Midgley Road

Distance: 1570 metres, Ascent: 113 metres, route map

Midgley Road is one of those snack-sized climbs that you can eat between meals without spoiling your appetite for tougher ones elsewhere. It takes you from the busy heart of Mytholmroyd, up the northern escarpment of the Calder Valley to Height Road which contours along its top edge.

The start is easy enough to find as it’s just on the west side of the Russell Dean furniture store near the middle of the village and the climb starts as soon as you leave the A646. You’ve only got 1600 metres to gain 120 metres in height so it’s never going to be a doddle.

The start is comfortable enough. The road meanders its way up through Mytholmroyd, past the school and round to the right where it levels off and even has a fleeting moment when it flirts with the whole downhill thing. It’s just a passing fancy though. Around the corner from Ewood Hall is where the fun begins. It’s a long straight ramp and it’s the steepest part of the climb with the added bonus that it gets ever so slightly steeper just towards the end when you least need it.

At the top I’d recommend turning either left or right. No seriously, you can’t go wrong whichever direction you take. Turning right takes you downhill through the attractive and elongated village of Midgley towards the picturesque village of Luddenden, from where you can have a go at a few more climbs. Turning left takes you onto the Height Road which is a continuous gentle climb towards Old Town and some fantastic views over the upper Calder Valley.