Nothing beats the elation of cycling to the top of a climb - it's one of life's purest highs

This article is part of a series called ‘A love letter to…’, where Cycling Weekly writers pour praise on their favourite aspects of cycling. The below content is unfiltered, authentic and has not been paid for.

I am not built like a natural climber. I'm not light, for a start, and that's not going to change any time soon. My torso is longer than my body, and I don't have the grace of some of my friends, who seem to nip up ascents. I know I'm a fairly strong cyclist, but it's something I often reflect on as I power myself up hills. It's often a grind, not a glide.

If I push myself on a climb, which might be faster than some but not others, my heart rate can zoom up above 190bpm, my legs scream, as do my lungs, and all I can focus on is getting to the top. Occasionally someone tries to speak to me in this moment and they receive the same withering dismissal. I'm not there to chat.

Climbs can be horrible, we all know this. Whatever kind of cyclist you are, whether you're speedy or steady, when you make an effort uphill, it's hard. Everyone on a bike has a love/hate relationship with them; they are a part of life on two wheels, but are a fearsome prospect all too often as well.

However, despite how grim they can sometimes be, I love hills. There is almost nothing like the sense of true achievement you get from reaching the top of an ascent. It's a linear trend, too: the trickier the climb, the better the feeling. It's a quick reminder of how strong you are, both mentally and physically. Other people might wilt at the challenge of climbing this rise/hill/mountain - delete as appropriate - but not you, you've made it up there.

It does help to be in form, to be fit, as then the whole affair is over quicker, but the relief at the top never goes away, and sometimes it changes into sheer delight.

When I rode the Tour of Flanders sportive at the beginning of April, the Paterberg loomed large in my head all day - 350 metres at 13.5%, with the added obstacle of cobbles - as on my previous attempt at it, I ended up walking in my cleats. Heading towards it, the final climb of a tough day, all I could think about was the potential for failure again. I made it up, though, tongue hanging from my mouth and powering on. Reaching the top, I couldn't contain my smile. Perhaps it says something about me, but it was one of the happiest moments of my year so far. I was beaming.

All that came just from a few minutes, a few hundred metres, on a narrow, rural road. The endorphins and joy that emerge from powering up a hill are so much cheaper than other highs, and there are no particularly negative side effects, either.

My cycling club put on a weekly event called Hills and Pils, which does what it says on the tin - you cycle up some hills, and then have a beer after, if you'd like. There are 13 climbs in Bristol that are tackled, most of them pretty nasty, but that's what makes getting up them all the more rewarding; St Michael's Hill is 240m at 12.9%, a climb so cruel I wish I could bottle the feeling of getting to the top. Of course, what makes this ride all the more gruelling is the fact that there's almost always another climb coming, but this isn't about egos or dropping people - you're waited for at the top, whatever happens.

Knowing I can get round the route gives me confidence that I can climb a lot of things, be it a mountain or a berg, and I'm grateful for the weekly endorphin-boost it gives me. If you're interested, I ride with Newtown Park in Bristol, and we're always welcoming to newcomers. Outliers in Edinburgh, Brixton in London and Neighbourhood in Brighton, among others, do run similar rides.

Of course I like descents, and those times on the flat with a tailwind, when I feel like I'm flying along. My favourite kind of climb is anything I can do in the big ring, stomping up, whether it's long or short, but nothing feels as good as getting to the top of a vertiginous test.

The sun's out in the UK this week, so I encourage you to get outside and enjoy your nearest steep hill. Maybe you'll catch the bug and get into hill climbing. I promise you you'll feel great at the summit. I'll be doing the same tonight.