The inaugural Shaftesbury Cycle Revival will take place on Sunday June 12, combining a lung-bursting hill-climb over the cobbles of the world famous ‘Hovis Hill’ and an adrenalin fuelled urban descent.
Most interesting to roadies is the Gold Hill Honk, a hill climb on the cobbled ascent made famous by the 1973 Hovis advert. The Honk is capped to 120 riders and costs £6 to ride.
So who will be the bread winner? The Honk is open to both road and mountain bikes to find out.
“We’ve done the research but we’re not telling who’s quicker,” say the organisers. “That’s for you to come and find out as you pit your bike, strength and stamina against the hill and the clock.”
Before that, however, comes the the Shaftesbury Shooter, an urban downhill over a mixed terrain course that’s ideal for for dirt or jump bikes – the organisers tell us a downhill rig won’t get round the corners.
With Blackmore Vale as a backdrop, the course drops down a steep zig-zag path with concrete steps, tight tarmac corners, grassy off-camber slopes and a rock garden to boot. Limited to 70 riders (entry £10 per person, or both events for £15), each competitor gets two timed runs and the top 10 qualify for the final shoot-out.
