The 2025 National Hill Climb Championship BROKE ME!

Here it is… Our day at the 2025 National Hill Climb Championships on Bank Road in Matlock!

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This is the 2025 National Hill Climb Championships. So, we’re here on Bank Road in Matlock, Darbisha, just a stones throw away from our UK bike fit studio. And this year we are sponsoring the National Hill Climb Championships. For all of our thousands and thousands of international viewers who don’t know what a hill climb is, this is a very British type of cycling race. So it’s basically a time trial uphill. You start from a standing start at the bottom of a climb and you go as hard as you can right to the top of the climb. And these vary from sort of 1 to 2 minutes to the shortest and some of them are 15 20 minutes at the longest. Bank Row today is around a 2 and a half minute climb for the fastest riders and it’s around 14% average for 800 meters and it maxes out at 22%. So this is an absolute brute of a climb and I’m really looking forward to seeing all of these riders attack it. There are 460 riders entered today. I’ll be entering. Alex from Crafted Cycles, our mechanic, he’ll be entering and he’ll be going for a really good time. So, let’s go and see what it’s all about. So, this is the event village. We’ve got all the other sponsors behind me. We’ve got Bikebox Allen, OGTT, Gritty, and Summit Cafe in Bakewell, which is our local cycling cafe. And the atmosphere here is just unreal. Like, this is this is a halfway point of a climb. This is Smemedley Street, it’s called. There’s loads of people here. And we’ve got Matt Stevens commenting commentating just over there. So, you probably hear him in the background. He’s doing a really good job. He’s still full of beans and uh we’ll see what he’s like in a few hours, but he’s uh he’s going for it in a minute. We’ve also got GCN here today. I think we’ve got three of their presenters entered in the National Hill Climb Champs and they’ll be covering the whole day. So, the National Hill Climb Champs is getting just like a massive, massive event. It’s turning into something really huge and it’s such an inclusive part of cycling. You’ve got kids down to like 7, 8 years old doing this and then guys and girls up to 80, 85 years old also tackling the climb. So literally anyone can come and do the hill climb. It’s not just for the elite and that’s what makes it so special. So we just come back up from the hill where we’ve set up our gazebo and flags and branding and everything. It’s looking really cool down there. The first few riders are already going off and the atmosphere is already insane. Matt Stevens is doing an incredible job on commentary. I mean, God knows what he’s going to be like in four hours time because surely he’s going to run out of things to say, but at the moment he’s on top form. And yeah, I’m just really excited now cuz the atmosphere is unbelievable. Like loads, this is the first time for me doing nationals and loads of people have said it’s the closest you get to a pro race atmosphere without being a pro. So, uh, and I can totally see it. So, yeah, I’m just mega looking forward to getting out on the on the climb now. So, just come back down to the studio uh to do a bit of warming up where it’s dry cuz rain’s just started to to drizzle a little bit. So, I’m just going to do a warm up and then roll down to the start and do my race. And the next time you see me, you’ll probably be in a heap at the finish vomiting. So, I’m just going to do 10 minutes easy easy spinning and then uh maybe like two two times 1 minute at 300 W and then 10 20 seconds at 500 W and that’ll be it. Some more spinning after that. Then hopefully I’ll be ready to go. I mean, my only my only aim for the climb is to do 500 watts for as long as possible. Hopefully 3 minutes. Um, and see where that gets me. But if I can do that power, I’ll be happy. Very happy. Even if I fall a bit short, I’ll still be happy. But hopefully the crowds will help increase the wattage when I need it. Heat. [Music] [Music] Heat. Yeah. Heat. Who’s got Who’s got them? Dad, how did it go? That’s really awful. Totally up. Probably been this time about 20 times in the last week. Yeah. And uh van went straight out the window. So, as the footage will show, there was no way I could talk at the finish or breathe or stand up. Um, I was in a bit of a mess and there’s a good reason for that. And I totally totally overcooked my effort. Um, I’ve ridden this climb so many times and every time we’ve wrecked it and done it, we’ve always said, “Don’t go off too hard. Save some for the end cuz it gets really steep after the crowds and if you’ve got nothing there, you’re going to ship so much time.” And I Julie went off way too hard at the start. I mean, power numbers wise, I did 610 W for a minute. I did 580 W for 2 minutes, which are both 1 minute and 2 minute power PBS. But unfortunately, the climb is a lot longer than that. So after that, I completely died. I went through the crowds really well because of the