Matlock and Beeley Hillclimbs - Report and photos by Richard Somerset

Matlock CC Hillclimb, Riber Road, 1.2 km
Richard Somerset - 20th - 5.05.05
Full result from CTTwebsite here

Chesterfield Coureurs, Beeley Moor, 2.3 miles
Richard Somerset - 20th - 12.23.0
Full result from CTT website here

Matlock CC Hillclimb, Bank Road, 700 metres
Richard Somerset - 18th - 3.01.07
Full result from CTT website here

The only hillclimb that I’ve ever competed in is the North Road event at Digswell. So before I get too old I thought it was about time to attempt a few open hillclimbs.

I know that a lot of the decent climbs (and decent riders) are up North so as my wife and I were due an Autumn break I perused the CTT handbook and found three races on the same day in and around Matlock, Derbyshire. I sent my entry forms off, then told my wife Sarah where we were going. Later I told her that I would be spending much of the Sunday racing up some hills in the local area. She didn’t seem too upset.

We arrived on the Wednesday and two days before the races I set off to check out the climbs.
The first climb I attempted was Bank Road in the centre of Matlock. This is a straight climb of 700 metres at an average gradient of 13% with sections at 1 in 4. My bottom gear was 34/25 but as I had ridden straight from the guesthouse where we were staying in town I wasn't warmed up so it was a real struggle not to get off and walk. The thought that if I get off now I might have to get off when I raced the actual event kept me going to what I thought was the finish.

I then rode to Beeley, about five miles north of Matlock to reconnoitre the next climb, Beeley Moor. This is a gentle climb of 2.3 miles, perhaps about 8% gradient, twisty for the first two thirds and straight for the last section. I rode hard but not flat out and it took me nearly 15 mins. The record is 8.40 so I realised I would have to go a lot faster on the day to be anywhere near a decent time and position.

Then it was back to Matlock to attempt Riber Road. This starts on a residential road, up a hill which is hard in itself, then fork left onto what can only be described as a wall of pain: a very narrow, very twisty, corkscrew of a climb, 1 in 5 average, 1 in 4 on the bends. This was very hard. I stopped briefly as a car tried to get past me. It took me six minutes to get to the top, the record is 3.30! I thought that on race day I could perhaps knock thirty seconds off my time,

 

Hillclimbing is a specialist event and unlike normal (flat) time trials it is not dominated by veterans; most of the riders who take part are young whippersnappers. I know that I am fairly average at going up hills so based on the number of starters for each event I expected to place in the bottom five. As it turned out I was nearly right.

On race day the first climb was the Matlock CC event up Riber Road. Hillclimbs are seeded in reverse order of ability, so as I had no previous time to record on my entry form I was third man off. I took it relatively easy for the first section (I know that I cannot go hard for the full distance so save myself for the steeper bits), then blasted round the first bend of the corkscrew. I was in one gear higher than my practice run hoping that the adrenalin would enable me to stay in that gear. No chance, next bend I was in bottom and gurning and grinding with the best of them.

Hillclimbs attract more spectators than your average open ten so there were plenty of people to cheer me on, not that I heard anyone in my agony. The steepest part was near the top and it was here that I thought my legs were going to explode. I had to lean forward to keep my front wheel down.

 

Round the bend and there was the finish line and Sarah waiting for me, with a camera. I collapsed just after the line and didn’t recover for five minutes. I had given my all; my time was 5.05 which was faster than I expected so I was quite pleased. I placed 20th/25 so just outside the bottom five.

After a coffee at the clubhouse I rode to the finish line of the Chesterfield Coureurs event at Beeley , picked,up my number. met Sarah, and rode down to the start at the bottom of the hill.

A warm up and I was off again. I paced this climb well, heartbeat 170 at the bottom, 178 at the top. I couldn’t have tried any harder. My time was 12.23, so nearly two and a half minutes faster than my practice run, which was nice. The winner, James Dobbin did it in 8.58. I placed 18th/24 this time so seventh from bottom. A small improvement.

 

Another coffee, on with a long sleeve jersey and off to Matlock for the last climb of the day, Matlock CC's second event on Bank Road. This climb will be used for the National Hillclimb Champs next year. The start is so steep a wooden block was fixed to the ground to stop riders rolling backwards. I started in bottom gear which was a mistake as this caused my front wheel to lift. Could have been very embarrassing. Up a few gears and I was ok.

This climb starts off steep and just gets worse. I was soon in bottom gear grinding as much as I was on Riber. Half way up omeone shouted that I was near the finish which I assumed was a lie as the finish was much further on. However I had made a mistake on my recce of the route, as before I knew it I was past the chequered flag. I was annoyed with myself; I had not read the course notes correctly and as such I think I could have gone a bit harder. As it was I came in 20th out of 25 riders again, my time 3.01. The winner, a skinny youth from Team Merlin rode up in 1.54. I probably would have beaten him if I was twenty years younger. Perhaps.

Another coffee then into the car and home to Welwyn.
I can’t say it was a particularly enjoyable experience, but it was an experience nonetheless. I’m obviously not as good up hills as I used to be but at least hillclimb events are short and they attract a good crowd which adds to the atmosphere.
I may have a go at the Bec and Catford events next year and maybe even the Nationals in Matlock. With 120 riders I reckon I could do better than bottom ten.

More photos from Veloriders

http://www.veloriders.co.uk/gal/album445/Hill_climbs_2
http://www.veloriders.co.uk/gal/album445/Hill_climbs_39
http://www.veloriders.co.uk/gal/album444/IMG_5355
http://www.veloriders.co.uk/gal/album444/IMG_5356
http://www.veloriders.co.uk/gal/album443/IMG_5207
http://www.veloriders.co.uk/gal/album443/IMG_5208
http://www.veloriders.co.uk/gal/album443/IMG_5210

Richard Somerset