On Saturday 30th September 2017, some 250 cyclists descended on a small residential street in Highgate, North London. Their task: to race up Swain's Lane, a notoriously steep road in London. It's not even a mile long, but hits 20% gradient at its steepest, and is truly punishing. Organised by Rollapaluza, the excellent Urban Hill Climb has been going for a few years now.

And so, fuelled with coffee from the excellent Apemen and the Bean, I set up my gear at the steepest point of the climb, just where I could capture the best pain faces that cycling has to offer...

Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017

Oh, did I forget to mention? There was a cargo bike category. And a load of riders did it on fixies...

Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017
Urban Hill Climb 2017