Well I could have stayed in and stuffed myself full of Easter Eggs, but I felt that was not going to help my training efforts (I can always do that tomorrow) So I decided to pack some miles under the wheels and try all of the hilly section of the ride London course in a single ride. The weather was looking like it might stay clear and was probably the best opportunity I was going to get.
I ticked over the first 20 miles to pick up the course at West Byfleet, and then the familiar route down to Ripley and onto West Horsley. Then onto the Surrey Hills and Newlands corner. The first climb up and over Newlands corner was not too bad, I managed to get into a nice rhythm and got myself up and over. The lack of traffic was a bonus on Easter Sunday as there is nothing worse than cars screaming past you while you are slogging your way up some hill.
Down the decent on the other side and onto Gomshall, where we turn right and onto the bottom of Leith Hill. (There is a little climb here they don’t tell you about – but there is a chance to rest the legs with a nice run down to the base of Leith Hill.) I drag myself over the leg burning climb that is Leith Hill and down the suicidal descent on the far side back to the A25 (This road is very narrow, has blind corners and very steep sides – so you have nowhere good to crash if you wanted). Turn right at the end … and we are down through Wescott and on to Dorking. North out of Dorking and we turn right for our nasty little detour over the Box Hill circuit.
I flicked the helmet camera on and videoed this little guide for anyone who is interested in what is in store for you.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_mHHhGQ2l5Y width=”320″ height=”180″]
After I got off the Box Hill loop, I headed back via Cobham / West Byfleet and immediately got a puncture. (To be honest I was glad of the excuse to stop)
A quick tube change and 10 mins of “pumping” and I was back up and running.
So a total round trip of 70 miles (not too bad) Although the phone ran out of battery before the end of the ride (I am working on a fix for that)