Kent Grimpeur report - 17-03-2010
Kent Grimpeur report.
The event was held on Sunday 14th March and run by the West Kent Division of the CTC. A steal at £5.
The club’s three Musketeers i.e. Messrs Sowa, Beckett and Land rode the event which was of 100k in length and included 1,700 meters of climbing.
Full details of the ride will appear in the annual issue of the club magazine but herewith a shortened version.
Event run under Audax UK rules. Max speed 25kph and min speed 12 kph.
Start at 09:30 but no need to get Brevet card (check card) signed at this point.
Two laps, first clockwise and 2nd counter clockwise.
What hills you ascended on the 1st lap you descended on the 2nd and vice versa.
Hills were: Rowdow, Exedown, Igtham, Mote Rd, Carter’s, River Hill, Hubbard’s, Bayley’s and Yorkshill in that order on 1st lap and reverse order on the 2nd lap.
On return to H.Q. get Brevet card checked and signed and pick up free food and water. There were checks along the route as well.
It was definitely a case of more potholes sighted than cars, well except at Riverhead on the 2nd lap when it seemed that everybody in the neighbourhood had came out for the afternoon.
Terry was in fine fettle, Mark was slowly recovering from being knocked off whilst travelling to work but the aches and stiffness got to him in the end and Ed was attempting to combat old age.
The secret of getting round seems to be to take it very steady whether it be up, down or on the flat - well there wasn’t any flat.
Ed was ahead on descending Carter’s as Mark had eased due to pain whilst Terry had waited but Ed took the 1st left towards Shipbourne rather than the 2nd so missed the checkpoint. Terry and Mark made the checkpoint but then managed to go off course and do a couple of extra miles whilst Ed did one less than he should have done. Ed though did take a check sticker at the top of Exedown which Terry and Mark didn’t.
Our riding time, allowing for Ed’s short cut and the others long route, was in the order of 4h 40mins for the correct distance giving us an average speed in the order of 13.4mph.
We sunk a few cups of tea afterwards and thought we would make typical Flandrian’s-just hard as nails.
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