'I thought it was going to be tougher' - Meet the first and only hand-cyclist at the British National Hill Climb Championships

Over ten minutes behind the men's winner at the British National Hill Climb Championships last weekend, Geoff Pickin completed his own ascent of the Dipton Mill Road in Hexham, Northumberland (UK).

However, Pickin isn't just any other cyclist; he is the first, and to date the only, hand-cyclist to compete at the British hill climb nationals, the blue-ribbon event in the short season of uphill races that take place each autumn. The 61-year-old from south Wales raced his first nationals in 2022, and has been back every year since. Winner Harry MacFarlane might be ten minutes ahead of him, but he's riding a very different race.

"I started doing climbs after I read Simon Warren’s book [100 Greatest Cycling Climbs], and then I read about the National Hill Climb," Pickin told Cycling Weekly this week. "I entered in 2022 and 2023, and became the first hand cyclist, paraplegic rider to do it. Since then, I’ve done hill climbs every season, and this year I went to France for three rounds of a hill climb series, which takes in some of the Tour de France cols in the Massif Central.

"I had my accident in 1991, and was paralysed from the waist down. I got into hand cycling around 1998 when the bikes started coming over it. I’ve been cycling since then, but in the last two or three years I’ve pushed myself a bit more."

It must be an interesting sight for the people who line the road at the nationals, adjusting from the people on ordinary bicycles to Pickin on a hand-cycle, which he says weighs about 13kg, has three chain rings, and means he goes up at about 3mph.

"I think the crowds enjoy it, they like to see it to be honest, and I’ve got well-known with the other competitors now," he continued. "It’s just good craic really, the hill climb. Everyone is looking out for each other.

"It's brilliant. I though this year's was going to be a lot steeper than what it was. Last year, when we did The Struggle [Kirkstone Pass, in the UK's Lake District], the final ramp was so hard. There's always an enormous sense of achievement. The Old Shoev [Llangollen, North Wales] was quite tough too. I thought it was going to be tougher than it was."

It is not just his hand-bike that marks him out, though, it is the fact he's 61, 34 years older than MacFarlane, the winner.

"I've had a good season this year," Pickin said. "I'm getting on a bit now, compared to all these youngsters that are doing it, there weren't too many over 60s on the start list the days.

"I live near the New Severn Bridge, it's pretty flat where I am so I like travelling for a good climb. I make a weekend of it, it's a bit of a holiday."