White Horse Bank – Simon Warren #56
- SW Rating: 7/10
- Wheelygood Rating: Medium
- Length: 1.04 miles
- Avg. gradient: 10%
- Category: 3
- Strava Segment: https://www.strava.com/segments/6690931
- Parking: There are assorted parking spots on the hill itself as it’s quite a popular location for people for visit. You may also find some space in the village close to the bottom of the climb, Kilburn.
In the vicinity of the, rather more vicious, Boltby Bank lies this gem of an ascent. It won’t tax the braincells too much to work out why it has its name – you can see the equine in question on the approach from the South.
After an initial hundred metres, or so, of easy approach you’ll go past a 25% sign and begin to doubt whether this was a good idea, or not, as the road gets steadily steeper from here and it’s not long before 15% is the order of the day. Be aware that this is quite a popular spot for the locals to come and walk their dogs and tourists to come and peek at the horse, so this road can have more traffic on it than you might initially expect. Fortunately, most people seem good natured when it comes to witnessing some idi^^^keen cyclist riding up there, apparently for fun.
As you round the next couple of bends you’ll get the feeling that this is a climb you can settle into. However, just after those couple of bends, the road does tip up again to well North of 20% on one ramp and you might just have to rethink that approach.
From this point, there are a series of 20%+ ramps punctuated by easier sections. Once you pass the car park on the left, this changes to a series of ramps in the mid-high teens punctuated by some easier sections. It can be difficult to get a measure of this, though, because you’re in the trees and don’t get much sense of anything except the slight claustrophobic effect of the branches overhead. And, in the heat of summer, it’s stifling in there. On, and on, it goes – ramp after ramp with no end in sight until, all of a sudden, you’ll see a flicker of sky through the trees. This should be cause for relief because it means the worst is over.
There’s a very small ramp following your exit from the trees, but, compared to where you’ve just been, it’s nothing to speak of. As you crest it, you’ll see the gliding club on the left of the road and things will take on a much flatter constitution. Not that you’re quite done, though. Keep on rolling – all the way up the drag, past the gliding club and then the woods on the right hand side to the actual summit, which is a left hand bend at the end of the woods.
From here you can stop, take a look at the fantastic views and congratulate yourself on a job well done!
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…
