# Hell of the Ashdown



## Joe (24 Dec 2007)

Anyone doing this?

http://www.catfordcc.co.uk/Hell of the Ashdown.html

65 hilly miles in January

I've entered. Sounds fun. And will give me an idea of just how much work I'm going to need to do for the Dave Lloyd Mega in June


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## spandex (24 Dec 2007)

nope i cant ride bikes


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## Zoom (1 Jan 2008)

no doing 130 (200 and something in real money) the day before 

Classic route though; it now goes up Kidd's Hill aka The Wall 

hard but fantastic


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## Stu99 (2 Jan 2008)

also signed up - looks like a tough course - hope roads are dry(ish)


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## Joe (6 Jan 2008)

Oh god. It's slowly dawning on me just how much fitness I lost during those two months off the road bike and I am not looking forward to this atall!
Did 35 miles yesterday and bonked at about 30 despite eating more than I used to on that route!
Today I felt fine again and went for my first 50 miler since getting back on the bike. It was agony for the last 20 miles! Aerobically I feel fitter than ever but my legs don't last. I'm having real trouble pacing myself and getting my food intake right

Gonna have to cycle to and from the train station too, so it will be more like 75 miles for me!


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## Zoom (6 Jan 2008)

doing the Hills and Mills next weekend as a warm-up? (also goes up Kidds Hill but none of that silliness in the North Downs)

http://www.aukweb.net/cal/calsolo.php?Ride=08-77

and then there's Mad Jack; and the Invicta Grimpeur, and.....


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## hambones (8 Jan 2008)

Thinking of signing up for this. Good job it says mud guards are only 'advisable', because I haven't got any!


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## Joe (9 Jan 2008)

hambones said:


> Thinking of signing up for this. Good job it says mud guards are only 'advisable', because I haven't got any!


I don't have any either. But then, I don't envisage anyone being behind me


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## hambones (9 Jan 2008)

hey Joe that was going to be my line! 

I'll race you for last place.


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## Joe (13 Jan 2008)

hambones said:


> hey Joe that was going to be my line!
> 
> I'll race you for last place.


Sounds good! Keep an eye out for me hanging on your back wheel. No cyclechat jersey but I'll be on my old turqouise Giant, with a red and white Bell Sweep R helmet and probably my red Gore Windstopper jacket.
I'm actually feeling a little better about this now ,as I did a 77 miler yesterday and felt ok. My legs were feeling the burn but I managed to avoid the bonk by forcing myself to slow down and ended up with a decent average speed for me over that distance (16.3mph). Weather was good and it was no way near as hilly as this will be though!


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## Joe (27 Jan 2008)

Well that was a great day!
I finished in 4 hours 31 minutes and it hurt
I was flying for the first 50 miles, especially on the climbs. I don't recall anyone passing me uphill. True, they all flew back past me on the flat but there was always another hill. Kidds Hill was my favourite, people were really suffering on that one
At the final checkpoint I cracked and it became just about getting to the finish. My stomach was killing from too many energy bars but I needed more energy! And my calfs were twitching like mad as if about to cramp, though thankfully they didn't. That last climb, which barely registered on the way down from the start, was a total killer in that state!
I ended up doing 85 miles including rides to and from train stations. And had to get up at 4:30am to get ready and to the station for my 6:15am train. Only three hours sleep is not the best preperation but it didn't seem to effect me. My half an hour wait at London Bridge in the mornining in my cycling gear was tortorously cold
Wasn't impressed with the positioning of the feed station. My two bottles were dry by then and I had to pay for water (despite tea and coffee being free)
Still, it was a great ride and I feel suitably cleansed.
How did you get on Hambones? Anyone else there?


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## Stu99 (27 Jan 2008)

A challenging course which I managed to get 'round in 4hrs 47 mins. Felt great until Groombridge (which probably would have been a good spot for a refreshment station). 

Organisers did a great job in organising this. Thanks to all who helped out on the day

Suggestion for next year: increase fee to £10 and lay on some sponge cake/ bananas as well as tea a little earlier in the course.


