AUDAX HILLIER & LONGER

Seeing that the weather was due to be unseasonably warm JV and i decided to cycle to Chailey for the annual running of the Audax hillier.
John had arranged to meet me in Battle around 6.15am, i was regretting that a bit after still being up at 1am cleaning my bike so only having 4 hours sleep.
We decided to leave the base layers, gloves and long sleeves at home and we made our via Windmill hill and Herstmonceaux guided by John's new toy, a Garmin 810. (more of that later)
As we made our way westwards through Laughton and towards Ringmer, with the sun was rising and apart from a stiffish headwind, it really felt like a morning in June not late October.
After a brisk pace, we arrived at Chailey village hall to sign on around 8.15, just in time for the start and where we'd arranged to meet seasoned Audaxer Tom Norris.
Once we'd signed on, re-filled water bottles and done various ablutions we got on our way.
Tom had already set off, so made a quick start to catch him up.
It became quickly apparent why the ride was called Hillier, because it seems the organisers had deliberately seeked out all the climbs and long drags around the local area.
After a few miles and at the top of another long steep climb we found that we'd gone off course as Johns Garmin had decided to stop giving us instructions at the junctions and even Toms old school routesheet couldn't help.
We finally got back on route and made our way up into the Ashdown Forest, to the bottom of Kidds hill, luckily turning right, away from the climb. We'd need our climbing legs though when the route took in the nasty, but sort of fun, Cob Lane.
The roads overall were pretty bad, as we'd had a lot of rain the night before and the grip wasn't great especially on some the roads the Audax organisers tend to favour.
They then took as up a really bad road at one point which was totally unmade up a steep climb, around 7-9 % . It felt like we were in a one day classic as everyone struggled to stay upright and searching for grip to get up the incline.
Unfortunately one other rider dismounted halfway up, so everyone then had to get around him. John couldn't get any grip, slid sideways and came down in the pack right in front of me. i just managed to unclip before running him over, thankfully apart from a cut knee and elbow no real damage done.
We continued on, refuelling briefly at the Esso garage onto the control point to be greeted with some very welcome hotdogs and coffee.
The route continued on along most of the unmade hilly roads in the local area. The bottom bracket on Toms bike was now ticking like a grandfather clock as he made his way up the climbs, we crossed our fingers it would hold out.
His bottom bracket and our tiring legs would now be tested in a big way as Ditchling Beacon
fast approached.
We finally made our way to the bottom of the climb, and pushed slowly up the descent.
As we snaked around the climb, the painted names 'DOWSETT, ROACHE, SIMPSON and even PANTANI' left on the road from the Tour really inspired us to get to the top.
After a quick breather and a photo we then made our way quickly back down and back towards the finish.
We put the hammer down in last few miles, and 500 metres from the finish line Tom cheekily put in a sprint finish. Me and John already had 100 miles in our legs but we weren't going to let him get away with that one, and we both pipped him at the post.
We then refulled with some soup, bread and coffee before saying goodbye to Tom who had sensibly driven over.
John and i retraced our steps back to the A22 and down across the marshes to Pevensey, where John had more techhy issues, it seems the Garmin hadn't recorded part of the days ride, and he also hadn't restarted it on the way back. Oh dear.
We finally made our way along Sluice lane, through Bexhill and up the drag of London road into Battle.
By then we were totally running on empty.
Even John was flagging. My Garmin read 138 miles, so i can't think why.


Over and out 
Lee S