Red Bull Up Hill Chasers, Park St Bristol, Sat 29th, 7pm

[Cudzoziemiec]

I know nothing about this other than the time and place as above, and that the street will be closed for the event. I think it may be in teams of two and suspect it may be on MTBs, but I'm not sure.

So I think I'll go along for a look! Anyone else going to see what it is?

[saturn]

Somebody from the US emailed my club recently asking for info about hill climb knock-out races that he'd read in Velo News (I think) were common in the UK. We'd not heard of them before but we've subsequently heard of one in Norwich next summer. This sounds like the same sort of thing with the twist of a variety of bike types.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Are there hills in Norwich?   

[saturn]

I think it was Norwich, I'll have to check. The idea is it's short steep climb (rather than the typical 4 or 5 minute time trial hill climb because those that make it to the final will have done it a few times.

[saturn]

Norwich it is....

Gas Hill Gasp will be held on Friday the 8th July between 7 and 9pm as part of the Norwich Lord Mayor's Show on a closed road.  The proposed format is, we believe, unique in cycling. A 4 up race every 3 minutes from heats to final. The final 4 having to climb the hill several times. Gas Hill in Norwich must be just about the steepest hill in Norfolk, it is not long, 350m, but it is 1 in 5 near the finish line and almost dead straight.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Ok, that hill sounds similar to Bristol's Park St. I didn't realise there was anything so steepy in Norfolk!

Turns out it's starting at 7pm not 4pm, so I've amended the thread title accordingly. They use the phrase "dual uphill eliminator race" but it's not clear what "dual" means in this context.

Park Street Up-hill Bike Race at Park Street (Sat 29 Jan) - Headfirst Bristol

[Cudzoziemiec]

Ah... er, isn't that a duel, not dual? I had assumed it meant teams of two, but hey, I intend to find out anyway. Long as it's not too damn cold.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I went, I saw, I froze my fingers. Dual was indeed duel, and multi-format means no division between machine types or rider categories. So you had roadies, fixies, bmx, mtb, trials, men, women, locals, pros all riding together. The roadies proved to do best but the fixies also put up a good show and one bmx rider came within feet of beating a roadie. There were 16 "invited professionals" and 16 "local heroes" but the top three were all local - well, it is a hilly place.

It wasn't the whole length (height?) of Park St but about 3/4 of it, with two bottlenecks. These gave the bmx guys an advantage as they were fastest out of the gate and cold block their opponent. Usually not enough of an advantage to sustain their lead to the top though.

[Rig of Jarkness]

Sounds like it was quite a success...Bristol hill climb hits the spot  | Latest News | Cycling Weekly

[Cudzoziemiec]

It was quite fun and there was a surprisingly large crowd. I eventually got a good view from just above the first pinch point, where I was near enough the bottom to see them starting and could lean over the barrier to watch them on the way up. There were people standing on litter bins and shop steps in order to get a view.

"I'm pretty quick over three or four minute climbs so this is a bit short for me," he admitted, before descending to the after-party.

What's he worrying about? For me, this is a three or four minute climb! 

[smurphboy]

I went too - it was chuffing cold though. I thought the BMX guys were the stars of the show - they certainly looked the part flying up the hill. I watched the last few races from the finish and it was nice to see the competitors up close and a few hand shakes / shakes of the head as they headed back down Park St.

Wasn't massively impressed with the 'presenters' they (repeatedly told us) had flown in from Innsbruck / wherever and clearly didn't know anything about bikes. Then again it wasn't a traditional bike event - and they did fit the Red Bull demographic.

I'd go again but I'd get there early and get a good spec and take a warmer jacket.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Yeah, agree about getting there early. I had to move twice before I got a decent view. And warm clothes - my hands were freezing even with gloves! It was nice to see competitors so close, so fast - and then the same people meandering down the hill around the crowd back to the start for the next round.