‘Another one? Another one. Go on, then, one more.’ I thought to myself as I approached the final climb of the day. I clicked up through the gears and settled myself into a cadence I was confident I’d be able to sustain for the next few hundred metres. Despite not being the hardest climb of the day by any measure, it was the last one before getting back home. With over 100km of fatigue in the legs, I was excited to get back and reflect on what had been an epic ride on some of the best roads the UK has to offer.
Unlike Greenland, the Peak District in the north of England has been correctly named thanks to its geological properties. As it sits right in the heart of the UK, it’s a pretty accessible part of the country to explore and enjoy some fresh roads to test your legs on. I live 160 miles south and do most of my riding in the Surrey hills, so I’m no stranger to a spicy gradient, however, the Peak District certainly does turn it up a notch.
I’m using the Peaks to experience the Pinarello X3, the famous Italian brand’s newly launched endurance-focused road bike. Created to give riders a fresh option in the road endurance category, it promises to be the perfect entry point to Pinarello’s premium road bike offerings.
Combining comfort geometry with a high-performance frame, the Pinarello X was launched in early spring, and with only a small window to enjoy this new bike, I decided to ride it on some of Britain’s best roads for cycling. The Peak District is a place I’ve ridden before, but it’s always left me wanting more. My aim with the Pinarello X: to discover more roads, more climbs and do it all in a single day.
My day started in the tiny village of Ashover, which sits halfway between Matlock and Chesterfield. Happily, the village is already at ‘altitude’, meaning you aren’t met with a brutally steep climb as soon as you start the ride. As I rolled along the open lanes, warming up my legs and taking in the vast views, I knew that at some point I would have to start descending, and it came in the form of the notorious 1km long Rowsley Bar with its average 12.5% gradient.
It’s a climb I’ve suffered on previously, but mercifully, I would just be going down this time. What surprised me was just how steep it was – perhaps my selective memory had glossed over that part. The hairpin which sits at roughly the halfway point of the climb put the Pinarello X3’s hydraulic Shimano 105 disc brakes…
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