Bank Road in Matlock plays host to the 2025 CTT National Hill Climb Championship this weekend and BikeRadar will be there, hunting down the weirdest, lightest, sketchiest and most wonderful bikes on show.
The Nationals mark the finale of Britain’s short but savage hill climb season, a uniquely British racing niche that sits entirely outside UCI regulation.
This sees riders strip their bikes to the bare minimum in pursuit of speed, racing solo against the clock in a time trial format on climbs lasting anywhere from one to 20 minutes.
From high-end carbon frames with the paint sanded off, to featherweight fixies and DIY creations held together with little more than hope, the National Hill Climb always delivers a brilliant mix of ingenuity and pure suffering.
Always a professional and personal highlight of my year, I’ll be there this year for the whole weekend to document the best bikes on show. If you’re racing and think your setup deserves a moment in the spotlight, send a few photos and a short description of your bike to news@bikeradar.com. If it catches our eye, I’ll be in touch – and you and your bike can enjoy your five minutes of fame.
- More hill climb tech: Weight-saving hacks, sub-6kg disc bikes and raw carbon galore
This year’s course covers 834 metres of Bank Road and Rutland Street, finishing on Wellington Street. It averages a brutal 14 per cent, pitching up to 20 per cent near halfway – short, sharp, and guaranteed to make even the fittest riders see stars.
We’ve been to Bank Road before, and it never fails to deliver. Back in 2016, former BikeRadar staff member Joe Norledge rode the Nationals on a custom 5.1kg Engineered Bikes fixed gear, stripping every gram he could while still keeping it rideable.
- Read more: Can one gear really work for hill climbs?
Inspired by the sound of this gloriously painful event? Come and watch the action unfold on Bank Road, Matlock, from 10:45 on Sunday 24 October.
