Brighton Mitre Hill Climbs - 11/10/08

[Andrew G]

What a lovely day it was today, so nice to be off to the seaside . I was the only Agreeable on duty today which was a pity, I know TTing or hill climbs aren't everyone's cup of tea but they're worth a little trip to see what they are like. A nice friendly end of season atmosphere in general, although these two don't get the crowds of the Catford or Bec everyone competing cheers everyone else on, once they've finished their run, and a few friends and family out too.

Both of these were organised by the incredibly nice Robin Johnson, a man whose work for the sport is inspirational. he organises the Brighton Mitre TTs, and a couple of SCCU ones, and I found out today a couple of ECCA ones too. He also rides them setting himself off first man before getting back to HQ to do the results board and hand out lots of prizes which he always awards. One of the true stalwarts of the sport.

Hill 1 in Steyning - 0.95miles; max 18%; 300 metres of climbing.
Never been here before so just thought I'd wing it. Keith Butler of the Bec hadn't either but did a recce and gave me a bit of a clue to what it was like.

Off I went and fairly hard as it's less than a mile long. Starts at about 7% and ramps quickly to a fairly steep gradient, probably about 12-14%. After a bit it then levels for a couple of hundred yards so I quickly put it in the big ring and rolled the gear to ease my legs. Then wahay it kicks up, so quickly back to the 39. From here on in it's a real climb and just gets steeper and steeper. After a bit there were some nice cheers from fellow competitors who'd rolled back down to support but the hill just kept going up. Passed a snapper, Mike Anton I think from his voice but I couldn't really focus to check as I was too busy hauling my arse up the ever steepening gradient. Round a bend and another cheer from the Bec boys before the final sprint to the line.

Not knowing the hill I thought I'd gone off a bit too quick as I suffered a bit in the middle, but the fact that I was hacking away like a goodun at the finish obviously meant I'd actually just really pushed. In hindsight probably good not to know the hill as I'd have started easier otherwise and not pushed so hard. It's a real Stu hill .

Hill 2 Mill Hill in Shoreham-by-Sea - 2.66 miles; max 9%; 450 metres of climbing
With this one being a longer one I didn't really want to wing this so before signing in I joined the Bec boys for a ride up it. Nice hill that climbs up reasonably gradually and hooks right on to the South Downs Way (I think, lots of mountain bikers up here). This hill is pure George - a power climb .

The steeper bit was at the start and then it eased before leveling off and even dropping a touch. Next is the 90 degree right-hander with a little kick up out of it and then a really long drag to the top of the ridge. The final 100 metres is flat.

I started in the small ring about mid cassette and went down a couple of gear as I tried to spin it at the start to avoid blowing half way in. When it started to level I whacked it in the 53 and pushed on. I was caught by my minute man (one of the winning team on the first hill) which provided a handy carrot. I really pushed it along and closed up as I took the bend quicker, I then kept the power down for a bit and closed right up on him on the kick. On the drag though the inevitable happened and he started to pull away, on to the flat I knocked it down a few gears out the saddle and hammered it pulling right up to him as we got to the finish. Really felt the effort but know that was only from the second half of the hill, I took the start too easy and should have big ringed it from the start.

Hill 1 = 5mins 05.1 - About a third of the way up the field and pretty happy with that.
Hill 2 = 9mins 54.5 - About two-thirds of the way down the field and not really happy with that.
I'm not a good climber (not overly bad, but not that good either) but can sprint quite well so the shorter sharper climbs tend to suit me better anyway, but I know that I should have been a fair bit faster on the second hill. Oh well, always next year .

These 2 hills are part of the 4 hills weekend with the Catford and Bec finishing them tomorrow. Keith Coffey's sitting in 7th after today so could place high up depending how many of today's field make their way over to our neck of the woods tomorrow - just plain fast regardless of terrain.

[Jon H]

Well done Mr .

I did both of those last year. You beat my morning time by 5 seconds, but were 48 seconds down on my afternoon time.
What happened; did you have a slap-up lunch in between?

[Andrew G]

No Jon just a nice pasta salad I took with me, it was just a plain shoddy performance.

[Sylv]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sevenmalt/2941176378/

Geoff from Retrobike came first in the morning's climb and second in the afternoon, then 10th and 18th in the Catford & Bec.

[Andrew G]

Retrobike had a good team at both BM races, although they were all on alarmingly modern looking bikes .

[Toks]

Is it true then? Did some 13 year old rookie (Germaine Burton) kick one or two Elite and 1st cat rider butts

