Cannock Event Centre Postcode

If you're using sat nav to get to our event this weekend please be aware that the postcode on the main Evans site (WS15 2UQ) won't take you to the actual event centre but to the Forestry Centre.

Where we are doesn't have it's own postcode but it's about 2 miles west of the Forestry Centre. We'll put up some Evans signs to direct you the last few miles.

Cannock Chase GPX Routes

Over on the right you'll find gpx files for this weekend's Cannock Chase road sportive. If you're using a Garmin device you may find the (BRT) version of the files works best.

At present we're not able to post gpx files for the mountain bike routes. Whilst marking the course we've found that the maps we're using don't really bear much resemblance to the actual trails in the area. We usually plot the route on Memory Map and use that to create the gpx files but this is proving a bit problematic at the moment.

UPDATE - Apologies but it doesn't look like we're going to be able to produce the mountain bike gpx files for this event.

Gore Bike Wear Autumn/Winter Demo Range

If you're coming to the Cannock Chase event you can be amongst the first Ride It! riders to try out clothing from the latest Gore Bike wear autumn/winter range.

Jon will have lots of new kit including a selection of the latest thermo jerseys, windstopper and gore tex jackets, gilets and winter gloves available in mens and womens sizes.

Cannock Event Centre

Just arrived at the event centre. Little chill in the air but the sun's streaming through the trees, this has to be the prettiest venue we've had.

See if you can spot the van.



The venue is the Tackeroo Campsite on Penkridge Bank, which is about 1 mile west of the post code given on the website. We have basic facilities. There will be portaloos, but no changing facilities. Basically, I suggest you come in your cycling clothes and visit the loo before you set off in the morning!!

The rides leave the campsite and I've spotted a small play area at the back of the campsite which I'll have a look at later and try and get in the routes.

As mentioned before, if you fancy coming down to camp, you are more than welcome, there's no showers and basic portaloos, but you could make a weekend of it. £10 per tent/per night. Please mail me first though so I can allocate an area for you.

Ta
Dean

Reading/South Chilterns Night Ride

At the weekend we also received a big box of demo USE Exposure lights! These are the latest offerings from the award winning Exposure range and will be available to use at our up-coming night rides, the first of which is the Reading ride.

The Night Ride format is the same as our normal rides, you get a map and follow the arrows/tape, simple. The difference is that the markers are highly relective, generally, when you get to one marker, you'll be able to see the next one. The route is the same as the Short day ride and gives you two options, just turn up for the night ride or come along in the morning and enter the usual short route, finish, have a rest and bite to eat, then go out again for a loop in the dark.

Back to the lights. If you don't have a set of lights, or have never ridden in the dark, then why not book a set of lovely Exposure lamps for the ride. We have -

6 x Exposure Maxx Daddy Front Lights

9 x Exposure Toro Front Lights

10 x Exposure Joystick Maxx-2 Helmet Lights

Plus a number of Exposure Red Eye Rear Lights, Exposure Red Eye Micro Rear Lights and Piggyback Batteries

Deal is £10 to use lights which you get back in the form of a voucher to be used againt any purchase of lights in an Evans store (Our new Reading one pehaps......) Booking is via the relevant ride web page (Reading, Dorking,Cheieveley) look for demo lights at the bottom of the page.

Cheers
Dean

Cliddesden Rider Times

Thanks to everyone who turned up this weekend, we had well over 500 riders make the trip to ride with us at Cliddesden.

Unfortunately the rain on Saturday meant less than ideal conditions for the mountain bikers as riders faced some pretty muddy conditions. Most of you still seemed to come back smiling, I don't think the jet wash at the finish has ever been so busy :-)

Sunday brought dry and sunny weather which I think along with the extra hour gained due to the clocks going back encouraged a good turnout including a number of riders new to road cycling. We are aware that a couple of problems with course signs meant some riders missed their relevant route splits so we'll be looking into how we can make some more improvements for future events. ( This will also explain some of the fast ride times in each category, as people did various, shorter distances. Dean )

Remember the Ride It! events continue throughout the winter months including night mountain bike rides at selected venues.

Riders times are below -

Saturday Off Road Rider Times

Sunday Road Rider Times

Cliddesden GPX Routes

These are now available to download, sorry for the delay.

As before there's two versions, the normal gpx file and a version that's been run through Bike Route Toaster (BRT) that seems to make gpx files a bit more garmin friendly.

If you use garmin versions can you let us know if they work? Creating two versions is obviously extra work for us, which is fine if they actually work, but a bit pointless they still cause problems running our routes on your garmins.

