Falling leaves report

[huw williams]

Well I got that one right. Weather forecasters said the further south you went the better chances of avoiding rain, so I registered early and set off with the 9.am starters and with a target of sub 4 hours.

It's a tricky outrun from Dulwich because all the way to the first proper hill out of West Wickham you're riding through a traffic jam. On that hill we got the first chance to estimate who was who in the group of 25 and there were a few tasty looking riders who promised to make a fast time possible. The first selection before the top saw it whittled down to about 8 which stayed together up the nasty drag and down the descent to the bottom of Slines Oak.

But the first big climb of Woldingham saw a couple of attacks which decimated it. Suddenly all the good looking guys who had been pulling big turns on the front were grovelling so I attcked and three others came with me. Over the top we dropped one guy and along the golf course accross the ridge the three of us sat up and had a brief chat about weather it was wise to wait for the others or go for a 'long one.'

It was really windy and the prospect of a further 60 miles with only two other riders to work with was a bit scary but we'd opened up such a gap on the climb that I didn't want to wait so we decided to go for it.

The descent down to the A25 was insane because the road conditions were so bad but it was definitely safer with three riders rather than a group of 30.

We shared the work into the brutal headwind along the flatlands of Tandridge and finally made the left turn to Edenbridge where the change of direction made the wind more managable. The other two guys (West London Triathlon and VC something or other in yellow kit) riders were both good racers and we didn't have to talk we just fell into an automatic through and off and were keeping well ahead of schedule.

After Edenbridge, on those short nasty rolling climbs VC proved to be a strong climber and wound it up on the front on every ascent. This started to take its toll and I was feeling it on the approach to Toys but that hill saw the selection which teased out the ELT guy who started to drop off the back.

The two of us got into the checkpoint only to be informed that we were second and third on the road. A GS Invicta rider who was there wandered over and said that he'd started at 9.05 and had got to the checkpoint first. Now I don't need to be bloody scientist to work out that if he'd started AFTER us and got there BEFORE us he'd have had to have PASSED us at some point and that hadn't happened, so he was either a) cheating or b) taking a different route to everyone else. We told the guy at the desk and decided to ignore the offending rider.

We set off and endured the torture of a mud strewn lane to the bottom of Sundridge climb. A lot of riders from the short ride were struggling up here and I was hoping to find a small group who were fresh after doing the short distance to help us on the in-run as we were once again battling a headwind.

There was no one able to keep our pace though and we had to keep going as a pair. Top of Biggin Hill I checked my watch and we had a brief chat about the possibility of a 3.45 ride. We decided to go for it and absoulutely buried it down the descent into West Wickham and along the drags to the bottom of Crystal Palace. My legs were screaming by then and just about to go into cramp mode but I reckoned I had one more hard hill in me. Just as well as at the point I was thinking that we were going to ride in together, the VC guy attacked on the steep top part of the hill going up to the park gates. I couldn't believe it, he still wanted to race after 70 miles of torture!
Due to me interpreting the traffic at the top a little better (taking some mental risks in truth) I pulled him back and layed into him accross the top. Down College hill we were passing cars one on either side at 40mph before finally deciding as we rolled into Dulwich that it wasn't worth risking our lives any further. Handshakes all round and it felt great being first riders back with a riding time of 4.46. By the time I'd removed shoes, had a chat with John Czernobay about his short ride experience and clocked in I was given a time of 3.59 a gold sticker and best of all hadn't seen a single drop of rain all day!

Ride over, all hell broke loose as suddenly a dark grey wall appeared on the horizon and within minutes a storm of biblical proportions dowsed the entire South London area. There were only a handfull of riders back by this point and it was quite clear the majority would be facing an hour or more of riding through torrential rain. Sure enough there were some amazing sights for the next 60 minutes as drowned cyclists appeared and wrung themselves out in the hall.

Appologies guys for standing there completely dry and laughing at you all but it was hillarious.

