How Steep?
Just got back from a cracking Wiggle Ride – the Surrey Cyclone. What an event! Superb signage, free coffee and water to start, fantastically stocked food station, and great staff on hand. Even got a free protein recovery drink at the end that didn’t taste disgusting! Definitely a first.
Even the rider times were available the same evening; how cool is that? Looking forward to the photos from the myriad photographers en route.
The route was excellent – over 1300m climbing, and some real leg burning hills. Having recently done White Down Lane, I thought that was the hardest hill in the South of England, but on this ride we did Barhatch Lane – what an absolute beast! Peaking at 21%, it just seems to go on for ever, and I reckon well over 50% of riders on the event walked up at least part of it. I made it, but had to stop at the top to stop everything going grey. When i see the pros attacking each other on it on the next tour of Britain, I will have renewed respect!
White Downs
On the plus side, I then took 10 seconds off my PB for White Downs, so all in all a great day…
You can see me just about to overtake Dan on White Downs in the photo above. Admittedly, he’d just come back from a week’s Ironman Triathlon training where he’s been climbing up some enormous mountains in Switzerland, so that may have had something to do with it? 🙂
Mr Doo On A Bike 