Ride of the Falling Leaves, late report!
Posted on Monday 18 October 2010 by Martin Hayman
Quite a few us signed up for this well-known sportive, so it seems a pity not to have a ride report up here. So, better late than never, here it is.
The Ride of the Falling Leaves is a traditional Dulwich Paragon CC promotion and covers much of their patch on the Kent/Surrey border. It starts at Herne Hill velodrome, so I met the usual suspects at Bank and we proceeded thence together. Like many others, I had severe misgivings about starting (despite the non-trivial advance cost, £20) because the weather map was pretty apocalyptic, showing a great turquoise blot, shading off into dark blue, obliterating north-west Kent.
But the day dawned with milky sunshine and we were spared the downpour for the outward leg: past Dulwich College, New Addington, over the North Downs at Warlingham, on to Lingfield, turn east to Edenbridge and Hever. By Chiddingstone Hoath, the furthest point, our posse was down to 4: with Stephen keeping the still-recovering Keith company and Mike having punctured, Charlie, Jon and I wallowed along in Kirsten’s narrow wake.
From here, the route turns back northwards and heads with unerring accuracy to Toy’s Hill, an absolute brute. By now the long-threatened front was on top of us and the rain torrential, with mighty gusts of wind, making the leaf-slimed descents even more hazardous. I am utterly wet and a weed when it comes to descending on wet roads; my green bike has a developed a scary speed wobble on ill-made chip-and-seal roads (how can that happen?) but on the day discretion was mos def the better part of valour, with much careful feathering of brakes.
We stopped for coffee at the twee caff in Westerham High Street, then a run before the wind along the Pilgrim’s Way beneath the lip of the Downs before, inevitably, the ascent to Knockholt, another absolute brute, where the featherweight Kirsten danced away from us (but was kind enough to wait at the top). Here, the legs rebelled and demanded a break so, yes, for about 100 m I pushed the bike. I hate that.
Once on top of the downs we speared westwards into the wind, then turned right to head directly towards Crystal Palace… which sits atop a pretty steep hill, the final trial of the day. Blue sky was showing as we ran into the suburbs and by the time we got to the reception at Dulwich Sports Club, the sun was coming out. Beer, food, bike wash, and, if we had had time for it, massage were all were laid on. Excellent, thank you Paragon and Mosquito Bikes.
We were left only with the trip home. Sure there is a train from Sydenham to Kentish Town, but what the hell, in for a penny…I got home totally knackered. I realize I have not done much distance cycling this year and though our 3-star runs often come out at around this distance, 110 km, we pause from time to time and always have a major break for lunch. On a sportive you just get ahead and ride the distance!
For the record, all of us who started finished: Kirsten Halliday, Charlie Keep, Jon McColl, Stephen Taylor, Keith Butcher, and Mike Evans. And I am even pictured by the official photographer in the clubhouse.