Tag: urban

Langsett Avenue

Langsett Avenue
Length: 0.43 miles
Avg gradient: 9.1%
Peak gradient: 14.6%
Difficulty: 3/5
Likelihood of encountering unpleasant motor-vehicles: 2/5
Elevation gain: 207ft
Strava

Is 20 the gradient or the speed limit?

Middlewood Road, which you need to turn off to join Langsett Avenue, is horrible. Cars go far too fast and a the road is caked in tram tracks a bit further on. While the traffic might be slower and the trams non-existent, Langsett Avenue is still an arse of a hill.

Whichever direction you approach from, you’ll probably not be carrying much speed into the start of the climb, which is harsh because the opening is the steepest section. There is a big ‘20’ painted on the surface, which could be for the speed limit or just telling you what the gradient feels like at this point.

To be fair, the road doesn’t actually get as steep as 20%, instead the gradient floats around the 14% mark until you pass Don Avenue, at which point it eases off slightly, down to around 9-10%. You will notice the difference but it’s still a bit of a slog.

As you pass each side road, the hill feels progressively less challenging and by the time you’ve reached Airdale Road it’s down to 4%. With only 0.1 miles to go, you’re greeted with a brief 12% ramp before the segment finally ends at the junction.

However, for the fullest Langsett Avenue experience, cross over Worrall Road and add the 12.5% Well Lane to the end of the climb. Icing on the cake.

West Hill

West Hill
Length: 0.38 miles
Avg gradient: 11.3%
Peak gradient: 24.2%
Difficulty: 2/5
Likelihood of encountering unpleasant motor-vehicles: 1/5
Elevation gain: 229ft
Strava

230 metres outside Sheffield.

To reach West Hill you’re going to have to cross under the M1 and travel a couple of hundred metres into Rotherham. It’s close enough to Sheffield that we’ll let it pass though.

Cycling from the M1 underpass, there’s a short climb before you arrive at West Hill and its imposing opening. Despite what the Strava segment shows, the hill begins immediately and, within 20 metres, you’re already hitting around 20%. Once you’re past Whitley View Road, the initial bump mellows but still leaves you climbing at around the 10% mark for about 150m.

As West Hill begins to bend left, the gradient creeps up to the teens again, hitting 17% at the sharpest bit of the corner. The hardest bit is over now but you still have a short distance more to go but the gradient slowly peters out until you reach the top, just past the Hill Top Hotel.

The climb is worth a quick blast if you’re in the area and once you do reach the top, roll round Richmond Park Road until you can descend Meadowhall Road, which is a nice, speedy reward for your efforts. Just be careful as the hill ends, slightly abruptly, at the massive roundabout for the Tinsley Viaduct junction and all the busy traffic that entails.

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Upper Valley Footpath

Upper Valley Footpath
Length: 185 feet (yes, it’s short)
Avg gradient: 21%
Peak gradient: 31%
Difficulty: 2/5
Likelihood of encountering unpleasant motor-vehicles: 0/5
Elevation gain: 40ft
Strava It won’t let me make one as it’s too short.

Want some ‘30% climb’ bragging rights?

While on the topic of gennels that you probably shouldn’t cycle up, I present to you the highly specific footpath between Upper Valley Road and Argyle Street, Meersbrook.

Facing the far more difficult Kent Road, this is its own unique challenge, with both a higher average and peak gradient than its neighbour. At only 184 feet long, it’s not time consuming, just make sure you do it when there isn’t someone coming down the path.

At the start you will see two paths, make sure that you take the one on the left, as I think the right-hand one has a few steps. It’s cobbled, so you can pretend you’re in Belgium as you begin the 10% opening. As the path bends slightly, the gradient is up to 20% and continues increasing as you climb. Keep the momentum, as you pass some little mosaic bollards and you briefly touch a 30% incline. Then, like that, you’re at the top.

You can now tell all your mates that you cycled up a 30% gradient, just don’t tell them how long it was.

Ranmoor Gennel

Ranmoor Gennel
Length: 0.1 miles
Avg gradient: 14%
Peak gradient: Somewhere between 33-47%!
Difficulty: 6/5
Likelihood of encountering unpleasant motor-vehicles: 0/5
Elevation gain: 83ft
Strava It won’t let me make one as it’s too short.

Possibly impossible?

Disclosure: I have never managed to climb this short hill to the end but I’m sure someone, somewhere can.

It’s probably a bit legally grey to cycle up here as, although it’s not actually signposted as a footpath, no reasonable cyclist would take their bike up here and I congratulate you if you even make it to the lamppost.

First of all, unless you can bunny hop three large steps into a metre-wide gennel, you’re starting from a standing stop on what RideWighGPS tells me is a 9% incline. Add to that, the surface is uneven cobbles and probably covered in leaves. It’s not an easy start. I found it hard enough to even begin but there is a handrail to help if you’re wobbling a bit too much. The path does a get a bit wider further up but your objective here is to get any momentum without hitting the sides.