A massive big up to all the ACC riders who gave our club the biggest presence on the day (again) Amy, Alan, John, Mark, Adrian, Richard, Mike K all rolled squelching into the hall. Alastair came in all scratched like he'd been in a cat fight, apparently having chosen his face as the best part of his body to land on after a crash, no serious damage thankfully

Apparently Connor, Toks and Paul Dewis were still out there somewhere by the time we left so I hope you guys finished ok.

So there you go, a great event and Homeric tales of battling through severe conditions (none of which I can claim to have witnessed). Retrospectively I think a 3.30 is possible if you had a group of about 5 or 6 riders to share the work as three of us were finding there wasn't enough time to recover between each turn. But the nature of the course, with its short hard climbs means that very few groups actually stay together on this ride. Highly reccomended for next season if you can make it.

[Alan M]

I don't think that I can claim a tale of such epic proportions but it was a good ride and except for the torrential rain I enjoyed it as much as last year.

I started together with mike but I think he lost me up Fountain drive after about the first 5 minutes. I then managed to hit every traffic light in succession. And probably did the next 10 miles on my own. Finally a guy who had driven from Bristol came through and we worked together for a while, and eventually caught up with Mike! We worked as a threesome for a while and eventually joined with Connor and travelled as 4 for a few miles. Mike and I split from the other 2 and made good time on the flatter section before Westerham, sharing the work but with Mike doing better than me on the more hilly sections.

I think he broke my will around Toys hill and although I met up with him at the Westerham, he was ready for the off . He asked if he should wait, but I felt that he would be even stronger in the latter stage and I told him to go. After

Westerham, mine was a solitary ride, and only one group came through me which included an elite lady triathlon - I tried to get on that group but the heavens opened and I opted to put my cape on.

We had a good banter back at a steamy clubhouse with food and drink and Huw being deservedly smug about his dry state and resisting Amy's somewhat damp affection - sorry Amy. We waited for others, Mark and Toks (who I saw coming in together on my way home) and Connor who I didn't see again.

I rode home through more rain - all in all character building experience. I did 4.26 which was a silver but no age adjustments on this ride and to be honest I was just happy to be back and out of the rain.

This is a good event and although I didn't see it there were 2 cars out this year offering neutral support and I think there were a few more signs than last year although a few did lose their way.

Pity about the track event which I assume was washed out big time.

[adrian]

Yes, excellent ride, Huw, and as ever, a report to match.

It was a hard but enjoyable day out yesterday. Great to see such a good turnout from our guys and gal. The weather was a real mixed bag, from the best of an Indian summer to comedy rain, hail and lightning with simultaneous thunder. This latter was at the top of the hill at Crystal Palace, so with a dry clubhouse and free pasta and beer only minutes away, I could laugh about it. Wouldn't have fancied being one of the latter starters.

I was pretty pleased my riding time of 4.16. My official time was 4.27, but I'd started ten minutes late; I suppose a lot of people had this lag too. I never felt that great in the legs, but seemed to keep plugging away OK. Looking at the timings http://www.wallygimber.freeserve.co.uk/leavestimes.htm
there weren't too many better than that, so that'll do me. It was also nice to have a ride free of punctures and sundry mechanicals.

Saw the inexplicably dry Huw, together with the understandably dripping John C, Apples, Jon H, Amy, Alan, Mike and Hal back at the clubhouse - when I left for the brief but squelchy and shivery ride home, Paul D, Toks and Conor were still missing in action - hope they didn't get too wet and miserable.

All in all, a very successful day. Apart from one minor incident, found the signposting to be very good (to which Apples fell victim, which was a shame as he'd been flying and was on for a great time), and the pasta and pint of Spitfire went down a treat at the end. Will be back next year.