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## Joe (27 Jan 2008)

Yep. Those Marshalls letting you know when it was clear were ace.

Thankful for the weather too, some of those roads would be real dangerous in the wet.


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## Zoom (27 Jan 2008)

some photos here;
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fixedwheelnut/sets/72157603803029596/show/

would have liked to have done it but not after a 200 yesterday.


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## Tynan (27 Jan 2008)

'pay for water'

grrrr


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## Joe (28 Jan 2008)

Nice photos!
I found a picture of me on http://www.philoconnor.com/sportivephoto.htm 
I'm the guy behind the main guy on "white - 062.jpg"
On the final climb I think, I was really suffering at this point

-oh and I'm seen leaving the start line on the video on cyclosport.org!


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## walker (28 Jan 2008)

how did you all find star hill lane?


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## Fixedwheelnut (29 Jan 2008)

walker said:


> how did you all find star hill lane?



"Bottom of Polhill and turn right,,,, oh not what you mean't" 



I was marshalling at How Green Lane warning for traffic on the bend, after that I rode back over Ide Hill and Star Hill where I took the pictures Zoom has allready linked too 

I was on 66" fixed and found it ok but a bit tough at the steep bit, one guy did the whole ride on fixed 64" and looked ok at the finish 

anyone else like hills? I am organising the 'West Kent Invicta Grimpeur 100km and Hilly 50km on March 9th from Otford Memorial Hall
1700m and 850m of climbing up and down the North Downs Ridge
see the calendar on Audax UK site.


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## Zoom (29 Jan 2008)

One here for the Invicta Grimpeur 

ps will have some Grimpeurs du Sud badges FWN


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## walker (29 Jan 2008)

As long as I'm not racing I would like a bit of that. Keep us all posted here or a link to where we can find more details


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## Zoom (29 Jan 2008)

walker said:


> As long as I'm not racing I would like a bit of that. Keep us all posted here or a link to where we can find more details




www.audax.uk.net/cal

oops done it now mentioned the A word


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## Steve Austin (31 Jan 2009)

Anyone else riding this tomorrow?

Looking nice out there at the moment.


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## Fixedwheelnut (31 Jan 2009)

I am marshalling again
There is a revised route due to the impending weather to miss out some of the minor lanes that don't get gritted and may still be icy

*R/L/SO*
*Into Road ** HELL of the ASHDOWN Challenge* ‘110K’ (108.8K) Route




Leaving HQ – Jail Lane – Bear R – Down Berrys Hill – Climb Church Hill 
*[FONT=&quot][/FONT]*R 
At top of *‘Cudham Test Hill’ *(Church Hill) – Dismount - CARE turning R 
_1.3_​1.3​
*Cudham *– Cudham Lane – The Nower

R
Onto Hogtrough Hill – DANGER steep descent – CARE at X roads 

3.5​*[FONT=&quot][/FONT]*L
*Brasted* – Station Rd/Church Rd - CARE turning L into High St. 
5.1​1st R
Chart Lane – *Brasted Chart* - *Toys Hill* 

7.3​
*Toys Hill* -DANGER steep descent 

7.7​*[FONT=&quot][/FONT]*R
Into Green Lane – CARE at junction 
B20429.2​L
*Four Elms *X roads LInto Clinton Lane 
B2027
9.7​
*Bough Beech* – Over narrow bridge
B2027
10.5​
_50K riders bear left continuing on B2027 to take 1st Left into Bowzell’s Lane_

_11.0_​*[FONT=&quot]g [/FONT]*R
100K riders turn R at bridge exit into Hever Rd CARE 
11.6​
*Hever** Castle*

