Patrice and I visited my dad down in Dorset over the weekend. We took the bikes for some training. On Sunday we visited Shaftsbury and a local landmark, Gold Hill.
I knew there was a tea shop at the top.
The hill is the location of an iconic TV advert for bread.
It was produced by a little known director at the time called Ridley Scott.
We approched the hill from the bottom and I soon realised the hill wasn’t for cycling. It was about 200 metres of 1:3 and 1:2 in places. It was cobbled and the cobbles were mossy.
As we approached I egged Patrice on, perhaps if we could get to the start of the cobbles at the bottom? At this she got off and began to push.
I then saw a couple of tourists with a camera. He raised it in my direction. Dear God surely he didn’t think…..?
‘Come on then, keep going !’ They shouted. Their raised voices attracted several other tourists who turned around to see this feat of endurance.
Setting myself up for the fall I dropped to the bottom gear and dug deep. Note to self – don’t cycle anywhere near iconic tourist spot hills.
I wasn’t about to get out of the saddle. I knew if I did I would only have about a minute of oxygen in my legs before they gave up, no, better to stay seated.
As I passed them I even manged to point out that the boy in the advert pushed. A man of wit and steel legs !
My lungs were bursting as I pushed harder and harder. The front wheel began to pull off the hill as I pulled down hard on the handlebars. I leant forward still determined to stay in the saddle.
As I approched the top the hill I needed to negotiate a rain gully and it steepened further. Finally I was there, my heart well over it maximum rate and probably around 200bpm.
I looked at the tea shop, I had more fans, Patrice cheered from half way up.
Bloody tourists.