If a 1kg reduction in weight (is this bike or bike+rider?) will save 10 seconds over 12 minutes – a 1.3% time gain – then it suggests that lighter wheels don’t really make a significant difference to your time.

I think Scottish time trials are fine for a qualifying time, (though you might want to check)

Hutch once did national hill climb on the cat and fiddle. He finished 2nd to Mark Lovatt. I’m not sure, but I guess Hutchinson has retired from hill climbs, he was never a specialist climber.

Most pros won’t enter, after long season on road, they are probably thinking of winter break rather than one last race up a hill. Though of course Dan Fleeman (Team Raleigh) will probably be defending his title.

You can definitely do hill on ordinary road bike. It is debatable whether you will be any quicker on time trial bike.

I think I used big ring all the way up. I may just put a 45 chain ring for national champs.

To enter you need a cycling time trials form (you may need a qualifying time on another hill climb.

cheers

bike + rider weight (kg) x 9.8 x elevation gain (meters) / time (seconds) = power (watts). Add 10% for rolling and air resistance.

For me that works out at a jaw-dropping 360W to do it in 12m20secs, I can crank out 340W for a 10 mile. Hutch averaged just shy of 400W for his hour attempt, but he weighs a lot more than me

On this 3% climb, for every kilo you can shed, you need approx 5watts less power on the climb, or will reduce your time by approx 10seconds.

You are looking at around 70% of effort to overcome aerodynamic drag, the rest is overcoming the gradient. This all excludes any wind.

So, if you can be comfortable on the time-trial bike and can get some mega light wheels (1g shaved on wheel weight equates to around 1.5g of dead weight) I would go for that route. I would advise against fixed because of the constant change in wind direction and the flat-ish section.