Today’s ride was the RIDE Essex Classic, a 68-mile sportive that started and finished at ARU Writtle, near Chelmsford, organised by Action Medical Research, which I did with Paul S. Although for a moment, I wondered whether I was going to make it to the start! I’d fitted new tubeless tyres yesterday, and while pumping up the rear tyre before the ride, I suddenly heard air escaping. Fortunately, it seemed I simply hadn’t tightened the valve properly.
This wasn’t my first time riding RIDE Essex. I’ve ridden the Classic distance before, as well as the 100-mile Champion route, so I had a fairly good idea of what to expect: plenty of Essex countryside, quiet roads and rather more climbing than you might imagine from a county with a reputation for being flat.
This year was a little different, though. For 2026, the organisers had reversed the routes, although they didn’t give a reason for the change in the Rider Manual.
Having ridden the event before, I was surprised by how much reversing the direction changed the route’s feel. Familiar roads were approached from the opposite direction, climbs became descents and previous descents became climbs.
The Classic route took me on a 68-mile loop through the Essex countryside, passing through and around villages including Great Dunmow, Little Bardfield, Great Bardfield, Finchingfield and Felsted, before eventually returning to Writtle.
It was a route of quiet lanes, villages, farmland and constantly changing terrain. And while there were a couple of more noticeable climbs, describing everything between them as flat would be very misleading.
Not Flat, Just Essex
My Garmin recorded 68.05 miles with 2,887 feet (880 metres) of ascent, but rather than being dominated by one or two big climbs, the route was constantly rolling. There were six individual climbs, the steepest averaging 4.4% over 0.40 miles, with the others generally around 3%, but even those recognised climbs only tell part of the story. For much of the ride, the road was either rising or falling, with numerous smaller climbs gradually contributing to the total ascent. It’s classic Essex cycling: not mountainous, not even particularly hilly, but very definitely rolling.
Through the Essex Villages
The first part of the ride took me north from Writtle towards Great Dunmow, which I reached after around 19 miles.
From there, the route headed deeper into rural Essex, through and around Little Bardfield, Great Bardfield and Finchingfield.
This is the sort of countryside I most associate with cycling in Essex. Small villages are separated by miles of farmland and country lanes, and there are long stretches where you can settle into the ride and enjoy the surroundings.
Eventually, the route began working its way south again, with Felsted coming during the final part of the ride before the return towards Writtle.
Having ridden the event previously, there was plenty that felt familiar, but reversing the route made a bigger difference than I might have expected. Seeing familiar villages and roads from the opposite direction gave the ride a slightly different character this year.
Settling Into the Ride
I deliberately started fairly steadily.
My first five miles averaged 12.4 mph, increasing to 13.1 mph over the next five. As I settled into the ride, the pace increased further, with successive five-mile averages of 14.3 and 14.9 mph.
My quickest five-mile section came between miles 25 and 30, when I averaged 15.5 mph.
Interestingly, that section also includes the highest point on the elevation profile. It’s a good illustration of why average speed over a short section doesn’t necessarily tell you how difficult the terrain was. What goes up also comes down, and some of the climbing was followed by quicker descending miles.
As the distance accumulated, my pace became steadier. From around 35 miles onwards, most five-mile averages were between approximately 11.5 and 12.1 mph.
Part of that was the rolling terrain and the fact that I already had more than 40 miles in my legs.
But there was another reason.
24 Miles Into a Headwind
For approximately the last 24 miles, I found myself riding into a headwind. That made the final third of the ride noticeably harder.
With more than 40 miles already completed and the Essex roads continuing to roll, those final 24 miles became a test of patience as much as fitness.
Rather than fight the wind and try to maintain my earlier speed, I settled into a sustainable effort and kept riding.
A Solid Endurance Ride
I eventually arrived back at Writtle having completed 68.05 miles in 5:13:50, with a moving time of 5:13:33 and an overall elapsed time of 5:43:40.
My average speed for the ride was 13.0 mph, with a maximum of 29.4 mph.
Garmin classified the ride’s primary training benefit as Base (Low Aerobic), with an aerobic Training Effect of 3.5, Impacting, and an exercise load of 91.
That seems a good description of the ride. It was a substantial endurance effort, particularly given the rolling terrain and headwind, without becoming a high-intensity effort.
Even when my speed dropped during the latter part of the ride, my heart rate remained controlled. Rather than chasing a particular average speed into the wind, I was riding according to the conditions.
Back to Writtle
What I’ll remember most about this year’s RIDE Essex is probably the combination of familiar roads and a rather different ride.
I knew the event. I’d ridden the Classic distance before and had also completed the 100-mile route. But reversing the course changed how many of those familiar roads felt.
The elevation profile also tells the story rather nicely. There were a couple of proper climbs, but they weren’t really what defined the ride. It was the constant rolling nature of the Essex countryside, eventually adding up to 880 metres of ascent.
And then there was that headwind for the final 24 miles.
Despite that, I finished with an average speed of 13 mph and, more importantly, felt that I had managed the effort well throughout the ride.
Back at Writtle, there was just one more thing to do. After 68 miles and more than five hours in the saddle, I treated myself to a well-earned cheeseburger at the finish. I think I’d earned it.
Sixty-eight miles, 880 metres of climbing, some beautiful Essex villages, rolling country lanes and a long headwind to finish – a challenging but thoroughly enjoyable day on the bike.