national), 15 years ago and he is still a senior!

The weather was mostly good. At least the rain storm passed the previous night. There were a few brief showers for the women later in the day. There was a small headwind on the climb.

Results

• CTT
• Women’s results
• Men’s results
• UK National Hill Climb – Men historical top 3
• UK National Hill Climb – Women historical top 3

Photos

• If you know of any good photo gallery, please add link in comments below.

Previous results up Streatley

• 2004 – 2.38 – 5th/38
• 2005 – 2.39 – 5th/ 27 winner Rob English 2.21.
• 2012 – 2.24 – 2nd.
• 2020 – Sept club event. 2.36
• 2020 – 2.33 – 51st (National hill climb.

Previous National hill climbs

• 2005 – 11th (Rake) 2.39
• 2006 – 7th (Peak Hill) – 5.18
• 2007 – 7th (Cheddar Gorge) – 7:14
• 2008 – 12th (Bank Road) – 2.42
• 2009 – 12th (Pea Royd Lane) – 3.49
• 2010 – 4th (Dovers) (3.56)
• 2011 – 5th (Long Hill) – 13.02
• 2012 – 11th (Rake) – 2.41
• 2013 – 1st (Stang) – 7.57
• 2014 – 4th (Pea Royd Lane) – 3.32
• 2015 – 6th (Jackson Bridge) – 4.25)
• 2016 – 41st (Bank Road – 2.40
• 2020 – 51st (Streatley) – 2.33

Footnote

• In terms of most consecutive hill climb events, I don’t know the record but I believe Andrew Feather now has around 14. My longest winning streak was 13 between Oct 2013 and Oct 2014. (13 opens, 16 hill climb stages. But, I think the winning streak in 2020 is even more impressive given the depth of competition that exists now.
• Matt Clinton had 19 consecutive hill climbs wins during 2008-2009.

The post 2020 National Hill Climb Championship appeared first on Cycling uphill.

Today was my 10th entry for the Bristol South CC promotion on Burrington Combe.

It’s always a hill climb I enjoy riding. A good long climb, nice scenery and, over the years, I have got to know quite a few riders and organisers from the Bristol scene. It also helps that the climb historically suited my riding style. The last eight times I have entered – going all the way back to 2005 – I came first. It was an unbeaten run that was more than overdue to be broken. Since I was last here in 2016, a lot has happened. And it’s not just me getting older.

I thought the conditions were quite good. 12 degrees, hardly any wind, maybe 1 mph headwind at the top, but not noticeable. My race went fairly well. I warmed up on the road, switched to the lighter racing wheels and went off to the start. I got into a good rhythm and I paced it reasonably well. I made quite a good effort, riding as hard as I could for 7+ minutes and making an extra effort at the steep bits. The only downside to the race was that my time was about 30 seconds slower than I would have liked. As a great French philosopher once said “That’s life, mate!”

My very first cycling blog was not cyclinginfo.co.uk, but an appendix to richardpettinger.com (so long ago I even had a different name). It was a pretty feeble first effort at writing about cycling. I mainly remember calling the blog “It’s all downhill from here” which, at the time, I thought was very amusing for a blog about cycling. I then moved to cyclinginfo.co.uk before settling on cyclinguphill.com. But, as I enter the more mature phase of life, perhaps the title “It’s all downhill from here” will prove increasingly apt.

Out of interest – this was the kind of blog I wrote from my 2005 event – Bristol South CC

In 2005, I remember spending hours getting the bike lighter, I think I ran a 44 single chainring, and all kinds of marginal gains. I was really proud at how light the bike was – something in the region of  6kg for a scandium Ribble frame. These days, taking off my bottle cage is my main concession to bike preparation. Though the Emonda is a pretty good starting point.

Interesting of note – in 2005, there were only three riders under 8 minutes; today there were nineteen. (though James Dobbin went on to win Nat HC in 2006/07). I imagine in 2005 there were very few juniors or women on the startsheet as they were a rare breed in that era. These days the hill climb scene is attracting a greater diversity of riders which is a very good thing, even if does mean us older folk see ourselves slipping down the standings.

The other blog of note from rp.com was a report from the 2005 National Hill Climb.

In the past few weeks, I have had a small dip in form. I have especially struggled (comparatively) on the longer climbs. I used to do better on the long climbs, but these days it is the other way around. I think part of the reason may be due to the fact I don’t train as much as I used to. On short climbs, you can get by on quite low mileage and a few efforts. For the longer climb, it seems to make a bigger difference how fit you are. It would be interesting to see what would happen if next year I tried training like I used to. But, I now realise that to do 10-15 hours of training is a really big commitment of time, energy and enthusiasm. Whether I will ever have that time or inclination to train, I doubt.

