Incredibly it's been marked as hazardous on Strava, seems odd.
It's part of the Olympics cycle route, as well.
Did they run out of steam before the hairpin?
Oh, sorry, it's the descent.
No more dangerous that most Surrey Hills descents IMO. Raced up the b'way to the side thought Netley Park yesterday. Now that's a brute on a Mtb!
Double post
Most people I know really hate the hairpin on that descent. There is something about it that just seems to freak them out. I have to say that the variable road surface and numpty drivers are more of an issue than anything else.
Team H, that climb up the bridleway is a real challenge - especially in the wet when there seems to be a distinct lack of grip. I have found if I can get through the first part in the trees I can do the rest.
Surrey roads especially in the hills are all nightmare surfaces, then you have the mums in 4x4s with one had on the phone and the other on their costas!
I need to go back several times on the b,way. As it was a race yesterday, I decided that it was not that much faster riding and definitely harder work, so succumbed to fast pushing in parts. You know it's going to be a tough ascent but the slight bends hide the true extent. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing!
Agree its the traffic that makes it an issue, the camber pushes you to the outside too. Fine if you can cut the corner, and to be honest I'd say White Down is worse as you can carry far more speed into the hairpin.
TH - what race? You mean the trail break thing? The one that's not a race 😕
White Down is worse; a 71 year old guy from my club with was attacked (verbally) after the Spring Onion by the wife of a rider who crashed there as he tried to follow the guy from my club around the bend.
Oh njee don't burst my bubble!! It's the first thing I have done like that (apart from XTT tri) so for me (at least) it was a race!!! Personal TT to get into gold! Looking at some of the kit and the speed some guy flew past me on the approach to Winterfold (white anthem, incredibly strong calf muscles etc!!) there were some racers there!!!
Go easy on us novices!!!!! 😉
I am supposed to be doing the Surrey Rumble next weekend, and they have advised that the descent off the Downs to the A25 is dangerous. I think it's the one just after Abinger Hammer (heading towards Dorking) with the Pill Box half way up. From my hazy recollection I think it is pretty steep and you can be on the main road before you realise. I hope people take care. I know a couple of the guys I ride with will be on the brakes most of the way down....as will I if it's busy, which, as it is fairly near the beginning, it could be!!
That's White Down, yes the second part spits you onto the road pretty suddenly!
white anthem, incredibly strong calf muscles etc!
Aye, white Anthem, must race 😉
Njee, not me on the anthem! I was describing the flyer,
What's wrong with an anthem anyway? Much better than my old bike!
Whitedowns is not a pleasant descent any more and I personally don't think that it's appropriate to take a sportive down it less than 5 miles from the start, but then it's not my decision. Combe Bottom isn't a particularly tough descent - you just have to take care on the hairpin, the left kink under the tree and the gullies drop down to the main road. The last time we went down Combe Bottom there was a motorbike parked between the front offside wheel and the drivers door of a car and the ambulance and fire brigade were sweeping up the bits of motorbiker that had broken off on the way past the car.
I know one thing though, we'll be going nowhere near Box Hill untill September.
The bridleway next to WD spits you out onto the main road as well!
Njee, not me on the anthem! I was describing the flyer,
What's wrong with an anthem anyway? Much better than my old bike!
I know, I was amused that you deemed him a racer because he had a white Anthem, as if they're the sole preserve of folk who race! Nowt wrong with them at all, good bikes. Disappointingly heavy except for the silly expensive one.
I know one thing though, we'll be going nowhere near Box Hill untill September.
Why not? It's marginally busier than it was on the Zig Zags, but if you go up there and down the road from Headley back to Juniper Hall it's really quiet.
Box Hill was so busy today that I ended up having to put a foot down twice on the ride up because of traffic, and then the queue for tea'n'cake was over 40 minutes long.
Out to Christmas Common next Sunday I think.
