Today's Bike Ride

[Muddy Retriever]

(Ilkley), Otley, Pool and Arthington on the road to Harrogate lie on or south of the River Wharfe. Further south from Otley is the climb up the side of the Chevin to Bramhope on the main Leeds Road. Between the two are six climbs roughly parallel with each other and all with their own character. So Old Pool Bank is straight and brutal, Creskeld Lane passes very expensive houses in Bramhope, Black Hill Road merely passes a farm and a quarry so the road is always covered in slurry. Sometimes dry but more interesting when wet which means retaining adhesion on the allegedly but doubtful 20% slope concentrates the mind with HGV quarry lorries roaring up behind you.

Today I went up Black Hill, down the new Pool Bank, up Old Pool Bank and down the main Leeds Chevin Road to Otley and home.

Twenty eight miles and 1700 feet and lots of pootling along the flooded, fast moving River Wharfe.Lovely.


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I know I’me not much of a cyclist compared with you and Llani so nice to hear some familiar names. This is my neck of the wood when it comes to cycling and doing a bit of climbing. I have fairly regularly done all of the climbs you mentioned over the last five or six years or so. There is also Weardley Bank that lies to the east of Black Hill Road and skirts the back of the Harewood Estate. Probably mid way in gradient between Black Hill Road and Creskeld Lane. Black Hill Road certainly feels sharp to me even though it is short. I remember once coming down it on the first Tour de Yorkshire sportive in 2015 in the driving rain and it was not a comfortable experience.

Norwood Edge, (which I imagine you know well) to the north of Otley is also a decent climb and within a circuit from home for me.