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@Peter_Carter
I thought I would leave it a few days before posting the post ride post so I can better understand what you thought if of the ride. It’s now Tuesday so here it is.
Firstly, a big thank you to every one for turning up on a ride that was, twice as big as the last one and with out, I believe, any of the original participants from last year. This made running it slightly more challenging than I thought it would be, so thanks to Wools , Fran and all the others who stepped in to help marshal, guide or mend punctures.
Did the ride work? . The idea of the ride was always to show forum members how to ride out of East London to the Essex countryside on a route that was fixed friendly and where no one got dropped or lost. I can see from the above post that it succeeded in doing this, despite the Deer incident.
What didn’t work was that you went to the wrong pub, but I don't think that matters. The organic farm would perhaps have been more of our sort of place, so perhaps lunch there next time.
So what have I learnt from running the 2nd version of this ride? Well, I need to plan the back part of the route as much as the out part .Especially the latter stages when people are getting tired. I am also thinking about becoming a cycle trainer.
Yes, as some of you have posted, the ride out to Epping is a drag and it’s busy. You can get into the countryside quicker via Theydon ( turn off at what is now to be called the Deer Roundabout) and then ride up the Roding Valley or over Toot Hill into deepest Essex, buts that's a much hillier route.
When it’s run again, the return route should be Matching Green -Moreton - N Weald to reduce the risk of wrong turnings...
If you have any other comments on Saturday or ideas for similar rides then do let me know.
So, can I once again express my gratitude to everyone for coming on Saturday? I will gladly run this ride again even if its only to the Tea Hut @ High Beach ( Beech ) and I am still thinking about Strictly Come Hill Climbing ride for next month……