The Struggle Hill Climb 2025

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BIKES
▶ 2022 Giant TCR Advanced Pro 1
▶ 2002(?!) Airborne Valkyrie

[Music] Crisp blue skies, a flood warning last night. That can only mean one thing. It’s hill climb season, boys and girls. Yes indeedy it is British hill climb season and it is a very very strange quirk of our uh cycling culture here in the UK. It is uh it’s an odd thing. You can modify your bike to almost dangerous levels of lightness but you’ve got to have the front and rear lights on. God, really strange, but it’s those quirks that we love. So, as is uh as is the tradition, I’m going to cycle out there. I may or may not go. So, I don’t want to see how I feel when I get there cuz I’ve been having quite a restful week due to some fatigue. But regardless, let’s get out to side and I’ll catch you there. [Music] Now, I believe this is our youngest competitor. You might be. Yeah. Yeah. Eight. Eight. Yeah. What’s your name? Good. Have you done this before? No. No. You looking forward to it? Yeah. Yeah. Excellent. Yeah. Into the cycling scene. Yeah. He did Monsole Hill Climb last year. Oh, nice. Very short. So, we thought, let’s find one of the longest ones and give that a go. Very, very good luck. Oh, we’ll see you at the top. Next victim in 4 and 1 half hours sleep. That’s about normal, isn’t it? Yeah. Yeah. How you feeling? Need an excuse not to do this. I’ve got a camera stuck in my face. I’ve got no choice now. to get to the top. Yeah, it’s only 4Ks. Yeah, only 4Ks is like like that with a downhill. Yeah. If you don’t see me at the top, it’s because I stopped before the last kick and climbed over the wall and I hidden until everybody leaves. Yeah. So, I’ve got this one. We’ve got Jackson Bridge. Yeah. Which I’ll be at, which as far as you’re concerned, I think will be next week. You’re competing with an 8-year-old. Ah. [Music] What’s your name? Nathaniel. Nathaniel. Have you done this before? Done any hill climb jack before? I’ve not done any ones that are like recorded like Yeah, but I try and train them. Yeah. Are you looking forward to it? Yeah. Where abouts you from? Uh well our team’s based in Bor. Oh so yeah traveled a bit to get here. Excellent. All the best. Good luck. Well you see you’ve done it what I think is the hardest way and the easiest way. So I think Oh theale side. I think the Pale side is the hardest. Really? Oh see I didn’t think that it’s hardest because you’re missing out on the best descent. If you come up that way you’re missing out on the best way to for me as an aggressively large human being. It gets steeper and steeper and steeper and steeper. struggles steeper and longer a massive break in the middle. So, it’s two really hard climbs whereas we actually miss out the first nasty little nasty little bit. Yeah. Up through the houses. Right. Just as a thing again, Toby and Debb North have sponsored four riders this year. We’ve got these three ladies here and uh Casey. Right. I best get moving because I need to get to the top. So, let’s get away from the nervous chatter. and go for a poodle up the struggle. You absolute absolute weapons. But why are you going up? You don’t need to. Let’s get there. So, some stats about the struggle. It is 4 km long. It’s a big I can’t remember the exact amount of climbing you do. It’s not a small amount, obviously. It averages 8.4% or 8.7% depending on what you look at. It maxes out apparently at 19.7% but I think that’s a lie. I think it’s steeper. But that average is somewhat of a lie because well it’s not a lie. There’s a downhill. There’s actually a really fast bit on it. So the actual uphill is far far steeper by average on uphill. Anyway, let’s get up there and go enjoy the party at the top. We’ve got 66 competitors today, separated by a minute at the start. So, let’s uh let’s go and bring the noise. So, this is where they’ll start and straight into the naughtiness of 20%. How’s it going? You all right? I’m good. Yeah, more than likely. So, yeah, it’s split into two bits. A very long steep beginning and it eases off towards sort of 2/3 in quick downhill and then the real ramp at the end. Conditions are decent. There’s been a a lot of rain overnight, so it’s quite a bit of debris, but air temperature is probably perfect. The sun’s come out. Well, he’s out. There’s quite a lot of water on the floor, though. But I don’t think it’ll affect him. There’s plenty of grip. Come on in. Yeah, Jack. That was Jack. He’s uh he’s number one first rider, founder of the struggle hill climb. He’s the guy that put it on on the map. So about halfway up, we get this little flat bit. It’s only a few degrees, small amount of rest bite before you crest there and we get into the downhill. [Applause] And now we’re getting to the uh to the upper slopes of the climb. The riders are going to be greeted with a cruel cruel headwind. But 15k is an hour headwind. Something like that. But as much as it’s going to slow them down, it’ll cool them down as well. And now of course you get the views for the very very cruel finish up by the pub up there. Well, the biggest of the kickers are saved for our intrepid intrepid entrance. At this point, he’s likely all here, the cheers, the clatter of the pots and pans, the cowbells, and the vivas kicking off up there, which should give them some extra impetus on this little bit of downhill to get there. [Music] Oh dear, this uh this downhill is actually a bit of an effort with this wind. That is very naughty indeed, mother nature. So, save it all for this last ramp where you can go full guns last minute or two. So, we uh coming to the last corner now. Back to Cassid will be screaming. And this is where they finish. Woo. So, that’s the course. Let’s get the uh let’s put the bike away and go and start cheering people on. Let’s push. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on, Jack. Come on, lads. This is the guy that kicked it all off. [Music] Last leg. Last leg. Last. Go. Go. Go. Go. Go. Come on. Come on. Up there. Leave it there. Last bit now. Big game. Big push. Push. Push. Push. Push. Last bit now. Come on. Brilliant. Brilliant. Come on. Push. Ethan. Go on. Nice job. How was that? You’ve gone past a lot of people there. I’m doing well done. How was it? That last 100 me just uh relaxing. Good effort. Never doing it again. every [Music] line and not even out. That’s not bad. Come on. Very accurate. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Go go go go go. [Music] Come on. Come on. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Come on. Come on. [Music] up. Got a previous attendee. This is Lyndon. How was it? Hard work. Very hard work. Yeah. Any idea on what you’ve done time wise? Um got it to go in about 19 minutes something which is about minutes older than last year. Oh well headwind. Headwind is all about that winter bike as well cuz the other bike had a crash and it’s in the shop. So Great effort, guys. Well done. Well done. How come you’re not on the floor? Well done. That’s everyone over the line. We’re going to head back. Head back with a towin. There’s a recovery for you. Okay, that’s that done. I hope you’ve enjoyed this. I’m going to enjoy this absolutely stunning weather and the tailwind to get home. I’ll press resume on the way. So, with the stunning views of Amblesside behind me, I bid you farewell and see you on the next video. [Music] Find the way.