doing a sportive on Saturday which ends up the cobbled 1 in 6 Michaelgate, just how steep is that in percent?

Rounded about 17%

the schools today 🙄

It’s only short. Hit it hard. there’s a smooth line in the gutters on either side too. Hang around til Sunday and watch the Premier Calendar road race, see how they do it!

Yep – done it. It’s pretty steep but as crazy-legs says it’s short, only takes a few minutes. Great views from the top and the bail area of Lincoln is very nice.

I did it as it’s one of the climbs in the Top 100 Cycling Climbs book which I’m trying to work my way through. When I go places and can take a bike I check the book out, see if there’s any climbs nearby I can do.

Top 100 Cycling Climbs book

I can only imagine how many times they have had to re-print that one! 😀

Done it on the mtb as part of regular night ride loop, not too bad but I haven’t tried racing up there.

got the book, doh, should’ve checked!
Also know about the gutters, i’ll be in them for sure, if not walking!

The race on Sunday goes up it 11 times. And the average speed last year for the whole race, including those 11 climbs was 27.5mph! 😯

Only way you’ll have to walk is if you get blocked in by other riders. Just try and make sure you’ve got a clear run at it, don’t gear too low cos it’s impossible to sit and spin up it, you need to be putting a fair bit of force through the pedals but without forcing the rear wheel to break away/spin.

Obviously the OP is in a sportive so won’t be able to divert, but for anyone else in the area, this is also a great one:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=lincoln&aq=&sll=51.237645,-0.205832&sspn=0.695576,2.028351&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Lincoln,+United+Kingdom&ll=53.231885,-0.543256&spn=0.002611,0.007923&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=53.231885,-0.543256&panoid=rzOOF2VHz1P9oQK0u4s3FA&cbp=12,11.39,,0,5.12

Ignore the No Cycling sign, and also ignore the fact that the building on your right (going up) is a Police station, it’s a great cheeky climb. Tricky, and as usual – steeper than it looks!

I hope you’re not going to do this sportive with an expensive bike and – heaven forbid – Zipp wheels?

Yep, many times. it’s big ring able if you’ve got the beans, I generally haven’t by the 6th or so time up it I use a 42t inner ring as a bailout option. As mentioned above you don’t want too small a gear, you need a bit of grunt…

Hills are that hard if you just want to trundle up them and have a small enough gear to let you do that but try going up it in the Lincoln GP at that pace and that many times then it’s hard….
And I’ve only ever watched it and that’s enough for me although I did ride Riber Hill climb one year but I learned my lesson there!