Author Topic: Grimpeurs du Sud  (Read 254132 times)

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #550 on: 14 August, 2013, 08:54:23 pm »
With the new season a few weeks away, it is time to set goals. With this year being a wash out for me, no GdS, Essex SR or LEL, due to reasons beyond my control.I am keen to start off with a GdS. So are any dates set yet??

As the GdS year runs from Jan-Dec you've got 4.5 months left of this year and 5 qualifying events. 

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #551 on: 14 August, 2013, 10:19:38 pm »
Really that sounds very interesting. I will look them up.. Thanks for the info I thought it was the same as the Audax season

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #552 on: 14 August, 2013, 11:10:43 pm »
So still to come in 2013:

18.8.13 Tour of the Hills - already signed up

29.9.13 Hengist's Hills - now signed up

5.10.13 AAAnfractuous -already signed up

19.10.13 Mid Sussex Hilly/Hillier - cannot do on hols

30.11.13 Whitchurch winter wind down - now signed up

Plus any of the perms - yet to pick one - any advice - will ride it in Sept

Seems very doable  :thumbsup:

Hillbilly

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #553 on: 15 August, 2013, 06:53:21 am »
Any of the perms will be a nice day out (the Around Weald Expedition is, however, less refined than the others - more for the hard men and women).

Martin and my perms have different tempos. If I was to summarisr Martin's routes, it is that they hunt out hills like a dog hunting for a buried bone.  Of his rides I prefer the AAA Milne. It includes the best use of the Ashdown Forest of any ride I've done. It also suits my riding preference which is hinted at below...

My perms are more longer climbs with rolling bits between. Whilst they hunt out hills also, I am more direct, like a dog chasing a ball. I enjoy them all, but Meridian is the more complete experience (it does  3 of the hill ranges in the SE).

Martin

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #554 on: 15 August, 2013, 01:20:39 pm »
Any of the perms will be a nice day out (the Around Weald Expedition is, however, less refined than the others - more for the hard men and women).

Martin and my perms have different tempos. If I was to summarisr Martin's routes, it is that they hunt out hills like a dog hunting for a buried bone.  My perms are more longer climbs with rolling bits between. Whilst they hunt out hills also, I am more direct, like a dog chasing a ball.

TBF I could hardly start with a blank canvas, even using every possible climb with the exception of Kidds Hill AAA Milne only spends about 36 of its 105km on the Forest; I've added some local quiet lanes from mine and other peeps' routes

Reliable is also not mine, it was a Reliability Trial route designed to be covered at speed (and IIRC over half the original field were out of time having hopelessly underestimated how long a hilly 100 in East Sussex takes). But it does benefit from long sweeping descents with good wide well surfaced roads. Both of my routes have flattish sections before the final onslaught at the finish. But both can easily be ridden on a bike with a normal double chainset and cassette. They are also more info-controlled compared to Billy's

Meridian and AAA Milne (new version) share some common turf, mainly around Ashdown Forest although in a different order. I was even thinking of running both on the same day as a calendar event but thar would require more helpers,

I've only got 3 more nocturnal rides to do this season, last night's muggy damp ride with freshly deposited gravel and misty glasses and dark roads which LED lights don't illuminate well convinced me of the wisdom of this,

all being well my last one will also be my last ride of Hillbilly's old original AAA Milne route

Martin

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #555 on: 19 August, 2013, 03:03:36 pm »
Chapeau to bikergirl17 of another parish on becoming the latest Grimpeuse on yesterday's Tour Of the Hills;

my 5th time and I think we've had rain for 3 of them but it waited until nearly the end before really setting in; made Bar(stard)hatch Lane all the more sporting at the top as I didn't dare ride out of the saddle in case the rear wheel span and forced me to stop; to be passed by a motley collection of old British cars was a nice touch

many thanks Don for a cracking ride with spot on nutrition! nice to see the usual suspects, see you all in Chailey as I'll miss Hengist's Hills

Hillbilly

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #556 on: 19 August, 2013, 05:43:41 pm »
Funny that nobody ever writes Bar(illiant)hatch.

Quick question, as I may ride over in the Surrey Hills this BH weekend.  I've heard tales that Surrey CC have resurfaced Coldharbour Lane and that it is a bit of a dogs dinner because they used loose chippings on top of the black stuff.  Is it ok to go up/down, or best circumvented?

Oh, and did it look like the works on Tanhurst Lane had finished?  You know, the nasty climb up Leith Hill from the Forest Green/Holmbury road.

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #557 on: 19 August, 2013, 08:04:13 pm »




Oh, and did it look like the works on Tanhurst Lane had finished?  You know, the nasty climb up Leith Hill from the Forest Green/Holmbury road.

Looked like it, I glanced down to see a smooth black surface, no 'men at work' or 'road closed' signs.   

Martin

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #558 on: 19 August, 2013, 08:19:57 pm »
Funny that nobody ever writes Bar(illiant)hatch.

that's where you and I differ; a ball wrenching lung busting climb for a view of nothing IMO but each to his own  :)

Coldharbour was fine; seems to have settled in a lot since it was resurfaced; although it appears to have got twice as long since last year

OTOH the descent to Duddleswell has had the same treatment so take care on the new AAA Milne when turning into Toll Lane  :)

Martin

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #559 on: 19 August, 2013, 08:45:29 pm »
Really that sounds very interesting. I will look them up.. Thanks for the info I thought it was the same as the Audax season

it was; then they changed the AUK season to Oct-Sept which left the traditional last event of the season (Mid Sussex Hilly / Hillier) isolated at the beginning with no events until January so it made sense to make it a calendar year

Martin

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #560 on: 26 August, 2013, 06:06:36 pm »
just put some flyers together so a heads up for what's left in 2013 / what's to come in 2014, unless you want to try the perms which also are attracting big interest

Sep 29 Hengist's Hills
Oct 5   AAAnfractuous 200 (new)
Oct 19 Mid Sussex Hilly and Hillier (Hillier now 2AAA)
Nov 30 Whitchurch Winter Wind-Down

Mar 8  Lasham Loop
Mar 16 Invicta Grimpeur
Apr 13 Hell of the Sussex Coastal Hills
May 4 IOW Randonnee
July 5 Meridian Hills 200 (new; there is no 100km Wimpeur option as that month is usually well covered)

another new one is the Kent Hop Garden 200 which is now worth 1.75AAA for the first 100, probably in May

nothing from Mad Jack?