At the race, I saw a few people I hadn’t seen for quite a while. Including Nick Pashley who was the club captain during my days at Oxford University CC. I was club treasurer and Nick was a larger than life presence. He mainly rides cyclo-cross, but with that being cancelled for 2020 – he made a sideways jump (or should that be vertical) jump into the hill climb scene. He made a very creditable time for a first effort at hill climbs, and he’s definitely not a whippet like me.

Time: 7.31 – 369 watts

Previous results on Burrington Combe

• 2004 – 7.12 – 2nd / 43 – winner D.Axford (7.02 CR)
• 2005 – 7.06 – 1st / 61  – (2005 blog)
• 2008 – 7.21 – 1st / 50
• 2009 – 7.20 – 1st / 55
• 2010 – 7.10 – 1st / 51 – (blog 2010)
• 2011 – 6.51 – 1st  /48 – CR (blog 2011)
  
• 2014 – 6.57 – 1st / 118 – blog 2014
• 2015 – 6.58 – 1st / 110 – blog 2015
  
• 2016 – 7.17 – 1st / 113 (386W) – blog 2016
• 2020 – 7.31 – 8th / 113 (369 W)

Thanks to Bristol South CC for putting on the event in these testing times.

Of note

• Photos 2020 Phil J Photography
• Hill Climb Rankings Spindata

Photo by Paul Jones. I should add that I haven’t put on any weight – I had just stuffed a skinsuit up my cycle top.

Vale Street

On my way back from Burrington Combe, I made short detour to Vale Street, Bristol. I read about it in Simon Warren’s Another 100 Climbs. It claims to be the steepest residential street in Europe. It’s a bit of a gimmicky climb being very short. But, it is very steep and makes a good photo.

I run a 11-speed cassette (with one removed) on my old lightweight rear wheel (10 speed hub). When I went for the climb, I went down into lowest gear, only for chain to fall off, leaving me kind of stranded, horizontal to this super steep gradient. I was just stuck for a few seconds not knowing what to do or where to go. If someone had been watching, they might have found the predicament quite funny. Second time around, I chose gear more carefully. It’s a weird sensation, I could never let myself rip and try really hard as I feared I would fall off on the adverse camber. I should have tried the really hard way from the bottom of the hill, up the really steep left-hander section. But, my lowest gear was 39*23 and it wasn’t working very well  I felt I would not make it and probably fall over. So I gave it a miss. But, I did do it coming down the adjoining road and turning right.

So two hill climbs for the price of one. I’ve ticked it off my bucket list of climbs to do. It took me 21 seconds and went round the block three times.

Results Burrington Combe 2020

CTT Results

Women

1 Natalie Grinczer Female Senior CAMS -Tifosi 08:28.3
2 Nicole Coates Female Espoir Torelli 08:38.5
3 Kate MacTear Female Senior Bristol South Cycling Club 08:58.2
4 Clare Good Female Senior PDQ Cycle Coaching 09:14.6
5 Christine Wellington Female Vet Birmingham Running, Athletics and Triathlon Club 09:15.6
6 Charlotte Davies Female Senior FTP (Fulfil The Potential) Racing 09:16.7
7 Emily Kate Walton Female Senior Beeston Cycling Club 09:41.4
8 Naomi Eaton Female Senior Stroud Valley Velos 09:44.4
9 Becky Dodds Female Senior Rogue Racing 10:39.8
10 Sara James Female Vet Clevedon & District Road Club 12:22.3
11 Helen Gray Female Vet Rogue Racing 12:34.1
12 Joanna Knight Female Vet Bristol South Cycling Club 12:42.2
13 Rachel Profit Female Vet Clevedon & District Road Club 14:48.5

The post Burrington Combe 2020 appeared first on Cycling uphill.

Saturday was Brighton Mitre CC hill climbs on Steyning Borstal and Mill Hill. I raced these hills back in 2004-2006, but haven’t been back for 14 years.

First up is Steyning Borstal, a tough climb with three distinct sections. Steep, flat and then steep again.

