Hi,

I’m in the area this weekend and was wondering about bringing my bike to ride up Riber Road. It gets a 9/10 in the “100 Greatest Cycling Climbs” so I was wondering just how bad it is! Worth doing I think? Will a moderately unfit person make it? It varies between 1-in-4 and 1-in-6 apparently!

(Leaving Matlock on the A615 take the second right after the roundabout onto Church Street. Keep climbing then about halfway take the very steep right hand onto Riber Road.)

The book also mentions Bank Road in Matlock – one of the steepest residential roads in England – that’s only an 8/10 climb…

Both in one ride?!

That road is incredibly steep around the hairpins and goes on for a long time after you come out of the trees. I would say you would need to be fairly fit to get up there with road gearing.
My personal favorite around there is Beeley hill that takes you up on to the same hill. Not that steep but a nice long climb that reminds me of Alpine riding.

I have rode this road today on a road bike it is tough about 20% all the way up the first bit is easy but it’s the last half that gets you still the freewheel down the other side is good I did get up in one go and never put a foot down it is brutal

Come back on a Sunday in late October and you can have the pleasure of racing up both Riber and Bank Road on the same day 😀

Bank is p1$$ easy….

…..when ur fit…..

….on a carbon featherweight 😛

Not done Riber tho,

The key is to stay in the saddle and maintain a high cadence….I’d fail up there atm btw tbh 🙁

Do a round trip and you can include Cromford hill too.
Start at the A6 and go toward Middleton.
I’ve never done it in one go. If you want off-road, the Cromford Incline is a killer.
Alan.

I ride up it fairly regularly on my mmmBop, albeit fairly slowly! It is the first part of a great circular route I like to do, which once you get to the top and through the farm is mainly off-road.

Yeah Riber is certainly a character building climb with some great descents off the top, I would say it’s bad but not that bad!