11th October. Catford Hill Climb – Yorks Hill
“The Catford” is famous for being “the oldest bike race in the world”. And Yorks Hill is equally famous for being steep – ramping up to stupidly steep (as in 1 in 4) at the top. But it’s a “must do at least once” type event and should be on every cyclists bucket list of events to ride. There’s a sense of achievement just getting up the climb, and the cheering crowds waiting on the killer 1 in 4 stretch really do help spur you on.
When I’d recced the hill a couple of weeks ago, I had decided that 39×23 was to be my gear of choice and that I’d keep it in that for the whole event. But the start was actually further down the climb than I thought, and with a gentler section at the bottom I found that I needed to change up a couple of gears to keep the power on. But as the hill starts to bite I was back into the 23 sprocket and breathing hard.
As the road reared up to that final 25% incline and with precious little oxygen reaching my already age withered brain, I made the irrational decision to ignore my carefully thought through gear planning and to attempt to drop it down into the 25 sprocket. Out of the saddle and at full stomp this inevitably prompted a massive “Schleckanical” (check out 2010 tour to get that one!). At this point I should make a public apology to anyone who was within ear shot at the time. My “oh bother” cry was rather more out loud than I expected!
A bit of mashing of gears followed and somehow I managed to get it back in the 23 sprocket and moving again before I fell over sideways. I pushed on up the steep bit – and the 23 sprocket was fine. There was no need to try a gear change and I finished with a time of 2:21. That was good enough to put me in provisional first place and, as Peter Bedingfield pointed out to me, that meant that temporarily at least East Grinstead topped and tailed the field. Off number 1, Pete, astride his beautiful 1937 steel framed track bike complete with wooden rims had made an impromptu close inspection of the herbaceous boarders of Yorks Hill having been thrown off balance after running over a spectator’s foot! But chapeaux (or should that be chaussure!) to Pete for making it to the top!
Next up from team Grinstead was Nick Martin. Nick stormed up the hill to post a very creditable 2:20 which for a long while was 2nd fastest junior. It also bagged him bragging rights as fastest EGCC rider of the day. Nick has been posting faster and faster times with every event this Hill Climb season and will be making the long trip up to Yorkshire to compete in the National Hill Climb championships in a couple of weeks’ time. It’s great to see EGCC represented at National Championship events. I’m sure the whole club wishes him luck for that one. And I sense that we could be seeing a new name on the club Hill Climb trophy next year…
For the first time this year, EGCC ladies were represented at an Open Hill Climb event with Gemma Hayes conquering Yorks with a 3:24. And that after another successful road racing foray at Gravesend Cyclopark the previous day.
Luke De Quay and Mikey Weavers rounded out the East Grinstead sextet. With Mikey just getting the better of Luke. Well done guys!
Robin
Pics courtesy Russell Hicks
Result –
1 Richard Bussell RST Sport/Aero-Coach 1.50.9
2 James Lowden Neon Velo 1.53.2
3 Edmund Bradbury NFTO Pro Cycling 1.55.0
4 James Hayward Woolwich CC 1.56.2
5 Bill Bell Bigfoot CC 1.58.4
6 Matthew Burton Velo Club Rutland 2.00.2
7 Glyndwr Griffiths Arctic Tacx RT 2.01.3
8 Peter Cocker Pedal Pushers 2.03.2
9 Jonathan Harris PMR @ Toachim House 2.03.7
10 Daniel Sullivan Norwood Paragon CC 2.04.2
11 Benjamin Butler Clwb Rasio Mona 2.04.3
12 Stanley Kennett PMR @ Toachim House 2.04.3
13 Peter Tadros In-Gear Quickvit Trainsharp Veteran 2.06.5
14 Buauna Ball Catford CC Junior 2.07.2
15 Neil Lauder 4T + Velo Club 2.08.4
16 Murray Ernest Davies In-Gear Quickvit Trainsharp Junior 2.09.5
17 William Adams Rapha Cycling Club 2.09.6
18 Matthew Clements Banks/Catford CC Equipe Junior 2.09.9
19 Daniel Pink Bigfoot CC 2.10.5
20 John Cockrill Abellio – SFA Racing Team 2.10.8
21 Ben Nichol High Wycombe CC 2.13.1
22 Richard Gildea Didcot Phoenix CC 2.13.5
23 Will Beresford London Phoenix CC 2.13.8
24 Sonny Parker Old Portlians CC Junior 2.14.3
25 Steve Allen Dulwich Paragon CC Veteran 2.14.3
26 Harold Bradbury Cambridge University CC 2.14.5
27 Simon Warren Norwood Paragon CC Veteran 2.14.8
