London to Southend - 99% traffic-free

London to Southend - 99% traffic-free

London Fields at 08:30 - Leave around 09:00
On the bit of pavement near C&M - Be ready to ride

Check your bike, body and brain before coming on this ride - Will be a long day and we can't hang around

Sweet, scenic, no-hills cruise to Southend
An unusual way to the coast, great day out

Using:
Greenway
Parks
Cycle paths
River paths

100 KMs

Where not cement, mostly impacted rock pavement, possibly grass..
It can be bumpy and dusty in places
Note: This isn't the most direct route and there maybe some short-cuts through fields.

You'll need:
28c tyres or greater
Good gloves
Maybe mudguard

Might be a long day in the saddle - Quick but social pace - No crybabies - No crap equipment
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See notes at post 22..

Route finished, it's 100KM.

I'm pretty sure I'll be in for this one.

This sounds great, will be a good first lfgss ride to join!

Any pictures to get and idea of the surfaces?

I have no idea, surface of the moon?

I mean the terrain, ground or whatever is the right word for it.

Going to be bumpy.
Paved > gravel > dirt track > maybe a field or two.
Praying for no rain.

Riding an ESB with brakless and 35c's.

My bike doesn´t have clearance for more than 23c's. :( I´ve ridden through some canal paths and it was totally fine, though only for a a few km, not 100.

Anyway, I´ll probably be in.

Recce'd out to Tilbury.

There are some bumps and overgrown sections..

Reiterate - no crybabies..

Probably will do a full recce of this on Sunday afternoon.
If anyone wants to come along get in touch.

I can feel the burn in my legs already!

Heading off-road to Southend tomorrow (if weather not too roasted) so drop me a pm if you want to come along.
100km sometime after 11.

Nabil, Kris and I recce'd this today.

Good, fun route (except for a hell-field of mud, which I will plan around).

Should be an excellent ride.

Not, not, not, 23c friendly.

Gears allowed on this? I don't have fg/ss anymore (other than a 36GI polo bike)

Sure.

See you there

28 Gator Ultras do the job ok you think?

Nabil had 28s.
I would suggest wearing gloves and having bike shorts on underneath your jeans.

Some notes from the scout-session:

1. It is an easy, mostly flat 100KMs.
   
2. Quite a few slow sections near the river due to path condition, width and dodgy blind-corners.
   
3. Lots of constricting barriers to keep out motorbikes..
   
4. There is a 4KM run across a tidal zone that may need to be routed around depending how high the river is.
   
5. Also a 400M section of overgrown single-track down the edge of a farmer's field which might have to be walked.
   
   

Other than those (and wishing it had been warmer) the ride was super and I look forward to doing it again. It is an extra 40-odd bumpy KMs compared to the usual Southend ride but it is made up for by some unique places and views.

For example:

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wow!