long weekend cycling

After the last week it was good to wake up to the sun on a weekend. Matt is globe trotting so I'm on my own for all three days.


It gave me a chance to put a few miles on the road bike. And to tackle a couple of local hills. I have mentioned before White Hill Lane, it is a very steep, long hill that gets steeper the further along it you go. There is shorter hill, Waller Lane that comes up from the valley, it's not open to general traffic, their route is Church Road. The lane is used for the Waller Pain time trial every year. In previous years I have seen the reminder too late to attend, but not this time. It use to be used by the Catford CC for the Catford Hill Climb back in the 1890’s, they have now moved on to other challenges. The last few years it has been run by the Caterham Round Table as part of the Caterham Festival.


I have walked up it a few times so I thought I'd try it on the bike. It is hard, especially the lower section, there is a flatter part that I mistook for the top. On race day I planned to stand up and really give it everything to the finish. It was then that I was glad of this test ride. The flatter section turns a bend and climbs again. I wouldn't have had the energy needed for that final section had I gone all in so early. I'll wait a little longer on the day. Strava has the fastest time as just over a minute, the last few years have had winning times around 1 minute 17 seconds. I'll aim for a time that starts with a one.

I'm glad to be out, it feels so good when it's warm. I stopped to take a drink and snap the scene.

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Disappointed

A picture from a while ago. It shows White Lane, and the steep last part of the climb.

Yes, disappointed with myself. Matt was on holiday last weekend so it was a lone cycling two days. I tend to ride the road bike when I'm on my own. It rarely gets ridden and it's faster. But how much faster?

As I cycled a slightly off road route on Saturday I decided to find out. It would be Saturday on the mountain bike. Sunday on the road bike. I'd have to choose a route on Sunday that was similar to Saturday's without the off road bit.

I use cyclemeter on my phone to record my rides. Distance, ascents and descents, speed etc are all recorded. The route would include White Lane. It is a very steep hill Matt and I don't often climb. I had conquered it on both road and mountain bikes before. It is tough, but doable.

The mountain bike climb was harder than I remembered. I couldn't get the lowest gear, it stuck during the down change. But I made it.

On the road bike the next day I had started talking myself out of climbing the hill way before I got there. As approached the steepest part, I slowed almost to a walking pace. And finally admitted defeat, got off the bike, and walked the rest. Ever since then I have wanted to get back on the bike and make another attempt. It is very rare that I give up during a climb. I've been beating myself about it. I'm not cycling next weekend. After that I will be with Matt. So the road bike will remain in the garage. White Lane will have to wait.

How much faster, even with the walking, was the road bike? Twenty minutes over a 17 mile ride.

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