This weekend, the British Hill Climb season got here to a climax on the 2024 Nationwide Hill Climb.
Harry Macfarlane of TAAP Kalas was victorious on the Dipton Mill Highway climb, beating three-time Nationwide Champion Andrew Feather by simply 2.3 seconds – and as you may anticipate, he did not win the Nationwide Hill Climb on a normal bike.
Free from any UCI rules, the world of hill climbing opens the door to all types of customizations, and it is honest to say Macfarlane’s bike is about as {custom} as they arrive.
Extremely-light wheels, stripped-back paint, and custom-made bike lights are just some of the modifications Macfarlane used to attain such a light-weight construct. Let’s check out the {custom} climbing machine intimately.
The frameset is outdated, however actually distinctive
(Picture credit score: Future (Andy Jones))
The bike is constructed round a 2008 Cervelo RS frameset (yep, that hyperlink is from the archives!) which Harry purchased already stripped again to a uncooked carbon fibre end. That is, after all, reasonably an excessive measure for a lot of, however in hill climbing such modifications are nearly a proper of passage for these on the prime of the sport. Paint on bikes will be heavy, and this modification can save as a lot as round 170 grams, relying on the precise body measurement and paint software.
The Cervelo is, after all, a rim brake frameset. Hill climbing is just about the one self-discipline in bike racing the place rim brakes nonetheless rule the roost, and it principally comes right down to price. The hill climb scene continues to be dominated by DIY builds, and since riders usually solely use the bikes for round two months of the 12 months, it is sensible to maintain prices down. After all, you’ll be able to construct a 5.5kg disc brake hill climb bike when you have the money, however for a lot of rim brake frames show to be a much more wallet-friendly possibility for ultralight builds.
The Sram Crimson eTap groupset is hardly new both, however it’s nonetheless ultra-lightweight
(Picture credit score: Future (Andy Jones))
Equally, Harry Macfarlane’s groupset options some reasonably outdated equipment, however that does not imply it is heavier.
Shifting duties are dealt with by a first-generation Sram Crimson eTap rim brake groupset, that has been arrange as a one-by system, because of the particular calls for of the climb. This 12 months’s take a look at was simply 1.1km lengthy with a mean gradient of 10%, that means a modest 38t entrance chainring was enough for Macfarlane.
Pasta = Fasta – it actually appears to have labored for Harry
(Picture credit score: Future (Andy Jones))
Macfarlane paired this with a comparatively normal Sram Crimson 11-28 cassette to deal with the utmost pitches of over 14%. Although the Sram Crimson eTap groupset was first launched again in the summertime of 2015, it stays a agency favorite among the many hill climbing group for 2 causes.
The primary, after all, is weight. The groupset, in a two-by setup, is available in at 1,970g, which is almost half a kilo lighter than the present era groupset because of a scarcity of disc rotors and solely having 11 rear sprockets. The second motive is simplicity – with simply two brake cables to fret about, the decade-old groupset is especially simple to tinker with, one thing hill climbers cannot get sufficient of.
The Dura Ace C24 wheelset, from 2016, is positively new compared,
(Picture credit score: Future (Andy Jones))
Rolling duties are dealt with by a blast from the previous too, within the type of Shimano’s Dura-Ace C24 carbon tubular wheels. Hovering across the 1,100-gram mark, the wheels aren’t the lightest you may discover on the market right this moment, however nonetheless stay aggressive within the hill climbing house.
The wheels are shod with ultralight Vittoria Corsa tubular tyres in a slim, by right this moment’s requirements, 25mm width.
Carbon fibre handlebars are current and proper, although Macfarlane did select to not chop them down to save lots of an additional few grams
(Picture credit score: Future (Andy Jones))
Up entrance, it turns into abundantly clear that this bike is simply constructed to be ridden for brief intervals. Macfarlane has forgone the consolation of handlebar tape to save lots of round 50 grams from the carbon fibre cockpit setup. Apparently Macfarlane nonetheless makes use of an out-front mount, full-size Wahoo Elemnt Bolt biking pc, and even has a digital camera mount to document the motion – treasured grams many would select to go with out.
Private messages from pals and rivals are what makes this construct really particular
(Picture credit score: Future (Andy Jones))
The celebration piece of this bike is the {custom} ‘paint job’, and the image above reveals how this bike’s distinctive look got here to fruition.
Macfarlane used a white marker pen so as to add some reasonably distinctive messages, which we presume assist to maintain morale excessive whereas he’s deep within the damage locker. ‘Pasta = Fasta’ and ‘Feed me beer’, it should be mentioned, are my private favourites.
After Macfarlane had completed with the bike, it was then as much as the broader hill climb group. Harry informed Biking Weekly that timekeepers, spectators, and riders had all picked up the white marker pen to finish the ‘group venture’ ending off this reasonably particular machine.
