Dear all 

I’m keen to keep up some longer rides over the colder months, this is my draft timetable, but changes may have to happen later on just because. Each month I will test a route, so it’s not rubbish when it comes to doing it for real, and leading a ride on that route, I'm sort of doing this with my Dulwich CC hat on, but I know some of you enjoy a big day out too, so come along.

Rides are planned for Sundays so I can have fun at HHV on Saturdays. All rides will be a nominal 200km, but I’ll not force the distance, and I might cheat and make you do a bit more than 200km by putting the start a bit further away. Routes may feature a bit of dull straight road to get us out of town faster; it opens up areas we seldom visit. 

Not sure you can do 200km? Give it a go, you can always jump on the train when you have had enough. Pace will be what works for the group but I'd like to keep the moving average over 25kmph, actual average will depend on faff and lunch of course. I’d expect everybody to turn up with enough food to get through the first 100km, and the group can decide if it’s a day for warming up in a pub or grabbing a sandwich from a petrol station on the day. 

I’ll keep this thread up to date for the duration. I’ll post GPX files up before each ride, and it would be marvellous if some of you had the route loaded on the day so I can sit in out of the wind. Most Garmins will not do 200km of navigating on one charge, so you may need to get creative if you want Strava to validate your life choices, I am that shallow.

It would be greatly appreciated if you fitted proper full length mudguards if rain is likely as 200km can feel a long way if you are getting icy water in the face the whole time, and sitting on the back is only half way polite! Lights take the stress out, stuff happens, it will go dark, please fit them. Please don’t fit continental supersonics and expect everybody to stand about in the cold whilst you fix multiple punctures. I hate crashing so will cancel if ice is likely. 

That all sounds a bit serious, it’s not, it will be lovely, riding in winter is brilliant, you see different stuff, and after a week in the office and not seeing any natural light from Monday to Friday spending that long out in the sun is magical.

Thanks, 

Hector 


October 

Test ride – 15 

Main ride – 29 

November 

Test ride – 12 

Main ride – 26 

December 

Test ride – 3 

Main ride – 17 

January 

Test ride – 7 

Main ride – 21 

February 

Test ride – 11 

Main ride - 18

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Hi

Quick update, ride will muster as Cafe St Germain, which will be open and serving good coffee, unlike Cadence which will be very much closed.

Hector

Hello all

In a slight change to the 'rules' this Sunday's ride is only 180km, as selfishly I'm planning to be out on Saturday night.

The route is a nice mix of little lanes and bigger roads, heading out of London to the South, but returning from the West on familiar roads, an option to bail at Woking if you are not having fun, but why would you, the climbing's all done by then... Meet at Cafe St Germain for an 08:45 departure. Bring lights. (If you have done the 165km bear loop, it's largely similar but with the decent of Chalk Pit Lane removed, and a bit more in the Pirbright/Brookwood area.)

Hector

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/16863327

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8.45 departure? I'm in! 

Im tempted to join, but need to be in town fed and scrubbed by 6.30.this will be a bit tight, although the weather is promising!



Gesine Junker said:

Im tempted to join, but need to be in town fed and scrubbed by 6.30.this will be a bit tight, although the weather is promising!
Easy to bail out at Woking, trains frequent and only 25 mins to Clapham, 30 to Waterloo (ish). We also pass near Guildford, 30 mins to Waterloo fro there too.

Easy to bail out at Woking, trains frequent and only 25 mins to Clapham, 30 to Waterloo (ish). We also pass near Guildford, 30 mins to Waterloo fro there too.

Gesine Junker said:

Im tempted to join, but need to be in town fed and scrubbed by 6.30.this will be a bit tight, although the weather is promising!

Ooooh I was going to head to Windsor on Charles' ride, but if there's an option to bail out of this one early then I might do that. I definitely don't have 180km in my legs... Will mull it over...

Hello potential long riders, I'm afraid I'm not going to lead a ride tomorrow (26 Nov), I've picked up a cold and as I'm only a man I cannot risk 9 hours out in the cold, unlike some of you, I'm just not that robust. Normal service will be resumed on 03 Dec.

H

Hello all, a couple of updates, and next ride details.
December 
Test ride – 3, see below, Surrey.
Main ride – 17 Sorry, my mother HAS MOVED CHRISTMAS! I can no longer therefore do this date, carry on without me!

January 
Test ride – 7 
Main ride – 21 

February 
Test ride – 11 
Main ride - 18 Cancelled as it HOTA, not yet decided if I'll replace this.

The ride on 3 December will head out of town on the A24 as far as Epsom, then smaller roads to Dorking, Leith, down to Haslemere, maybe lunch, Liphook, we will then head Northish keeping to the West of Guildford and Woking before Chobham then a return via the Thames Valley. It's probably quicker than the Kent Route, only 1400m of climbing and some bigger roads. Meet at Clapham South Tube at 07:30. It looks like a dry day, and temperatures look to be in the high single figures over lunch, 4c or so at the ends of the day, which is pretty cold... As ever, please make sure you have pocket money for lunch/coffee and bring sufficient food to get to at least the half way point. It's not a race, pace to suit the group, nobody dropped. Bring decent lights, it will go dark before you get home.

Thanks

Hector

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Hi Hector, just joined the club and keen to get some longer rides in...Is there a group still heading out on Sunday? Will try and join if so. Any idea on route? 

Cheers

Stu

I'm afraid the ride this weekend, 21 Jan, isn't going ahead. I'm not able to shake this cold and the likely candidates to lead the ride from DP have looked at the forecast and decided to plan a weekend of indoor training due to a potential risk of ice.

H

All

The long winter rides are back. Sunday will be a slightly shorter 165km, 1200m of climbing, loop out to the Isle of Grain via Gravesend, with the return via Rochester and Pilgrims. Pace will be fairly relaxed, cos I'm just not that quick at the moment. Meet at Cafe St Germain for an 08:00 departure.

Pack enough snackage to get you through the first 100km, but we will either restock or stop for lunch depending on the mood of the group, and we can only stop if anybody is prepared to enter a Medway town pub in tights... Lights are essential, mudguards are a very good idea if you want people to like you! 

COURSE_17345255.gpx

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