Yesterday's reliability trial report

[huw williams]

Got up at 7.45. It wa pissing down. Went back to bed at 8.00. Best day of the season so far, I felt really strong!

[Graham O]

I went along yesterday and did the 100K ride. I did rain all day. Of particular mention was being sprayed in the face with dung..Great..

Once you got used to the rain, It was OK though. I managed to stay with the fast guys for the first 20 miles or so, then decided that I had to finish, so joined a couple of guys and tried to cruise for the rest of the ride. Unfortunately, they were dropping like flies, so I had to ride quite a bit on my own.

The route meandered down to Ashdown forest and came back up through edenbridge and over toys hill (hardest hilll I have done in a long time), and then to cap it all, we had to come back up stars hill. By this point I was really seeing stars..

Did the whole thing in a little under 4 hours. Think I did about 80 miles in the end, and was reasonably strong on the run back to my house.

All good fun though, and ashdown is a great place. Toys hill from the south is bleed'in horrible though.

Ta

Graham.

[huw williams]

Well done mate - 4hours round there is very decent given the conditions.

Much of that route will feature in our preperation rides for the sportives so its good that you've experienced Toys hill for the first time. Sadly we'll be going up there quite a bit in the next two months

[Graham O]

Thats interesting....More practise up there is bound to be a good thing. Had a look at the map, it it looks to climb about 250 metres or so in a relatively short distance (a mile and a half or so). The ones in wales look to climb 500 metres, so I have some way to go yet.

Was also hoping to incorporate Titsey hill (the one they do the hill climbs on) into some of my rides. Still haven't atttempted this one. I guess that this is a fun hill as well.

What would you say is the hardest hill around these parts ?

[huw williams]

Toys is one of 'em especially if you follow it with Star and then one of the climbs from the bottom of Tatsfield up to New Addington on your way home.

Winterfold on the ToSH circuit (A 21%er out of Cranleigh)

White Post Hill going up under the M25 from Bletchingley to Caterham is a **** of a hill

Chalkpits, from Oxted to Waldingham Golf course is an absolute *******

But the worst ****** of them all is Succumbs Hill which goes from the Caterham Bypass roundabout up to Warlingham. Don't ever, EVER go up there!

When the RTs are over after next weekend I'll be doing a regular loop which includes most if not all of these.

[Graham O]

Think that the number if *'s is telling me something. I know the last one. I would take my car up there if it were good enough.

I'll be up for doing some of these after next weeks RT.

[John Cochrane]

Hugh's right when he says avoid Succombs. I remember as a youngster (pre teens) riding up this 1 in 4 hill once a week just for the hell of it. In those days we only had 5 gears and weaving up the hill was the only way to get up. That was some 50 years ago.

I would doubt, that even with the extra gears available today, that some weaving would not be necessary. For those who don't know the hill, the last section is very narrow and has two nasty bends one after the other. Often on the first bend there is a pothole on the nearside. The hill now is very busy and any chance of weaving is out of the question. The cars come down far too quickly. It is all too easy to be forced to make an emergency stop or take avoiding action. Very difficult without falling off if hauling yourself up a 1 in 4(25%)

I agree with Hugh. Don't even think about climbing this hill on grounds of safety.

[huw williams]

A perfect description John, thanks. The only time I've ever ridden it is early on a sunday when the traffic is light, otherwise even faster climbers will be causing a tailback of cars as its too narrow. And a stalled car on this hill would find it tough to get going again. A stalled rider would find it impossible. AVOID!

[Grahame]

This is the road in question. It even looks nasty on a map.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x ... search.srf

[Andy]

I get scared going down in a car You have to be crazy to go up or down that on a bike; considering it reaches out onto an always-busy motorway-connecting roundabout.

Yep, Chalkpit is nasty nasty nasty. Though one of my mates does it for fun

[Jim B]

Yes, the last time I went up Succombs Hill the car behind me decided not to overtake at the last minute and the car behind him crashed into the back of him.
Obviously I didn't stop!!!!

[huw williams]

How about we all go and ride it after the club run tomorrow Sean?

[huw williams]

We didn't want to encourage anyone to ride up there because of the traffic situation.

Following this thread you just know that next time there's an organised extended ride that somebody's going to include it!

[Snoop Doug]

Ahhhhh memories.

I used to live in Selsdon and work in Caterham, rode my bike to work every day and rode home for a v quick lunch too. Succombs Hill twice a day every day for about 18 months. Every pedal stroke at the very top section used to lift the front wheel of the ground. Can't even look at it now.

Fat Snoop

[Alan M]

I drive up and down this road a lot. I have cycled down but not up. My observation is that cars find it very difficult and nervous drivers often stall out at the top or cross the centre at the bottom. In my car the anti-skid always kicks in at the top even in the dry which is an indication of the uneven surface. I have nothing to prove by riding up this one, even if I could!