6 The Gibbet: Hungerford (Berkshire)
Route 7 Dragon Slayer: Hungerford (Berkshire and Wiltshire)
Route 8 Isis: Reading (Berkshire and Oxfordshire)
Route 9 Devil’s Highway: Theale (Berkshire and Hampshire)
Route 10 The Hog’s Back: Fleet (Hampshire and Surrey)
Route 11 Mud, Sweat and Gears: Godalming (Surrey)
Route 12 Surrey Hills: Headley Heath (Surrey)
Route 13 Reservoir Cogs: Redhill (Surrey and Sussex)
Route 14 Park and Ride: Withdean (East Sussex)
Route 15 Weald-a-Beast: Sevenoaks (Kent)
Route 16 Battle Plan: Eastbourne (Sussex and Kent)
Route 17 Merry Wives: Marlow (Buckinghamshire and Berkshire)
Route 18 The Wycombe Wanderer: Marlow (Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire)
Route 19 Oxtail Loop: Kidlington (Oxfordshire)
Route 20 Ox and Bucks: Kidlington (Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire)
Appendix A Route summary table
Appendix B Bike shops and cycle repair outfits
Early morning training: clear roads and a clear mind (Route 1)
INTRODUCTION
The New Forest – open roads and slip streaming… heaven (Route 1)
Sportive cycling is enjoying a boom-time. From chip-timed monumental feats of organisation and logistics to small club-run affairs, cycle sportives create a buzz all of their own. From social rider to wannabe racer, well-organised sportives cater for every standard of road cyclist. Pick any weekend from early spring through to late autumn and no matter where you live in the UK, you’re bound to find a sportive event within reasonable distance from your door.
On the back of the UK’s amazing cycling success in the Olympics, World Championships and the Tour de France, men and women have taken to road cycling in numbers not seen since the Victorian era. With the likes of Sir Chris Hoy, Sir Bradley Wiggins, Victoria Pendleton and Chris Froome filling the back pages of daily newspapers, UK cyclists are as recognisable today as football or motor racing stars.
Mortal riders take part in cycle sportives for many different reasons: fitness, challenge, obsession or raising money for charity. Whatever the reason, riders get out of bed at unearthly hours each weekend and ride in all weathers to become exhausted, yet exhilarated. This guide offers the perfect opportunity for riders of all abilities to challenge themselves over the most varied and scenic areas of the south east of England in preparation for their chosen sportive event.
Enjoy the ride!
About sportives
A sportive often includes a number of routes ranging from 25 miles up to 100 miles, or further. The varying route options enable riders of all abilities to challenge themselves against the clock without having to live by a strict training regime. Sportives are normally held on open roads and riders must obey the Highway Code. Each route will be well signposted by the organisers with strategically placed feed and drink stations peppered along the way. Most sportives now include chip-timing to accurately record the time of individual riders.
Arguably, the UK sportive scene has grown organically from a combination of the French ‘randonnée cyclosportive’ scene and British cycle club endurance rides. For many years cyclists have flocked, in their thousands, to participate in both open and closed road events over some of the toughest mountains in continental Europe. Some might say that modern British sportives are more akin to cycle club ‘reliability trials’.
Sportives – raising money and smiles
Popular during the winter months, reliability trials are long-distance club rides where riders and club racers concentrate on getting more ‘relaxed or social’ miles into their legs. Club runs seldom use route signage or feed stations, so riders are left to fend for themselves (hence, ‘reliability’). Café stops are often an integral and important port of call during club runs.
Whatever the reasons, the ever-growing UK sportive season enjoys a calendar full of exciting and challenging rides in some of the most beautiful landscapes that these islands have to offer.
There are also a growing number of sportive events in the UK that are held on closed roads. Events such as the ‘Etape Cymru’ in North Wales and the ‘Prudential London–Surrey 100’ prove to be hugely popular, with riders entering in their thousands to complete these arduous rides in the safety of closed roads. But distance is not the only challenge facing sportive riders – hills play a major part in sportive rides, and conquering a severe climb is seen as one of the real tests of any given event. Sportives may not yet attract the mad-cap cycling supporters, or tifosi, as seen lining the mountain stages of the Tour de France, but a warm welcome is always on hand at the end of a sportive event.
Although sportive events are not races, many riders pride themselves in getting around in the quickest time possible and will look to improve on their times throughout the season. But one thing’s for sure, sportive riders can enjoy a sense of achievement that few other amateur cyclists can. A hundred miles is a long way and should never be taken lightly. Train for the distance, train for the hills – enjoy the ride.
Roadside tifosi in Upton (Route 5)
The south east of England
Within the broad regions of the UK: Hampshire, East and West Sussex, Kent, Berkshire, Surrey, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire all qualify as south east England. As far as training rides go, each county has enough beautiful countryside and variation of terrain to provide challenging routes, which prove ideal as testers of fitness in both body and mind.
As the most heavily populated area of the UK, life can be busy in England’s south east, but this works in its favour too. An excellent system of trains, motorways and trunk roads make light work of delivering riders to wherever they want to cycle. Furthermore, the area offers sportive riders an eclectic mix of locations and country roads. From the brooding landscapes of the New Forest, to the rolling contours of the High Weald and Surrey Hills – mile upon mile of exciting terrain exists on which cyclists train and prepare for their favourite event. The number of cyclists riding every day in these beautiful areas proves that there’s room for everyone.
Getting there and getting
