Riber Hill Matlock - Cycling uphill

Location: Riber hill. Matlock, Derbyshire
Distance: 1.8 km
Avg grade 9
Max Grade: 25%
Elev Gain: 162m
Direction: South easy
KOM: 5.12 – 19.8 km/h
Cat: 3
100 hills #32
Strava segment
Everesting? 49*1.6 miles = 78 miles
Riber

Riber is a ‘popular’ hill climb to the south of Matlock. It has everything you can want in a classic steep British hill climb. A maximum gradient of 22% – two very hard corners and then a long drag to the castle. The full climb starts off near the town centre of Matlock – off the A615. There are a few ramps as you go through a built up area and the village of Starkholmes (and one or two-speed humps). It is challenging, but this section is only the hors d’oeuvre for the real sting in the tail which is the last kilometre up a very steep and twisting section of road. To get on the steep section you take a left and the road really rears up quickly. The first bend is a sharp left-hander and it is hard to keep full momentum as you have to go a little wide and then turn sharp left. After that, the road is unforgiving, with a constantly difficult gradient and more twists and turns until the climb finally starts to level out by the top of Riber Castle.

I have often wanted to ride Riber but only got round to it in 2020. I took the first section relatively easy and then went as hard as I could up the last section. It was a really great climb!

Riber 100 Climbs

Veloviewer

Strava

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Photos of hill

Near the top

The Matlock CC hill climb course, doesn’t use quite the full hill – just the shorter version 1.1 km @ 11%

National Hill Climb Championship 1986

In 1986, the National hill climb championship was held on Riber. It was a longer version than usual Matlock CC hill climbs. It went all the way to the top near the castle. The winner in a time of 4.48 was Daryl Webster (Manchester Wh.)