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Showing posts from March, 2026

Tour: Harwich Ferry Practice

This post describes a 2-day cycle tour from Wivenhoe to Harwich (staying overnight in Felixstowe) and back to Clacton-on-Sea. Just add a start date and book your hotel in Felixstowe. At the time of writing the Harwich Premier Inn didn't have availability but that may be an option in the future. The distances and timings provided below exclude any riding in Felixstowe such as the 3km (10 minute) ride from Felixstowe Harbour to the Premier Inn. Specific timings assume a Sunday-Monday tour so your train times may be different. Both routes do a short detour to the DFDS ferry terminal before progressing to the Harbour ferry. Though the route uses B roads they are of the white-line-down-the-centre variety with fast traffic but not excessively busy. Start Point:  Wivenhoe Station (Greater Anglia) Alternative Start:  Clacton-on-Sea Station (Greater Anglia) Finish Point:  Clacton-on-Sea Station (Greater Anglia) Meetup Time:  09:50 Start Time:  10:...

Croxley Green to Aldbury

Ride type: Guided Ride Ride suitability: Challenging Ride title: Croxley Green to Aldbury  Start Postcode: WD3 3DY Elevation: GPX reference: Komoot Route Introduce your route: This ride is suitable for experienced riders who can maintain an overall average speed of 10 mph over undulating terrain. We have a policy of leaving no rider behind so if anyone is struggling we will adjust the speed and take rest stops if necessary. If you have questions or concerns speak to the Ride Leader or contact them before the ride. We ask that you read the full details of the ride including the distance and terrain to ensure the ride will be enjoyable for you.  Kind of roads you'll be riding: We will use roads on this route with hills and short sections of main road with fast moving traffic. Stops on the way: We stop for drinks and snacks at the renowned Chiltern Velo Cafe at Hawridge Common. We will also make short stops for drinks and snacks on the way though for a ride of this duration it is...

Kenton to the Ice Cream Farm

Ride type: Guided Rides Ride suitability: Local Rides Challenging  Ride title: Kenton to the Ice Cream Farm Start Postcode: HA3 8AX Elevation: GPX reference: Komoot route Introduce your route: New riders are  welcome.  We have a policy of leaving no rider behind so if anyone is struggling we will adjust the speed and take rest stops if necessary. If you have questions or concerns speak to the Ride Leader or contact them before the ride. We ask that you read the full details of the ride including the distance and terrain to ensure the ride will be enjoyable for you.  Kind of roads you'll be riding: We will use a mix of roads and cycle paths on this route with plenty of hills and short sections of main road with fast moving traffic. There is one section of downhill with potholes where extra care is required.  Stops on the way: We stop for drinks, snacks and ice cream at the excellent Lewis of London (the Ice Cream Farm) which s...

Leading Rides

Introduction This post provides some pointers for planning and leading bike rides. In no way does this replace formal training though it can be used as an aide memoir or a way of troubleshooting the Let's Ride system (as of 2026), especially when getting started. Image by Freepik Let's Ride Getting Started If you want to be a "Guided Ride" or "Breeze" leader then the first step is to get the required courses booked.  Ride Leader Level 1 (L1) is the minimum leader training but doing the Ride Leader Combined course (L1 & L2 combined) is useful if you envisage doing faster paced and/or longer rides as L1 only covers you up to 50 miles. The combined course is the same content as L1 plus L2 but being combined over a weekend it is more efficient. For the course I completed we rode at an average 12mph over 3 laps of a 9 mile route for the L2 element though speed isn't essential.  The basic first aid training will be a minimum of three hours and needs to mee...

Kenton to the Flourish Bakery

Ride type: Guided Ride Ride suitability: Local Rides Steady Ride title: Kenton to the Flourish Bakery Start Postcode: HA3 8AX Elevation: GPX reference: Komoot route Introduce your route: New riders are  especially welcome.  We have a policy of leaving no rider behind so if anyone is struggling we will adjust the speed and take rest stops if necessary. If you have questions or concerns speak to the Ride Leader or contact them before the ride. We ask that you read the full details of the ride including the distance and terrain to ensure the ride will be enjoyable for you.  Kind of roads you'll be riding: We will use a mix of roads and cycle paths on this relatively flat route which does have short sections of main road with fast moving traffic. Stops on the way: We stop for drinks and snacks at the excellent Flourish Bakery in the North Watford area. As they do excellent bread you may wish to have extra pannier space for the return trip. What to bring: P...

Organised Rides

This post lists a number of bike rides and contains some of the information required to advertise scheduled rides. It can be used to provide some of the text for British Cycling's Let's Ride platform or other sites. If using Let's Ride then have the necessary text, photo and GPX file ready to copy in to their form because at the time of writing the platform can clear some data fields when updating the photo or the GPX file. Separate pages exist for each ride with the information presented as Let's Ride expects. Image from  Freepik Index of Rides Kenton to the Flourish Bakery: Click here Kenton to Harefield: Click here Kenton to the Ice Cream Farm: Click here Kenton to Bricket Wood: Click here Kenton to Chipperfield: Click here Kenton to Croxley Green: Click here Kenton to Richmond Park: Click here   Harrow to the Tasty Bean: Click here Harrow to Flourish: Click here   Croxley Green to the Chiltern Velo Cafe: Click here Croxley Green to Aldbury: Click here Ri...