Tag: 1/5

Conduit Road

  • Conduit Road
  • Length: 0.31 miles
  • Avg gradient: 9.7%   Peak gradient: 13.1%
  • Difficulty: 1/5
  • Likelihood of encountering unpleasant motor-vehicles: 2/5
  • Elevation gain: 68ft
  • Strava

A quick zip up a never too steep hill.

The hill begins in earnest, opening with a 12-13% incline as you pass the Management School. There is a gentle curve in the road and cars will probably be parked on both sides, so be aware of any oncoming vehicles. This is the steepest section and the gradient begins to reduce to single figures once you pass Redcar Road, ending at around 7% at the apex with School Road.

A little blast that won’t set the cycling world alight but a happy, little challenge none the less.

Bungay Street

  • Bungay Street
  • Length: 0.11 miles
  • Avg gradient: 9%   Peak gradient: 12%
  • Difficulty: 1/5 (it’s very short!)
  • Likelihood of encountering unpleasant motor-vehicles: 0/5
  • Elevation gain: 55ft
  • Strava

A recommendation from the CycleSheffield FB forum, this a little hill that I would never have come across otherwise and serves as a nice partner to Paradise Street. If you’re still craving the Belgian taste of cobbles, this is one to have a go at.

First off, look at the length. This is a sprint, not a marathon but, much like when I attempted Paradise Street and Blake Street before that, don’t try to show off and go in bigger than you can, as you may well find yourself embarrassingly panting, out of breath halfway up this rather short hill. Not that that happened to me, of course…

Bungay Street is out the back of the train station, a path cutting through Sheaf Valley Park and you can see the top from the bottom, so just blast onwards and upwards but watch out for pedestrians – I imagine it could be quite busy during commuter times. It commences at about 6.8% and the gradient steadily increases until you reach 12% at the top, where the path meets South Street and the climb concludes, with a great view across the city.

Just like Paradise Street, it’s head down, pedal away, see how quickly you can get up.

Paradise Street

  • Paradise Street
  • Length: 0.04 miles
  • Avg gradient: 9%   Peak gradient: 9.2%
  • Difficulty: 1/5
  • Likelihood of encountering unpleasant motor-vehicles: 1/5
  • Elevation gain: 19 ft
  • Strava

A silly little climb in the city and a taste of the cobbled Paris Roubaix.

Recommended to me by a member of the CycleSheffield Chat forum, Paradise Street is a slightly ridiculous little cobbled hill just north of the cathedral.  Clocking in at a grand total of 0.04 miles, it’s not a foreboding challenge but don’t underestimate the impact of that cobbled surface and don’t get cocky like I did, try to sprint it, and end up more exhausted than climbing The Dale.

Starting at the junction of Queen Street, you can see the full extent of the consistent 9% hill in front of you. It’s not far. Normally, on short sharp hills you can blast it but the surface here really plays havoc with those plans. I’m glad that I’ve got suspension on mine, I can’t imagine what it’d be like on a fancy road bike. The only thing to be wary of is that, despite its single car width, Paradise Street is a two way road, so if you encounter a car coming the other direction, you’ll probably need to move out of the way. Still, it’s not far to return to the start and try again.

All you can really say for this road is head down, pedal away, see how quickly you can get up.

Armthorpe Road

  • 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.