England : London The Italian Job - 107km - Finsbury Park to Little Chalfont

[Orestis]

For the second year running, Islington Cycling Club are running The Italian Job, a 107km (69 miles) ride, starting and finishing in Finsbury Park. The 2017 edition will be on Sunday 18 June.

True to the name, the ride has an Italian theme - riders are encouraged to showcase their Italian spirit in some respect. A prize will be awarded for whoever shows the most Italian style.

Our partners Look Mum No Hands! will run a pop-up cafe in the park to get you started. Our route heads north-west to a rest stop at Fillipetto's Deli in Little Chalfont, and returns to the park in time for the Finsbury Park Festival of Cycling.

You can see some pictures of the 2016 event, here.

Enter on the event on the British Cycling site, here.

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[ianrauk]

This is a great ride folks. Unfortunately the weather last year was rather damp. Hoprfully will be better this year.
I won't be doing it this year though as it's not being run under AUK.

@RedRider That's you pic 1 that is
And look at @jo from the other place 's lovely Flying Gate

 

[Blue Hills]

I won't be doing it this year though as it's not being run under AUK.

Forgive my ignorance Ian, why is that an issue?

 

[ianrauk]

Forgive my ignorance Ian, why is that an issue?

It's only an issue for me as I did the ride for an Audax brevet and points. I like that stamped card.

 

[Blue Hills]

ah, thought it might be something like that - the perils of audax madness

 

[ianrauk]

And here's me at the 'off'. Just before it started to rain. Only stopping once we got back to Finsbury park.

 

[Tim Hall]

This is a great ride folks. Unfortunately the weather last year was rather damp. Hoprfully will be better this year.
I won't be doing it this year though as it's not being run under AUK.

@RedRider That's you pic 1 that is
And look at @jo from the other place 's lovely Flying Gate

As it's run by British Cycling, does it mean Plastic Hats are needed? Their website says they are for Sportives and Racing, but this is billed as a Reliability Trial. Their regulations say

A rider whilst racing or training in any cycling
discipline, with the exception of training on
the open road shall wear properly affixed
protective headgear which must be of a hard/
soft shell construction.

 

[RedRider]

This is a great ride folks. Unfortunately the weather last year was rather damp. Hoprfully will be better this year.
I won't be doing it this year though as it's not being run under AUK.

@RedRider That's you pic 1 that is
And look at @jo from the other place 's lovely Flying Gate

I remember a spot or two of rain, some reviving arancini at the halfway stop and amazing views totally obscured by low cloud. Yeah, really good ride and I'll probably do it fixie skidder-style pending clarification on the helmet thing. I can't imagine it'll be strictly enforced?? The club's Great Escape is a fine ride too.

 

[jefmcg]

As it's run by British Cycling, does it mean Plastic Hats are needed? Their website says they are for Sportives and Racing, but this is billed as a Reliability Trial. Their regulations say

You have to go all the way to the payment page to get T&Cs, but it seems that helmet is mandatory
https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/article/Rider-Ts-and-Cs-0

 

[srw]

London to Chalfont and back? The wrong way! Do it the other way round - ride from civilised suburbia to the Wen and then turn around and look forward to the green shoots of countryside.

 

[Redlight]

I rode this last year - I'm even in some of the photos - and while the section just after the halfway cafe stop was pleasant, much of it was too traffic to be really enjoyable, particularly the last stretch through Finchley and Holloway. For newcomers to randoneurring I would suggest instead one of the many 100km Audax UK events run by the mid-Essex club (ACME), almost all of which start from railway stations easily accessible from east London. I'd quite fancy The Great Escape, as I know those roads well and it's a good route, but I wouldn't want to spend good money on a plastic hat to be worn for one ride.

 

[Blue Hills]

For newcomers to randoneurring I would suggest instead one of the many 100km Audax UK events run by the mid-Essex club (ACME), almost all of which start from railway stations easily accessible from east London.

Do you have a link for these ACME people.

A quick google turned up a Welsh miners club and a web page from Essex under construction.

 

[Redlight]

Yes, I think the ACME web site is still in its formative stage as the 'club' is still quite new. However, all the events are listed on the Audax UK site - http://www.aukweb.net/events/ and there is an active discussion of its activities on both the Audax and Rides and Touring sections of the YACF forum, as here https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=97247.0 for example. I think the next event is on 4th March, starting from Great Dunmow, which is a 10 minute ride from Stansted Airport station

 

[Nick Saddlesore]

The trains from London to Stanstead Airport have a 'No Cycle' policy. I don't know if that also applies from stations the other side of the airport. Elsenham is 10k from GT D, bikes allowed.
Nice ride, as usual with ACME, shortest route sheet I've ever seen. And as I managed on fixed last year it must be virtually downhill both ways.

 

[Redlight]

I've taken my bike on the Stansted Airport train several times and never been challenged. However, it's also an easy ride from Bishops Stortford and you can definitely take bikes on the Cambridge trains.