Final Hill Climbs of the season

Pearce

I'll be heading to these two Hill Climbs, the last ones i can see this year that are local-ish, and was wondering if i would have any company, for those that enjoy pain!

Sunday 21st October, Hitchin Nomads club HC at Charlton Hill, Charlton, 11.30am MAP.

Sunday 4th November, Sudbury CC HC incorporating the East District Champs, from 11am Details. This has to be entered in advance.

tduckett

Chris, your a glutton for punishment you! Good to see you becoming club hill climb specialist.

Andy Saunders from HNCC said that CCA riders would be more than welcome at Charlton which is a hill most of us have been up a few times. Its quite steep and usually has a river running down it it memory serves me right.

Hope a few can get over to it, not me though we are at the davy downs cross.

Pearce

Today was the most ill prepared i have ever been, with some ill-timed problems thrown in!

Arrived late which meant i was last to ride (luckily) but then a puncture 10 minutes before i was due to set off meant a mad scramble back up the hill to my car, the quickest tube change i have ever done, a poorly inflated tyre and getting to the start line at my 30 second call!

Results

Happy with only being a few seconds off the top.

tduckett

Nice one Chris, very good result that.

Also impressed that the winner managed 6 pints in the pub afterwards!!

Theo-saurus

great result Chris, I know that pre start-line rush too well

Martin L

Popped in on the National Hill Climb yesterday. I felt like I'd entered the land of the Diddymen - 150 very small and very light blokes looking a bit terrified.

Despite pretty rubbish conditions - a great turnout on Ramsbottom Rake. A mini Alpe d'Huez Dutch Corner on the toughest bit. Here's the winner storming through the toughest 25% gradient bit. Unreal speed for the angle. For those that know it - this bit is totally Mow Cop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoiYqxB1gmE

And he was several seconds off the record. He'd have got £400 for that.

Bloke in 2nd place no slouch;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMHVC9B4q0E

Plenty of riders semi-conscious and/or throwing up at the top. 'Ardcore. All lying down on their backs in the rain like some lycra-clad WW2 mission gone well wrong. It doesn't make for a glamourous looking sport. And nice to see the lack of any 21st Century technology at the top and just an old boy with a marker pen in a trailer and a big board with all the times on far too small to read properly.

Good fun.

I hope to organize a Bowland/Dales overnighter club ride in 2013 that'll do the Rake among other bigguns from the Top 100 Hill Climbs. Watch this space.

Pearce

Looked amazing Martin, i thought the crowds were decent at Catford but this is something else.

Bar Pullar winning by a clear margin, the performance of the day was James Knox at 9th, he is only 16!!!!

One of the riders has written a great blog here

And there is a decent full video here

Pearce

Just come across another great video which shows the crazy things people do to keep the weight down on their bikes: Me and my hill climb bike

I'll be getting the drill out tonight in preparation for Sunday........

Pearce

A grim day matched by a grim result.

Sudbury Open Hill Climb results

There were 24 riders who placed a time, i came in a lowly 17th. I was far too overgeared at the start as i thought the start line was further back on a gentler incline, which is where i had been practicing from, and i didn't take this into account when i rolled up to start. Then i geared down one too far, as i found the going easier than on my earlier runs. 11-17th was separated by just 3 seconds, so i can only guess where i could have been. Anyhow i know for next year.

The only bonus was it was so wet that it actually cleaned my bike!