Today’s ride was the Little Essex R&R, a 100 km Audax starting and finishing in Witham, organised by ACME.Bike. It was good to be back riding an Audax again, with my last one having been on 3 May. If Audax riding is new to you, I’ve also written a short introduction explaining what an Audax is.
The official distance was 106 km, making it through central Essex. Controls included Cold Norton and Abberton Reservoir Visitor Centre, together with information controls along the way, before the route returned to Witham.
It turned out to be exactly the sort of cycling I enjoy: quiet roads, Essex countryside, a few proper hills and plenty of miles to settle into the ride.
Into the Essex Lanes
The ride started gently enough from Witham, but it wasn’t long before the route provided one of its more memorable challenges: North Hill at Little Baddow.
North Hill is about 1.7 km long, with an elevation gain of around 87 metres and an average gradient of about 5 per cent. The steepest parts reach approximately 10.7 per cent, including a 100-metre section averaging about 9.3 per cent.
It’s certainly enough to remind the legs that this wasn’t going to be an entirely flat tour of Essex.
From there, the route headed deeper into the countryside, and this is where the R&R in the Little Essex R&R gets its name: Reservoirs and Rivers. The route takes in Hanningfield Reservoir and Abberton Reservoir, along with views across Essex rivers including the Crouch and Blackwater. Much of the ride is on quiet country lanes and B roads, which made it particularly enjoyable. Rather than being dominated by busy roads and traffic, there were long stretches where I could simply settle into a rhythm and enjoy being out on the bike
Challenging, but Doable
By the time I returned to Witham, my Garmin had recorded 66.09 miles, just over 106 km, with 736 metres of climbing.
I completed the ride in 5:13:33, and an overall elapsed time of 5:53:58. My average speed was 12.7 mph.
Garmin classified the ride’s primary benefit as Base (Low Aerobic), although an aerobic Training Effect of 4.7, Highly Impacting and an exercise load of 170 show that it was still a substantial endurance ride.
In other words, it was challenging but never unmanageable.
A Warm August Day
The weather certainly played a part in the ride.
I started at around 9:00 am with the temperature at roughly 70°F (21°C). It climbed steadily during the morning, reaching around 79°F (26°C) before easing slightly later in the ride. Garmin recorded an average temperature of 27.7°C, with a maximum of 34°C, although on-bike temperature readings can be affected by direct sunlight.
There was plenty of cloud cover for the last three hours or so of the ride and no rain (not surprising with the drought conditions we are experiencing). The wind was relatively modest, generally around 5–10 mph, with gusts mostly in the 13–17 mph range. Depending on the direction of the road, there were stretches where the wind was noticeable, but nothing severe enough to spoil the ride.
Why I Enjoy Audax
What I’ll remember most about the Little Essex R&R is simply how enjoyable it was.
At 106 km with 736 metres of climbing, it was certainly challenging, particularly with North Hill early in the route, but it always felt doable. Much of that was down to the route itself: quiet country lanes, reservoirs, river views and mile after mile of Essex countryside.
It was the sort of ride where the distance gradually accumulated without the day becoming a slog. I could settle into my own pace, enjoy the surroundings and just keep riding.
By the time I arrived back in Witham, I was tired, but very pleased with the day.
A good route, a decent challenge, quiet roads and a long day on the bike. Pretty much everything I want from an Audax.