Nah, deemed him a racer because (1) he looked v fit, (2) he had v strong calf muscles and (3) he was flying much faster than the rest of us on a steep uphill, muddy section without any effort!
(is that why Giant make the weight disclaimer on their site?)
Box Hill was so busy today
Yeah there was a lot of traffic struggling to get in and out of the Zig Zag when I went up, the road is too narrow and there was a lot of traffic - cars and bikes. I only went up to meet my mate that lives up there.
aP - I have to agree with you about that descent...far too near the start to chuck unsuspecting (although pre-warned) people down onto the A25 on a Sunday morning. Can't say I am particulary looking forward to that part of the ride; although the rest looks fine.
The times I've done the Surrey Rumble they've had a marshall on the bend on White Down, if riders can't get down a 1/4 mile at the most straight descent to a marshalled bend perhaps a sportive is not the right place to be riding.
kilo - That's interesting. Didn't realise it was marshalled; first time I have done it as I normally don't do sportives, but have been 'persuaded' to take part!
Both of those are dangerous due to having blind bends and dodgy surfacing - quite sensible not to encourage folk to hammer down there at full tilt really...
Kilo - I've marshalled and signed it.
I still don't consider it appropriate.
It's not a closed road, you can and do have traffic coming up. I suspect that's the reason it's marked as dangerous. It may well be there has been a big accident on the hill in recent times and that this is the response.
[b]TeamHurtmore:[/b] Good for you buddy! I did the Shalford TB on Saturday too. What a top course! Was supposed to ride it as a group with friends but ended up going for it a bit as I was enjoying it so much.
The timed Trailbreaks provide a pretty good alternative, given that we can't legally race on bridleways. I get very jealous of all these point to point races in the States...Racing on circuits is fun and all that but it's not quite the same.
Box Hill was so busy today that I ended up having to put a foot down twice on the ride up because of traffic, and then the queue for tea'n'cake was over 40 minutes long.
Ah right, yes I never stop at the top, Peaslake has a better choice of cake!
(is that why Giant make the weight disclaimer on their site?)
Dunno, just know several friends had the carbon XT-equipped models and they were knocking 25lbs even with a few component changes. Seemed a shame when they're not exactly cheap!
if riders can't get down a 1/4 mile at the most straight descent to a marshalled bend perhaps a sportive is not the right place to be riding.
+1
It's hardly an Alpine descent where you're likely to be cooking your brakes. There's pretty good visibility of the upcoming bend too.
was a shed load of diesel on that hairpin a few weeks back... but traffic is more of an issue especially if you take the kink near the bottom on the wrong side of the road..
more importantly back up the other way on Staple Lane - see there is a micro brewery selling its stuff - also some on tap at the Queens Head in East Clandon
Apparently Coombe Bottom descent is too steep for the olympics and they are going over Newlands Corner instead.
Box Hill was really busy yesterday as Pebblecombe was closed off due to the level crossing being closed. So I went down box hill for the first time in about 10 years. It was ridiculously busy.
Apparently Coombe Bottom descent is too steep for the olympics and they are going over Newlands Corner instead.
servo - where did you hear about this?
Yes, where's that come from? I thought it was all decided.
Someone old guy in my wife's club told me! But I admit there is no evidence to back it up. Looking at the route picture it is very vague and people might be reading it wrong.
Personally, think it's a shame if they took out the climb of Staples Lane as that has some great views over London. Also it's harder than Newlands as it does drag on over the top.
[url= http://www.london2012.com/documents/venue-documents/cycling-road-race-route.pdf ]Here[/url].
It is pretty vague, in that it doesn't have road names, but it's definitely Staples Lane and down Coombe Lane - you can see the distinctive kink in the map.
Yep I stood at the Coombe Lane hairpin to watch the test event, and we definitely saw a large peleton go through! Was planning to do the same on the big day.
I could see how they might have had some feedback from the riders about it, but haven't heard of any plans to change it...
