Hockley Valley Hill Climb Saturday Sept. 19 Report
8 riders braved the frosty conditions to compete in the Hockley Hill Climb. This morning was cool with 0 C temperatures and frost. However the sun was shining and I estimate the temperature had warmed to 12C by the race start at 10:30. The sun was warm and there was no wind present.
The course was a 2.2 km long meandering hill with hardly any flat spots, but there was a long shallow incline in the middle of the climb to recuperate. The start was near the Hockley Resort, and the finish at the Adamo Estates Winery. The winery is worth a visit as I went there after the race.
The hill was an excellent challenge and I recommend you try it this fall. In places the grade was 12%. I was able to turn my lower gears quite well, and was quite surprised that it was over so soon as I approached the finish line. I have to try harder.
Alex Neystadt was the fastest climberwith a time of 6:34, followed closely by Mathew Keffer at 6:36. Charlayne Szafranski was the fastest lady at 8:39 edged out by Jeffrey Lau at 8:23. Elmore rode in at 9:14, while Andrew Darke narrowly avoided being caught by yours truly. This was undoubtedly due to the inspiration he received from Dawn, his wife, urging him on to the cacophonous tune of cowbells.
Thanks to the expert timing services Andrew Szafranski the event was recorded for posterity. This course was recommended by Alex Neyshtadt, and it was a blast riding it. The scenery around the course is spectacular, although all I saw during the climb was asphalt and Andrew Darke. Afterwards we went to the Hockley General Store for lunch. It is an iconic place worth a visit when the leaves start turning. This concludes the competitive season for the Eagles. Despite the Covid crisis we had a good season and I am willing to carry on next year with the same Time Trial and Hill Climb formats.
