Saturday I didn’t race, but travelling up north, I stopped off at Ramsbottom, just so I could have a few attempts at the famous Rake hill climb. A short 1 Km climb touching close to 23% gradient at the top.
The Rake – photo Bob Muir
I wouldn’t usually make such a long detour for a 3 minute climb, but the Rake is the venue of the 2012 national hill climb championship at the end of October so I wanted to have a practise.
The Rake was the venue for my first ever National Hill Climb Championship back in 2005. I finished 11th in a time of 2.39. It was won by Ben Greenwood in a time of 2.26.
I remember that race vividly. I though the rake was so hard, I’ve never been back for the past 7 years.
I was actually hoping the rake would be wet because I wanted to see how slippery it would be at different tyre pressures. In 2005, my back wheel skidded all over the place. It did rain on the fifth attempt but I couldn’t recreate any wheel skid, but my that time I wasn’t putting too much pressure out.
My first attempt of the Rake was a classic lesson in how not to ride a hill climb.
Many people ride the rake on fixed gear. I was using gears from 39*14- 39*21. – I was all over the place in changing gears.
To make matters worse I switched my rear wheel to a new Zipp 202 with a racing tub Corse EVO. I wanted to test the new lightweight wheel and tub, but on the climb the gears were slipping and not staying where they were supposed to stay breaking the rhythm which is so important to maintain.
After a difficult, but manageable first 0.5Km, you then turn right up the Rake proper. This is where it gets over 22%. It look sufficiently imposing and threatening climb. It’s so steep it has a handrail for pedestrians who may come unstuck on the slope. Rather than accelerating into the steep section and pushing myself into that uniquely painful hill climb experience. I thought ‘gosh this is steep’ and slipped down into a lower gear. I just wasn’t in that hill climb mode yet.
My first attempt was 2.55. Though I’ve learnt that training ride times shouldn’t be taken too seriously.
After that first, rather botched attempt, I rather warmed to the rake. I did it a total of four times, all quite close in time to the first attempt.
The short training ride taught me a few things:
- Thankfully this wasn’t the real race, I would have blown it.
- It’s easy to forget how painful 2 minute hill climbs are supposed to be.
- It is actually very good to ride the course before racing – something I rarely, if ever do.
- It’s one thing to do 9 impressive intervals, but the race is all about getting everything out in 2 and half minutes. In the race, only one interval matters.
- I’m now motivated to start thinking about rake style interval sessions. No more nice long five-10 minute efforts and 25 mile time trials. More like train myself to be an uphill sprinter.
- I want to go back and ride the Rake more times. It’s a great little hill.
- Super-lightweight tubs are good, but super prone to punctures. I punctured my Corsa Evo after 20 miles racing. Unfortunately, hey are really expensive to replace….
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I always run Vittoria Pit Stop in my tubulars, haven’t had a puncture in 2 years, and I ride tubs year round.
Hi Tejvan,
Nice post. Do you know the exact date for the ‘rammy rake’ hill climb? Wouldn’t mind popping along to watch. Cheers
Last Sunday in October 28th I think.
The Rake’s a great climb, I was planning on riding it today but the torrential rain and thunderstorms put me off – decided to stay inside and watch the Olympics instead! Haven’t been up there since they resurfaced it, should make having to choose your line a thing of the past but could be slippier in the wet.