What on earth is a Cobble Wobble anyway?

A person wearing a robot costume is riding a bicycle during a street event, with a group of spectators watching behind a barricade, on a wet cobblestone street.

With its narrow streets, 17th-century architecture, and cheering crowds lining every inch of the course, the Cobble Wobble is a spectacle like no other.

The event brings together a vibrant mix of international pro athletes from various cycling disciplines and enthusiastic participants of all ages. It’s as much about having fun and joining the excitement as it is about racing to win.

Category winners and the 20 fastest overall riders earn a spot in the prestigious evening finale—the King of the Cobbles—a thrilling showdown to crown the event’s ultimate champion.

Created and organised by Andrew Denham since 2009, the Cobble Wobble has drawn participants from across the UK and media coverage from around the globe.

It has provided the blueprint for Germany’s Cobble Hoppel and even inspired Red Bull’s Hill Chasers, held in cities around the world.

Hand-drawn map of the Cobble Wobble course.

Starting at the base of Stony Street, the course takes a sharp turn onto Catherine Hill, climbing 179 yards before ending where the cobbles give way at the hill’s summit.

Flanked by 17th-century buildings and incredibly narrow, the route is as breathtaking to behold as it is challenging to ride. With thousands of cobbles, a shifting gradient, and that tight corner to navigate, the Cobble Wobble course is a true test of both strength and skill.

A cyclist in racing gear riding a bicycle through a cobblestone street, surrounded by a crowd of spectators on both sides.
Cyclist riding a bike over a cobblestone street amidst a crowd of spectators on both sides, during a race event with banners.
Cycling award ceremony with winners on podium holding bikes, surrounded by crowd and media at night.

We’re here to celebrate cycling as fun, accessible and meaningful.

Inclusivity is at the heart of the Cobble Wobble— and this year, we’ve expanded the format to make it even more welcoming!

Cobble Waddle logo, sponsored by Woom.

Cobble Waddle Presented by Woom

Kids on little wheeled bikes take on the final ~20 yards of the hill, riding through the same roaring crowd, with full fanfare and live commentary. Big smiles, happy kids, pure joy.

Junior Cobble Wobble logo, sponsored by Woom.

Cobble Wobble Junior Presented by Woom

Junior Cobble Wobble - a shorter course (the last ~80 yards) for young riders on pedal bikes. Whether they conquer the hill under their own steam or need a little extra encouragement, they’ll be met with cheers and a tidal wave of crowd support to get them to the top!

Logo for the Cobbl-E Wobble sponsored by Tern

Tern Cobbl-E Wobble

For riders with limited mobility, reduced strength - or just a healthy respect for gravity (!). Riding E-bikes is a fun twist that opens the event to more people.

King of the Cobbles logo, sponsored by Marin Bikes.
Queen of the Cobbles logo, sponsored by Marin Bikes.

Marin King & Queen of the Cobbles

Category winners, plus the 20 fastest riders overall, will go through to the prestigious evening showdown to crown the ‘King & Queen of the Cobbles’ —the event’s overall champions.

So… Pump up your tyres and take on the cobbles. It doesn’t matter if you’re fast or slow, dressed as a hot dog, or walking after the first few yards — just get involved. Every kind of cycle is welcome, all ages can ride, and we promise you’ll have a brilliant time!

King of the Cobbles logo, sponsored by Marin Bikes.

  • Organised as part of a series of events held to celebrate the stage 5 of the 2009 Tour of Britain, which started in Frome. Local hero Neil Cousins beat the competition to take the ‘King of the Cobbles’ crown at the low-fi inaugural event with a time of 23.54 seconds.

  • After the success of the first event, we secured the involvement of Charge Bikes, Red Bull and Knog as main sponsors of the event, which brought riders from across the country. Professional mountain biker Chris Akrigg won the King of the Cobbles with a blistering time of 21.51 seconds (which is still the fastest time ever recorded on the hill)!

  • With Chris Akkrigg out of the event due to injury, there were no longer any favourites. With a strong field of riders from every cycling discipline, competition was fierce. In the end professional BMX racer, Lewis Lacey, cranked his way to victory with a time of 22.71 seconds, to become the new King of the Cobbles.

  • By this time the event was attracting topflight athletes from across the world, which made the final a real spectacle, full of suspense. In the end the winner was the then 4 Cross Mountain Bike World Champion, Michal Prokop, with a time of 22.966 seconds in the wet!

  • Charlie Hoy (23.54 seconds) and Amelie Eaton (34.52 Seconds) — both living within 15 miles of Catherine Hill — were crowned the rightful winners of this year’s revival. Remarkably, Charlie was just four years old when the Cobble Wobble last took place, and Amelie hadn’t even been born!

  • Do you have what it takes to summit the hill faster than the rest? Enter Now to be in with a chance of being crowned the King or Queen of the Cobbles!!

“Quirky and positively life-affirming”

Thanks to our fantastic sponsors

Adam Gasson | Anthony Oram | ARN | A Tribe Called West | Beeline | Ben O’Brien | Blue Whippet Paintworks | Bum Butter | CH Contracting | Cooper & Tanner | Fancy Studio | Frome Town Council | GoPro | GoSelfDrive | Gumption Agency | Harris & Harris | Hiplok | JW Ransoms & Sons | Knog | Marin | Pencil Studio | Permaframe | Positive Experience | Red Bull | Ripe Digital | Schwalbe | Shimano | Somerset Screenprint | Sydenhams Hire | Tern Bicycles | The Scaff Shop | TrueStart Coffee | Woom

(Frome businesses highlighted in Bold type)
A person in a Big Bird costume riding a bicycle through a crowd of spectators along a cobblestone street during a parade or event.