The evolution of the British Hill Climb bike

The British Hill Climb scene is a unique cycling offshoot with its own ruleset, not governed by the UCI. The discipline has become a British staple, attracting riders of all abilities from across the United Kingdom, culminating each year in the British Hill Climb Championships. In simple terms, riders race up super-steep gradients ranging from one to 25 minutes, in a time-trial format, though recent editions have featured uncharacteristically shallower slopes. The fastest time wins.

Helmets and functioning front and rear lights have been compulsory for all hill climbs since 2021 – a move ushered in to improve visibility and rider safety. Previously, helmets were required only for riders under 18; adults could wear casquettes or forgo headgear entirely, something many riders fondly refer to as peak British Hill Climb culture. Because the discipline isn’t governed by the UCI 6.8kg weight limit, bikes under 5kg are commonplace – even in disc-brake configuration.

Before the rise of disc brakes, however, bikes adopted rather unique Frankenstein-like facades underscored by cut-off bars, wafer-thin carbon-shelled saddles, superlight brake calipers and lightweight rubber or even tubular tyres. While many of these bikes still show up every year, and with many historic traditions still being adopted by participants, disc-brake-actuated bikes are on the rise, especially as a new wave of younger riders enters the sport. Disc-brake-equipped bikes benefit from being stiffer and safer to pedal down descents once the hill climb is over.

While disc-brake bikes can often weigh as little as 5kg, depending on the configuration, many participants use off-the-shelf builds or team-issued bikes that can’t be tweaked because of sponsor commitments. These bikes will often weigh between 6.8-7.3kg but can still be competitive depending on the course profile. This year’s fastest rider, Ezra Bateman, rode a stock 6.9kg Van Rysel RCR-R Pro.