[Other Sport] Cycling geeks

[1066familyman]

Just back from a very short spin with 9yr old 1066. Wanted to see if we could get her up the nasty hill home from the seafront on a one way trip and tail/cross wind to help(sort of). Her best performance yet with just one tiny foot down few seconds stop. She's well chuffed!
That wind is really viscious today and very swirly. Hats off to all the Sussex Puncheurs today - epic rides in these conditions.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

That's the problem locally I guess. Even Truleigh hill (Mill Hill on Strava) seems long in comparison at over 4km.
I often do up and over the Bostal and carry on to the A27 and back, which has nice stretches of incline.

You got any hidden gems?

We were just discussing today another trip to Exmoor to help remedy this issue and take on Dunkery Beacon again.
I'm also up in Yorkshire for the Grand Départ so will hopefully have time for a hill or two.

Oh yeah, I'd forgotten Truleigh Hill - a lovely climb. Another to add to the list.

 

[Stat Brother]

Cheers Stat. I'll check them out (but know, and hate, Bury Hill).

Bury is by far the worse of the 4, although Houghton's no picnic.

Having had a look Harting Down is pretty much 7 miles of climbing 560 feet.
I didn't think that sounded like much but it turns out to be the height of The Gerkin or BT Tower.

The climb, north of Chichester, starts pretty gently for the first 4 miles, ramps up for a mile, drops down for 1/2 a mile, before a pretty brutal final mile+.

 

[Hamilton]

I didn't get gold. Silver for me, but a time of 4:32 was only good enough for this if you are 50 plus. Fortunately (!) I am.

The Albion cap was [MENTION=225]Hamilton[/MENTION]. I was cycling with him and another friend until a woman behind me had a mechanical which caused her to crash into a hedge, having failed to de-cleat.

Obviously I stopped to help, putting her chain back on, making sure she was ok etc. I only stopped, with Kev, my other mate, for less than five minutes. Did Hamilton wait? Did he f***. He was off, on the attack, and we didn't see him for dust. He even by-passed the feed stop where we thought we'd see him.

What a cad.

He still only finished two minutes before me and Kev, though, and appears to have missed out on silver by six seconds.

Odd how we started off at the same time, I finished ahead and yet only got a bronze.

Don't believe him everyone. He fell off and a young lady helped him back on his bike.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Odd how we started off at the same time, I finished ahead and yet only got a bronze.

Don't believe him everyone. He fell off and a young lady helped him back on his bike.

 

[Hamilton]

That's no way to thank the young lady

 

[Pogue Mahone]

That's no way to thank the young lady

When I told the other guys about the incident at the feed stop, the first thing they all said was 'Was she fit?' She wasn't, so the fellas said that I should have left her to it.

Stat would have been proud of them.

 

[Stat Brother]

When I told the other guys about the incident at the feed stop, the first thing they all said was 'Was she fit?' She wasn't, so the fellas said that I should have left her to it.

Stat would have been proud of them.

It would seem she should have been pushed in the hedge.

Hamilton??

 

[Hamilton]

It would seem she should have been pushed in the hedge.

Hamilton??

Can't really comment. Never saw said young lady, and if I had been in Pogues position, then fit or not I would have helped.

Perhaps she spotted Pogues fine athletic form and deliberately threw herself into the hedge in order to woo him.

 

[Stat Brother]

Ok then lesser (I am never going to tire of that prejudice) Sussexites on a sunny day with time on your side, try this:-

Shoreham airport
Cross the A27 to Coombes (Lancing Collage)
Steyning.
Washington.
Sullington.
Storrington.
Left at Tesco garage for Amberley.
Whiteways roundabout.
You could turn left and go down then back up Arundel Hill to get back to Whiteways.
Bury Hill, descent. (North exit)
Coldwaltham
Pulborough.
Storrington.
Back home.

Not a lot of change from 60 miles, depending on your starting point.

Other than a couple of miles between Pulborough and Storrington not a flat road to be had.

The only drawback being the same road from Storrington to Steyning.
You could take the edge off that by going Spithandle Lane (left then right past Washington), Ashurst?, Partridge Green, Henfield.
But that'll pile on a few more miles.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Did [MENTION=16159]Bold Seagull[/MENTION] make it in?
Certainly sounds like if he wanted to he could just turn up and ride!!!

Ill wait for updates, in it to win it.

It was bloody freezing all the way. And windy. And it finished at the top of Ditchling Beacon.

I won though. Sort of.

Couldn't make it in the end, my son's team had a match in the morning, then I had a family gathering in the afternoon (enjoyed a muddy walk around Charlwood). Anyway, Pogue, did you really beat Spreadbetting up the Beacon!?

 

[Bold Seagull]

Did [MENTION=16159]Bold Seagull[/MENTION] make it in?
Certainly sounds like if he wanted to he could just turn up and ride!!!