[Toks]

Wow! sub 4 hours thats very impressive Huw, well done mate! Also well done too Alan, under 4 hours thirty mins shouldn't be sniffed at...well that was ride was fun. I don't think I've been that wet since the BHF ride from London to Birmingham a few years ago. Nevertheless it was cool to see lots of ACC people and most importantly I never punctured.

[Paul on the Pearson]

Great ride untill I got lost......a main junction and no sign! Went up and down this hill about three times gathering riders, Toks among them, as we were trying to work out which way to go, after much discussion eventually backtracked to Edenbridge, found the turn we'ed missed and was back on our merry way in the right direction. I felt I was going alright up untill then but riding knowing youve lost a lot of time can be a bit demoralising, but at least the change of direction and more sheltered roads meant I wasnt ploughing through the vicious headwind anymore. Going up one of the hills passed the Brixton CC group just as the skys really opened up and heard a familiar voice behind and was caught up by Toks and his mate Phil and had a good blast back into Crystal Palace.
All in all a great ride, great climbs and a lot of rain.

[kieran]

Well, I decided not to do it this year and save myself for the track. But while Huw might have had 4 hours of dry weather on his ride, up at Herne Hill/ forest hill area we had frequent bouts of torrential rain, with a dash of thunder and lightening thrown in, so the track never really had a chance, although I kept hoping until about 10am. Glad to hear everyone had a good time, so did I trying out a new bar/cafe in our area Must admit I wish I'd done it and will definitely sign up for it next year.

[Conor Cormican]

Not a good day on the bike for me. I was struggling before Alan and Mike caught up with me at Edenbridge. I tried to stay with them but only manage to do so for a few miles. After that I was on my own again and missed a turn, so somewhat dispirited I took the shortest and easiest route back to West Wickham where I retired just before the downpour, at least I escaped that drenching. I was sorry not to have made it back to the finish for the beer, the pasta and the craic. Well done everyone for finishing and see you all next Sat.

[Ian A4size]

sounds like it was a good ride. I missed it this year as i had a long standing lunch invitation, i must admit i was having a quiet laugh when i saw the weather.
Last year i seem to remember it was much colder tho.

[Jon H]

While sitting at home having breakfast and watching the rain coming down, I was having second thoughts about setting out for this ride. So much so I decided to go back to bed. However after 15 minutes back in bed I had anouther change of heart and decided to go. Then faffed around deciding whether to go on my light summer bike or heavier winter bike, eventually going for the winter bike with mudguards to keep my bum dry. Consequently I was a bit late arriving at Herne Hill, where most of the ACC team were already signed on and awaiting their allocated start time. Queued up and got a 9.40 start, 40 mins behind Huw & Amy, 25 or 15 behind most of ACC and 5 in front of Toks.

The group I started in seemed to be quite strong going up the first hill of College Rd/Fountain Drive, then it all went paer shaped and split apart going down Anerley Hill due to traffic. Joined up with a guy from Sigma Sport and another from De Laune on Layhams Lane and we rode well together up there. On the gravelly descent from there towards Slines Oak I used momentum and bravado to carry me through all the rubbish and dropped them both unintentionally. On my own again for the next few miles including Woldingham hill and the next descent. Somewhere on the next part I punctured, so lost time fixing that, at which point Toks came past which meant I was the last of ACC on the road. Then hooked up with a guy on a Cipollini world champ Specialized, and we pulled each other along for a number of miles until Toys Hill where Cipo blew completely. On the narrow descent from Toys I overcooked it slightly on a bend and had a close encounter of the hedgerow kind, but avoided using Alastairs "face broke my fall" technique. Checked in at Westerham long enough to get stamped, then away again. Found a small group to ride with along the muddy track and Pilgrims Way, which included a lady with the most amazingly sculpted calf muscles I've ever seen. Stayed with her for a while admiring the view, but then she left me for dead up the steep climb up onto the Downs. Uneventfull from there until West Wickham where the thunder and first few bits of rain started. The heavens opened on me between Elmers End and Anerley where I donned my rain cape. Along Crystal Palace Parade I passed a bloke loading pairs of animals into a big wooden boat (or did I imagine that?). Back down the well named Fountain Drive it was like riding through a ford, but by that time I was soaked so there was no point stopping. Lost a few minutes at the HQ by waiting in the food queue instead of the timing queue, but still got a time of 4:14 which I was pretty pleased with, all things considered. Pasta, pint, then back home for a bath and snooze before watching the Zurich GP which was run off in similar conditions. What a great day.