It is a technical climb in that pacing is not straightforward because of the variable gradient. I had a good warm up and was reasonably pleased with the effort. I thought I paced it relatively well. I wanted to go fairly fast on the first and second part but make the biggest effort on the last section where it gets to 17%. I finished in a time of 4.06. I believe there was a slight headwind at the top of climb, though Alice Lethbridge set new women’s course pb of 4:55.3 and Lukas Nerurkar set junior record 3:54.2.

My time: 4.06. Power: 421 watts. Av speed 14.0 mph. max speed 2.4

After Steyning, there is quite a long break until next climb in Shoreham in the afternoon. The virtual HQ was by a rugby field in Shoreham. Whilst warming up on my Trek Speed Concept on rollers, a chap with a couple of kids started asking me what I was doing. I replied I was warming up for a race on nearby Mill Hill. He was very polite and interested. I’m so rusty riding on rollers that unfortunately, I didn’t dare turn my head to the left to meet his eye in case I fell off. Anyway, as he walked off he said to his kids, in a very matter of fact way “that’s the craziest thing I’ve seen in a car park!”

Mill Hill

Mill Hill is a funny hill climb in that there a two quite significant down hill sections so, at parts on the climb, you can be going quite fast. I think when I did it in 2004/05, I used road bike with clip on tribars, but this year brought a TT bike, which is heavier than the Emonda, but definitely faster on the downhill. The hardest part is the first section where it briefly gets up to 10%. It’s hard to pace this kind of climb as there is a bit of freewheeling and ‘easy sections’. After the second downhill, there is a sharp right turn before final run to the line. I ended up breaking quite hard for this corner. The climb was OK, though I maybe should have gone harder at the start because there is quite a bit of recovery during the middle section. I did around 7.40.

Time: 7.40. Av power – 363 watts. Max power – 704 watts. Av. speed 20.9mph, Max speed 34.7 mph

On the start sheet I noted the name of Lukas Nerurkar my minute man – because in my first athletic career I was part of Bradford Grammar School cross country team. Under Selby Brock and Tony Kingham, BGS took cross country running really enthusiastically. Though unfortunately, their enthusiasm didn’t always manage to rub off on to my teenage self – my first athletic career was not exactly covered in glory, I saw it more as a slightly better option than having to play rugby. After fading away, and coming last in one race, I managed to ‘retire’ – deciding competitive sport was not for me – which it was for another 10 years. The reason I mention all this is that Richard Nerurkar was the star product of BGS cross country – going on to finish 5th in the men’s marathon at the 1996 Olympics in Athens. So this is the difference – when I was 16 I was coming last and retiring from sport. But, it’s never too late to get into sport and I’m enjoying trying my best to maintain my form as the years keep accumulating.

Overall the event was good and I enjoyed the day trip to the south coast. During these difficult Covid days it’s always nice to get out and briefly meet other cyclists, even if hanging outside by a rugby field and public toilets in Shoreham is not quite as cosy as being in a village hall with a cup of tea and results board.

It was also good to see a big field of nearly 60 riders on startsheet with quite a few riders getting ready for the Nationals in two weeks time. I heard that there were 459 entrants to the national and everyone got a place! I also noted start timekeeper was Robin Johnson, I remember when Robin organised the hill climbs back in 2005, I remember Robin because I left my bag at HQ and he kindly put it in the post –  I thought it was well – above and beyond the call of duty for a race organiser!

Ditchling Beacon

After Mill Hill, it was getting late but I made a short detour to go home via Ditchling Beacon. (three hill climbs for the price of two) It is a hill I have heard a lot about but have never ridden up. When I was descending, I saw a long line of cars stuck behind cyclists (most of whom were walking). There was some kind of charity ride or sportive and the hill was full of cyclists. I managed to time my run to avoid the walking cyclists. Traffic notwithstanding, it’s a great climb, not too steep, nice corners and a great view.

There was a big group of cyclists at the top cheering on the struggling cyclists. They were enjoying their hill climb challenge, just in a slightly different way to those of us racing up Mill Hill and Steyning. To be fair to the cyclists on Ditchling Beacon, I bet they didn’t waste time warming up on rollers in some obscure car park.

Dowsett and the Giro

Since cycling came back on tv, there have been some great days racing to watch. By far my favourite was Saturday’s stage. I had it on record and when I got home I watched the last hour. Like many who follow UK racing, I was really rooting for Alex Dowsett. I remember in the 2005 national 25 mile TT (when he was still a junior) we both did 54.00 and because he really likes the UK domestic scene, it’s been great watching his career progress. It’s also a reminder that even if you are super-talented, it’s really difficult to win pro races. Seven years after Dowsett’s Giro TT victory, this road stage was a very well deserved win and hopefully will secure him a good contract for next year.

