Welsh town could claim steepest street Guinness World Record from New Zealand
Tackling the world’s steepest street on Strava could become a lot easier

A small Welsh town could claim the title for steepest street in the world, taking the record from Baldwin Street in New Zealand.
Harlech in north Wales could claim the Guinness World Record for steepest street, pending the official measurements.
Baldwin Street in Dunedin, New Zealand currently holds the record, hitting 35 per cent at its steepest point.
But residents of Harlech, which is in Gwynedd, believe their street Ffordd Pen Llech is steeper at 36 per cent.
Resident Gwyn Headley was the first person to notice the Welsh street’s record breaking potential.
He told BBC Radio Wales: “I was driving down it in the summer when it struck me how steep it could be.”
An official measurement was due to take place on Wednesday (January 9) with results being sent to Guinness World Records.
It could take weeks before residents know if they have been successful.
>>> Best cycling apps: iPhone and Android tools for cyclists
The Guinness measurement is based on the maximum gradient over a 10 metre span, comparing the altitude rise to the distance.
Cars are warned not to use Ffordd Pen Lech, which is the steepest street in Britain.
Dunedin is proud of the world record it holds – Baldwin Street has a sign acknowledging it’s status.
The mayor of the town, Dave Cull, told The Guardian: “If Wales turns out to have a steeper one, we will just have to arrange one of our periodic earthquakes and tilt Baldwin a bit more.”
According to Stava, Baldwin Street is 0.23 miles long, with an average gradient of 18 per cent.
>>> From Colombia to Cumbria: The 16 most brutal Strava climbs anywhere in the world
The current KoM holder is John Wazowski, who reached the top in 1-19, averaging 10.5 mph and 667 watts.
By comparison, Ffordd Pen Llech is just 0.14 miles long but averages at 21 per cent according to Strava.
Mike Morris holds the KoM in a time of 1-03, holding 8.4 mph over the duration and pushing 501 watts.
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
-
-
Former Tour de France yellow jersey wearer to ride Unbound Gravel
Unbound 200 contestants will be joined by a gravel newcomer of note this year. Former Tour de France race leader Jan Bakelants is joining in on the fray.
By Anne-Marije Rook • Published
-
POC Ventral Tempus MIPS Review - A helmet for riding in the rain, and being seen
Bright, light and comfortable, but not cheap
By Tyler Boucher • Published
-
Hackers can find your home on Strava even if you use privacy settings, researchers find
Belgian study shows "protected zones" can still be accessed by hackers 85% of the time
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Tadej Pogačar claims Kwaremont-Paterberg Strava KOM in Tour of Flanders romp
The two-time Tour de France winner took a host of Strava trophies in Flanders on Sunday
By Tom Davidson • Published
-
American cyclist aims to break Strava record with a 950-mile cross spanning three states
The Guinness World Record attempt will traverse three state lines and is expected to take seven days to finish
By Anne-Marije Rook • Published
-
Strava recognises French velociraptor as largest GPS drawing ever made by bike
Velociraptor measuring 1,024.72 kilometres took more than 43 hours to complete
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Strava insists new pricing structure is legal
The company is varying its subscription prices depending on the user's country of residence
By Tom Davidson • Published
-
Strava apologises for 'confusing' subscription price hike
Fitness tracking app has sought to clarify changes to pricing after initial "very confusing" messaging
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
'Strava inflation' takes on new meaning with price rise above 25%
'Strava inflation' could previously be applied to the growth in user numbers and subsequent increase in segment speeds, now it signifies a notable price rise
By Jack Elton-Walters • Published
-
The Strava community has spoken… here are the changes they want to see made to the app in 2023
One request cropped up more than anything else
By Adam Hart • Published