Porlock Toll Hill Climb

Without doubt the most prestigious hill climb in the South West calendar, the Porlock Hill Climb always lures talent from all corners of the country - all of whom are within a shot of the £350 cash prize, not a bad reward for fourteen minutes of work. However, it is not just the economic appeal that makes this event so special. This is an event that my own mother gets excited about and it's not because she's interested in gazing at sub five kilogram bikes. The appeal of Porlock depends on who you are...

The Cyclist:

• Closed roads, six and a half kilometres of relentless climbing, averaging nearly six percent. Not only is this climb long and consistent enough to imagine you're on Alpe d'Huez in the tour, there's also two hairpins and a start ramp to make that dream a reality.
• Witness the best in the United Kingdom ride up a hill very quickly. We're talking professional riders, up and coming talents and even the current senior british champion, Dan Evans. Also expect a selection of custom built bikes, with the added consideration of aerodynamics due to the steady gradient. 
• Other nice touches include a computer screen back at HQ which automatically puts the times in order, a personalised race number to cherish and of course, a plentiful supply of coffee and cake after the race.  

The Tourist:

• Views that are to die for. Exmoor often plays second fiddle to Dartmoor on the tourist map, but is every bit as spectacular. From the top of the climb it appears as if you can reach out and touch the Welsh coastline. 
• Postcard perfect villages. The village of Porlock itself is a very pleasant place to be, but travel a few miles in any direction (apart from towards Minehead) and you'll soon be greeted by a tranquil river running under a stone bridge, traditional cottages and maybe even a Exmoor pony...
• An extensive list of unique attractions including Dunster Castle, Tarr Steps and many more, why not stop on your way home?  

Regarding my race, I can think of no other way to describe it except undeniably average. I remember thinking before, If I rode up at 400 watts I would be satisfied, but if I was on a mad flyer, maybe that number would creep up towards 420. I could make excuses, but that would be a whole different article. The fact is it didn't go quite as well as I'd hoped, but I did manage 403 watts. I stopped the clock in fifteen minutes and four seconds, which put me in fifth place, twenty eight seconds behind the winner Charlie Meredith, well done that man. Perhaps the biggest indication of the quality of the field was seeing the British champion finish third, fourteen seconds ahead of me, but fourteen seconds behind the winning time.

After the chatting and awards, I was rather keen to get home to watch the end of the world championships road race, but my parents fancied hanging around the beautiful area and going for a cream tea. The seemingly perfect hill climb had developed a problem. How I wished that we were in an industrial estate on the edge of Birmingham. The drive takes about an hour and twenty minutes, but when I remembered that the wind was north-westerly, I made the decision to jump on my bike and got home in 2 hours, just in time to watch Valverde triumph in Innsbruck. I heard somewhere that he entered the Porlock hill climb, but didn't get selected, so had to go to the worlds instead. 

Thanks as always to the organisers, marshals, caterers, event sponsors (https://www.tanks-direct.co.uk/), parents and Team PB Performance. 

If you would like a list of my excuses, please drop me a message or leave a comment below.