6 Counties 4th July

[Manotea]

Assuming my late entry is accepted I'll be riding up to Bengeo (Hertford) from London W4, departing 5am.  Company Welcome!

Elsewise anybody else up for 4/5/6 home counties?

[Chris S]

Assuming my late entry is accepted I'll be riding up to Bengeo (Hertford) from London W4, departing 5am.  Company Welcome!

Elsewise anybody else up for 4/5/6 home counties?

It's one of those rides I'd only do once - to say I had. Way too urban for my liking. Interesting contrasts though - from gated mansions at Brookmans Park to a really nasty looking estate in Watford; complete with some police cordon tape around a worryingly large bloodstain on the pavement, when we did it last year  .

Take suspension. These also happen to be the counties with the worst road surfaces.

Oh - and you get to ride past what's left of the Buncefield depot  .

[Manotea]

Gulp. This is my first visit to Bengeo (who can resist a place with a great name like that). I rode some other Herts routes last year (Ring of Herts 200km, Luton & Herts 150km) and they were 'fine' but yes, not 'deep' country (what you call urban and what I call urban may differ!). I'll let you know how I get on.

[scottlington]

I had a sneaky plan to pop a late entry in. I may do that this evening. Not sure I'll be up for riding though as I have a 50th bday bash on Saturday night and will need all the sleep I can get.

Does anyone have either a GPX or a routesheet in emailable form?

[scottlington]

I had a sneaky plan to pop a late entry in. I may do that this evening. Not sure I'll be up for riding though as I have a 50th bday bash on Saturday night and will need all the sleep I can get.

Does anyone have either a GPX or a routesheet in emailable form?

Having just reread what I have written I'd like to clarify the highlighted point! What I meant was - I'm not sure I'd be up for riding to the start! I fully intend to ride the event.  

[LittleWheelsandBig]

HK and I may be there.

[Marmitegeoff]

I was planning on being there but domestics have got in the way 

Geoff

[red marley]

Gulp. This is my first visit to Bengeo (who can resist a place with a great name like that).

Anyone who did the LEL or the Suburban Breakout will have gone past Bengeo - it's just off that climby hill out of Hertford. It's a while since I did the 6 Counties, but my memories of it are positive. This weekend however, I shall mostly be doing the Border Raid.

[ian_oli]

The 200K is rather urban by Audax standards but no worse than most rides you would take to, say, get out of London. After Redbourn it is generally much more rural.

I did it a couple of years ago and then at least the first two controls - one in the Chilterns (I cannot remember exactly where now) and Redbourn were not commercial controls so I ran short of calories. The pub at Arlesey serves food fast.

Last year I did the 100k with my son, which overall is a nicer route and I am doing it again this year on the Tandem.

[scottlington]

I had a sneaky plan to pop a late entry in. I may do that this evening. Not sure I'll be up for riding though as I have a 50th bday bash on Saturday night and will need all the sleep I can get.

Does anyone have either a GPX or a routesheet in emailable form?

*Bump*

Failing that, has the route changed since last year?

[Manotea]

YHM

[scottlington]

YHM

Many thanks Mr Tea. See you Sunday!

[Bendy Bianchi]

I agree. I did it last year but won't be doing it again, for all the same reasons.

Assuming my late entry is accepted I'll be riding up to Bengeo (Hertford) from London W4, departing 5am.  Company Welcome!

Elsewise anybody else up for 4/5/6 home counties?

It's one of those rides I'd only do once - to say I had. Way too urban for my liking. Interesting contrasts though - from gated mansions at Brookmans Park to a really nasty looking estate in Watford; complete with some police cordon tape around a worryingly large bloodstain on the pavement, when we did it last year  .

Take suspension. These also happen to be the counties with the worst road surfaces.

Oh - and you get to ride past what's left of the Buncefield depot  .

[Manotea]

A stiff south westerley made it hard going for the 200km 6Counties riders. Happily for me I switched to the 110km 2Counties as being carless I had to ride up to Bengeo, and I had a failure of will when the alarm went off. Some of the 6Counties riders concurred the Western section of the 6Counties was a touch urban but I had no reservations about the 2Counties which rolled through glorious Hertfordshire countryside on a great summers day. Excellent.

[scottlington]

The day started with a monumental c*ck up on my part. I had it in my head that the ride started at 06.00 rather than 08.00 so I got up at 04.00 and did not realise my mistake until the M40 / M25 junction. Sped (observing the speed limits of course) back home for a quick 45 mins extra kip and then set off again around 06.30.  

Anyway, as has been noted the first third or so was pretty urban but then I don't really mind that. It got better (more rural) the next two thirds or so but the stiff breeze made the last stage a little tougher than it ought to have been. Rode round on my own all the way, albeit bumping into the same people at each control so it seems I could have had company had I wanted.

Thanks to the organisers  

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Much nicer ride than was suggested in this thread. Little traffic, great tailwind and warm. Beer at pub checkpoints, what more could you want?