Lawson Hill – Simon Warren Cycling Climbs of the North West
- SW Rating: 3/10
- Wheelygood Rating: Easy
- Length: 1.1 miles
- Avg. gradient: 6%
- Category: 4
- Strava Segment: https://www.strava.com/segments/19631722
- Route: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1098322
- Parking: Not easy, but you may find some space by the side of the road about half way up.
Ever heard of this? No, neither had I until I’d read Simon Warren’s books. This is a small road, pretty much the middle of not a lot which hides a surprise. OK, OK, it’s a surprise in the sense that you don’t expect it given the surrounding terrain – it’s not really a surprise if you’re reading about it here as I suspect you’ve probably got an idea about what’s coming.
Not a stupendously tough climb, this, unless, like me, you’re stupid enough to be riding it at the end of a day that began with Great Dun Fell…
It feels like it’s in four main chunks. There’s a reasonably vicious ramp right at the start, which is nice. The steepest part, on the corner, is about 20% and if, like me, you don’t get it quite right, it’s a bit of a struggle. At least it’s only a few pedal strokes’ worth of trauma.
Which is more than can be said for the next section. It drags up at between 5 and 10% for a bit, just to lull you into a false sense of security although, as you’ll note, you’ll be travelling at roughly walking pace. At least the road surface doesn’t get in the way too much, although it is gravelly.
And then, just as the right hand bend looms, the road kicks up again into the teens, around the corner and straight back up into the teens again. This is, in a lot of ways, the worst part of the climb, because you can only see so far up the road and the trees block any sense of topography so you just have to take a guess as to how much more there is to come in order to judge your effort level.
The end of the third sector is marked by, firstly, a pleateau and, secondly, a short descent. Make the most of it, because the road kicks up again after that and doesn’t really give in until the top – which is further away than you think. Just keep it turning and you’ll be fine!
Aaaand … over the line. Done. Give yourself a well deserved pat on the back!
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…