12.5​*[FONT=&quot]g [/FONT]*R
Follow Hever Rd

12.8​*[FONT=&quot]f[/FONT]* L
*Edenbridge *– Mill Hill
B2076
14.7​*[FONT=&quot]g [/FONT]*R
*Den Cross* – Marsh Green Rd – CARE turning R
B2028
15.3​
*Marsh Green* – Moor Lane
B2028
16.0​*[FONT=&quot]f[/FONT]* L
At bend -To Dormansland – Plough Lane
18.5​*[FONT=&quot]f[/FONT]* L
*Dormansland *– ‘*Hollow Lane**’* 
18.7​
DANGER at sharp R hand bend at foot of Descent 

20.8​*[FONT=&quot]f[/FONT]* L
Into Holtye Road
A264
R
Into Edenbridge Road

24.0​R
*Hartfield* – At ‘T junction’ -High St
B2110
27.4​R
Bear R into Gallipot Hill/Cat St continue on
B2110
27.8​*[FONT=&quot]f[/FONT]* L
Coach Lane to *Colemans Hatch *where bear L
30.0​*[FONT=&quot]f[/FONT]* L
Kidds Hill – Hell of the Ashdown* ‘THE WALL’ *
31.6​R
At T junction – Chuck Hatch Rd – *CHECK / FEED*
B2026
31.6​L
*Ashdown** Forest* – HALF WAYTURN – Long Descent down Black Hill
B2188 
32.5​R
At T Junction– CARE - * Groombridge *
B2110
38.1​
Climb *‘Col de Groombridge’* (Groombridge Hill) 
B2110 
L
At T junction - Ashurst Rd
A254
39.8​1st R
Fordcombe Rd - CARE 
B2188
39.9​
*Fordcombe - *After Fordcombe CARE on narrow bridge over R. Medway 
B2188
L
*Penshurst* into Penshurst Road
B2176
L
At top of hill -Station Hill / Morden Lane 

L
*Chiddingstone Causeway* – into Tonbridge Road
B2027
*[FONT=&quot][/FONT]*R
Into Bore Place Road

1st L
Into Winkhurst Green Road


Past Bough Beech Reservoir 
R
At T junction into Ide Hill Road
B2042

Climb *‘Ide Hill*(Groombridge Hill) 


At top of hill – Ide Hill Village Hall Car Park on left – *CHECK / FEED*
1st L

*[FONT=&quot][/FONT]*R
*Ide** Hill Village* – R at Green/Roundabout

55.0​R
Fork R towards SundrIdge – Church Rd

56.1​*[FONT=&quot][/FONT]*SO
*Sundridge *- Straight overTraffic Lights into Chevening Road
B2211
57.3​exit 1
At Roundabout turn L into Star Hill Road 
59.7​Climb ‘*Star Hill’* 1st L
At ‘The Harrow’

61.3​1st L
*Knockholt Pound *L at the village green into Main Road
61.5​L
At Scotts Lodge t junction L into Cudham Lane

63.4​1stR
Into Grays Road 

63.5​*[FONT=&quot][/FONT]*R 
At Hawley’s Corner Spinning Wheel extreme R into Buckhurst Rd 

65.0​1st L 
Into Berry’s Green Road (care Potholes!)

66.0​1st L 
At T junction then bear left at top of hill into Jail Lane 

66.9​*FINISH*
Charles Darwin School on R in Jail Lane 

*67.6*​



(Mileage only approx due to last minute changes to route)


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## itboffin (2 Feb 2009)

Icy you say?
Hilly you say?

Can't say I noticed


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## CotterPin (3 Feb 2009)

Well that was fun!!!! I think.... Or as another cyclist said as they passed me through the snowy landscape, "This is getting a little surreal."

It wasn't icy - not on the roads the route finally took, but it was definitely hilly. And I was completely out of shape for it - my legs felt like jam most of the day and I confess I ended up walking up one ascent.

I was aiming to do it in 5 hours and I managed it in 5 hours... 59 minutes.  Well, at lease I have something to aim for next year - 5 hours 58 minutes!


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## Wigsie (4 Feb 2009)

Hats off to the lot of you that did it! I grew up on the edge of the ashdown forest and driving up Kidds Hill used to make me tired let alone riding up it!

Maybe next year i will have a pop!


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