2012-09-09 - Lavenham Century Ride

Tried to get a bit of interest going in the Essex subforum for this but it seems we now have too few locals to make it work, so would anyone from London like to join? It's only about 20mins by train to get to out to the start of the Essex countryside if you get a fast train that goes to Shenfield and in the past people have said how they've enjoyed skipping the London traffic by starting a ride in this way.

Here's some info copied for the original thread http://www.lfgss.com/thread89249.html
[INDENT]Lavenham Ride

[history bit] Lavenham is a picturesque village near the Southern border of Suffolk. It was a prosperous settlement during the 15th and 16th century due to its involvement in wool production, but didn't grow much after that period due to Dutch refugees settling in nearby Colchester who began making cheaper, but superior quality, wool.

I'm interested in visiting as it seems to be a completely unspoilt village with the original high street buildings still in use. There are loads of these all over rural Essex. It would be a good destination for a ride out/pub lunch/ride back.

Photos of some pissed buildings and the local pub to get you interested:

Route
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1607370

It's exactly 120 miles round trip if we start in Shenfield, or if you get the train back, about 60 miles. The route will head out in a northerly direction from the start up through the nice villages of Blackmore, Roxwell and Finchingfield and then bear East to Lavenham. On the way back we will go through Sudbury where anyone who's having problems or feeling tired can get a train home. There are fantastic views at many points along the route particularly near the end as we pass Hanningfield Reservoir. All types of drivetrain welcome, Essex is generally pretty flat, but we will of course wait for people on any tough sections. I'll be on gears as my fixed is too slow and heavy for a century.

Sunday 9th September, 10am at Shenfield station.
Taking into account an hour in Lavenham for lunch we should be back in Shenfield around 7pm

I'll be doing a recce of the route on Monday
[/INDENT]

Greetings folks,
Lavenham is a super village. Lots of nice pubs and Tudor buildings to look at.
If you cannot face the miles back you can bail by cycling 8 miles back to Sudbury and getting the train which will take you 1 hour 19 mins back to Liverpool Street.
Good luck with the ride Stu F.
Give thanks,
Tim

Time for a list then

1. Stu F
   2.
   3.
   

First post updated with route map

Time for a list then

1. Stu F
   
2. Oliver Schick
   3.
   
   

Will be good to see you again, Stu.

1. Stu F
   
2. Oliver Schick
   
3. apollo
   4.
   

Did some recon yesterday. Pleasant route with smooth road surface and rolling countryside. However, only got as far as Dunmow before the weather meant I had to turn back and cane it for 30miles, always on the edge of the advancing rain clouds. Hopefully there's some less temperamental conditons next weekend for a full trial run.

By the way, Oli/Apollo, have either of you got a GPS you can load that map into?

No GPS--don't use them. Good old-fashioned route sheets will do the job. :)

No GPS either, sorry...

We'll be fine.

Just spent some time improving the cue sheet with notes, landmarks etc. Planning to have another go at the route on Sunday (weather permitting) following the HHSB ride on Saturday. Going by what I can see from google streetview the countryside is so nice once you get north Dunmow it might be better to head there and back along the same roads rather than come back by the busier roads east of Chelmsford...

bump!

I might be up for this if getting the train back isnt frowned upon!

frowns

:)

I might be up for this if getting the train back isnt frowned upon!

Yeah, we can ride back through Sudbury after the half way stop at Lavenham (would be about 68 miles) or if you need to you can leave on the way past (53 miles). I'll have a map of the Sudbury area printed off anyway, so there'll be options

Regretably there is now a 99% chance I will not make this ride as much as I want to. Have to go to aunts 60th on saturday which will require spending the night....

Boooo

Ah, bugger. Shame you can't come.

I know, was really looking forward to this, especially as it would be the first long ride on the Rourke

sadface

A question if you don't mind, Any idea what time you be expecting to go past Good Easter and would you mind if i joined you there (assuming i can get a day pass?) Also, there is a very surprising hill at about 98 miles - North hill in little baddow, which is a bitch on fixed except for the young and strong

Probably be at Good Easter about 11 to 11:30 and your welcome to join us there. As I was saying above it will probably be a nicer ride with less traffic if we head back along the same route, also avoiding that mega hill you spotted!

A question if you don't mind, Any idea what time you be expecting to go past Good Easter and would you mind if i joined you there (assuming i can get a day pass?) Also, there is a very surprising hill at about 98 miles - North hill in little baddow, which is a bitch on fixed except for the young and strong

I've ridden North Hill many times before and I'll be geared. :)

We may not do the exact route that is in the OP, as Stu's considering backtracking rather than doing the loop.

Probably be at Good Easter about 11 to 11:30 and your welcome to join us there. As I was saying above it will probably be a nicer ride with less traffic if we head back along the same route, also avoiding that mega hill you spotted!

... and North Hill isn't a 'mega hill'. It's an OK hill but not a leg-breaker. It'll stretch me as I can't climb and I'm unfit, but we'll be fine.

There's a lovely cafe stop spot at the bottom of the hill, should we end up going that way, after all. It might be hard to get going again after that, though. :)

How hard is this for a novice? In terms of elevation and pace… I'd like to join :)

Id say distance would be the biggest concern...