atmosphere. It just drives you on and it makes you overcook it. It’s really hard to hold some back cuz the adrenaline and the noise and the shouting and everyone knowing your name is just like it makes you push harder and then as soon as you come out of that then you realize oh I’ve done a little bit too much and I’ve got absolutely nothing left. So I literally as I’m sure Chris the the cameraman has has picked up beautifully on camera crawled up this last section of hill right to the finish. I was so slow. I mean, after doing that 610 and 588 watts for 2 minutes, the last section of the climb I did at 270 W. So, a complete and utter implosion from me. But at the end of the day, I I’ve said before, it’s half sad and it’s half funny. Um, that I’ve just gone off way too hard. But I just had such a good like ride. It was such a good atmosphere, such a good event. I’m still buzzing after it. Like, you really get a big kick out of it. So, I’m just really happy that I did it. And, you know, long story short, I broke my hip last year and I didn’t know if I’d be able to ride my bike at all for this year. So, just to be able to hear to be here and do this effort, I’m just really happy with. So, even though I completely balls it up, I’m still happy boy. So, my total time for the climb was 3 minutes 33. And to be honest, before I started, I think I said I’d be happy with a 320 or 330. So, it’s not a million miles away, but it does just make me think, I could have done so much better if I paced it properly, but so be it. I was never going to win the event. I’m all here just to to do the event and support it and uh and have fun. And that’s what I did. Okay, Alex, our mechanic from Crafted Cycles, is about to set off. He was mega stressed this morning. He has been all week. So, I’m just going to give him the biggest cheer possible cuz he’ll need it. [Music] Stay smooth. Come on. Let’s go. Let’s go. Go. Go. Go. Here. Keep moving. Get it all out. Get it all out. Come on. Keep it. Let’s go. Let’s go. Get it out. Get it out. Get it out. Keep pushing. Keep pushing. Now go. Now go. Now go. So, we’ve just seen Alice go up. He looks so strong, so smooth. Um, I hope he’s really happy with that. I mean, I don’t know his time yet, but it looked like it should have been quick. So, let’s hope he held it to the line cuz I know he’s really nervous. He’s been stressing about this for a long time. So, for him, I just really hope he’s done like an effort that he can be really happy with. Also, most of these riders are doing these hill climbs on 5, six kilo bikes. He’s on an 8 kilo bike and he’s done the whole hill climb season on an 8 kilo bike. So, fair play. Like, if he gets a good time, he could take 10 seconds off that if we put him on a light bike straight away. So, I think I’m losing my voice from the hour shouting I’ve done. And I think I put in a better running performance than I did cycling performance today, cheering him on. So, fair play. So I’m with Mr. Rainard who is should be very happy with his ride. I’m happy. We’ve got a result. We’ve got a result of 19th. 19th. And you said for a while you wanted top 20. Yeah. So then you’ve got it. I got top 20. How was the ride? Yeah, good. I went out quite easy actually. I did exactly what I’d planned to do. I’m like, so went out kind of sent it when I got to about midway and then massive gear to the end. Probably a bit too big, but I got carried away. Got bit excited. Uh some of the times at the end, I mean, we’ve had Harry M do a 214. Two people go under 220. Yeah, it’s phenomenal. But yeah, for a shorter climb, I’ve really outdone myself here. And I think I should be proud. Um I have been told numerous times by certain people that I need a lighter bike. So, if someone wants to give me a a Hillcon bike for next year, that would be greatfully appreciated. If only I knew a bike shop that would help me. We don’t know any. No, it’s good bike shops these days. Not one that would help you. Uh, yeah, we have seen the course record get obliterated by Harry Mack. He did a 214 point something. Course record before that was a 216. 218. Okay. So, he smashed it by 4 seconds. Unbelievable ride. So, you’ve said all along Harry Win. I heard though if Ken was here today, he would have beaten it. Yeah. Did you hear that from Kenway? Yeah. Yeah, he said that. Yeah. So, that’s it for the 2025 National Hill Climb Shams. Unbelievable event. It’s my first time here. It’s his god knows how many times. Uh fourth. Fourth time. I would encourage anyone to enter. And if you don’t want to enter, come and spectate cuz it’s an unbelievable day. And it is a day. Yeah. And next year, top 10. Yeah. You heard it here first. And a bike. And a new bike. So, if you’ve enjoyed this video, please give us a like and a subscribe and follow us on Instagram and all that good stuff. And if you are in around Matlock or can travel to Matlock, come and find us at UK Bike Fit or Crafted Cycles and we’ll help you out with a fit or a bike or any other good stuff upgrades servicing for your bike. Yeah. Thank you for watching. Bye.