Length (m) |
Average Gradient |
Men's CR |
Woman's CR |
Strava Segment |
2130 |
10.0% |
6:03.7 Andrew Feather (2019) |
7:34.7 Lizzie Banks (2019) |
Length (m) |
2130 |
Average Gradient |
10.0% |
Men's CR |
6:03.7 Andrew Feather (2019) |
Woman's CR |
7:34.7 Lizzie Banks (2019) |
Strava Segment |
Mam Nick is one of the most popular climbs in the Peak District and rightly so. It's a fantastic road, with glorious views of the Edale Valley. The climb summits at the walker's hot spot of Mam Tor and that is definitely worth a visit. I've planned many a route through the wonderful Edale Valley to go up Mam Nick, I think it's brilliant and would encourage you to try it out.
Interestingly, the hill climb record used to be the longest standing record in hill climbing. It stood for 58 years before falling several times in the last few years. It used to be 6:34.6 held by hill climbing legend Peter Graham; his time was set in 1958! It was finally beaten by Chris Dyke in 2016 (with a time of 6:27.1) then the following year by Paddy Clark with a time of 6:16.0. This record was then beaten by Tom Nancarrow in the 2018 BUCS university championships (6:14.5) and then finally by Andrew Feather in 2019 with a time of 6:03.7 where the record stands today.
The Mam Nick hill climb has every attribute a classic hill climb should have. It's a good length, it's steep, it's undulating with an iconic meandering road which is all surrounded by stunning scenery. It's a perfect climb for the purists.
The hill climb always feels like it starts steeper than it actually is. The first 400m to the left corner "only" average 7.7% but I swear it feels steeper. It ramps up to 8.8% for the next 400m before the gradient really starts to bite. For the next kilometer the average gradient is 11% and this is the toughest section of the climb. The views over the Edale Valley really open up here and on a clear days the scenery is stunning. In a hill climb you are less likely to be focusing on that and more on how hard the climb is!
My favourite part of Mam Nick is the hairpins within the last 300m. They are the iconic part of the climb and look fantastic on pictures. The gradient for this last stretch through the hairpins is still over 10% and where you want to be pushing on hard to the line. It's pretty fun sending it through the curves hunting for the best line.
The weather plays a large part for the climb. Situated in the Peak District, it's most susceptible to inclement weather, especially in an October hill climb. The second half of the climb is also pretty exposed and is greatly affected by the wind so beware of the conditions when you race it.
Interestingly, the hill climb record used to be the longest standing record in hill climbing. It stood for 58 years before falling several times in the last few years. It used to be 6:34.6 held by hill climbing legend Peter Graham; his time was set in 1958! It was finally beaten by Chris Dyke in 2016 (with a time of 6:27.1) then the following year by Paddy Clark with a time of 6:16.0. This record was then beaten by Tom Nancarrow in the 2018 BUCS university championships (6:14.5) and then finally by Andrew Feather in 2019 with a time of 6:03.7 where the record stands today.
The Mam Nick hill climb has every attribute a classic hill climb should have. It's a good length, it's steep, it's undulating with an iconic meandering road which is all surrounded by stunning scenery. It's a perfect climb for the purists.
The hill climb always feels like it starts steeper than it actually is. The first 400m to the left corner "only" average 7.7% but I swear it feels steeper. It ramps up to 8.8% for the next 400m before the gradient really starts to bite. For the next kilometer the average gradient is 11% and this is the toughest section of the climb. The views over the Edale Valley really open up here and on a clear days the scenery is stunning. In a hill climb you are less likely to be focusing on that and more on how hard the climb is!
My favourite part of Mam Nick is the hairpins within the last 300m. They are the iconic part of the climb and look fantastic on pictures. The gradient for this last stretch through the hairpins is still over 10% and where you want to be pushing on hard to the line. It's pretty fun sending it through the curves hunting for the best line.
The weather plays a large part for the climb. Situated in the Peak District, it's most susceptible to inclement weather, especially in an October hill climb. The second half of the climb is also pretty exposed and is greatly affected by the wind so beware of the conditions when you race it.
How To Ride
It's a toughie to get right but boils down to good pacing. It starts with a moderate gradient to the corner and then gets steeper with little respite. As with most climbs don't start too hard, you'll suffer in the steeper sections. Everything you save from the beginning you can make up for in the last 500m. You can save some time with good smooth cornering.
There is a fantastic video about the Mam Nick hill climb by Brendon Tyree. It's only 3 minutes and worth a watch. https://vimeo.com/187456463?fbclid=IwAR1bep1VuZQtK6ju9xe6U8TgkD7ftYffDBBeAiG7XKK6JeFuTwjLMifnv5c
There is a fantastic video about the Mam Nick hill climb by Brendon Tyree. It's only 3 minutes and worth a watch. https://vimeo.com/187456463?fbclid=IwAR1bep1VuZQtK6ju9xe6U8TgkD7ftYffDBBeAiG7XKK6JeFuTwjLMifnv5c