Cannock Chase Camping

I've got the approval to allow camping at the Tackeroo campsite that the event is being held at. If you fancy camping overnight, send me a mail dean.stacey@evanscycles.com and I'll reserve you a pitch. Price is £10 per tent per night. I'll be there both Friday and Saturday night with a few beers (no cider!)

Cheers
Dean

Cliddesden GPX routes

Hi.

Had some issues with my mail last night. Will be sending routes to Mark today and they should be up later this evening.

Ta
Dean

Cliddesden Road Ride

We've been out today riding the road route ready for Sunday's ride. The route is pretty similar to last year, more rolling countryside rather than massive climbs and manages to stay away from any major roads for most of the ride. There's a nice gradual downhill finish so no matter how tired you are you seem to fly through the last couple of miles :-)

A word of caution, some of the roads we're a bit slippy today, it seems not enough rain to wash away the autumn leaves, but just enough to make to make them slippy. The conditions may change depending on the weather over the next few days but it's worth taking it easy on some of the faster corners.

Cliddesden - Clocks go back!

Hi,
Just been pointed out to me that the clocks go back this weekend. Great news as we all get an hour longer in bed on Sunday, but it does mean that we'll be reverting to the winter distances for the road ride. These are 12-15 miles for fun, 30, 50, and 70miles for Short, Med and Long.

Cheers
Dean

Nottingham Rider Times

Off Road Rider Times

Road Rider Times

A lesson for us all...

This weekend I think we all learnt an important lesson and that is when you find yourself trying to chat up a hat stand it's time to put down the scrumpy cider and go to bed :-)

Unfortunately one or two may have learnt that lesson a little too late. Drink flowed, money changed hands, the hat stand went back to the hotel, there was an awkard what have I done moment the morning after and now she's moving in with Little Jon in his Brighton flat.

Nottingham Rider times

Just a quick apology for the lateness of rider times.

One (or perhaps two) of the staff wasn't feeling too great on Sunday,which meant that all the info wasn't inputted onto the computer on the day. I then had to have my computer synced to our network at Head Office which usually takes 3-4 hours, but today was a tad over 7!! Which meant that after getting up at 5am and travelling down from Nottingham, syncing at 10am and leaving at 5pm to get to Reading for a dinner date at 7pm there hasn't been enough time to do the times.

They will be done tomorrow (Tuesday) All sent to the relevant people, so just waiting for a posting

We now have a hat stand and I'm surprised that there aren't any pictures of it yet......

Dean

Off Road GPX files

The Off road gpx routes are OK to download.

There is a small change on the route with a new bridleway about 100mtrs away from the one we were going to use. As this doesn't really affect the route and is marked on the trail we haven't changed this on the GPX routes.

Anyone with a GPS who wants this section pointed out, please see me at the start.

Cheers
Dean

Nottingham Parking

Forgot to mention - parking might be a bit tight this weekend! The field we had last year is now fenced off and my back up has a fun fair on it.

If the carpark is full, please park considerately on the surrounding roads.

Ta
Dean

Nottingham Road Ride

Whilst the boys are out putting up the Off road route today, I'm stuck in the Travelodge again doing the paperwork.

Yesterday was a glourious day. The roads are in great condition, the sun was out, there was no wind and the course is realatively flat and fast. Todays a bit overcast, but the forecast for the weekend is looking OK.

My section of the ride went through Clumber Park which is National Trust land. Two of the pictures below were taken on the road through the Park which is tree lined and quiet, a most enjoyable ride!

We always check our rides before publishing the GPX routes and yesterday justified that process. Keith was out on the Long route when, in the middle of nowhere, he spied a lorry across the road, then a digger and finally a huge hole across the road. He asked a workman if the hole was going to be filled before the weekend, but unfortunately it's not. He was advised that he could climb around the crater, but decided this wasn't a safe option for you lot!! So the Long route has been shortened and the maps and GPX routes amended.

Cheers
Dean

Nottingham Road Ride

Nottingham GPX Files

These are now available to download over on the right hand side of this page.

We've had some feedback from riders that they've been unable to use our gpx routes with their garmin gps so we're trying to resolve this and you'll notice two versions of each route. We've posted the gpx files generated out of Memory Map and a second version (the link ending in BRT) that has been run through Bike Route Toaster which should make them a bit more garmin friendly. We recommend you download both and see which works best for you.

As always check back on Friday evening for any last minute updates to the routes, we'll post a new blog post notifying you of any changes if necessary.