[Andrew G]

Well done everyone. Like Kieran I'd dropped this for the track which was a washout. I was optimistic as after the morning showers the roads had dried, but on my way down the biblical storm happened, then again and again. Carried on just for the hell of it driving through lakes where the roads around Herne Hill had flooded.

Had a quick chat at the track and when I noticed that I was the only one who was (supposed to be) riding suggested I get my bike out and tip-toe round, thus winning the sprint and scratch trophies . Can't blame a chap for trying, but Rich said if it came to it cold or no cold he'd put his kit on.

[Andrew G]

Well done everyone. Like Kieran I'd dropped this for the track which was a washout. I was optimistic as after the morning showers the roads had dried, but on my way down the biblical storm happened, then again and again. Carried on just for the hell of it driving through lakes where the roads around Herne Hill had flooded.

Had a quick chat at the track and when I noticed that I was the only one who was (supposed to be) riding suggested I get my bike out and tip-toe round, thus winning the sprint and scratch trophies . Can't blame a chap for trying, but Rich said if it came to it cold or no cold he'd put his kit on.

[Mike I]

This really is an excellent ride, even in yesterday's conditions. Started with Alan at 9.25 and found myself feeling surprisingly lively from the off. In fact, I am not sure anyone passed me all the way round, and there was usually a small group somewhere up the road to chase down.

The heavens opened just before Crystal Palace and Dulwich was awash by the time we got there. I thought I might have just beaten 4 hours, but the big official clock said 4:12. This is because I was measuring time on the road and forgot to re-set my computer until a mile or two in. [Note to self - use stopwatch mode next time.]

After a plate of pasta it was back home through the rain. I got into the bath without getting any wetter.

By the way, there is an error on the results sheet, which says I did the SHORT ride. As if!

[adrian]

[quote="Mike Ingram"] By the way, there is an error on the results sheet, which says I did the SHORT ride.

[Alan M]

I think this is the woman with the sculpted calves jon, seemingly an elite profassional triathlete and she did 4.11 and had a puncture also!

http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/ViewArticle2. ... ID=1771581

[alastair]

My first long ride away from the club run and was a great experience and enjoyable too, despite the weather.

Anyway started off with a biggish group and quickly lost them after stopping to put on the much needed waterproofs. Grouped up with Conor for a while (glad to hear you got back ok).

First hill at Woldingham was a breeze (well almost). Just brought back memories of a recent double puncture in that area whilst on my mountain bike, and climbing that hill with a rapidly deflating rear tire. Needless to say was a lot easier on my road bike.

Hardly saw anyone on the long loop, aside from one guy who i grouped up with all the way to Toys hill, where after having to keep up my normal pace dropped him. Then in a world of pain ('when will this hill ever end!!') somehow managed to cycle straight past the turn halfway up and continue all the way to the top.

Fortunately after descending the other side, managed to hook up with some guys doing the shorter route who'd missed the turn in Westerham, and cycle back to the checkpoint.

The next "incident" came on a nasty descent, where i ended coming sideways round a corner, and in the split second of deciding whether to land on the road or the verge, went for the latter. A lot softer landing but as Huw pointed out, a few rogue brambles made me look like i'd narrowly escaped a attack by the Beast of Bodmin. Maybe i need to take some emergency procedure tips off Jon.

Anyway no damage done and importantly the bike got me back, despite my legs almost giving up on Anerley Hill in a time of 4.57

Bring on the Surrey Hills