The Essex Adventure Ride August 22, 2026
On Saturday, August 22nd, a peloton of 15 London Clarion riders took advantage of the ever convenient Elizabeth line, heading out to Shenfield for the start of our 50 mile Essex Adventure.
We quickly left the suburban sprawl behind, setting off at a comfortable, moderate pace into the countryside. Essex occasionally gets a bad press, but our loop through its quieter northern sections proved the critics entirely wrong. We spent the day navigating pretty, undulating lanes, rolling through beautiful ancient villages steeped in history and lined with traditional thatched buildings.
We paused a couple of times to take in the sights, with a notable stop at the picturesque village of Pleshey to admire its ruined castle and historic housing. Right around the 30 mile mark, we pulled in for lunch at the ‘Galloping Grind’ a brilliant, cycling-oriented pop-up café that provided the perfect mid-ride refuel.
The final 20 miles back to Shenfield were smooth sailing. It was a flawless run with absolutely no mechanicals or issues to slow us down, aided by some stellar back marking from Clive who kept the group safely together.
After catching the train back to London, a smaller band of riders kept the social spirit going with a stop for a few well earned pints on the way home. All in all, a fully satisfying, highly social day in the saddle, and a great reminder of the fantastic riding just outside the M25.
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