The King of the Mountains

SO, can you cycle up Swain’s Lane? I know I couldn’t, but it’s a favourite challenge for road race cyclists who close their eyes and imagine they are chasing Greg LeMond up Alpe D’huez. Some of them even do laps of the climb to test their mettle.

During a motion on traffic changes in Highgate at tonight’s full council meeting, local resident Edward Stanners said (as an aside): “It’s the steepest hill in London and it’s far too step for normal mortals to pedal up).”

Step forward, Councillor Simon Pearson, clearly not a mere mortal.

He  can claim a red polka dot King of the Mountains jersey after responding by the telling the virtual meeting that he did not consider himself to be an “elite cyclist” and that he was at “pensionable age”, but still beats the hill once a week on his bike.

“It’s usually quieter than Highgate West Hill, the obvious alternative,” he noted.