Crawleyside – Simon Warren #59
- SW Rating: 7/10
- Wheelygood Rating: Medium
- Length: 3.80 miles
- Avg. gradient: 4%
- Category: 3
- Strava Segment: https://www.strava.com/segments/6681219
Ah, yes, Crawleyside. One of the first Monster Hills people told me about when I started road cycling. It was spoken of in hushed tones via trembling lips and, like everyone else, I was worried the first time I went anywhere near it.
I’d like to let you in on a secret: it’s not that bad. Yes, there is a steep section and, yes, from top to bottom it’s pretty long, but there’s always that sense of manageability about it. At no point do you ever feel overwhelmed by the entirety of it all so long as you follow one simple rule: ride it one piece at a time.
The first piece, out of Stanhope, is a gentle warm-up: a nice, steady, slope where you can get yourself into the swing of things before the real climbing begins. Take your time, sing, mosh1, whatever takes your fancy, really. As you travel, you’ll become aware that the gradient is just teasing that little bit before…
…you bear slightly left and see the start of the real climb. Looking like an inverted question mark, the next right hander looks like it will take you straight to the sky. Brace yourself for the initial slope – it hops up into the low teens, but the feeling doesn’t really bite until you’re just about done with the bend. That next 10 yards feels rather longer, but just keep cranking it out and the road will relent ever so slightly as you begin to reach the houses of Crawleyside itself (yes, it’s an actual place and not just the name of the bank!)
The road ramps up again just a little for the corner and then relents again as you move away from the village. This is where I’d recommend you steel yourself just a bit – the next ramp is the steepest on the entire climb as it pitches up to around the 17% mark. It’s a good place to turn on the gas as you’ll get some real recovery once you’re over the cattle grid. I’ll always remember the time I followed one of cycling’s bigger lads up here: I’d have said he was in the 250lbs region, wearing a polka dot jersey and turning something like a 23 sprocket on the back and, although it was manifestly hard work, he was as quick as anyone else up there that day. I’ve always maintained that you should never judge a cyclist by the way they look and I’d cite this very much as a case in point!
Once you’re up to the aforementioned cattle grid you can relax knowing that you’ve cleared the worst of it now, but please don’t think it’s over. Oh, no. Plenty more to come, but it’s all rather more manageable from this point onwards. You’ll get a nice recovery – even a freewheel – for a bit, before the road tilts upwards again. This pitch is really steady – 7-8% and it just drags on to the next crest. You may have to play dodge the sheep, or a certain amount of their excreta at least. It’s not a bother, but I’d recommend a double check over your shoulder if you’re planning on moving towards the centreline of the road – the traffic can be pretty quick here and the speed differential is, perceptually, magnified as you’ll be riding that bit slower on the bike.
Don’t get your hopes up too much, though, as the top of this section isn’t the top, either. That said, you will get another descent to help you recover for the final big ramp. My advice would be to keep the remains of your powder dry until you pass the small (gravel) road off to the right2 and the road, once again, tips properly upwards. Once there, feel free to apply whatever hammer you have left to get you up this last ramp – it gets up to about 12%, so you’ll know all about it before the top!
Aaaaand … you’re still not done. Follow the main road as it bears around to the right and the final 3/4 of a mile drag appears in front of you. There’s not much height left to be gained, but it is uphill and the Simon Warren segment ends, rightly, at the very top so you’ll need to keep going. At least you’ll usually have a tailwind for this bit!
After the teeny-tiny ramp as you pass the turning for Waskerley the road will begin to bear left and this marks the top of the climb. Great job – that’s a significant climb ticked off the list!
From here, the road drops down a fantastic moorland descent (sheep notwithstanding) into Edmunbyers: just beware the hairpin bend 3/4 of the way down – it is usually damp on the apex, slightly gravelly and, for giggles, tightens slightly on the exit…
If there are any other road climbs you’d like me to take on, the more ridiculous the better, then please send me a message on my FaceBook page https://www.facebook.com/wheelygoodcycling/ or email me on wheelygoodmail@gmail.com and let me know…
But please, please, keep your eyes on the road and ride safely! ↩
This takes you to Parkhead Station where there is a B&B and Tea Rooms. It’s a really popular place to stop, particularly with mountain bikers as it is also the end of the Waskerley Way. ↩
