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You may not think of South-East Essex having much
potential for off-roading and mountain biking, but there are various
options available. The Hadleigh Park Country Park is an obvious starting
point and will only get better with the 2012 Olympic Mountain Biking
events scheduled to take place here. There are also 15 miles of cyclable
trails at Langdon Hills Country Park. Further afield is the mountain bike
track at Hogg Hill (Redbridge Cycling Centre) and there are miles of
trails available in Epping Forest. If you would like to explore these
areas, then please join our social rides or the organised rides at
Langdon Hills detailed below. The dates for the Eastern Region MTB Race
Series - Mud Sweat and Gears - have also been listed
|
Date |
Event |
Where & When |
Link |
|
Saturday 7th August |
Guided Ride |
Guided ride at Langdon Hill Country Park.
14:00 One Tree Hill Rangers Office |
Map
Link |
|
Sunday 15th August |
Off Road Sportive |
Essex Roads "Essex Epic" Off-road Sportive
09:00 Hannakins Farm, Billericay |
Details
Poster |
|
Saturday 4th September |
Guided Ride |
Guided ride at Langdon Hill Country Park.
14:00 One Tree Hill Rangers Office |
Map
Link |
|
Sunday 19th September |
Racing |
Havoc on the Hill. 10:00 One Tree Hill Rangers Office
Mud Sweat & Gears |
Map
|
|
Saturday 2nd October |
Guided Ride |
Guided ride at Langdon Hill Country Park.
14:00 One Tree Hill Rangers Office |
Map
Link |
|
Sunday 10th October |
Racing |
Mud Sweat & Gears. 10:00 Hylands Park |
Link |
|
Saturday 13th November |
Guided Ride |
Guided ride at Langdon Hill Country Park.
14:00 One Tree Hill Rangers Office |
Map
Link |
Previous Rides:
Saturday July 3rd: Epping Forest
After January's frozen trip to Epping, we returned in the heat of
summer. Read more here
Saturday March 27th: Crays Hill
Another great choice of route by Adrian covering bridleways and
minor roads from Crays Hill to Ramsden Heath, Forty Acre Plantation,
North Nook and Padham's Green before returning to Crays Hill for a well
deserved pint (must get those recovery drinks in). The weather varied
from bright sunshine to pouring rain and we were only held up by two
punctures and a broken chain.
Saturday January 30th: Epping Forest
5 riders from Southend travelled to Chingford to meet Ken, our guide for
the day, on a cold and frosty morning. Ken's 4 hour itinerary showed us
all the complete range of trails available for all in Epping Forest;
downhill, uphill, single track, wide trails, bog, mud and even along a
stream. There were a few mishaps, Peter trying to ford a 2 foot deep
stream was one example, but a great, though exhausting, time was had by
all. Many thanks to Ken and I am looking forward to returning to Epping
Forest again.
Saturday January 16th: 10:00 Danbury
Martin Harris said of this ride: Unfortunately due to the threat of
heavy rain and a clash with an event at Hogg Hill only two of us rode
today. Adrian had researched a route on bridleways and quiet county
roads via in Bellhill Woods, Lingwood, Common, Grace's Walk, a 3 foot
deep ford on Hurrell's Lane, Colam Lane, The Warren, Pheasanthouse
Woods, Woodham Walter Common and Scrubs Woods. The terrain was very
muddy in places but this was a very enjoyable ride taking in a variety
of challenges, including very steep ascents and descents. I am already
looking forward to riding these trails again.
Saturday January 2nd: Belfairs and Hadleigh
Castle Country Park
"Eight riders braved the cold for a slippery ride around Belfairs Woods
and the Hadleigh Castle Country Park with the terrain including sections
of frost, ice and deep mud. Most of the trails were fine, with a soft
covering over the frozen ground leading to a brisk pace keeping everyone
warm. Hope to see more at Danbury on the 16th."
Saturday December 5th: One Tree Hill
Adrian Cartwright said of this ride: Six
riders turned out on a bright, dry winter morning for this event. After
a very wet week, the going was soft, but the trails drain quite well,
and the Rangers had woodchipped the worst parts: a brisk, enjoyable
ride, slowed by just one puncture en route. Hopefully more people will
be able to join us next time.
If you have any further questions, please e-mail Adrian Cartwright at
offroad@southendwheelers.org
Langdon Hills Country Park hosts
monthly guided mountain bike rides suitable for all the family and, of course, the annual "Havoc on the Hill" races.
The guided mountain bike rides run each month from March to November,
meeting at 14:00 at
One Tree Hill. It is an excellent introduction to off-roading, with
nothing too technical, steep or narrow. The ride also allows time for
refreshments at the Essex Wildlife Trust centre. There are over 15 miles
of cyclable trails in the Langdon Hills Country Park, some of which form
part of Sustrans Route 13 allowing easy access to Laindon or Basildon
station.
Adrian Cartwright, a keen off-roader, has this to say about last year's
Havoc on the Hill:
This year's Havoc on
the Hill mountain bike race at Langdon Hills Country Park, near
Basildon, was a huge success. The event's inclusion this year in
the heavily publicised Mud, Sweat and Gears series more than
doubled last year's entry: the main event, the 1/2 hr enduro,
attracted well over two hundred riders. A staggered start was
essential, as 117 riders set off for two hours, followed five
minutes later by a similar number of one hour riders.
The course was a long one, taking
15-20 minutes to complete. It followed bridleways and trails,
mainly through woods. There were three testing climbs, and two
exhilarating single track sections with trees very close, one of
them downhill and fast...
Mike McCarthy and I were the only
Wheelers entrants this year: I did the one hour race, Mike the
longer one. Mike finished 58th: my result is uncertain as the
website is only offering the 2 hr standings at present. It won't
be very impressive, though, as I spent about ten minutes
extracting myself from the undergrowth on that down hill single
track: the presence of two faster riders behind me encouraged me
to ride beyond my ability and I stacked it in a big way...
Despite a rather sore week
afterwards, I thoroughly recommend this event and hope for a
bigger Wheelers representation next year....
For more information on mountain bike racing please visit
Mud,
Sweat and Gears |
