• Rails Road
• Length: 0.42 miles 
• Avg gradient: 8.5%   Peak gradient: 14.7%
• Difficulty: 3/5
• Likelihood of encountering unpleasant motor-vehicles: 2/5
• Strava

If Lodge Lane is the bad cop, the Rails Road is the good cop. It might be slightly easier on you but you’re still in trouble.

Sitting practically opposite Lodge Lane, Rails Road takes you up towards Stannington and to the cusp of some absolutely beautiful country cycling. You’re immediately on a gradient of 5-7% as you pull away from the nasty main road and in the distance you can see your main target: the sweeping right-hand bend.  There’s not many distinguishing features to pick out from the fields either side of you at this point but passing a large gate on your left is the signal for the road to ramp up into double figures.

The gradient continues to increase the closer you get to the bend, hitting a peak of 14.7% (although Strava claims 18.2%) just before you turn. You’re on the left, so it’s not quite as tricky as it could be but you’re still feeling the effort. Once you’re around the bend, you’ll run alongside a trickling culvert, which feels like it’s taunting you on a hot, sweaty day and shortly pass a footpath on your left which is where the Strava segment incorrectly shows a short, flat section. Let’s be clear: there is no short, flat section on his hill. It’s a GPS anomaly.

There is a slight relent in steepness as you reach Woodbank Road (and a great alternative route to the countryside) but carry straight on. The ride is getting easier with every pedal now and soon flattens out as you pass farmhouses on either side of the road and a gorgeous view across the Rivelin Valley.

You can either continue on to Stannington (after another bonus bump) and head out into the Peaks towards Dungworth and Bradfield, or zoom back down the hill and tackle Rails Road’s evil twin: Lodge Lane.

• country