Gateway Cycling » Recreation » New Year’s Day Ride

New Year’s Day Ride

Dear All

I’m planning the Gateway Cycling New Years Day Ride for Thursday 1st January 2015, meeting 10.00 for a 10.15 start. The route is quite flat and is easy riding and is about 17 miles – start to finish – and manageable for most, a nice steady pace, keeping together.

We’ll be meeting at BLACKSHOTS LEISURE CENTRE, Blackshots Lane Grays, this seems to be more popular and central for most folk. We’ll then be heading to Purfleet , the RSPB Centre – using the cycle paths all the way. The route will be alongside Lodge Lane and over the ‘Treacle Mine’ roundabout. If it’s very dry we’ll turn right at the ‘Harvester’ at North Stifford and drop down to Davy Down and go along the Mardyke Valley Country Park. Otherwise we’ll continue on past the ‘Sainsbury’s’ roundabout and on to Junction 31, turning left at Watts Wood and to the Purfleet RSPB site beside the River Thames. We’ll carry on and complete the circuit along the Marsh Road, turning left at the ‘concrete barges’, and heading back alongside the Thames to the RSPB centre cafe for tea and cake if you wish.

Here is big sky country and wonderful watery vistas – if the weathers right…

There are options. Some may wish to remain at the RSPB cafe without completing the Marsh Road circuit. It’s likely to be busy at the cafe so if you like, bring your own drinks and snacks. In the past it’s been more convenient for folk to make their own way home from here, however I’ll be heading back to Blackshots Leisure Centre. Please note that the Blackshots Centre will NOT be open so unfortunately no toilet facilities until we reach the RSPB.

As always, bikes should be roadworthy, it’s best to take a puncture repair outfit, a pump and ideally a spare inner tube. Children, 17 years or under are of course welcome but should be accompanied by Mum and/or Dad…

New year’s day 2014 was very wet and windy and the Mardyke Valley was wet-ish… to say the least! I’ll try and attach a snap of a few stalwarts who managed to finish…

At the start of 2015 – the sun will shine and the birds will sing – if we’re lucky…

Best wishes to everyone for a Merry Christmas! And we hope to see you in the New Year!

Just keep pedalling!!! (-:

Jon.

Gateway Cycling

Written by

Filed under: Recreation

Comments are closed.