Gibb Lane – Simon Warren Cycling Climbs of Yorkshire
- SW Rating: 8/10
- Wheelygood Rating: Hard
- Length: 0.54 miles
- Avg. gradient: 11%
- Category: 4
- Strava Segment: https://www.strava.com/segments/19513315
Along an innocent looking stretch of tarmac you’ll find Gibb Lane. I’d had a Garmin navigation fail on the day and ended up doing this and Halifax Lane in the opposite order to the way in which they were planned. As a result, wasn’t expecting to find a Simon Warren climb on this stretch of road, but, as I began to ride up the lower slopes it quickly became apparent that this was more than one of the many ‘normal’ lumps and bumps in the area. So I stopped and checked and discovered that I’d ridden the first 100m of the climb; there was nothing for it but to turn around, go back down the bottom, turn on the GoPro and start again. Darn and, possibly, poot. The only saving grace was that I’d been fortunate enough to stop before the cobbles began.
So. Let’s try again, shall we?
At the very bottom, the slope is nothing to get excited about (in Simon Warren land, at least) – it’s in the 7-8% region and, as such, provides nothing more than a warm-up for the main event. If you’re like me, you’ll be nicely into your climbing rhythm as the road bears right and kicks up. Initially you’ll think, as I did, something along the lines of ‘oh, it’s going to be a low teens job winching to the top’. And then you’ll get a bit further around the corner and wonder just how you’re actually going to manage to ride up the brick wall that is now directly in front of you. If you’re really unlucky there will be cars coming down to help narrow your options even further. I’m sure they all thought I was nuts. And they’d probably be right.
The cobbles start as they mean to go on: mean. They’re not the absolute worst cobbles I’ve ridden, but they certainly aren’t the easiest, either! Once you’re over the initial shock, you’ll probably be around the initial right hand cobbled curve too and you can spend the rest of the climb turning left. It’s kinda (not) like an uphill, slow, Indianapolis Motor Speedway1.
As you ascend you’ll notice two things: (1) that you’re travelling slower and slower and slower and (2) that the lumpiness of the cobbles increases. Far be it for me to assign causation here, but there was certainly correlation. There was also a complaining noise coming from around my lung area. Oh, yes, that’d be what’s commonly called ‘breathing’.
By the finish of the cobbles it had degenerated into something of a battle of wills between myself and the cobbles. All I’d say is that I’m pleased they finished where they did, which is odd given that Shibden Wall was still to come on the ride and that is, nominally, a harder climb. Just as I’d begun to enhance the quality of my swearing, the end of the cobbles was in sight and, from there, I knew the worst was behind me. Don’t get me wrong, it still continues to climb just as steeply, but you’ll be amazed at the difference in effort required from a cobbled and tarmaced road surface.
Within another fifty metres the slope has flattened considerably and, after another fifty, you’re done. I’d suggest having a quick stop and giving yourselves a big pat on the back for making it up a much, much, harder climb than you might have expected!
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…
Colloquially, known as the Brickyard and there is still a row of the original bricks across the start/finish line. ↩
