JAGGERS LANE

KELSTEDGE, CHESTERFIELD

Jaggers Lane sounds nasty, and it is nasty. This rugged sliver of dark tarmac is a wonderfully tough road to seek out and ride. You must begin the climb not on Jaggers Lane, but at the base of the valley – it would be criminal not to, as the first bend away from the brook is fantastic. Rearing up to the left, hitting 20%, it’s a killer, and it continues very steep, bending left again before turning right to join Jaggers Lane itself. There’s no change in the pitch of the slope; it’s proper hard, a real grind. Up ahead there’s a brow; focus on that as once you’re over it, the complexion of the climb changes. There are a couple of hundred metres of tame gradient, but don’t go crazy and click up too many gears because there’s more hard climbing to come. Continuing up to and around the right-hand bend, you’ll see a give way sign up ahead; this is the target, the carrot to chase. Once past it, you’ll reach the T-junction and all will be over.