Ok let’s get this out there before the rest of this post so there is no misunderstanding; I’m not keen on climbing hills on the bike. I find it a real grind, partly because I am so bad at it and partly because it is such bloody hard work. You are going along nicely, cheeky 16mph, average speed, then you come to a hill, and all that effort just flies out the window. Legs burn, will flags, you get all proper hot and sweaty and in my case everyone flies by me without a care in the world. And at these times I wished i lived in the Norfolk, (just to be clear, just cos it is flat no other reason), where I could ride all the time on the flat and never climb another hill. But, why is there always a but; here is the killer and contradiction that we all know - without hills to climb, mountain passes to conquer and valleys to ride through, then the joy in the route is lost to us all. And if that sounds like a huge contradiction, that is simply because it is.  But the rest of Yorkshire’s Finest regular group don’t necessarily share this view my view about hills, or if the agree with me then they don’t share openly. Our regular Saturday rides therefore involve some climbing, usually in excess of 2000 feet, often a bit more. Ok so I was thinking does does anyone else in our group really like climbing hills or it is just one of those things that you do, and we are all involved in a silent conspiracy never daring to challenge the dominant orthodoxy. And if this is the case then is this true of the wider cycling fraternity?

Well if the number of Hill climb videos published on YouTube are anything to go by, then the answer is no, and whilst I would never want to speak for the vast majority of cyclists, it seems that most, if not all, seek out hills on most if not all their rides!! Of course I understand that much of our fair island is not flat, and bar a few places, going out for a decent ride it is pretty impossible to not climb a hill or two. But seeking out hills is an entirely different thing. And don’t get me started on club rides, where they end up doing four, five and six thousand feet of climb on a regular ride and still average over 20 miles an hour; it simply ain’t natural, freaks the lot of them!!

So what is the attraction? Well I guess it’s an “eggs and omelettes”, “lemon and lemonade” connumdrum, you can’t have one without the other. We all love speeding down a 4% hill, exhilarated as we top out at speeds we could only dream of on the flat, or descend through one of the dry wold valleys, marvelling at our road handling skills and we wend our way to the bottom. But of course both of these have to be paid for, and the price is climbing a hill. You don’t get stunning views over the vale of York, or views over the Yorkshire Dales, Moors or Wolds unless you have climbed a hill or two. So I guess i am going to have to put up or shut up, and given the joys that come once you are at the top of a hill, then “put up”is is going to be. And so in a further contradiction, I’m gonna finish with what are perhaps my three favourite climbs. All tackled regularly on our Saturday rides. I’m gonna stick close to home, so whilst we have done Sa Calobra and Puig Major (that was an absolute beast, 864 metres of climb at 6% and with a beer at lunchtime before the climb, means I will never and I mean never, attempt this again), and several of the famous Moors and Dales climbs, this section is limited to those climbs closer to home and ones that we normally tackle on our Saturday rides. First up and a nice gentle start is the climb into, descent down to and climb out of Kirkham Abbey. It must be one of the most picturesque settings of any climb. Approaching via Crambe it is a nice gentle start, 5/6 % but once past Crambe kicks up to 9% and beyond. Fortunately only a few hundred years before the lovely decent into Kirkham, where you are presented with a great photo stop before the climb out. Once you are on your way, it’s just a couple of hundred yards of climb, getting into double figures, before a sharp turn left and 18% or so for 50 metres. Once at the top you then have a fantastic fast route for some 5k all the way down to the turn for Menthorpe or the route straight on to the Malton Road. Even I have to begrudgely admit to it being worth the climb.

The second climb is also a regular one for us, up through Givendale from Bishop Wilton. There is an alternative climb up through Worsendale but the road surface is so awful it should be avoided. Givendale is a short and sharp climb with a couple of ramps up to 16% from memory. It starts off gently and finishes gently with the hard section in the middle. Because it is winding it does not feel so hard, but attempt it with some effort and your legs (my legs) will burn. Finally there is the climb up to the monument, near Castle Howard, coming from either Foston or the A64, the latter now being much safer with a new improved junction and much better cycle crossing facility. The climb itself is very doable, with a gentle start for 200 metres, a couple of steep ramps, including 18% at one corner, but finishes with a downhill break where you can get some speed up, before the last section up to the monument. It feels like a proper climb and brings you onto the straight road to Castle Howard, a joy to ride in itself. So that’s it for now on my hill climbing post. I even think in the writing I might have changed my own mind about hills and perhaps have to grudgingly acknowledge their key role in making a ride more enjoyable!!