Blaydon Bank
- Category: 4
- Wheelygood Rating: Medium
- Length: 0.58 miles
- Avg. gradient: 10%
- Strava Segment: https://www.strava.com/segments/1253859
- Route: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/994181
Ride this one before Shibdon Bank. Like sunscreen, if I could only offer you one tip for the future, this would be it. No scientists were harmed in the writing of this ‘review’, or the making of the video…
Straight from the off this one goes uphill rapidly. Not, perhaps, as rapidly as, say, Hardknott Pass, but rapidly enough when you’re going from a low speed at the mini roundabout with a bus up your chuff. This is quite a busy road and, as a cyclist, you will be slowing them down to about 5mph and this will not go down all that well with the occasional driver for whom the novelty wore off several seconds ago.
Anyhow, keep your head down and power up all the way to the first real bend. If you need a break, or a shave, then feel free to stop at the barbers on the corner and indulge yourself. As one of the world’s resident Silverbacks, I chose to eschew this and continue riding, which was made rather easier by the relaxation of the gradient for a few years – assuming you call 6-7% relaxation. Strangely, I do, at least when compared with 15.
Round the corner it ramps up again, but it’s not as steep as the first ramp. Oddly, though, it does appear to drain your energy in a way that sci-fi novels could only dream of and you’ll be pleased to get into the hedged section where, once again, the gradient abates and you can get a reasonable run at the last little pull.
Or you could if there weren’t roadworks. The locals take a look around them through the housing estate, but I stuck with Plan A so that you, my kind viewer, could have the complete experience of riding Blaydon Bank with me on the day. Not that I’m complaining about having a rest, mind you!
That last ramp isn’t much and doesn’t take long although, like any hill, you can make it as hard, or easy, as you like. Me, I prefer somewhere in the middle where with a nice steady pace. I’ve done time riding in Yorkshire and know the pitfalls of blowing my doors early on in a ride!
As you approach the small shopping precinct, you can ease back and relax as you’ve made it to the top. Great effort – wasn’t it easy?
If there are any other road climbs you’d like me to take on, the more ridiculous the better, then please pop them in the comments, or send me a message on my FaceBook page https://www.facebook.com/wheelygoodcycling/ or email me on wheelygoodmail@gmail.com and let me know…
