act could prevent anything nasty from happening – always check behind you before you turn or move out into traffic. Don’t drift in and out of parked cars; stay out in the road until the obstacles end. Try not to ride too close to the edge either; there are drains and potholes waiting to eat you up. You will also be seen much earlier on a bend if you stay out from the edge. How you behave will reflect how other road users view other cyclists. Be an ambassador for your sport by riding responsibly – and remember to smile and wave (or at least nod) to other cyclists... please!
Wishful thinking as far as cycling goes
Maps
All the required OS Landranger Maps 1:50,000 for this guide can be found as follows:
164 Oxford
165 Aylesbury & Leighton Buzzard
174 Newbury & Wantage
175 Reading & Windsor
184 Salisbury & The Plain
185 Winchester & Basingstoke
186 Aldershot & Guildford
187 Dorking & Reigate
188 Maidstone & Royal Tunbridge Wells
195 Bournemouth & Purbeck
196 The Solent & Isle of Wight
197 Chichester & the South Downs
198 Brighton & Lewes
199 Eastbourne & Hastings
Navigation
The navigation in this guide is designed to be as intuitive and straightforward as possible. While none are onerous, some routes are easier to navigate than others. While clearly not in the game of stopping unnecessarily, there may be times when a quick reference to the route guide is required. If you’ve downloaded the route into your GPS, smartphone or other navigation aid, so much the better. Please remember: never read a map or guidebook while moving, always pull over first.
Some signs are obvious (Route 14)
Some signs are a little quirky (Route 13)
In lieu of direction arrows that would guide you around a sportive event, normal road signage now becomes your replacement arrows. The road signage throughout the routes is generally well maintained, but now and again there’s always one that tries to trip you up with washed-out lettering; or on one or two occasions signs where letters aren’t even there! It is important to spend a little time studying the routes beforehand and get a picture in your head of the day’s ride.
Bear in mind that chatting away to your ride partner can cause wrong turns to be taken. Speed is another reason to miss a turn – going too fast downhill or pedalling hard with head down results in a loss of concentration and missing that all-important junction. Remember: these rides are training routes, not races. Stay in control of your bike, look where you’re going, enjoy the beautiful scenery – and check the signage. Also, keep the book handy in one of your back pockets and download the relevant map into your GPS or smartphone.
Feed stations
A major factor to consider is energy and hydration replacement. On a long training ride, pubs, village shops, post offices, garages and cafés must act as feed and drink stations. Whether it’s 25, 50 or 100 miles, it can feel like a long way on a bike when it’s cold, wet and windy. Don’t make it any harder for yourself; don’t chance it on an empty tank.
Toast and tea are all part of the regime (Route 9)
To this end, make sure you carry plenty of food, water and energy bars, which can be crammed into rear pockets or stuffed into small feedbags on your bike. Eat and drink as you go along. Again, be self-reliant as much as possible; some pubs or cafés may not be open if you’re an early bird.
The old training maxim applies to everyone: drink before you’re thirsty, and eat before you’re hungry. Keep your energy levels up and replenish little and often as you go along – your performance and recovery levels will benefit dramatically.
Don’t fall off – fuel up
Using this guide
The routes in this guide are designed to offer a happy medium across the distances involved and, importantly, provide some insight into what to expect when covering longer distances by bike.
Each route is designed for both newcomers and experienced sportive riders alike. Having built up a base level of fitness and stamina, any fledgling sportive riders will soon feel the benefit of testing themselves against the distances and terrain involved. More experienced riders will enjoy the variation and challenge of discovering new routes as they test themselves in the most scenic areas across the south east of England.
There’s nowhere to hide when climbing (Route 13)
As in any well-organised sportive route, the majority of mileage covered in this guide is on quiet country roads and lanes. B roads are kept to a minimum and are generally quiet as far as traffic is concerned. Major road sections are only used when unavoidable but integral to the route. Right-hand turns, especially on A and B roads, are kept to a minimum and used only where necessary. It would be almost impossible to only have left-hand turns; the route would be very short!
All the routes in this guide can be downloaded and are compatible for GPS. Each route is original in its concept, is the creation of the author and is designed to cover areas in which sportive rides are popular. Any similarity to existing sportive events is purely coincidental. The intention also is that the routes should be as close as possible to built-up areas. Not every route needs to be a ‘destination’ ride, but if you’re lucky enough to live close to a route, riders can start from a more convenient point.
Route maps and profiles show you what to expect during each training ride and refreshment stops and bike shops have been plotted onto the maps with easy-to-spot icons. The route summary table in Appendix A gives an overview of the 20 routes detailing the basics: location, start and finish points, distance, ascent, grade and approximate time. Appendix B lists bike shops and cycle repair stations on a route-by-route basis, should you have any bike maintenance emergencies. Appendix C lists useful contacts such as accommodation and transport websites, sportive organisations and hospitals in the area.
Timings
Timings are often highly subjective when cycling and should only ever be used as a guide: café stops, puncture repairs, fitness levels, type of terrain (hilly rather than flat) and weather conditions are just a few internal and external influences on time taken to ride a particular route.
There
