{
  "id": 16741638,
  "title": "Out with lightweight, in with aero? How riders fought wind and gravity at the 2026 British National Hill Climb Championships",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/out-with-lightweight-in-with-aero-how-riders-fought-wind-and-gravity",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-27T08:10:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Cycling Weekly",
    "slug": "cycling-weekly",
    "url": "https://www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/british-racing/out-with-lightweight-in-with-aero-how-riders-fought-wind-and-gravity-at-the-2026-british-national-hill-climb-championships"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The 2026 British National Hill-Climb Championships saw riders battle against a relentless headwind and gravity on the exposed Porlock Toll Road in Somerset. Although the course's average gradient was shallower than recent championships, the elements still favored pure climbers over time-trialists. Welsh champions Illi Gardner and Ed Laverack secured the women's and open titles, respectively.\n\nThe race featured a mix of riders, with some opting for lighter, more aero-oriented equipment to counter the wind. Notable among these was 16-year-old Juniors rider Erza Bateman, who set the fastest time of 14:31 in the junior open category. A headwind in the final stretch of the climb prompted riders to pay closer attention to aerodynamics, leading to a greater presence of aero bikes and bikes built for time-trialing compared to previous years.",
  "summary": "Aero helmets, aero and TT bikes, disc wheels, narrow handlebars as well as the usual weight-saving tricks in our mega bike gallery",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}