Previous races in Brighton Mitre CC hill climb

Steyning

2004 – 4.21 (4/42)
2005 – 4.02 (3rd/60)
2006 – 4.17 (2nd)
2020 – 4.06 (2nd)

Mill Hill

2004 – 7.?? (2nd/42)
2005 – 7.26 (2nd/60)
2006 – 7.21 (1st)
2020 – 7.40 (3rd/)

Results from Steyning Bostal 2020

CTT results

Women

Mill Hill overall

CTT

Mill Hill Women

The post Brighton Mitre Hill Climbs 2020 appeared first on Cycling uphill.

Last Saturday was Bowden Hill climb organised by Chippenham Wheelers. It was raining all day. I think it had been raining for 3 days solid, though it is easy to forget exactly how many days.

It is not a climb I have done before. Even in the murk and grey, wet skies, Laycock and Bowden Hill seemed an attractive part of the world. In better weather, I may have gone for a longer rider after. But, as it was, after finishing and descending the hill, I was pretty cold so I didn’t hang around.

The climb was OK, I had problems with some sprocket so my gears were slipping at an awkward moment. I don’t think it affects time too much, but it does affect the momentum and you are left feeling you could have done better.

My average power was 400 watts, quite a bit less than previous power outputs for 4 to 5 minute (maybe because the hill wasn’t that steep 6.6% average).

Form was good last Sun and Mon, but then dipped on Wed. Let’s hope it goes back up this week.

I still enjoyed getting out despite the rain and cold.

Rear light woe

These days rear lights are required for racing in CTT events. On a murky day like Sat, you can understand why the rule was brought in. On the startline, there seemed to be a lot of equipment failure, with rear lights not working (perhaps the rain was playing a part, though it shouldn’t) and I heard quite a few last minute requests to borrow a rear light.

I think you will never regret bringing spare clip on rear light to the start of a race. My light just about lasted the race. I thought it wasn’t working properly when it kept fading away this week, but then I realised I had been trying to recharge the USB the wrong way around! Now I’ve charged it with the right side facing up, it’s good to last a long time!

Power and speed

• Distance – 1.2 mi
• Elevation – 124 m
• Max Grade – 14.8%
• Avg Grade – 6.6%
• KOM: 4.15
• VAM: 1,759

Ride with GPS

Bowden Hill UHC80

Strava – Hill climb course Bowden Hill UHC80

2020 Results

Cycling Time Trials results

The post Bowden Hill appeared first on Cycling uphill.

Today was a club event, promoted by Didcot Phoenix, on Streatley hill. It was partly a test run for the 2020 National hill climb which is scheduled for the end of October.

Streatley hill is one of the closest open hill climbs to Oxford. Just 18 miles, if you take the direct route. It would make a good training hill, but I’ve never really liked Streatley for some reason! I prefer the slightly longer climbs in the Chilterns and Brill. Anyway, I was grateful for the opportunity to have a go and am glad I had a test run. The last time I raced Streatley was in 2012.

I wasn’t sure whether to drive or cycle to the event. In the end, I decided to cycle and was glad I did. There was strong northerly wind, so the ride there was nice and easy. Though the return leg after racing was a long slog. I picked up my number and did one or two half-hearted efforts up Goring hill. I was already well warmed up, it was more a case of not getting cold. Goring is quite a busy place with parked cars so you have to be patient to get through the village. Also to get to Streatley hill there is traffic light across an A-road. (which if you were late for your start could seem lasts a long time).

With no pusher-offs, we have been starting ourselves. Today, there was something to hold on to. After 5,4,3,2,1, Go – it was almost like my hand got stuck to the thing and it seemed like an eternity (probably 0.5 seconds) before I started to make any forward movement.

I went off pretty hard from the start and at halfway was doing really well. But, then I steadily got slower and near the end, at the steepest section, I was grovelling down the gears and going at walking pace, it didn’t feel so much like racing as surviving.

Despite doing hill climbs for getting on for a quarter of a century, the art of pacing a climb can sometimes be elusive. I’m a little rusty in this regard. Sometimes in a race, you try harder than you do in training. I’ve often struggled with the two-minute efforts more than anything. Perhaps because – if it’s two minutes, part of you thinks – it will all be over pretty quick so just go out really fast and hope for the best. But, even a two and a half minute effort you have to be careful. My effort reminded me of the 2012 National Hill Climb Championship on the Rake. I was in good form in 2012, but my legs went to jelly at the very steep, unforgiving 22% section of the Rake, and I ended up going down a few gears and slowing right down.

