2010-05-02 - The 'Round Chelmsford' (Cycling Club Hackney season opener)

The 'Round Chelmsford' will be on Sunday the 2nd of May, 2010.

http://cyclingclubhackney.blogspot.com/2010/04/3rd-round-chelmsford-sunday-may-2nd.html

This is Cycling Club Hackney's season opener, now in its third year.

The route loops from Hackney around Chelmsford and back and covers around 100 miles. It's mostly flat except for North Hill beyond Chelmsford, which, while apparently the biggest hill in Essex, is not a particularly daunting challenge. The café stop will be in Danbury shortly afterwards, and the ride also passes Pleshey Castle and Hanningfield Reservoir.

We'll ride out to High Beach en bloc, where we'll split up into different groups based on ability. The fast group doesn't take any prisoners and will probably contain CCH's multiple race winners plus other hopefuls (last year, forumengers clintsmoker, taogeogheanhart, and GinaG rode with this group), whereas the slower groups will suit pretty much everyone.

Meet 9am Lee Valley Ice Centre car park, here:

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=51.563319,-0.044702&spn=0.002291,0.006968&t=h&z=18

As some forumengers who did this last year will be able to testify, this is a cracking ride. Just don't have any JACKET POTATOES at the café stop. ;)

1. Oliver Schick
   

Sounds interesting.. you riding?

I should be--hence the start of a list up there. ^^ I did 50k yesterday and felt fine, so just a bit of patience should see elbow issues out. I won't have done many training miles, but if I'm leading the intermediate group again (hopefully without getting us lost twice again), I should be able to do it fairly easily. Do come along--it's a lovely route.

I'm just thinking of the distance. 160k ride + 50k to get there and back = more than I've done for a long time.

Contact AUK and have it agreed as a DIY 200. :)

I almost know what that means.. I'll do audax one day.. promise.

I've just been emailed about a local TT that's low on numbers I might do instead. Have a bump.

did this last year. Ended up riding with the faster group with gina and texas. it was us and a few others from hackney cc including the speedy 14/15 yr olds who dished it out ham and egs style. Apart from the ludicrous amount of time it took to actually get going, including the time at high beech, this was one of the highlights of last year

I can't remember Texas--was he there? I do remember meeting claus on the road just after Theydon Bois.

OP updated with flyer and link.

it was great. a shame that it clashes with the randonee

I can't remember Texas--was he there? I do remember meeting claus on the road just after Theydon Bois.

oh hell yeah! (maybe it was someone else then) i managed to hang with the pace for 90 miles until i popped on burgess hill. gina and texas(?) were stronger than me. damn those teenage boys. they just kept cranking the pace up higher and higher. they humbled and impressed me that day.

that cafe in danbury was typically english. they didn't want any customers, we must have spent a fortune in there and if my memory serves me the mad old bitch who runs it didn't want anyone walking inside ordering food because we were cyclists. she put the 'cus' in customer service. my advice would be to find somewhere else.

I think it was more of a case of a very busy day for them, and inadequate notice/prior negotiation. They were very nice the first year we were there (a very wet edition).

This was a great ride last year, shame I'm away during that weekend. Have fun! Those kids were crazy fast!

That is ECCA festival weekend - 2 road races on in the morning and a 25 TT in the afternoon to the west of Chelmsford. I don't know your route and you may already be aware, but I suspect you might want to make sure you're not using the same roads at the same time as the events.

Full details on the [not particularly user friendly) ECCA website ...

http://www.easterncounties.org.uk/

I think this is the same day as Brendan's polo tournament, but if not, I may come along to this. Sounds like fun.

Thanks, TheCatMan. I wasn't involved in setting the date but I've alerted others to it.

I think this is the same day as Brendan's polo tournament, but if not, I may come along to this. Sounds like fun.

I thought Brendan's tournament was on the first of May?

This will be on the second.

Will be great to have you along!

Yup! You're right! (Mayday for polo, maysecondday for rides). Adrienne and I may come along. We were going to do a ride anyway, and this seems like an easy option!

Yes, a great ride .

Oliver, I will be there.

Thanks, TheCatMan. I wasn't involved in setting the date but I've alerted others to it.

No problem. Enjoy the ride round mid-Essex.

PS The cafe at the bottom of North Hill (Papermill lock) is better in my opinion.

Oliver, there is a date setting meeting for the Eastern Counties clubs in November for the following year so dates don't clash. Eastern Counties can be a bit masonic at times, and there is a cross over in membership, but it might be worth H CC joining.

Was a fun ride last year although if I make this years I might opt for the slower group. I've done less mileage than last year and couldn't keep with Tao and crew even after they done North Hill a couple of extra times.

No problem. Enjoy the ride round mid-Essex.

PS The cafe at the bottom of North Hill (Papermill lock) is better in my opinion.

You're quite right on that--I had a very nice break there on a ride last year. I think this would work very well if we did the ride counter-clockwise, but I think the idea is to do North Hill just before the caff. :)

Oliver, there is a date setting meeting for the Eastern Counties clubs in November for the following year so dates don't clash. Eastern Counties can be a bit masonic at times, and there is a cross over in membership, but it might be worth H CC joining.

Good point, Edward. I'm not too involved in the organisational side of things, but I'm sure the committee are on things like this. I suspect part of the lack of link-up is that CCH hasn't really promoted races except for grass track yet. All that will surely come. The club is growing and there are loads of talented young people coming along.