If you like the niches within niches of British cyclesport, you'll love Up Up Up – a hymn to the mild lunacy that grips racers every Autumn when hill climb season rolls round.
Director Thom Heald describes the hill climb as "one of the original tests of a cyclist's skill, the proving ground before time-trials and road races."
But no branch of cyclesport ever truly dies, and just as cycle speedway's still around, and bike polo has had a resurgence, so hillclimbs are still popular with a certain breed of skinny masochist.
Heald describes hillclimb specialists as "a hardcore band of thin-limbed riders [who] spend their Autumn sacrificing beer and cake for a shot at amateur bike racing glory."
Up Up Up was shot at the Mendips' feared Burrington Combe on Bristol South CC's last race of the season in October, and on Belmont hill just West of Bristol.
It's a lyrical, affectionate look at a branch of cycling where the only things that matter are power to weight ratio and your ability to keep your breakfast down.
Asked about the background to the film, Heald said: "I found out that Rob Borek had qualified for the national hill climb championships, and that piqued my interest in making a film about hill climbing. I didn't really know anything about it, so it was as much a learning experience for me as it was an exercise in trying to make a beautiful little cycling film.
"I also wanted to know why these riders put themselves through so much physical and mental torment! After speaking to Rob about making the film it was clear that he was very passionate about the discipline, about the cycling club and riding in general.
"On the day of filming at Belmont he turned up pretty hungover after an end of season party and proceeded to smash up there quicker than I ever could when fresh!"
Across the pond
You can trust the Americans to take it too far though. Every Autumn, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania sees hundreds of riders take part in the Dirty Dozen, a ride that takes in 13 of the city's unfeasibly steep hills.
The Dirty Dozen was founded by ultramarathon racer Danny Chew, whose ambition is to clock up a million miles of cycling through his life.
Grab a cup of tean and a biscuit and enjoy this show about the Dirty Dozen from WQED Pittsburgh.
11 thoughts on “Video: Up Up Up—a paean to hillclimbs – plus Pittsburgh’s 13-climb epic”
chapeau to the “red and gold”
chapeau to the “red and gold” … 🙂
Great vid!
Great vid!
Errr. To clarify; I mean the
Errr. To clarify; I mean the Bristol one. The American one, not so much.
That Pittsburgh thing looks
That Pittsburgh thing looks great. In a very painful way.
right…im going to plan a
right…im going to plan a lap of Manchester taking in all the hills possible (and probably all the crappiest estates), it’ll be man vs ter(rain) vs scrotes (trying to rob you)
it will be epic
The Dirty Dozen looks like a
The Dirty Dozen looks like a fun event.
Up the South!
Up the South!
That Dirty Dozen film is fun.
That Dirty Dozen film is fun. The other one just made me feel miserable and grim, like a Rapha photo.
It amuses me that even
It amuses me that even Cambridge Cycling Club have a hill climb
Great video really in joined
Great video really in joined it might just put this one in my bucket.
Thank a lot Rob,
You ever in Mallorca look me up some nice hills over here.
That Dirty Dozen event looks
That Dirty Dozen event looks brutal!