28 Rowan Brackston Imperial College Cycling Club 2.15.2
29 Edward Sutton Panagua.CC 2.15.6
30 Matt Kuwertz Southborough & Dist. Whs 2.15.6
31 Elliot Lipski In-Gear Quickvit Trainsharp RT 2.16.1
32 Laurence Kirby Banks/Catford CC Equipe Junior 2.16.5
33 Thomas Mead-Herbert Watford Velo Sport 2.16.8
34 Christopher Hyde Wigmore CC Junior 2.17.2
35 Graham Collins Manningtree Wheelers BC 2.17.6
36 David Ross Velo Club Motel – SCU 2.18.0
37 Peter Merritt TBW Bottecchia Wigmore RT 2.18.7
38 Nicholas Richard Martin East Grinstead CC Junior 2.20.7
39 Robin Parker East Grinstead CC Veteran 2.21.2
40 Andy Hibberd Rapha Cycling Club Veteran 2.21.2
41 Jamie Durmush Panagua.CC 2.21.3
42 Martin Jones Gemini BC Veteran 2.21.4
43 Jesse Yates In-Gear Quickvit Trainsharp RT 2.22.0
44 Neil Walters Southborough & Dist. Whs Veteran 2.24.5
45 Ben Speller Kingston Wheelers CC Veteran 2.25.2
46 Ian Vagg 4T + Velo Club 2.25.2
47 Russ Thompson Performance Cycles CC Veteran 2.26.8
48 Liam Yates Banks/Catford CC Equipe 2.27.0
49 James Black Imperial College Cycling Club 2.27.9
50 Miles Baker-Clarke Southborough & Dist. Whs 2.28.3
51 Daniel Robert Northover Finsbury Park CC 2.28.6
52 James Scrivener Reading CC 2.28.9
53 Tim Jones Penge Cycling Club 2.29.2
54 David Bagley Panagua.CC 2.29.4
55 Tom Haines East London Velo 2.30.1
56 Thomas Hampshire Paceline RT 2.30.1
57 Cam Austin Look Mum No Hands! 2.30.5
58 Lewis Symes Manningtree Wheelers BC 2.31.4
59 Harry Bunnell Kingston Wheelers CC 2.32.9
60 Thomas Fricker Farnham RC 2.33.3
61 Matthew chipping Southborough & Dist. Whs 2.33.7
62 Craig Barton 4T + Velo Club Veteran 2.34.7
63 Joshu Jones NFTO Pro Cycling Junior 2.34.7
64 Alex Pearson Woolwich CC 2.35.3
65 Stephen Crispin Penge Cycling Club 2.36.3
66 Blake Gravenor CC Islington 2.36.7
67 Sam Humpheson Look Mum No Hands! 2.36.8
68 Luke De Quay East Grinstead CC 2.37.2
69 Maryka Sennema Paceline RT WVeteran 2.37.6
70 Ben Thompson High Wycombe CC 2.37.8
71 Oliver Gill Dorking CC 2.38.6
72 Mikey Weavers East Grinstead CC Junior 2.38.7
73 David Tate Catford CC Veteran 2.38.8
74 Thomas Brett Penge Cycling Club 2.42.1
75 Daniel Jaeggi London Phoenix CC 2.42.1
76 Jody Paxman Huddersfield Star Whs 2.42.4
77 James Kempton GS Avanti 2.44.8
78 Howard Shaw Eastbourne Rovers CC 2.45.3
79 Gabriella Leveridge Velosure Starley Primal Pro Cycling Woman 2.46.0
80 Simon Head Lewes Wanderers CC 2.48.9
81 Simon Bromfield Charlotteville Cycling Club Veteran 2.49.0
82 Dominic Lowden Lewes Wanderers CC Veteran 2.49.7
83 William Brassington Dulwich Paragon CC Junior 2.51.2
84 Theo Tadros In-Gear Quickvit Trainsharp Junior 2.51.8
85 Grant Burt Penge Cycling Club 2.54.6
86 Rob Stephenson Southborough & Dist. Whs Veteran 2.54.7
87 Doug Bentall Southborough & Dist. Whs Veteran 2.57.7
88 Neil Midgley Lewes Wanderers CC Veteran 2.58.8
89 Sioni Summers Imperial College Cycling Club 2.59.9
90 Andrew Hogben Southborough & Dist. Whs 3.00.4
91 Adrian Blacker Norwood Paragon CC Veteran 3.03.5
92 David Smith Swindon RC 3.04.0
93 Joel Brassington Dulwich Paragon CC Veteran 3.05.1
94 Hugo Hewitt Oxted Cycle Club Junior 3.05.3
95 Simon Lincoln Penge Cycling Club Veteran 3.05.5
96 Jo Skelton Look Mum No Hands! 3.05.6
97 Nicholas Holmes Catford CC 3.06.1
98 Deborah Percival 34 Nomads CC WVeteran 3.07.0
99 Mike Smith Catford CC 3.08.1
100 Carolyn Swan Kent Velo Boys/Girls WVeteran 3.08.6
101 Geoff Dillon Dulwich Paragon CC Veteran 3.09.2
102 Adib Osman Woolwich CC 3.10.3
103 David Watts Penge Cycling Club Veteran 3.12.9
104 Bob Townley VC de Londres Veteran 3.15.1
105 Christopher Duffy Southborough & Dist. Whs 3.15.1
106 Joscelin Lowden Lewes Wanderers CC Woman 3.15.3
107 Ross Hunt Penge Cycling Club 3.15.4
108 Thomas Hawkes Addiscombe CC Junior 3.18.0
109 Dominic Bergin Penge Cycling Club Veteran 3.20.1
110 Marc Wojtanowski VC de Londres Veteran 3.22.1
111 Isla Aimee Rush Wyndymilla Junior 3.23.8
112 Roger Roy Oxted Cycle Club Veteran 3.24.6
113 Gemma Hayes East Grinstead CC Woman 3.24.6
114 Malcolm Dancy Hackney Audax Club Veteran 3.25.5
115 Emma Porter Penge CC – Foreign (UCI registered) WVeteran 3.29.4
116 Joseph O’Brien Grupetto Routiers Junior 3.32.5
117 Catherine Tarry Kent Velo Boys/Girls WVeteran 3.34.5
118 Chloe Weller Norwood Paragon CC Woman 3.35.1
119 Mike Sirett Rockingham Forest Whs Veteran 3.35.4
120 Martin Hillier Southborough & Dist. Whs Veteran 3.44.2
121 Elliot Malenfant Cycling Club Hackney Junior 3.44.3
122 Peter Bedingfield East Grinstead CC Veteran 6.05.7
