• Jenkin Road
• Length: 0.52 miles
• Avg gradient: 11%
• Peak gradient: 17.2% (the sign at the bottom says 33% but I don’t believe that)
• Difficulty: 4/5
• Likelihood of encountering unpleasant motor-vehicles: 3/5
• Elevation gain: 310 ft
• Strava

Something special for the 25^th hill on sheffieldcyclingclimbs.com.

Many of Sheffield’s hills are fairly anonymous, some have a little local notoriety and some have enough of a reputation to feature in the Tour de France. Jenkin Road (or the Côte de Wincobank Hill as it was renamed for The Grande Départ in 2014) is one of those hills.

As a result of its reputation, I’d been putting off attempting this climb for some time but finally relented during lockdown, figuring that I’d be delaying fewer cars as I plodded upwards. The fact that I do every climb at least twice (once to do the climb and a second time to take photos) just added to the trepidation.

Starting from the junction with Holywell Road, you’re already at a disadvantage, having had to stop at the crossroads and therefore beginning from a standing start. It’s here that the sign, commemorating Jenkin Road’s role in the 2014 Tour, is placed. It states that the average gradient is a perfectly acceptable 11% but the maximum gradient is a formidable 33%. I think that’s an exaggeration and Strava and Veloviewer both agree, putting the peak gradient closer to 16.8%. Jenkin Road’s steepest segment is slightly wiggly, so maybe in a straight line it’s closer to 33%.

The hill begins at a fairly standard 10% as it stretches ahead of of you. With houses, playing fields and a church, there’s not much yet to mark this climb as distinct from the likes of Mertyle Road but, just after you pass the church, the road curves to the right, the gradient ramps up and, ahead of you, you can see why the hill made it into the Tour.

The road turns into a little S-bend here and the gradient hits 17.2% as it wiggles back and forth. Do your best here and don’t worry too much about any vehicles behind you, they’re as likely struggling up as much as you. As the hill relents a bit, down to about 12% as you pass Ridge View Road on your right, take a moment to regain a bit of strength (and have a look at the view behind you if you can) because you only about half way there.

You’ll shortly reach a sweeping switchback, which starts easily enough but its a bit deceptive and you’ll notice the extra couple of percentage points on the gradient here. However, once you’re round the bend with Wincobank Common on your right, it’s the home stretch, even dropping down to a meagre 4.5% around the next corner. Once you’ve done that, you can see the final 9.5% hump approaching and shortly you’ll be at the top.  Well done.

You can see the pros on the 2014 Tour, climbing up the wiggly bit, below.

Now go and put on your yellow jersey and pretend you’ve just won the Tour De France.

• urban