Cyclist is proud to announce that it will be partnering with Catford Cycling Club to sponsor the Catford Hill Climb on the 7th October.
The oldest continuous bike race in the world, the Catford Hill Climb takes place on one of the most feared hill climb courses in the UK. The event was first raced in 1887 on Westerham Hill before moving to the insidiously steep York's Hill, where the race is contested today.
The climb is just 640m long yet averages a hearty 14%. If that doesn't already make your knees hurt, riders will have to haul themselves over gradients of 25% towards the summit in a desperate attempt to reach the finish.
Worry not, however, the crowd will be there in their hoards to help each and every competitor. On the steepest sections, supporters are usually three-deep on either side, creating a wall of noise to help spur you on to the top.
By the finish, riders will be hunched double over their bars, their lungs deprived of oxygen and lactic acid furiously coursing through their leg muscles. It's a perfect place to capture the picture of true suffering.
Entries for the event are still open here, if you wish to tackle the beast yourself; alternatively, feel free to come along to shout the riders to the top.
As sponsor of the event, Cyclist is also proud to announce that it will be partnering with Hunt Wheels and Katusha Sport to offer the winners of the seven individual categories some fantastic prizes.
Each category winner will be gifted Katusha Sport goodies for their efforts while Hunt wheels are offering a set of its special sub-1kg Hill Climb wheels for any rider who manages to beat the 35-year-old course record of 1min 47.6sec set by Phil Mason back in 1983.
Spectators on the day will also be in with a chance of taking a special prize. Thanks to our partners at Katusha Sport, one lucky spectator will be in with a chance to win a day spent in the Katusha-Alpecin team car at next year's Tour de Yorkshire.
It will be a money-can't-buy opportunity to bury yourself in the thick of the peloton at Britain's most explosive race as the WorldTour gets its final look at the Yorkshire roads before the World Championships later that year.