• Armthorpe Road
• Length: 661 feet
• Avg gradient: 8.7%   Peak gradient: 11.6%
• Difficulty: 1/5 (it’s steep but very short)
• Likelihood of encountering unpleasant motor-vehicles: 2/5
• Strava:  So short that it doesn’t even have its own segment.  How sad.

Armthorpe Road is a fairly innocuous hill climb in that the only reason that you’d ever find it is if you know someone who lives there.  The road itself just loops around, beginning and ending on Hangingwater Road but it’s a short sharp shock.  I once did a long and hilly Peak District ride, thought I’d do Armthorpe Road as I was passing on my way home, and it turned out to be the most challenging of the day.

Start by the red house on the corner and head full pelt into this quiet, residential street.  It’s not a long hill so you don’t need to keep any reserves but you’ll find that the incline picks up immediately, hitting 9.4% at the junction with Bramwith Road.  This is where the hill gets tough, though.

The road bends sharply to the left and, ideally, you’d be able to move over to the right hand side to reduce the impact of the 11.6% turn but it’s a blind bend and you’ve no idea if there’s a car coming so you’ll need to stay left.  Once you’re around that corner the gradient eases off as a high stone wall appears on your right.  Catch your breath and roll back round to rejoin Hangingwater Road.

• urban