I’m Maria, and I’m hoping to ride the Étape du Tour – 138km from Nice to Col de la Couillole. It’s been a long time since I did this type of event – 20 years in fact. So I will recount the highs and lows of how I am getting on in my preparation for this event on 7th July.
My route through the Surrey Hills can be found here.
With my new Liv Avail Advanced 2 and its low gears I decided to put them, and my legs, to the test by doing my version of a classics ride. There are various professional races at this time of year with lots of short sharp hills so why not try the same, albeit at a much slower pace – and maybe with a tea break too! Where else would I find a route befitting a classic than in the Surrey Hills.
Being South London there is a choice of places to get in short sharp climbs quite close to my home near Crystal Palace, but I was in the mood to go further afield.
So I headed south of Croydon and over Farthing Downs to enter the Surrey Hills. Technically, the range of downland terrain begins at this expanse of ancient grassland and woodland owned by the Corporation of London, that gives views of the City skyline in the distance. But commonly folks think more about venues in the heart of these chalky downs - Box Hill, Leith Hill and Peaslake. That's where I was headed.
My first proper Surrey hill of the day was Pebble Hill - 2.2km at an average gradient of 4.5%. These statistics are misleading as parts of the climb are considerably steeper with a short stretch at almost 20%. I had to keep calm on this road and not waste any energy grimacing or getting stressed. It was a real quad-buster and lung-buster that gave me tunnel vision. I just had to focus and not allow myself to wobble as the cars chugged on behind me. I saw many groups of cyclists on the road - all of them were going downhill. I wonder why?
This was definitely a toughie which merited a rest at the top. While recuperating, I spotted a guy pushing his hybrid bike up the hill, then he flaked out in the grass verge while trying to get his breath back. “Are you okay?” I asked him. “Yeah,” he replied, still heaving. “I just hadn't realised how hard the climb was.” I was glad to know he wasn't having a heart attack. “Yeah, it's certainly a toughie,” I replied. Well I'd gotten the hardest climb out of the way first, so from here on in everything would be a piece of cake. Er, kind of!
A loop through Headley took me to the foot of Box Hill, but I didn’t crest it, preferring to save the best till last, and proceeding to Ranmore Common [1.8km; average gradient 4%]. I call this a Cinderella climb because it is set in very pleasant woodland on a country lane that has few cars on it – a cyclist’s dream. Yet hardly anyone talks about Ranmore, and other hills get mentioned much more often by local riders. Near the top of the climb, there’s a small sting in the tail in the shape of a 15% left-hand bend. The very first time I rode up this I had to walk. Nowadays I am used to it, and these days the gears on my bike are low enough to crest it in the saddle.
Depending on your preference you are rewarded at the top with either a trip to Denbies Vineyard or a stopover at the church.
I then dropped down to Dorking and enjoyed lovely views over the North Downs before taking on the longest climb of the ride, Coldharbour [4.5km; average gradient 4.5%]. This climb is the other side of its steeper counterpart, Leith Hill. Where Leith Hill has you honking out of the saddle, Coldharbour takes you up gradually, albeit with the odd 10% ramp, past shady coniferous woods to the eponymous hamlet where road bikers can meet mountain bikers, hikers, and horse riders at the Plough Inn, or at the picnic site below Leith Hill Tower.
After dropping back down to Dorking, I took on my final and favourite Surrey hill, Box Hill. A classic bike ride can't end without an iconic climb. At 2km and an average 4.5% gradient with no steep ramp, Box Hill is probably one of the easiest of the Surrey Hills. It is the alpine-style switchbacks winding their way to the top of the chalky escarpment and among the box trees that make it famous. For many it's a big-ring climb that can be done at an attacking pace, and can give you bragging rights over your mates, like if you were on the Mur de Huy or Oude Kwaremont.
I took the climb at a steady pace, as I was more interested in saving something in the tank to get myself back to London comfortably.
As ever there were lots of others pedalling up Box Hill at a variety speeds, with many of them overtaking me. Whatever our ability we all stopped at the top and enjoyed a snack at this hub in the heart of the Surrey Hills.
After a short break I headed home, feeling satisfied with my mini classic in Surrey, and glad to have gone some way towards finding my climbing legs for the Etape du Tour – and the bike fared well too!
Find out more about my thoughts on preparing for the Etape du Tour on my blog.