Phixie

  • No gears and all the ideas
Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #561 on: 26 August, 2013, 07:38:21 pm »
I think Hengist's Hills is on 29th Sept - mot the 26th.
At the end of the day, when all's said and done, there's usually a lot more said than done.

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #562 on: 26 August, 2013, 10:20:08 pm »
I think Hengist's Hills is on 29th Sept - mot the 26th.

Correct  :thumbsup:

Hillbilly

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #563 on: 27 August, 2013, 11:35:55 am »
July 5 Meridian Hills 200 (new; there is no 100km Wimpeur option as that month is usually well covered)

Wimpeur.  Like it. 

I'd always mentally called it Gayrimping (in my casually non-PC way.  No offence intended.  Some of my best friends etc etc.)

Martin

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #564 on: 27 August, 2013, 11:39:57 am »
July 5 Meridian Hills 200 (new; there is no 100km Wimpeur option as that month is usually well covered)

Wimpeur.  Like it.  I'd always mentally called it Gayrimping (in my casually non-PC way.  No offence intended.  Some of my best friends etc etc.)

actually Wimpeur is a bit harsh because the 100km option would likely have been my AAA Milne. the only SE based AAA ride that perhaps merits the term is the 50km Invicta Hilly which is of course not GdS eligible,

entries for the Mid Sussex Hillier rolling in, only one for the Hilly though  :-\ looks like I'll be ordering blank brevet cards for the 20 minimum order for the latter

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #565 on: 27 August, 2013, 02:46:18 pm »

nothing from Mad Jack?


Aint he aving time off?

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #566 on: 01 September, 2013, 11:04:50 am »

nothing from Mad Jack?


Aint he aving time off?

Last I heard he's lurking on here! :-)
Mad Jacks JSM/  Hills and Mills to be continued in 2021

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #567 on: 03 September, 2013, 09:34:34 pm »
Hills and Mills current status- at project stage, date 25/1/2014 (one week later than in 2013)
same route as 2013/ Cafe controls.

Mad Jacks JSM 2014- (possibly same date/Cafe control as usual)  TBA.

A
Mad Jacks JSM/  Hills and Mills to be continued in 2021

Martin

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #568 on: 03 September, 2013, 10:26:31 pm »
Thanks MJ;

a welcome addition to the list  :thumbsup:

Martin

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #569 on: 06 September, 2013, 01:47:14 am »
I rode Hillbilly's old AAA Milne for the very last time tonight; a feisty little ride compared to my version and still the only GdS 100 to do Kidds Hill although I managed that in the middle ring tonight. I was doing well until I had to stop for a pint at Langton Green  :P (petrol station was shut) and left my shades there, didn't realise until half way up the Forest to Uckfield so carried on and had to retrace to collect them before going on to Edenbridge;

so one of the first two GdS perms passes into history; sadly missed but Milne is Dead; Long Live Milne  :)

Hillbilly

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #570 on: 06 September, 2013, 07:15:57 am »
Given the logo in the brevet card....


Hillbilly

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #571 on: 08 September, 2013, 11:36:15 am »
I meant to post last week that there have been a significant number of roadworks over the summer in the Surrey Hills, and they have greatly improved most of the roads. 

The prime example is Tanhurst Lane (off Leith Hill) which is (for) now a smooth ribbon of blacktop that is a joy to ascend and descend.  The former is relative to what was there before - it is still a bitch of a climb.

Elsewhere in the South East, both Kent and Sussex councils are patching up roads at a fair pace.  Whilst there still remains some roads that are not cycle friendly (in terms of road quality) these are increasingly in the minority.

Bravo!  I was much impressed after a few months not travelling those roads.

Hillbilly

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #572 on: 08 September, 2013, 11:41:20 am »
I did my last South East ride of the 2012/13 AUK season yesterday.  Thank god.  I've just about exhausted the permutation of hilly roads that can be strung together down here.  If I never climb White Down Lane again, it will be too soon.

Just a few more SE based grimpeurs to endure over the remainder of 2013 (to keep my 2xBRAARTTY going) and then I can shake off the MAAAnacles and explore more diverse bits of my stomping ground (oh Dungeness, how I long to ride along your long flat roads reflecting on how the wind always seems to be against me).  Who knows, some might turn into future calendar events.

Martin

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #573 on: 09 September, 2013, 09:33:16 am »
a couple more sub-awards coming in 2014;

1. A special GdS 100 badge to mark the new award (assuming I can order sufficiently few of them; there was no minimum for the gold badge)
2. The stamp collectors award; every calendar event and perm in 1 year

Re: Grimpeurs du Sud
« Reply #574 on: 10 September, 2013, 11:59:14 am »
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present two classic original East Sussex
AAA events revitalized for your enjoyment in the 2014 season -

Hills and Mills- http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/14-77/

Mad Jacks JSM http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/14-85/

I thank you kindly  ;)


MJ
Mad Jacks JSM/  Hills and Mills to be continued in 2021