Effyb4
Veteran
First, let me say that I had a double heart bypass 18 months ago and have heart failure following this. This means that I will never be able to go very far or very fast, but I love riding my bike.
I had been looking forward to this tour for weeks.I would love to do a longer tour one day, but thought this would be a good way of seeing how I like it. I planned a 3 day tour of Essex, starting in Thurrock and going to Maldon on the first day. The second day would take me from Maldon to Saffron Walden and the third day from Maldon back to Thurrock.
We packed up on Monday and neither of us slept very much before we set off on Tuesday. I had planned to start off fairly easily with a 30 mile ride to Maldon. At 8.30 am we were ready to go. The first part to Hanningfield reservoir we had ridden several times before and I was feeling good about this part of the journey. In fact we practically flew to Maldon, with the wind behind us all the way. We had a couple of short rest stops of 5 minutes or so and made it to Maldon before lunch time. We had lunch in a pub by the Hythe, where the Thames barges are moored up and then went to our B&B, which was in a converted pub.
Ready for the off. Patchy wanted to come too!
Fields near Basildon
Short rest stop at East Hanningfield
Thames barges at Maldon
I took a dress, so I wouldn't feel too silly walking around.
Day 2 dawned and I was feeling ready for a slightly longer ride today of 36 miles. My legs had been a bit achy over night, but apart from that all was good. This was going to be the day with the most climbing. I was feeling really good in the morning and we made it to the Blue Egg at Great Bardfield for lunch. This is cycling mecca in Essex, as Alex Dowsett often pops in. Apparently he had just left. The wildlife was very friendly at the Blue Egg and we had a companion for lunch, who sat at our table.
The cycling became a bit tougher after lunch and it felt like it was up and down hill (and repeat) all the way to Saffron Walden. We had lots of stops at the top of hills, but I didn't have to walk any of them. Yay!!! At the top of a particularly tough hill (for me) I got off the bike and lay down on a grassy bank. It was then we heard a gun shot and hoped there wasn't going to be an angry farmer ask what we were doing on his land.
Chickens at the Blue Egg
At the Blue Egg
A visitor came for lunch
I was a bit nervous on the dawn of day 3. This was going to be our longest day at 50 miles and we were going to have to go up and down the same hills from Saffron Walden to Debden. The hills felt a lot easier with fresh legs and we were soon on our way past Stansted airport. The day was full of lovely country lanes and it felt really good going past some of the café stops that Jeff visits on his club runs. We passed White Roding and stopped at Norton Heath for lunch. There were a lot of other cyclists there enjoying a fried breakfast or apple pie and custard.
We seemed quite invigorated after our lunch stop and we felt we were nearly home when we passed Blackmore. We were soon through Billericay and at home. I really enjoyed our tour and look forward to a longer one soon.
Countryside near Stansted airport
The road home
The route is here if anyone is interested.
https://www.strava.com/activities/308827765
https://www.strava.com/activities/308827777
https://www.strava.com/activities/308827799
I had been looking forward to this tour for weeks.I would love to do a longer tour one day, but thought this would be a good way of seeing how I like it. I planned a 3 day tour of Essex, starting in Thurrock and going to Maldon on the first day. The second day would take me from Maldon to Saffron Walden and the third day from Maldon back to Thurrock.
We packed up on Monday and neither of us slept very much before we set off on Tuesday. I had planned to start off fairly easily with a 30 mile ride to Maldon. At 8.30 am we were ready to go. The first part to Hanningfield reservoir we had ridden several times before and I was feeling good about this part of the journey. In fact we practically flew to Maldon, with the wind behind us all the way. We had a couple of short rest stops of 5 minutes or so and made it to Maldon before lunch time. We had lunch in a pub by the Hythe, where the Thames barges are moored up and then went to our B&B, which was in a converted pub.
Ready for the off. Patchy wanted to come too!
Fields near Basildon
Short rest stop at East Hanningfield
Thames barges at Maldon
I took a dress, so I wouldn't feel too silly walking around.
Day 2 dawned and I was feeling ready for a slightly longer ride today of 36 miles. My legs had been a bit achy over night, but apart from that all was good. This was going to be the day with the most climbing. I was feeling really good in the morning and we made it to the Blue Egg at Great Bardfield for lunch. This is cycling mecca in Essex, as Alex Dowsett often pops in. Apparently he had just left. The wildlife was very friendly at the Blue Egg and we had a companion for lunch, who sat at our table.
The cycling became a bit tougher after lunch and it felt like it was up and down hill (and repeat) all the way to Saffron Walden. We had lots of stops at the top of hills, but I didn't have to walk any of them. Yay!!! At the top of a particularly tough hill (for me) I got off the bike and lay down on a grassy bank. It was then we heard a gun shot and hoped there wasn't going to be an angry farmer ask what we were doing on his land.
Chickens at the Blue Egg
At the Blue Egg
A visitor came for lunch
I was a bit nervous on the dawn of day 3. This was going to be our longest day at 50 miles and we were going to have to go up and down the same hills from Saffron Walden to Debden. The hills felt a lot easier with fresh legs and we were soon on our way past Stansted airport. The day was full of lovely country lanes and it felt really good going past some of the café stops that Jeff visits on his club runs. We passed White Roding and stopped at Norton Heath for lunch. There were a lot of other cyclists there enjoying a fried breakfast or apple pie and custard.
We seemed quite invigorated after our lunch stop and we felt we were nearly home when we passed Blackmore. We were soon through Billericay and at home. I really enjoyed our tour and look forward to a longer one soon.
Countryside near Stansted airport
The road home
The route is here if anyone is interested.
https://www.strava.com/activities/308827765
https://www.strava.com/activities/308827777
https://www.strava.com/activities/308827799
