Bank road runs through the centre of Matlock, Derbyshire. It is one of the steepest town-centre climbs and makes a good venue for a hill climb. It was used as the National hill climb venue in 2008. A shorter version is used every year in the Matlock CC double hill climb even (as well as the nearby Riber hill).
See Race report for 2016 national hill climb championship.
The top of Bank Road before the right hand turn to Wellington Street. National Hill Climb 2016.
Bank Road
- Location: Matlock
- Distance 0.6 miles
- Average gradient: 11%
- Maximum gradient: 20%
- Height gain. 110m
- KOM: 2.56 – 12.2 mph
- QOM: 3.17 – Elisa Longo Borghini (Aviva Women’s Tour 2016)
- 100 climbs: #31
- Bank Road Strava
- Everesting? 77* 1.4 miles = 108 miles in total
Bank Road begins in the centre of Matlock by the river Derwent. The first 250 metres are a gentle gradient, but then the climb gets progressively steeper. It gets to its steepest point just before the end of Bank Road. The full climb then turns right onto Wellington Street, where the gradient eases off a little.
In the Matlock CC open event, the climb finishes on Bank Road. In 2014 Adam Kenway won the event in a time of 01:46.6.
The 2008 National championship version goes all the way to the end of Wellington Road.
Bank Road – 100 Climbs version
Veloviewer
Strava
National Hill climb 2008
Matt Clinton – Photo Phil and Pam
The version used in the national hill climb also uses an extra leg on Wellington Street. The 2008 National hill climb was won by Matt Clinton in a time of 2.24. 1st women Lyn Hamel 2.59.
The only time I’ve ridden Bank road is the national hill climb in 2008. I hadn’t done much riding that year, but I still went to the national hill climb. I went really hard on the steep bit and then struggled on the last section on Wellington Square. I remember feeling very light-headed in the middle of the climb. Quite exhilarating with all the spectators. It is pretty steep. I finished 14th in a time of 2.42.
Results from 2008
| 1 | Matt Clinton | MikeVaughan.co.uk | 02:24.2 | ||
| 2 | Bill Bell | Gemini BC | 02:25.4 | ||
| 3 | Jim Henderson | Southport CC | 02:26.5 | ||
| 4 | Dave Griffiths | Paramount RT | 02:29.6 | ||
| 5 | Lewis Cowley | Plan B RT | 02:30.2 | ||
| 6 | David Clarke | lacuna | 02:31.0 | ||
| 7 | Charles Taylor | South Pennine RC | 02:31.4 | ||
| 8 | Adam Pinder | Blackburn & District CTC | 18 | 02:34.6 | |
| 9 | Adrian Rodgers | Worthing Excelsior CC | 02:35.2 | ||
| 10 | Darren Atkins | Coventry RC | 02:39.5 | ||
| 11 | Daniel Arblaster | Guernsey Velo Club | 17 | 02:40.4 | |
| 12 | Ian Stott | Blackburn & District CTC | 02:41.0 | ||
| 13 | James McLaughlin | Guernsey Velo Club | 18 | 02:42.1 | |
| 14 | Tejvan Pettinger | Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team | 02:42.3 | ||
| 15 | Adrian Lawrence | Lancashire RC | 02:43.5 | ||
| 16 | Chris Metcalf | Matlock CC | 02:43.5 | ||
| 17 | Robert Gough | John’s Bike RT | 02:43.7 | ||
| 18 | James Ward | Cambridge CC | 02:44.8 | ||
| 19 | Robin Coomber | Johns Bike’s RT | 02:44.8 | ||
| 20 | Chris Edmondson | Blackburn & District CTC | 02:45.0 |
- Lynn Hamel (The Green Room Group.com) was fastest women.
- 1st junior was Adam Pinder (Blackburn & District CTC),
- Team Prize Blackburn & District CTC, Adam Pinder Ian Stott and Chris Edmondson.
- 2008 Nat HC at Cycling Weekly
2016 National hill climb championship
Adam Kenway 2.18.2 (Metaltek Kuoata RT) and Lou Bates 2.57.1 (Veloschils Interbike RT) were the respective men and women champions.
See: Blog National Hill Climb 2016
Ahc/6 – description
Photos
Stewart House (10) at the start. Photo me whilst warming up.
- Start at the bus shelter just above Imperial Road, Matlock.
- Climb up Bank road and continue into Rutland Street to finish by the wall just above Matlock green garage, just before the junction with Wellington street and the triangle at this junction.
- Will I need a qualifying time to enter? Yes. In recent seasons, the national hill climb championship has been oversubscribed. It is likely to be oversubscribed again this year.
Related pages
I did Bank road on Sunday(21/11/21), first time in years last timer I did it as a forty something on a well geared mtb, this time I did it as a 53 year old who fairly recently got back into cycling on a 11 year old Trek 1.7 , it was seriously hard work even on a 34/28, still I got up and the son in law did to ( though he had better gears 🙂 ). No idea of the time just getting all the way up was an achievement…11kmh average, did I mention im 53 and weigh 14 stone 🙂