Hill no 52 – 59 Crawleyside

It is a cruel, cruel thing on a beautiful summer’s day when everyone else is enjoying a cold beer in a pub, to clip into the pedals on your bicycle and head off a stupidly steep hill.

But, this is the challenge I have set myself and I was going to have to forego the pleasant amber nectar for some burning legs and rewarding myself with (every now and then) lukewarm energy drink.

Another stiff climb out of the village, with a fair few cars bombing past meant I had to work pretty hard from the start – past farms and houses. It is funny, but when you’re in the middle of nowhere, you pay no mind to how you are riding – you just get on with it, but if you’ve got (a theoretical) audience, the pressure is on there to look a bit better in the saddle than the usual rolling and sprawling riding that I do going up hills!

Again, another not great video I’m afraid, but as you come out of the town, the climbing gets gradually easier and easier until you are out on the moorland with spectacular views and an easier finish.

Amazing how wild and desolate the moorlands are – no trees, just heather scrubbily hanging on and trying to exist ok!

youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_8Ap9V7k3M
Garmin data here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/90464065
Flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/100hillsforgeorge/sets/72157627244680007/