Cycling Club Hackney Events

The 'Round Chelmsford' ride sounds interesting.
Will anyone be going fixed or is that not recommended?

North Hill (and then really only the 2 steep ramps on it) will probably be an obstacle for anything but the most generous ratios, but its no Galibier so walking for the 50 yards or so on the steepest bits shouldn't be too much of an issue! I don't know the exact route but being a Chelmsfordian I know the roads all around fairly intimately - and trust me, you will not need newspaper down your jersey for long twisting alpinesque descents.

Any chance of linking the route Oliver?

Sorry, CatMan, I don't have the route (although I know it roughly). Last year's route was basically Lee Valley Ice Centre, up the A104, the loop via High Beach, down to Theydon Bois, meandering to Toot Hill, north of the A104 to beyond Chelmsford, North Hill, cafe stop at Danbury. Then Bicknacre, East Hanningfield, Rettendon, south around Hanningfield Reservoir, Stock, Margaretting, Ingatestone, Blackmore, Navestock Side, Stapleford Abbots, Lambourne End, Chigwell, and back to Hackney.

EDIT: Actually, hold on--there was something on-line somewhere. I'll try to track it down again.

Here you go--should have thought of this straightaway. Again, this is last year's route. This year's may have been changed:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=107563423543474988505.0004442e4f5bf451e74d3&ll=51.726178,0.305557&spn=0.380235,0.933838&z=10&om=0

Last year's route sheet:
http://www.bikefix.co.uk/i/dump/round%20chelmsford.pdf

Last year's ride report:
http://cyclingclubhackney.blogspot.com/2008/04/cch-1st-ronde-chelmsford.html

The weather last year was pretty epic. It should be much better this year. It's such a nice route, it deserves it.

Yep - that northern bit is beautiful and the roads between the Easters and lt Waltham are sooo quiet. Fingers crossed for the weather for you.

If you fancy taking on a quick hill sprint do a short detour to the right at the bottom of Swan Lane (that superb, if narrow, 1.5km downhill from Stock towards Margaretting) after about 300 or 400 yards just after it crosses the A12 there is a short half mile of hill up to Galleywood common at 12%.

Enjoy Essex!

Thanks, CatMan. I think I'll pass on the tempting advertisement of a hill sprint at this point, although I could imagine that clintsmoker will make a note in red of this on his map ... ;)

And I'm boycotting the ECCA Hillclimb till they move it from North Hill. It's insultingly shallow (though I might just be bitter about coming second both times I rode it).

Where would you want them to move it?

North London?

Kent?

Er, Army & Navy flyover?

Where would you want them to move it?

Somewhere outside Essex! Danbury is the highest point - we've either got short and steep or long(ish) and shallow. I think the avg. gradient for North Hill is about 5%. Hardly hors categorie..

So, basically, BMMF hasn't got a hope. ;)

I'm sure there's a climb in Maldon that's steeper...

I'm sure there's a climb in Maldon that's steeper...

Market Hill - yep I think that may even be approaching 1/4 at its steepest, but again probably only 1/4 mile. Not much more than a really big bmx ramp really.

Or, make the EH/07 a restricted gear event - 80" minimum.

500 yards is fine. The Catford's only about 700.

So, what your saying is that this ride is going to be quite hilly on saturday? Hmmmm.

the map is here http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=107563423543474988505.0004442e4f5bf451e74d3&ll=51.726178,0.305557&spn=0.380235,0.933838&z=10&om=0

for more info go to the CCH blog at http://cyclingclubhackney.blogspot.com/

So, what your saying is that this ride is going to be quite hilly on saturday? Hmmmm.

No, that impression is just the effect of BMMF unsuccessfully projecting his obsessions onto the ride. ;)

It's not a hilly ride at all--the only real hill is North Hill, which comes at about the midway point, just before the cafe stop. Other than that, if you've been via Toot Hill before, you'll know the gently rolling road that leads there, and then there's some inclines between Stapleford Abbotts and Buckhurst Hill, but nothing too testing.

(It's on Sunday, by the way, not on Saturday.)

Should be coming along on Sunday possibly with one or two others assuming we all survive this Friday's multiple birthday celebrations.

I should be in too....

See y'all, bright and early at 9am tomorrow, Lee Valley Ice Centre!

oliver, nice to run into you out there in essex today. sorry for not sticking around but was on my own mission, great day for riding rolling country lanes.

great ride, once we got going! big thanks to cch and kier for leading the fast group. was a pleasure to ride with the under 16 squad and gina was awe inspiring. finished up doing 100 miles - pooped

lovely ride.
thanks tim for convincing me to join the fast group, it was a pleasure!
those kids were amazing!
thanks everyone!
thanks oliver for posting the that...

amazing ride!
thanks oliver for leading us.
95 miles on my legs, fixed, good!

Lovely company, lovely route, and what a bit of weather! Totally amazing, loved every minute of it (I didn't mind the cafe's attitude much, actually--I wonder if we'd been announced.)

Sorry about the navigational mistakes on the way out. I wasn't prepared enough to lead a group there, as last year I was given an armchair ride, but I got my bearings reasonably well on the second leg, as that was where I had been constantly lost last year!

Hope you're feeling better now, Sarah!

Well done to all!

(Including the distance to and from my house, which is very close to the start point, and various, erm, extra bits, I had 96.9 miles on the clock in the end.)