LOUSY HILL LANE

LITTLEBECK, WHITBY

Rising north out of Littlebeck, you come to a junction. Straight ahead, there’s a sign advertising a 20% slope, and another on your right advertising a 25% slope. Which do you take? Silly question of course. Obviously the 25% route and the climb of Lousy Hill Lane. Hitting maximum almost right away, this climb has a leg-breaking start, twisting right then left, then steeper right. Gruelling away on the wicked slope, you see the road disappear over a summit ahead. Thankfully you’re afforded a minute’s rest here – the smallest of dips before the second part of the climb begins. Still very hard for some distance, with one more 20% stretch, it then begins to ease. Degree by degree the slope fades, allowing you to navigate the chain, click by click, on to smaller sprockets. You may be tempted to engage the big ring before long, but don’t – with 100 metres left there’s one final kick to ensure you work hard for the finish.