CTC Hillclimb Llyfasi

A year ago you’d never in a million years have me doing a hillclimb but times change and I’d even toyed with riding out to the event. With limited access to the internet I’d got the details from the CTC Cycle magazine.

As it turned out 24 of us turned up on the day and it went off really well.

I’d rode up the first part of the course with a few others to see what gear to use, turning back before the first bend. I’d been told about not going off too fast, but this seemed OK. Middle ring and 25 or 24 on the back. I started fifth and this was the first time I have started anything in the pedals  so its a bit unnerving the first time.
The chap in the stripes is my minute man and looks to be going well.

A minute later I’m off, have a good go on the first section with the dubious honor of having a car pass me on the narrow road. It was soon past.
round the first bend things steepened up considerably and I’d also caught my minute man I was under the impression that he had had a problem.

Looking down at the Edge my pulse is about 175 BPM its time to drop in to the granny ring on this one and spinn it out. I figure it can’t be this steep all the way up. As it was it flattened out a bit and it was time to shift up a gear or two. The finish being at a gate on the flat. Fast sprint to the finish and that was it event done.

Back to the time keeper to give my number in and take a few pictures of the other riders. 

 

 

 

More later including the freewheel and presentation.
The results to my great surprise I came second with a time of 7 minutes 29 seconds. Well beaten by the winner doing it in 6 minutes 48 seconds. Third place was a second behind me so it was close.

It was a short ride to the start of the Freewheel most of it downhill. Taking a leaf out of Andy Walsh,s Majorcan dowhill Northend epic on Youtube I decided to have a go at filming while on the move, with nearly disastrous consequences. The road got rough and the hand that was holding the lever was having a hard enough time trying to keep the speed in check before a large jolt made the lever slip. Results are a bit mixed so I won’t post them.

And so on to the Freewheel. Now this is what I’d call a quirky event, freewheeling down a hill and seeing how far you can get up the other side. You might get beaten on the hillclimb but revenge is sweet on the freewheel. I don’t think I’d travel half way across the country just to do the freewheel mind you.

Now I’d have thought it was all about aerodynamic and rolling resistance, how wrong can you be. the chap in the third picture won the event by getting past the telegraph pole.
Carbon exotica like the Toy wern’t even close to the British steel and the chap on the Bianchi. I had a look at his tyres they must have been 35-38 millimetre touring tyres with a tread pattern in them!. Mind you, what was in the saddle bag?  Hutchinson 700X23,s in Discovery Channel team colors just wern’t up to it in this event.

Your final stopping point is marked on the road and at the close I counted my position, 11th. With the event over it was off to the pub for some lunch and the presentation from Lowri.

Great day, my first  hillclimb and freewheel. Probably be back for more next year.