EVENTS

London Great Gravel Escape Ride Information

Jul 2021

Getting there

Meet at Richmond Park, Roehampton Gate, SW15 5JP. The Hotchillee and Wild Cycles Team will be there to greet you.

There is no long term parking available at Richmond Park, but non commercial vehicles are able to enter if you are being dropped off. There is street parking available outside the park gates.

The nearest mainline station is Richmond, it is also close to Putney, Barnes, Mortlake and North Sheen Stations.

If you are parking the day before at Musette Cafe (this is where we will finish on Sunday) please park in the main car park not directly outside the cafe. Drive up to the gates and they will open automatically. Turn left once you get into the farm following signs to the car park.

Getting home

We will finish on Day 2 at Musette Cafe, The Old Barn, Church Farm, Station Road, Aldbury nr Tring HP23 5RS where lunch will be waiting for you. It’s a short ride to Tring train station where Wild Cycles can meet you with your overnight bag before you board the train. There are trains directly to Euston or Clapham Junction.

Timings

Saturday

07:00 Meet in Roehampton Gate car park, Richmond Park. Backpacks loaded on support vehicles.

08:00 Riders departs.

15:30 Riders arrive at Hill Farm campsite, Chivery, Tring HP23 6LD. Snacks and welcome beer thanks to Stohk.

16:45 Depart to Aylesbury Rugby Club (optional)

17:00 Lions vs Springboks

19:00 Dinner around the campfire.

Sunday

08:00 Breakfast at campsite.

09:30 Rider backpacks loaded in support vehicles / ride starts.

13:30 Arrive at Musette Cafe for lunch. Riders departing here can collect backpacks.

14:30 Riders returning by train can roll to Tring station where backpacks are waiting.

Coffee (& convenience stops) Day 1

Start: Richmond Park, Roehampton Gate Cafe (complimentary coffee from Wild Cycles). Loos available.

48.2km: Tasty Bean Cafe. Loos available.

61km: Simmons Bakery, coffee shop.

70.8km: Evans Wharf, Premier convenience store

80.4km: The route passes through the pretty town of Berkhamstead, where there are multiple options on the High Street including coffee shops, pubs including loos.

92.5km: Wigginton village shop, including coffee shop.

What to bring

Please bring one small named bag.

To pack:

- Helmet, cycling shoes, cycling kit, rain jacket
- Bell
- Toiletries
- Towel
- Casual warm clothes for the evening
- PJs
- Chargers (phone, garmin/wahoo)

To carry with you:

- Bars/Gels
- Water bottles x 2
- Pump
- Gas
- Tubes x 2
- Tyre levels
- Gilet, arm/leg warmers (in case it’s chilly first thing)
- Face mask
- Sun block
- Mobile phone
- Garmin/Wahoo

The Hotchillee Ride Captains will be en route to lend a helping hand, however you will need to be fairly self-sufficient.

We recommend you ride the event on a gravel/ adventure bike. Hotchillee Ride Captains will be riding the Specialized Diverge. You can also join us on a Mountain Bike if you would prefer.

We recommend gravel tyres at 38 mm or wider ideally. If the forecast is wet we recommend you ride with intermediate or wet weather tyres as there are some chalk and mud sections which will be slippery.

If you haven’t yet purchased one of the new Hotchillee Classic jerseys there is still a small amount of stock in the Hotchillee Shop. Don’t forget to use your Premium Member discount coupon code at checkout to get your 15% discount.

As a Premium Member you can also stock up on your cycling nutrition from Raw Velo and get a 25% discount on all products.

Premium members codes can be found here (make sure you are logged into the site to see them).

The Ride

Please ensure you have downloaded the GPX file for both days (these have been sent to you via email) and that your bike computer is fully charged. The route will not be signed.

This is a gravel adventure, not a race and you are free to ride solo if you wish or in groups supported by the Hotchillee Ride Captains. Your Ride Captains are Ian Holmes (Holmesy), Wayde Finch and Andy Newton. There will always be one Ride Captain at the back with the last rider. Holmesy, Wayde and Andy are there to support, encourage and help with any mechanicals.

You will need to be self-sufficient for large sections of the ride and each rider will need to carry spares and tools necessary to deal with punctures and mechanicals.

The Hotchillee Ride Captains will be on the route to help with light mechanicals, but much of it is not accessible by vehicle.

We will have a support vehicle on hand for riders who need to be collected, however there is no dedicated broom wagon as much of the route is not drivable by vehicle.

Day 1 (99km/560m)

Today is largely on canal paths. These are used by walkers and there may be areas where it is busy.

It is essential that you ride at a sensible speed so as to not endanger yourself or others using the canal path. Please go steady and slow down to give priority to pedestrians. There’s no official speed limit, but you shouldn’t expect to do more than 12mph (19kph) and in urban or other busy areas it might be much less.

Please give space to other people and moored boats. Be patient and don’t expect people to step aside for you. We strongly recommend you fit a bell to your bicycle. A big smile and a thank you to your fellow canal path users is always a winner!

There are some places to stop along the way for a coffee and convenience stop. We will provide this information along with a GPX file a few days before the event.

Day 2 (48km/520m)

Today you can enjoy the freedom and beauty of the Chilterns. Leaving the campsite you’ll enter Wendover Woods for a fun meander on a beautifully designed route which winds up and down on the perfect blend of jeep tracks and forest trails – complete with views of the spectacular surrounding landscape. Drop down onto the Wendover arm of the canal – you’ll pass through a series of reservoirs and bird sanctuaries before linking up with The Grand Union Canal. Cut across fields and into the spectacular National Trust Ashridge Estate and head to Ivinghoe Beacon with its Instagram-able 360 views of the Chilterns. You’ll then drop back down into the valley via the Ashridge Estate – and onto the picture perfect village of Aldbury – home to the Musette Cafe for a great lunch.

The Hotchillee team will be popping up on a few sections where you cross over roads and will have some water and snacks available.

Lunch is at the finish at Musette Cafe.

If you need to contact one of the team during the ride please call Jane as your first point of contact. The Hotchillee team mobile numbers are listed oppostite, please put them into your phones.

If you have any questions before the ride or need additional information please message in #london_great_gravel_escape group on the Hotchillee companion app or email jane@hotchillee.com.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Jane 07734 778359

Charlotte 07931 270684

Holmesy 07800 563724

Wayde 07796 554954

Andy 07867 805072

John, Wild Cycles 07501 006366