If you manage to get going, well done, now just try not to ride into any stinging nettles, scrape a leg on the wall or skid on leaves, all while fighting with the very uneven surface that is slowly increasing, breaking double figures about 30 yards in. Travel about the same distance again you’ll see the lamppost where the path bends to the right, coinciding with the gradient reaching around 20%.

If that was the end, it would be an interesting little challenge (not to mention the potential hazard of someone walking down the path) but the final run to the end of the gennel is ridiculous. GPS recordings are wonky here because of all the tree cover but my GPS recordings puts it somewhere between 35-47%. 47% seems like an exaggeration but I wouldn’t be surprised if it is at least 40%. That’s approaching 1:1.

If you make it out of here, you are a cycle climb master.

Birks Wood Drive

Birks Wood Drive
Length: 0.44 miles
Avg gradient: 10.4%
Peak gradient: 16.9%
Difficulty: 2/5
Likelihood of encountering unpleasant motor-vehicles: 2/5
Elevation gain: 241ft
Strava

A sneaky suburban climb.

In an area rich with challenging climbs (Jawbone Hill, Wheel Lane and Burnt Hill Lane, for example) this is slightly lower profile. Nestled on a quiet suburban street, it packs enough of a punch to warrant its inclusion in previous Magnificent 7 hill climb competitions.

Turning off the unpleasant Langsett Road onto Birch House Avenue, you’re immediately into a double-figure gradient for a dead straight 0.1 miles. This first quarter of the ride is fairly representative of the hill’s feel as a whole, so just plod on.

There’s a little relent as the road bends right and the gradient briefly drops to around 6% before picking right up again as you turn left on to Birks Wood Drive itself. You’re now on the steepest section of the climb, on the sweeping right hand bend, hitting a peak of almost 17%.

A short distance on, the houses drop away, revealing a pleasant view of Oughtibridge and the valley below. Appreciate it quickly before a line of trees hides it once more and you approach the final bend. The Strava segment says it’s only 10% but it looks steeper, not least as you’ll be taking the inside lane. Once you’re around the bend, though, it’s only a few more metres until the apex, and the option of dropping back into Oughtibridge to tackle a few of the other great climbs in the area.

Kent Road

Kent Road
Length: 0.11 miles
Avg gradient: 16.5%
Peak gradient: 20.5%
Difficulty: 3/5
Likelihood of encountering unpleasant motor-vehicles: 2/5
Elevation gain: 99ft
Strava

Arguably one of Sheffield’s steepest hills.

In any discussion about Sheffield’s steepest hills, there will be a few usual suspects; Hagg Hill, Jenkin Road and Blake Street, but it would be surprising if Kent Street didn’t also get a look in. Blake Street is often credited as Sheffield’s steepest but, despite being the same length, Kent Street has a slightly higher average gradient.

The start of the incline begins between Rushdale Avenue and Albert Road, facing north (there is an interesting footpath you can cycle up in the other direction but we’ll save that for another day). Unfortunately, Albert Road is a blind crossroads so, unless you can get a mate to stand there and give you the all clear, it’s safer to start at that junction (and also where the Strava segment begins).

You can see the handrail in the distance, that’s your target, where the road bends slightly to the right and kicks up steeply. Before that, you immediately begin on a 13.5% climb, and for every 15 metres or so, the gradient increases by about 1% (the maths here is very approximate but you get the idea) until you reach the railing.

It’s here that the hill breaks 20% for the final spike, which you’ll really feel as the apex slips into view. Well done, you can now arguably claim to have cycled up one of the city’s steepest hills.

It’s sweet but too short to be genuinely formidable.

Burnt Hill Lane

Burnt Hill Lane
Length: 1.26 miles
Avg gradient: 8.7% Peak gradient: 14.7%
Difficulty: 3/5
Likelihood of encountering unpleasant motor-vehicles: 3/5
Elevation gain: 583ft
Strava

Jawbone Hill’s evil twin.

Starting from almost the same spot as Jawbone Hill, Burnt Hill Lane heads in the opposite direction and gives you a harder time than its more celebrated sibling.

You begin at the telephone box on Church Street, at one of Sheffield’s most dangerous junctions for cyclists (so take care on your way down)! Luckily you’re heading uphill and excess speed and momentum are not going to be troubling you much. You’re straight into it, as you head away from Oughtibridge, with a gradient fluctuating between 5 and 10%. The inconsistent gradient is a feature that Burnt Hill Lane retains for the entire climb.

Once you’ve passed the two churches the road mellows out for short period but, since there’s usually cars double parked all the way, the bigger challenge is going to be avoiding oncoming traffic or irate drivers behind you. I’ve been known to take a brief detour onto the pavement to allow cars to pass and if you do the same, since you’re going so slowly, you’ll not present a danger to any pedestrians.

The road bends to the left and the gradient picks up into double figures again, shortly passing the entrance to the excellent Wheel Lane on your right. The climb ramps up again as you pass Haggstones Road, holding around the 10% mark, and it’s here that you begin to cross into the countryside. Pedal on as the road begins to get more rural, much narrower and eventually surrounded on either side by fields. As you pass the third church of the climb, you hit the steepest 14.7% section: a blind and sharp 90° turn. Cross your fingers nothing is coming downhill!

