Update: 4 January – event is now full, no entries on the line.
Every year, Westerley organises the Winter Warmer reliability ride which heads out deep into the Chilterns. The 2024 ride is on Sunday 14 January and you can enter here:
It is a great chance to get some base miles in while testing your winter fitness on some of the toughest climbs the Chilterns has to offer. There are a choice of short, medium and long routes, all of which offer picturesque views and quiet roads. Just remember to wrap up warm!
Entry is free for club members, non-members may sign up via Rider HQ. Entries close when sold out or at midnight on Sunday 8th January. NB the event has sold out before the closing date for the past seven years so it is best to enter early. There will be a waiting list and we will refund any entries reassigned to people on the waiting list.
There are three versions:
- The main route is 105km in length with just under 1200m of climbing.
- Or it is possible to turn left at Great Kingshill, cutting out the farthest loop to do the medium version which is 60km. This misses out the bigger climbs of the main Chiltern ridge but has the pleasant climb up Hatches Lane from the Hughenden Valley as well as a good few shorter ones. It has 600m of ascent in total.
- Finally, the short route turns at Penn to miss out all the big climbs and also the main road sections, giving a 44km route with 470m of climbing.
The main climbs on the 105km route are:
- Frith Hill
- Bledlow Ridge
- Loosley Hill
- Hatches Lane
All the events are reliability rides which have a target speed range of 12.5mph – 18mph. That equates to about 3½-5 hours for the long ride, 2-3 hours for the medium and 1.5-2.5 hours for the short version. We expect that there will be some fast riders but, for avoidance of doubt, the events are not races. Riders will be set off at intervals to reduce the risks from riding in large bunches on narrow lanes.
Click here for:
Map and elevation profile
Long route / GPS track
(no premium membership necessary to download GPS tracks)
You can enter all three distances via Rider HQ here:
Hazards
The event takes place on public roads so normal care and attention is required. However, there are a few specific hazards we’d like to draw your attention to (NB to be updated before the event):
1. Descent from the Hale; this is narrow with lots of pot holes and adverse camber towards the bottom. 2. Hatches Lane climb: ‘narrow and mucky’ 3. Noakes lane / Crown Lane climb, leading up towards Penn. Again pot holes and mucky. 4. Pauls Hill descent (past the Royal Standard pub) – beware of potholes. 5. Temporary traffic lights in Great Missenden and Bledlow Ridge villages (24 and 54km) 6. Flooding in several places, eg at the top of Hatches Lane (67km long route / 23km medium route)
On the day
Our HQ is as last year: Chalfont St Giles Scout Hut, Silver Hill, Chalfont Saint Giles, HP8 4PY. It is located to the left as you go up the hill from the centre of the village, set back from the road. Click here for a map.
While we encourage you to ride to the start or use the train to Beaconsfield or Little Chalfont stations, which are a couple of miles from the HQ, there is a public car park off the High Street, behind the Co-op (free on Sundays). NB no parking at the HQ – only bikes, please. There’s also fairly easy on-street parking in and around the village.
The HQ will be open from 8:00 with the start from 8:30am. Last start is 9:30 for the long route and 10:00 for the medium and short routes. There will be tea and coffee available before the ride and a selection of food at the end – all included in the entry fee. All rides close at 3:00pm. We’ll have a hot drink and food waiting for you until then. If you think you are going to be later than that – or if you decide to abandon at any time – please call us on the number we will give you on the day.
Gallery
Insurance The event is being run by Westerley CC which is affiliated to CyclingUK. This provides Organisers’ Liability insurance as long as the event has no more than 200 riders. The ride is therefore limited to this number. We advise all riders to have their own third party liability insurance. This is intended to cover you should you ever be adjudged to have caused an accident which led to injury or damage to another cyclist, anyone else or their property. The main cycling organisations (CUK (CTC), BC or LCC) provide this as part of their membership benefits and members of most cycling clubs can join these organisations at affiliate rates.
More information
Any questions, please contact us: info@westerley.cc