Spring Forward Sportive Segments: Quarry Bank - AKA The Raddle

#1 – Quarry Bank – AKA The Raddle

For a number of years we organised a sportive that starts and finishes in Uttoxeter with our friends at Bear Coffee. Covid put a stop to that for a while now, but the roads are still there to be explored. Here’s one of the key climbs we used on that route a number of times for you to tackle as part of a ride in your own time.

The Stats:

Length: 1 Mile
Max Gradient: 21.4%
Average Gradient: 3.7%
Elevation Gain: 213ft

The climb itself

On our Spring Forward sportive you’d approach this climb via Hollington Road after 6.7m of the ride. Croxden Lane and the route past the Abbey offers a final bit of flattish road. From there you join Sandy Lane and after traversing the ford (there’s a little bridge you can also use if you’re scared of the water) then you’ll begin the climb with a left turn onto Quarry Bank.

Quarry Bank isn’t a modest climb, it’s keen to show you everything it’s got. So from the junction it’s straight up and onto the steepest parts of the climb. The first 60m at 13% will steal your momentum before the next 60m at 21% (ouch!) bring on the lactic acid burn!

If you have any spring in your step, you could kick back up to speed as the climb relents to 16%, then 7%.

You’re half way up the climb as things start to level off past the Raddle pub and if you’ve got the energy to look over your shoulder there’s a great view over the valley to take in. But whilst there’s nothing as severe as the opening part of the climb, it’s a bit of a grind from here to the top where you reach the junction, take a left and breathe a sigh of relief.

That’s the hardest part done!