Hell of the Ashdown

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  • I said an enthusiastic thanks to every Marshall I passed, and meant it each time. They all did a fantastic job, and it's nice when you can keep the momentum up through the turns and junctions.
    The sunshine was good too :)

  • The marshalling was indeed über excellent.

  • Times are up. Some seriously quick peeps this year (3:19!)

  • Great event. Never been on one as well organised. Route was excellent. And of course the weather.

    Nice to see some familiar faces, and meet a few new ones.

    See you all in those lanes again some time.

  • somewhere in this data is 'the hell of ashdown route' from today, my stats look pretty rubbish.. but happy to make it home though after clocking another century ride..

    what makes this all very memorable though is the host of great companions today benjam, bernie, fussballclub, hilda doolittle, dumps, yossarian and sue also big shout out to the marshalls and HQ all superb. despite the cold start 0640/ finish 1740, really grateful for the glorious winter sunshine.

    i hope the fella who crashed near the finish is okay, i saw a neck brace on him and he was talking to the paramedics.

    bernie i owe you a few pints of vitamin g for dragging me back towards town / norwood junction

    al x


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  • [QUOTE=Sam;1987181]There are pics up, I'm not posting any as I look like shit in most of them!
    I dont know what you mean...
    [/QUOTE]

    How things have changed!

  • mj, I didn't see you had a rack on the back!

  • somewhere in this data is 'the hell of ashdown route' from today, my stats look pretty rubbish.. but happy to make it home though after clocking another century ride..

    what makes this all very memorable though is the host of great companions today benjam, bernie, fussballclub, hilda doolittle, dumps, yossarian and sue also big shout out to the marshalls and HQ all superb. despite the cold start 0640/ finish 1740, really grateful for the glorious winter sunshine.

    i hope the fella who crashed near the finish is okay, i saw a neck brace on him and he was talking to the paramedics.

    bernie i owe you a few pints of vitamin g for dragging me back towards town / norwood junction

    al x

    'Twas a pleasure to be out with you and the rest of the fine crew.

    Your achievement, given what you have been through over the past few weeks, was extraordinary.

  • mj, I didn't see you had a rack on the back!

    :-) it's for my ride food, pockets these days just arn't deep or ample enough.

    That sunshine sure helped with your legs Tom, you flew round again, nice one.

  • Nice peloton


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  • How things have changed!

    They make a lovely couple.

    mj avec helmet!! Loved ones finally nagged you into it?

  • Did anyone else hear that the poor sod who broke his collar bone may have hit a cow carcass? http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/531941/hell-of-ashdown-rider-hits-part-of-dead-cow.html

    Pretty horrendous if this is a case of sabotage. I've heard that people have moved route signs or taken them off altogether at previous HoTAs - and there was clearly bad vibes this year too, when I finished there were lots of angry middle-aged women reprimading one of the guys at HQ about cyclists causing 'chaos' for the traffic.

  • Unless it was thrown into the persons wheel I can't see a logical link between some debris being in the road and 'sabotage'. It would certaily be a shame it there was any cases of sabotage during the ride, I didn't notice any misplaced signs or bad vibes?

    Ludwig - how did you manage to get that image? I tried saving them but the website wouldnt let me. You'd think that the photos could be included in the cost of the entry...?

  • Unless it was thrown into the persons wheel I can't see a logical link between some debris being in the road and 'sabotage'. It would certaily be a shame it there was any cases of sabotage during the ride, I didn't notice any misplaced signs or bad vibes?

    Ludwig - how did you manage to get that image? I tried saving them but the website wouldnt let me. You'd think that the photos could be included in the cost of the entry...?

    If it was the Addiscombe rider 6km from the end, I saw no entrails on the road.

    There was a bad vibe with some of the drivers. I stopped to tell one Shogun lady that she might want to turn around, as the ambulance crew were being very cautious about loading the casualty, and was told angrily about how disrespectful the bike riders were to horse riders!

    Anyway, great ride, and knock out photos. Me smiling on Star Hill; what's that all about?

  • This ride always ends with dickheads in cars. I have never had or witnessed any problems before you get to the traffic lights in Sundridge, a couple of miles before Star Hill. From here on they are out in force. Heard a bloke behind me rowing with someone at said lights on Sunday, and on my way home in the car I had to retrace the original route down and back up Church Road (that steep descent/ascent right at the start) and saw some moron driving up the hill cutting up riders.

  • Did anyone else hear that the poor sod who broke his collar bone may have hit a cow carcass? http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/531941/hell-of-ashdown-rider-hits-part-of-dead-cow.html

    Pretty horrendous if this is a case of sabotage. I've heard that people have moved route signs or taken them off altogether at previous HoTAs - and there was clearly bad vibes this year too, when I finished there were lots of angry middle-aged women reprimading one of the guys at HQ about cyclists causing 'chaos' for the traffic.

    It wasn't there in the morning when I was ahead of the ride handing out flags to marshalls it appears a group swerved around it after it was left there and the rider at the back didn't see it in time.
    The club have put up a £500 reward for information leading to a conviction.

    The missing signs I replaced on my way round all between Star Hill and Cudham Lane plus two in Berrys Hill. Only a few 50km riders that had changed from the 100km and gone off early were affected.

    We will probably look for a better venue with more parking and avoid Knockholt all together

  • It wasn't there in the morning when I was ahead of the ride handing out flags to marshalls it appears a group swerved around it after it was left there and the rider at the back didn't see it in time.
    The club have put up a £500 reward for information leading to a conviction.

    The missing signs I replaced on my way round all between Star Hill and Cudham Lane plus two in Berrys Hill. Only a few 50km riders that had changed from the 100km and gone off early were affected.

    We will probably look for a better venue with more parking and avoid Knockholt all together

    Just wanted to confirm - I wasn't having a dig at the event / organisation in any way. If there were locals being idiots then it's beyond the organisers' control.

    I had an awesome day and reckon it was one of the best rides I've done in terms of marshalling and signs and whatnot.

  • The marshalling was indeed über excellent.

    why thank you very much

  • why thank you very much

    No thankyou, without the volunteers we couldn't run the event

  • +1

    Shame that you'll have to avoid Knockholt, it was a nice little HQ until the ride grew. I mean, once you were up Star Hill you knew it was all over!!

  • Great day's riding, shame about my legs. Made such a difference riding in nice weather this year. Another two of the 100 climbs knocked off the list (although technically Toys Hill was the 'wrong' way up). Write up here: http://100climbsfor2012.blogspot.com/2012/02/another-day-in-hell.html

  • I just signed up for next year. I must still be drunk, what on earth am I doing?!

  • Meh didn't realise it was open. gets on it

  • This event should just be on autopay.. A grand day out, even if I ride for north London, rendezvous at bar italia soho at 7am and ride back through town.. I can't wait..

    A

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Hell of the Ashdown

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