10 of the UK's Toughest Climbs - Total Women's Cycling

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10 of the UK’s Toughest Climbs

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1. Vale Street, Bristol

  • Vale Street in Bristol is the UK's steepest residential road. Photo: Sam Saunders

  • Clovelly's access road is a dream for cyclists. Photo: Graham Alton/Flickr

  • The most famous and toughest of the Lake District climbs. Photo: Eifion / Flickr

  • It may look pretty, but we don't recommend climbing in the frost! Photo: Phil Catterall

  • "Um... I just meant a hair pin for my pony tail." Photo: SimonPix/Flickr

  • Photo: Stephen McKay

  • The gorgeous Rosedale Chimney climb provides beautiful views. Photo: Mike Dobson/Flickr

  • Photo: Jenkin Road was central to the Tour de France festivities.

  • Awk sure, it's barely even an incline. Photo: Stephen Elwyn Roddick

  • Fancy a race with fellow cyclists? The Catford Hill Climb could be for you. Photo: Bareknuckleyellow/Flickr

1. Vale Street, Bristol

They say that Vale Street is the steepest residential street in Britain, and although we’ve only tried to get a car up it here at TWC (difficult enough with an engine) we don’t need any convincing that this would make for a challenging ride. It’s got an average gradient of 25 per cent, and a maximum gradient of 33 per cent.

15 of the Steepest Climbs on the Chilterns Cycleway

The problem is that at the bottom of the street the gradient is, to the naked eye, almost vertical. And although things even out as you pedal slowly to the top, the first section of the climb undermines any momentum (or optimism) that you may have had.

Don’t worry though – this climb is a short one. At 200 meters, you’ll be past the giggling residents peeking out their blinds before you know it.

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