Hell of the Ashdown 2019

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Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
Is on Sunday 17th Feb 2019. Opens for entries 10pm tonight (5 Nov) http://www.hellgb.co.uk/register/

I was grinding very slowly up Kidd's Hill on Sunday, wondering whether to enter the Hell of the Ashdown again. By a strange coincidence, just as I finished the hill and turned on to the road at the top an email notification appeared on my Garmin from the HotA organisers. Must be a sign.

I rode it this year and had a great time. I didn't notice any stupid riding or nobberish behaviour. Met some interesting people. Weather was pretty benign though which can't be guaranteed in Feb.
 
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mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
I was grinding very slowly up Kidd's Hill on Sunday, wondering whether to enter the Hell of the Ashdown again. By a strange coincidence, just as I finished the hill and turned on to the road at the top an email notification appeared on my Garmin from the HotA organisers. Must be a sign.
A sign that they owned your Garmin during last year's event? :ph34r:
 

mgs315

Senior Member
Bit of a bump post but yes I’m going, can’t remember my slot, it’s about 8.30ish I think. Cycling from home in Croydon to over there. One of many from my club (there’s over 30 of us on it I think).

I look at it as a good warm up for Flanders Sportive that I’ve also signed up for. If I hate this I’ll probably die in Belgium!
 
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Dec66

A gentlemanly pootler, these days
Location
West Wickham
I'm toying with the notion.... I'm carrying far too much timber right now to even contemplate it. Could be different in mid-Feb though.

They got decent weather for the time of year last time, I was out on a ride that day and got stopped by the marshals on Pilgrims Lane to give way to the HotA peeps flying down Hogstrough Hill. I then went past ride HQ on Jail Lane, turned left onto Single Street and had the marshals telling to turn round cos I'd gone the wrong way (I hadn't, obviously, as I wasn't playing).

That's a hard ride, that is.
 

mgs315

Senior Member
Anyone out for this tomorrow? Weather looks perfect. 8.46am start time here.

EDIT: All done. Man that hurt. I think I under fuelled and under-drank. Having a skinful the night before and only a breakfast bar before setting off wasn’t a good idea. Felt like total shite at about 60 miles in (I ended up doing just over 90 as I rode there and back). Bit of a bonk I guess. Massive headache after the ride. Rode up all the climbs fairly respectably though, even if I did feel sore from Hubbard’s Hill onward. Just didn’t feel like putting out anything more than 150W on the flat on between hills. Five hours 14 for the actual ride.
 
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mgs315

Senior Member
Yup I did it too. I didn't notice any flat bits between the hills (well, apart from a very short section where the route crosses the river Eden) All I can remember is hills.

If you passed someone trundling very slowly up a hill on a black bike with a rack, that was probably me. I didn't notice any other racks. I got passed a couple of times by someone on a flat bar bike but apart from that all the bikes were much of a muchness.

I made it up Hogtrough alive, I'm counting that as a win. My time was last year's time + 40 min.

Nicely done. I didn’t pass many, just generally got passed haha. Agreed on the lack of flat bits. I was informed that after Hubbard’s it was flat til Hogs (which I’ve done a few times before). Sod off was it :tongue:. Forgot about Berry’s right at the end too.
 
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