Ride of the Falling Leaves

Loved it out there today. Rolled with @shootthebreeze and despite some pretty wet and muddy lanes we did the long route in record time. Well for me anyway.

3:52:20

Was well organised as per usual. And was particularly good to see the beautiful @JAH_tim out there.

Macaroni cheese and a quick pint before spinning back east. Perfect morning of riding

A time i could only dream of, how do you go so fast.

Where can you view the timings from the day?

Been doing a fair bit of riding this year but was still happy to go over 20 mins faster than last year.

I think the rider hq site will have times at some point. But I got an SMS message the second I rolled over finish line so that's how I know my time. I have strava too of course

ah, go to resultsbase.net

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Not slow! Nice one

Took me 5 hours.. mind you we weren't riding that slow in between the 10 (ten) punctures, freehub failure etc, given a junior national champion/world champs rider in the group. Who fell off in the mud.

Did get my best time ever up Sundridge Hill trying to keep up with juniors. Thought I was doing OK, then realised they were in the big ring all the way as a challenge...

Greetings folks,

Well what an epic day yesterday.... I got to the start at Herne Hill to find it a sea of cyclists ready to take on the Ride of the Falling Leaves... As always it is a really well organised ride. I was given my ' electronic tag' which made me feel ASBO tastic, a few greetings exchanged, a beep or two as I passed the gate and then out on to the roads for the challenge...

It is a really lovely route out of Baby-london. Dulwich, College Road, Crystal Palace, Anerley, Elmers End, West Wickham, then out in to the countryside.

The weather was a bit hit and miss, I felt as if I was in some rapha advert with all gritted teeth into the driving rain, though for me it has the added look of a blue plastic bag on my head - well it is the accessories that make an outfit after all... I took it pretty leisurely last year just wanting a nice day out in what was lovely weather. Yesterday however was different - I just wanted to get around asap and get back home into the dry again.

As Woldingham approaches you realise that this is a challenging route, especially fixed. I do have to walk up the middle bit of this climb. At the top however two young lads in VCL tops were giving it some, followed by their Mums. As the hill leveled out the two young lads were trying to mix it with the big roady boys infront and were doing fine. Their Mums could not stop laughing as they were struggling to keep up with their young boys.

After Westerham you start to feel as if things are perking up as you are heading home again. Between there and Sundridge Hill there was a section of cyclocross with a few miles of completely muddy road. This bit was the 'Hell of Kent'.

Now then who says men can't multi-task.... I cannot get up Sundridge Hill without walking so I decided to eat my lunch as I walked to save some time and keep on movin' ...

Before Keston there was an incredibly steep and slippy descent. A young lad behind me fell off fairly noisily and spectacularly. As is the case with this ride, everyone mucked in, got the lad sorted, bike working again and then off he went as if nothing had happened. I love reaching Keston as I know we are then close to West Wickham and then it feels as if you have made it to the home straight. The weather had improved also, so the bag was off again and I was feeling good all round.

I got back to the Dulwich sports club to find a lot of tired, muddy but happy riders basking in the glory of what they had achieved. The weather was so wet, my electronic tag fell off my bag, so no chance of a finishing time, e-mail, or web hosting glory. I will probably get an e-mail in a couple of weeks with riderhq wanting to know how far round the course I have got...?

I met many familiar faces, and it was good vibes all the way... Big shout out to @jonny and his team, and all others who said hello.

Got home with 57.26 miles on the clock. A hot bath, then later washed the bike down and here we are again after a great weekend ride.

I am gonna try and do this ride annually / er Anerley...

Peace and love,

Tim

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Get in lane

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Basking in glory

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The trusty steed

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Hey ho let’s go !
@jonny @shootthebreeze @clintsmoker

Doin' it.

Oooh is it that time of year already?

Interested.

@dumps ?

My mum's birthday. Plus, Sundridge.

Anyone going this year?

Certainly am!

I have a place, but good bike is broken, and winter bike has a potential deathtrap fork.

So, yes, probably.

I'm in a similar state. I need to build a bike by them or I'll be doing it on a fixed.

Hoping we get the customary good weather..

How it didn't rain today, I do not know. Cheers to the guy who asked me for directions, sat on my wheel for 15miles then dropped me when I flicked an elbow 👍

5/7, would ride again

That's such poor etiquette.

Now it's a sportive, the gloves are off.

I remember @claus doing huge turns on the front when we did it years ago, we were in a group of 6 or 7 and we were the only two doing any work. He saved a bit for the climb up Anerley Hill, told me at the top (after he waited for me to catch back up) that none of those wheelsuckers were going to pass him.

Sorry fella, didn’t realise it was you

The idea of you sitting on anyone's wheel is laughable