1ST 64 Daniel Lloyd A.N.Post / Sean Kelly R.T. 1.46.44
2ND 71 Jody Crawforth Arctic Premier RT 1.47.17
3RD 75 Bill Bell Gemini BC 1.51.73
4 73 Robert Gough Johns Bikes RT 1.52.85
5 30 Matthew Higgins Alpha RC / Corley Cycles 1.53.72
6 19 Richard Cartland Alpha RC / Corley Cycles 1.53.94
7 66 Simon Richardson Plowman Craven RT 1.55.84
8 74 Adrian Rodgers Worthing Excelsior CC 1.55.92
9 62 Matt Holmes Arctic Premier RT 1.59.78
10 56 James Ward Cambridge CC 2.01.06
11 70 David Clarke Team Lacuna 2.01.47
12 57 Alex Higham Plowman Craven RT 2.01.84
13 67 Roy Chamberlain V Alpha RC / Corley Cycles 2.02.84
14 39 Simon Warren Norwood Paragon CC 2.03.63
15 5 Germaine Burton JUV De Ver Cycles 2.03.89
16 65 Danny Axford Arctic Premier RT 2.04.34
17 60 Chris Moores Norwood Paragon CC 2.04.55
18 68 Geoff Beetham Retrobike.co.uk 2.04.85
19 46 Alex Christians London Phoenix CC 2.05.31
20 63 Daniel Sullivan Norwood Paragon CC 2.05.81
21 13 Alexander King J GWR Team 2.05.97
22 11 John Whittington Bristol Cycling Development Sqd 2.06.37
23 54 Digby Symons Cambridge CC 2.07.51
24 43 Ishmael Burdeau V www agiskoviner com 2.08.20
25 21 Adam Cotterell Trisportnews.com 2.09.21
26 59 Neil Pearson Gemini BC 2.09.84
27 23 Tony Miller Delaune CC 2.09.96
28 16 Simon Donne Epsom CC 2.10.29
29 55 Nathan Chamberlain V Redhill CC 2.12.13
30 37 Marcus Brueton Norwood Paragon CC 2.12.29
31 47 Wayne Bennet Retrobike.co.uk 2.14.62
32 45 Andrew Sykes V South Eastern RC 2.14.93
33 40 Paul Haywood Epsom CC 2.15.45
34 31 Mark Sussex Wildside RT 2.16.36
35 3 Keith Coffey Bec CC 2.18.37
36 6 Dan Henchy Hastings & St Leonards CC 2.19.09
37 35 John Storms V Tri-Cyclists 2.22.09
38 8 Torkel Dohmers V London Dynamo 2.22.89
39 49 Dale Bickham Rollapaluza CC 2.23.06
40 36 Cameron Carthew J In Gear Quick Vit RT 2.23.30
41 18 Simon Bateson Team Economic Energy 2.23.80
42 38 James Hughes Bec CC 2.27.40
43 26 Mark Newton V Sydenham Wheelers 2.28.03
44 10 David Barnes Team Economic Energy 2.28.22
45 24 Peter Elms V VC Elan / Harry Perry Cycles 2.28.33
46 14 Jon Archdeacon V Delaune CC 2.28.44
47 53 Jason Jeffers Team Economic Energy 2.28.51
48 34 Philip Smith Crawley Wheelers 2.29.10
49 50 Edward Hyde South Eastern RC 2.29.66
50 20 Adam Gent J In Gear Quick Vit RT 2.30.55
50 61 Ralph Keeler V Cambridge CC 2.30.55
52 15 Jake Butler J In Gear Quick Vit RT 2.30.67
53 44 Daniel Gower Addiscombe CC 2.33.03
54 58 Ryan Henry Retrobike.co.uk 2.33.27
55 41 Richard Somerset North Road Cycling Club 2.37.92
56 29 Deborah Percival LV 34 Nomads CC / Gem Hygiene 2.39.78
57 7 Paul Dewis Addiscombe CC 2.41.13
58 33 Michael Ingram V Addiscombe CC 2.45.99
59 52 Tim Smith Arctic Premier RT 2.46.86
60 4 Phillip Burgess Norwood Paragon CC 2.47.32
61 42 Juliette Clarke LV In Gear Quick Vit RT 2.55.06
62 17 Andrew Green Addiscombe CC 3.01.82
63 32 Reade Harfield V Crawley Wheelers 3.02.29
64 27 Roy Instrall V Mordern CRC 3.13.31
65 9 William McCracken V Brighton Mitre CC 5.13.64

1ST 1 Paul Tunnel & Mike Ingram Tandem Addiscombe CC 3.32.97

[John the old'un]

[quote="Andrew G"]
Hill 1 = 5mins 05.1 - [color=#FF0000]About a third of the way up the field[/color] and pretty happy with that.
Hill 2 = 9mins 54.5 - [color=#FF0000]About two-thirds of the way down the field[/color] and not really happy with that.

[quote="John the old'un"][quote="Andrew G"]
Hill 1 = 5mins 05.1 - [color=#FF0000]About a third of the way up the field[/color] and pretty happy with that.
Hill 2 = 9mins 54.5 - [color=#FF0000]About two-thirds of the way down the field[/color] and not really happy with that.

[quote="Andrew G"][quote="John the old'un"][quote="Andrew G"]
Hill 1 = 5mins 05.1 - [color=#FF0000]About a third of the way up the field[/color] and pretty happy with that.
Hill 2 = 9mins 54.5 - [color=#FF0000]About two-thirds of the way down the field[/color] and not really happy with that.

[Toks]

[quote="Andrew G"]
Toks, those are the results from the Bec HC not the Brighton Mitre HCs. Yes a young lad did kick a lot of arses, but a) he's whippet thin b) he's too young to have done any serious abuse to his body c) he's very good .

[-Adam-]

Yep, but where have you been Toks!? The Bec was weeks ago!

It was an unbelievable ride mind, so fair play to the lad. Although he probably does weigh about 25kgs less than me!!

[quote="Toks"][quote="Andrew G"]
Toks, those are the results from the Bec HC not the Brighton Mitre HCs. Yes a young lad did kick a lot of arses, but a) he's whippet thin b) he's too young to have done any serious abuse to his body c) he's very good .

[-Adam-]

Funny you should mention his Dad, Andrew, he is apparently an ex-pro.

[Keith]

[quote="-Adam-"]Funny you should mention his Dad, Andrew, he is apparently an ex-pro.

[-Adam-]

Yeah I thought he owned DeVer's but I couldn't remember for sure...

Still, witht that sort of heritage is it any wonder! Junior Wiggo will no doubt come and kick ass in 10 years too...