Essex Afterworkers

Thread update 31.3.14:

Afterworker rides for April (nb these are now Kent not Essex)

OK, I'm going with:

Wednesday 9th April
Wednesday 16th April
Wednesday 23rd April
Thursday 1 May

-All rides meet at 7pm for 7.15pm departure from outside the Turkish Food Centre on Bromley Rd (here). Slightly ridiculous but necessary note: everyone who shops there seems to drive like a lunatic, so don't leave your bike/yourself anywhere where it could get run over, as it probably will. For those who like pre-ride snacks, they sell very good lahmacun/borek/baklava.

-I'll call routes closer to each date so I can strategically plan for tailwinds etc.

-Roads will generally be sururban followed by country lanes followed by pub, so bring good lights. We'll probably come back in on the a21 fairly often, mainly because it's one of my favourite A roads, but it should be fairly quiet by the time we're returning.

-I don't mind what you ride and how fast you ride it (though generally I'll be aiming for around 15mph). No-one will be left behind and if you want to ride off the front that's fine, but please make sure you know where you're going as I am not being held responsible if you get lost in the Ashdown Forest and get eaten by wolves.

-Distance will usually be around the 30-35 mile mark from and back in to the start point.

-Bring money for a pint, and a credit card in case your bike explodes. (It's never happened before, but you never know.)

I actually missed Monday's ride because it was raining and my bike sounded like it was falling apart. But I am going tonight to make up for it. Very, very slowly because I have a hangover.

I might well join you for one of these. It won't be next week or the week after that, though.

OK! I don't think anyone should come anytime soon actually after tonight's wheezing gruntathon. And I got confused with my route mapping and only did 40 miles. Still fun though.

Could you send me your London to Guildford route please?

Keen to try that out as the first half of a Winchester ride.

crappy but speedy main road route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4597153
slightly less crappy route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4597171

The nice bits are around Cobham, Ockham and Ripley, but I never figured out a route that was actually nice and didn't add on another five miles.

Thanks for that, looks like it's going to be a few hours in the saddle to get to Winchester!

OH actually I have a Winchester route. Hang on.

here y'are: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4518805

It was a pretty good route. Especially south of Guildford

That's handy, can one load that into a Garmin 705, and allow it to lead the way?

Technically yes... but most times when I've loaded a gmaps route onto a garmin it has fucked up and made up its own route for no apparent reason. There is probably a way around this but I have given up and gone back to route directions.

I shall have to research this. In the spirit of a man who has a dog I, as the owner of a Garmin, am not going to wag my own tail.

OK. But if you end up in Scotland I would like to point out it is the fault of the Garmin and not my magnificent route.

here y'are: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4518805

It was a pretty good route. Especially south of Guildford

That looks good.

I am going a bit early today because I need to get home in time to do laundry and stuff. About 5.15.

(fruitbat said he was planning to come at the pub, in case anyone is wondering why I bothered to post that)

Dammit, to get a gmap route into your garmin:
export to a gpx file if you can, import it into gpsies.com - check route. (alternatively just re-draw it)
export to a .tcx file
copy .tcx file to courses folder on the Garmin
if you choose training then follow course, it will give you a nice pink line to follow all the way.

This worked for me with the Dun Run last year.

Thanks Clefty, I will give that a go.

I did TNRC route II with Tiswas and it was a revelation (compared to checking route notes on a bit of soggy paper), hence getting the Garmin.

If I follow your instructions will it stop it from re-calculating the route and just provide info on how far I am from the route?

I will be up for joining you sometime on on of those Thursdays, but I'll be outta town for the next couple. Actually, I can't until after Dunwich, so if you're still up for doign them after, keep posting if you're going out please!

I'd really like to join in one a few of these!
Quite badly need to do some training and out to essex would be great for me.
I sometimes cough and splutter my way to North Weald little chef and back.
I think next thursday should be doable.

Cool. My god I am bad at slight inclines fixed. Here is today's route (58 miles from Brick Lane to Ingatestone and back)

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4599409

And here is yesterday's (48 miles from Brick Lane to Chipping Ongar and back) (I should really start doing loops instead of there-and-backs but that involves more route planning and likelihood of getting lost)

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4599421

Gutted I'm so buggered at the moment otherwise this would be brilliant for me. Ah. One day... One day..

I've got a route which i ripped from a TNRC. 30 miles of sweet-ass lanes. 15 miles of other shit. is good.

[ame]http://ridewithgps.com/routes/223504[/ame
[/ame]

Nice, I will give that a go. merci. Shame Epping New Road et al are so tedious but I suppose they're quite short. And speedy as hell going back into London.

There's another TNRC route that could be stoled that covers a similar area. I haven't ridden it, but it incorporates some tow path and funky shiz, I believe.