Swiss Hill and beans

28th March

This is my first up-to-date blog post in a while but as there has been a glut recently I won't drag this one out.

A quick after work jaunt upto Alderley Edge with the motive of 'ticking off' one of the 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs was the flavour of the day. I recruited my brother, David to the cause as he needs the exercise.

We headed down Brooklands Road and over to Screaming Gate Lane at the back of the airport. A right turn onto the Gin & Tonic Belt and under the runway tunnels. David had dropped behind at this point so I stopped to wait in the tunnels.

David flexes his inner tube replacing muscles

A puncture for David. It's a joke, he averages 1 puncture per ride, clumsy fecker. After much faffing and we set off again. Under the tunnels and out into the daylight and the short climb up to the Honey Bee Pub on the edge of Wilmslow. Barely catching our breath and clicking up a couple of gears we make haste toward the town centre and down to Alderley roundabout. The traffic is getting busier as we approach the start of rush hour. Over the railway bridge and into the land of the vain and indebted. A left turn onto Chapel Road and the tarmac was beginning to climb.

Bottom of Swiss Hill

 As you can see the bottom of the hill looks pleasant enough. The cobbles even look flat. It really doesn't last. As soon as you hit the first corner the vertiginous nature of the climb bares it's teeth. Moss, broken cobbles, dips, ruts, it's got it all in spades. By the first garage I'd lost all momentum and nearly toppled off to the side. I took a minute to get my breath. I saw David behind me pushing his bike up. He'd lost the will about 10 metres in! A club rider from Velo Club St Rafael shot past me seemingly undeterred by the gradient. BASTARD.

I mounted my bike and struggled to clip my feet back in. The climb continued to rise. I was really struggling to turn the pedals. The climb flattened out at the right hand turn and I thought I had made it but there was at least another 300m to go. I struggled on round the left hand turn and got out of my saddle to sprint the last 150m. I say sprint but it was in slow motion with an amazing amount of exertion for very little forward motion!

I was still quite pleased to have got to the top, even if it was in two parts. I'll be going back soon to do it in one...

A quick descent back into Alderley Edge hitting 35.7mph without pedalling and on for coffee and cake at Starbucks in Wilmslow.

Back home in time for tea. 26.2 miles.