Streatley HC

Streatley speed and power

I don’t look at power meter when riding, but I do look afterwards; this is not very good pacing. There is too much power 500w+ when I’m doing 17mph at the start. But, when the hill gets really steep at the end, I was doing 350 watts for 6 mph. Comparing to other riders, I lost several seconds in a few metres.

There was a mostly headwind today, but to be honest Streatley is quite sheltered and so it wasn’t that noticeable.

I was quite pleased with the effort I made overall, but the pacing is definitely room for improvement. It feels a similar result to Snap Hill. Perfect pacing for someone who was 10% faster.

I haven’t ridden Streatley for quite a while, and it seemed to be a bit steeper at the end than I remember. I think this is becoming a recurring theme of this season’s efforts – all the hills are steeper than I remember! Greg LeMond famously said, “It doesn’t get easier, you just go faster”. I think I will offer an updated version “It doesn’t get any harder, you just go slower!”

The shadow hanging over life at the moment is the Covid situation. Even since a few weeks ago, when I first raced, the situation has changed. Didcot Phoenix (and Newbury) did a good job to ensure the best Covid protocols and make the race as low-risk as possible. It was interesting the Tour de France spent three weeks and there were very few positive COVID results, reinforcing the benefits of outside events. I do hope the national can go ahead; there are a lot of excellent riders in both the men and women sections. The national hill climb can be more like an Olympic cycle. To get your best result, you need that combination of the perfect hill for your characteristics and your best form. I was in very good form in 2012 but the Rake was a chastising experience. Fortunately, I got a good hill the next year, before my form dipped too much. If you haven’t got some explosive power, you can do all the training in the world, but you can’t change your body type. (I know, I tried!)

I enjoyed the long ride out and back. It was a good 50 miles or so. Even with very minimal contact with other riders and marshalls, it was nice to say hello to a few people in passing. For me (working from home) this counts as a major source of social interaction these days. It’s definitely good for the spirits to get out of the house.

Overall 2.36 was OK. With racing wheels, bottle cages removed and a better pacing strategy, hopefully, I can go a little bit quicker at the end of October.

My previous races on Streatley hill

• 2004 – 2.38 (5th/38)
• 2005 – 2.39 (5th/27)
• 2006 – (2.??) (4th) – not sure of time
• 2012 – 2.24 (2nd/20)
• 2020 – 2.36.7 14th /52

Links

• Results – google.doc DPCC
• 2020 National Hill Climb Women’s Campaign – An effort to encourage more women to enter the national hill climb championship.
• Photos from event

Results 2020 (non-official, I sorted Google doc with raw times, no categories)

BTW: Great to have results within a few hours of racing.

The post Streatley Hill Climb (national warm up event) appeared first on Cycling uphill.

The 2008 National Hill climb Championship took place on Bank Road, Matlock.

• Distance: 830m
• Average gradient of 14%.
• Maximum Gradient of 20%.
• Weather was good for late October. Sunny and dry. There was a full field of 150 riders.

Results 2008

My blog from 2008 was very short. I think I only did a couple of races in 2008. The course was the same as 2016 National Championships.

Course

The winner was Matt Clinton  mikevaughan.co.uk – 2008 in a winning time of 2.24.2. He just edged out Bill Bell (2.25) and five times champion Jim Henderson. The women’s champion was Lyn Hamel (Greenroomgroup.com) 2.59

Blog from 2008

I finished 14th in a time of 2.42.3. I was quite pleased with my time for a hill which wasn’t ideal to my liking. It was very close at the top, with just 2 seconds separating the top 3 – Bill Bell, Jim Henderson and Matt Clinton. The first women was Lynn Hamel, 2.59

There was a good crowd at the steepest part. At this point I was already a bit dizzy in the head. My arms were drained of blood like pins and needle. After the steep corner, there was another 200m of relatively shallow climb. Although it was shallow, it was hard to go much faster.

Stewart House (10) at the start. The event was well organised by Matlock CC and other local clubs. It’s great to race on closed roads.

I enjoyed the race a lot. I really felt I had raced at my limit. I will have to try and find an extra 18 seconds for next year.

National Hill Climb 2008

The results were published at CTT but are now a dead link and I couldn’t recover them from the internet archive. If anyone has full results, I would be interested in posting them as I can’t find them on the internet anywhere.

Women

UK National hill climb championship

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