The road eases off for about 300 metres, giving you a chance to appreciate the view, before ramping up to around 14% again, at the junction with Old Lane, a little track leading to a farm. There’s a bit of a false summit ahead but once you crown that, it’s single figures until you reach Coal Pit Lane and the end of the segment. You can either take Coal Pit Lane or continue straight on, both roads lead you to Kirk Edge Road and a couple of lovely descents.

It’s not as famous as the Cote de Oughtibridge and it’s harder but the pay off at the top is worth it. Just be careful descending, it can be quite hairy in places!

Cobnar Road

Cobnar Road
Length: 0.31 miles
Avg gradient: 13.5% Peak gradient: 30ish%(!)*
Difficulty: 4/5
Likelihood of encountering unpleasant motor-vehicles: 1/5
Elevation gain: 226ft
Strava

An utterly deceptive beast.

Cobnar Road is a residential street that begins innocently enough but it is truly lulling you into a false sense of security.

‘What’s going on here? This doesn’t seem too challenging and the gradient is only in single figures,’ you’ll think as you start the climb. Fair enough, Cobnar Road does begin unremarkably enough but what you might not notice straight away is how it gets progressively steeper, the further you progress.

When you pass Bingham Road, you might sense that the hill has sneaked into low double figures but nothing noteworthy. However, another 50 metres or so, at the junction with Wellcar Road and the ‘dead end’ road sign, the gradient suddenly spikes into the teens. It’s at this point that you realise how the start of the climb tricked you.

Looking up, all you can see the rising tarmac and what looks like an impenetrable wall of trees. Dig in here as the worst is yet to come. Luckily the road is fairly wide and quiet, so you’ve got wiggle room and few hazards as you wind your way up the hill. This is where the fun starts.

Keep your momentum and switch on to what looks like a footpath (it’s not labelled as such, so you’re not breaking any rules by cycling up it). The narrow path (featuring a handy handrail) disappears around a blind corner – so you’ll have to hope that you’re not going to meet anyone walking down the opposite direction – and ramps up to a gradient of 17 – 18%. It’s only for 100m or so but, because of the path’s width and probably being slippery with leaves, there’s no room for mistakes. The last time I did it, I very nearly came off the tarmac and into the little ditch next to the path.

I seriously put Cobnar Road on a par with Hagg Hill, which is the bar against which I judge all other hills. So, if you get to the top without stopping, take a moment to get your breath back and congratulate yourself on, not only defeating such a cheeky beast of a climb but probably one of the most challenging hills in Sheffield.

*GPS coverage is a bit wonky under the trees at the top, with both Strava and Veloviewer saying an incline of almost 40%. That seems excessive but I wouldn’t be surprised if it does briefly break 30% at the end.

Jawbone Hill / Cote De Oughtibridge

Jawbone Hill / Cote De Oughtibridge
Length: 1.06 miles
Avg gradient: 8% Peak gradient: 13%
Difficulty: 3/5
Likelihood of encountering unpleasant motor-vehicles: 4/5
Elevation gain: 462ft
Strava

Described as possibly ‘the most decisive climb of the Tour De France’s visit to Yorkshire,’ The Cote De Oughtibridge (or Jawbone Hill to its friends) is a slog of a climb with a few false summits along the way.

The Strava segment starts at Grand Depart sign but it’s actually a short distance before the incline begins. Similarly, the segment ends at the Birley Stone, despite there being a few more feet to climb after that point.

With the park on your left, the start doesn’t look too foreboding, at around 6%, but by the time you’re passing The Pheasant pub, the hill has already sneaked into double figures at 11%. A short way on from this you’ll find that the road narrows as you cross over a railway line. Plod on and hope that you’re not be being followed by an impatient motorist unable to overtake you.

After the wiggle of the railway bridge, you’re onto the steepest 13% segment of the climb, which it roughly maintains until you reach Greenhead House Farm and The Little Sausage Shop. Rumour has it that somewhere on Jawbone Hill is a ‘Scotch Egg Shop’ but I suspect that, in reality, it’s this sausage shop they’re thinking of. Along here, on your left, you will spy the first of two reminders of the Tour De France’s visit: a yellow painted bike fixed to a metal ‘Shimrod’ sign, and shortly afterwards, opposite the farm, a battered old bike tied up in a tree.

Once you’re past the sausage shop, the gradient drops to a more palatable 5.5% but don’t be fooled, this is just the first false summit! The climb continues, slipping back up to 9.5% as the road bends to the right. You are well into the countryside now and while the steepness does relent a little, the hill is just playing with you. It’s got one last stinker in store.

The road begins another right-hand bend and, as you pass the Grenoside sign, you feel that must be the apex…but not quite! Although it’s apparently only 6.5%, the final 150 yards up to the Birley Stone always feels much harder than it should.

The end of the segment might not be the absolute top of the hill but it’s a great place to stop and take in the view over Sheffield. It’s also a great place to turn around and speed right back down to Oughtibridge.

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.