All my posts that mention or include hills in some way.
Omloop het Nieuwsblad has been the start of the Spring Classics season for a while now. Even when known as Omloop het Volk it usually took pride of place in the opening weekend with Kuurne Brussels Kuurne. Given the race takes part in West Flanders, there’s a fair amount of crossover with the climbs of …
The Climbs of Omloop het Nieuwsblad – Men’s & Women’s Races Read More »
The cycling climbs of the Midlands tend to be underrated. In Simon Warren’s 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs book there are only really a couple of options. Jiggers Bank near Ironbridge is one (but not a climb of note really), Dover’s Hill is only a couple of miles into Gloucestershire. Mow Cop is in the North …
The Devil’s Staircase hill climb lies between the village of Abergwesyn and Tregaron in mid-Wales. Crossing the Cambrian Mountains, the Devils Staircase forms part of the much longer Abergwesyn Pass. The full pass is 14 miles long and is a spectacular mix of wilderness, mountains and steep climbs. It’s not a surprise that the Devil’s Staircase Wales finds itself in the 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs book along with the Tough of Bowland.
We’ve missed out on the Tour of Flanders this year (other than on Bkool) but the climbs are still there. The race has legendary status amongst the locals as it features in their national identity. Ronde van Vlaanderen race day is almost like a national holiday in that part of the world. The race itself …
The Trough of Bowland entered into cycling lore when Bradley Wiggins used it for his training ahead of his successful 2012 Tour de France attempt. The Trough also found its way into the 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs book in 2010. Now 10 years after its inclusion, let’s find out more about the climb. The Trough …
Marchlyn Mawr is another one of those semi-closed road hill climbs in North Wales. Similar to Stwlan Dam, the road is closed to cars but bikes can ride it. I’ve climbed it a couple of times now and love it. I believe it’s the highest point in North Wales you can cycle up to (on …
I’ve always enjoyed riding in North Wales, places like Stwlan Dam and most of Snowdonia. Unfortunately this weekend I didn’t get to cover many miles but did get to have a solid go at some favourite climbs, including the Great Orme. This would be my first time in a couple of years. The Great Orme …
The Stwlan Dam climb is on a road closed to cars. We lifted our bikes over the gate and then went through the kissing-gate. The road is used by the odd car from the electricity company but that is the only traffic you will meet. This road leads up to the dam way up in the hills above the village of Tanygrisiau.
Larkstoke Hill is found just about in Warwickshire near to the village of Ilmington. There are quite a few different routes up this hill but the climb of interest takes us to the highest point in Warwickshire. It’s a popular one to tack onto sportives to destroy legs near the finish. Larkstoke has one of …
I think it’s becoming obvious that I like to set myself a challenge and see what I can do with a bike. It started with various sportives, then a 200km Audax, then London to Paris in under 24 hours, trips across Belgium and now taking my bike to the highest point in England and Wales, …