Length (m) |
Average Gradient |
Men's CR |
Woman's CR |
Strava Segment |
1400 |
6.6% |
2:59.0 Jude Taylor (27/09/2020) |
4:08.0 Hannah Farran (27/09/2020) |
Length (m) |
1400 |
Average Gradient |
6.6% |
Men's CR |
2:59.0 Jude Taylor (27/09/2020) |
Women's CR |
4:08.0 Hannah Farran (27/09/2020) |
Strava Segment |
A lovely climb on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors. It's stage one of the Cleveland Wheelers/Stockton Wheelers double header and certainly not as hard as stage two up the formidable Carlton Bank.
The climb starts casually, it barely feels like you're climbing (I think there's even a slight descent) but once you get up to speed the real climb starts. Clay Bank steps up in 4 distinct ramps and it suits a rider who can go over and under VO2 max repeatedly.
It's quite delightful to climb, there's a nice sense of freedom as you carve you way up through the forest. Of course you can't take it in during a hill climb but on your recce enjoy!
I have the course record and it's the only open hill climb record I have!
The climb starts casually, it barely feels like you're climbing (I think there's even a slight descent) but once you get up to speed the real climb starts. Clay Bank steps up in 4 distinct ramps and it suits a rider who can go over and under VO2 max repeatedly.
It's quite delightful to climb, there's a nice sense of freedom as you carve you way up through the forest. Of course you can't take it in during a hill climb but on your recce enjoy!
I have the course record and it's the only open hill climb record I have!
2020 Event
After my defeat on Stocks Lane the day before I was hyper motivated to have a good performance on Clay Bank. I was up against Andrew Feather again and wanted to make amends. I got to the climb very early with more than enough time to have a couple of practice rides up. I had never ridden the climb before so took my time ensuring to get a proper recce in.
It was a damp day but a strong tailwind on the climb promised for quick times. I clipped in extremely quickly, it was the fasted so far this season enabling me to get up to speed quickly. I held it until the road started to ramp upwards.
I picked off the ramps one at a time, taking the best lines where I could. I caught a young rider and blitzed past him with 400m to go. I was on a good day and crushed the final stretch to the line. I knew I'd broken the course record bit was surprised to break it by 19 seconds! The field was strong on the day with both Tom Bell and Andrew Feather present (top 2 at the national champs) but I pulled it off to take the win. Officially I was joint first but I like to think I was 0.1s ahead and the only person to beat Andrew Feather in 2020.
It was a damp day but a strong tailwind on the climb promised for quick times. I clipped in extremely quickly, it was the fasted so far this season enabling me to get up to speed quickly. I held it until the road started to ramp upwards.
I picked off the ramps one at a time, taking the best lines where I could. I caught a young rider and blitzed past him with 400m to go. I was on a good day and crushed the final stretch to the line. I knew I'd broken the course record bit was surprised to break it by 19 seconds! The field was strong on the day with both Tom Bell and Andrew Feather present (top 2 at the national champs) but I pulled it off to take the win. Officially I was joint first but I like to think I was 0.1s ahead and the only person to beat Andrew Feather in 2020.
How To Ride
The climb starts very easily and it's not worth going too hard here. You won't make up much time and will only tire your legs for the important bits later. There are 4 clear ramps, each at 200m increments starting at 800m to go. The first ramp is a bit of a shock after the initial flat but once you get over that you can get into a rhythm of ramp ease off, ramp ease off every 200m to the line. It's worth ticking them off as you do them, especially the steepest ramp with 400m to go.
It suits a rider who can likes an undulating effort, both in a out of the saddle with quick recovery between intervals.
It suits a rider who can likes an undulating effort, both in a out of the saddle with quick recovery between intervals.
My Efforts
Year |
Time |
Power (W) |
Placing |
2020 |
2:59.0 (Course Record) |
430 |
1st |
Previous Results
Year |
Men's 1st |
Men's 2nd |
Men's 3rd |
Women's 1st |
Women's 2nd |
Women's 3rd |
2020 |
Jude Taylor 2:59.0 |
Andrew Feather 2:59.0 |
Tom Bell 3:05.0 |
Hannah Farran 4:08.0 |
Megan Anderson 4:48.0 |
Georgia Campbell 4:59.0 |