Ill wait for updates, in it to win it.

Odd how we started off at the same time, I finished ahead and yet only got a bronze.

Don't believe him everyone. He fell off and a young lady helped him back on his bike.

That's no way to thank the young lady

When I told the other guys about the incident at the feed stop, the first thing they all said was 'Was she fit?' She wasn't, so the fellas said that I should have left her to it.

Stat would have been proud of them.

Can't really comment. Never saw said young lady, and if I had been in Pogues position, then fit or not I would have helped.

Perhaps she spotted Pogues fine athletic form and deliberately threw herself into the hedge in order to woo him.

Certainly sounds like a lot of fun!!!

 

[Bold Seagull]

Oh yeah, I'd forgotten Truleigh Hill - a lovely climb. Another to add to the list.

Bury is by far the worse of the 4, although Houghton's no picnic.

Having had a look Harting Down is pretty much 7 miles of climbing 560 feet.
I didn't think that sounded like much but it turns out to be the height of The Gerkin or BT Tower.

The climb, north of Chichester, starts pretty gently for the first 4 miles, ramps up for a mile, drops down for 1/2 a mile, before a pretty brutal final mile+.

A quiet little climb I did on an Excelsior club ride last year was Horsebridge Hill which is a lane just south of Burdocks in between Wisborough Green and Fittleworth. Beautiful tree canopy lane with a seriously steep section halfway. Well worth a look.

Stat, I've logged your other route you listed as it sounds similar to an alternative to what I normally do. I seem to know Coombes Lane like the back of my hand these days.

 

[Hamilton]

Certainly sounds like a lot of fun!!!

What I will say is that yesterday was like being shot out of a cannon. From the off the peletons were pushing one another along at an extraordinary rate of knots. Exhilarating, but also as a rider I was aware that something would have to give later to pay for the pace early on.

When the field inevitably thinned halfway into the sportive it was back to individual rider against the elements. That was tough. Those that shot their bolt to early would have found some of those later climbs (Turners Hill and everything thereafter) hideous.

As for the Beacon: worst I have ever felt on it.

 

[Stat Brother]

A quiet little climb I did on an Excelsior club ride last year was Horsebridge Hill which is a lane just south of Burdocks in between Wisborough Green and Fittleworth. Beautiful tree canopy lane with a seriously steep section halfway. Well worth a look.

Stat, I've logged your other route you listed as it sounds similar to an alternative to what I normally do. I seem to know Coombes Lane like the back of my hand these days.

Mentioning Wisborough Green reminds me of another, although not a ride I did too often.

Going South to North through Petworth, as you pop out the other side take a right fork, possibly Bulls Cross.
That then loops right round the back roads, Kirdford W/Green etc to the A29 @ Adversane.
Very quiet, very Sussex.

Just looked it up:-

basically Balls Cross Road
Kirdford Road
A272 Billingshurst Road (necessary evil)
The B2133 to Adversane
Across the A29
Then pick your road back to Storrington
Either stay on B2133 and drop down on the B2139
Or leave earlier down BroadfordBridge Road.

 

[manintheblackpajamas]

With all the Storrington mentions, it's worth a slight detour up the Chantry:
http://www.strava.com/segments/4594620

a steady kilometre followed by a steep 1.5km.

And like Truleigh Hill, it's a dead end so the only traffic is cars parking up at the top rather than through traffic.
Haven't done it this year though and will probably wait for the roads to clear up a bit in terms of winter debris.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Couldn't make it in the end, my son's team had a match in the morning, then I had a family gathering in the afternoon (enjoyed a muddy walk around Charlwood). Anyway, Pogue, did you really beat Spreadbetting up the Beacon!?

We didn't see Spreadbetting, but I imagine I'd have beaten him...

It was momentous up there - I overtook SEVERAL people on Ditchling Beacon, which is not something that I'm used to doing.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

What I will say is that yesterday was like being shot out of a cannon. From the off the peletons were pushing one another along at an extraordinary rate of knots. Exhilarating, but also as a rider I was aware that something would have to give later to pay for the pace early on.

When the field inevitably thinned halfway into the sportive it was back to individual rider against the elements. That was tough. Those that shot their bolt to early would have found some of those later climbs (Turners Hill and everything thereafter) hideous.

As for the Beacon: worst I have ever felt on it.

Also, wind behind us for the first half and very much against for the second.

 

[Hamilton]

We didn't see Spreadbetting, but I imagine I'd have beaten him...

It was momentous up there - I overtook SEVERAL people on Ditchling Beacon, which is not something that I'm used to doing.

That's because you are 'The Belgian'!

 

[Pogue Mahone]

That's because you are 'The Belgian'!

I'd forgotten about that!