Sunday 8th October 2023 10:00am

Starting from - The Tea Pavilion - Cafe in the Park (formerly the Cha Cafe),
3 Cassiobury Park,
Watford,
Hertfordshire WD18 7HY

Nearest Tube Station: Watford Metropolitan

Tel. 07927 726216
Please arrive at 9.45am, to be ready to leave at 10am.
If you are running late or cannot attend on the day, please call the mobile number above to let us know.

Nearest Car Park:
Cassiobury Park Car Park
off Gade Avenue,
WD18 7LG.
It's free for 2 hours but you need to take a ticket and display. Parking the local roads around the park is unrestricted on Sundays.

For notice of our upcoming rides join our Watford Cycle Hub Rides Group! :)
https://www.letsride.co.uk/groups/watford-cycle-hub-social-rides

This Watford Cycle Hub Rides ride is open for anyone to join, WD18 7HY

This Watford Cycle Hub Rides ride is open for anyone to join

  • 18.4 miles
  • Mountain Bike, Hybrid (off road tyres), eBike
  • 3 hr 40 mins
  • Challenging
  • Watford
  • Adults 16+ only

Led by experienced ride leaders, these rides are a great way to explore new places and to meet new people who enjoy cycling. They are suitable for all levels of experience, so whether you are a beginner or a seasoned cyclist, you can find a ride that is right for you.

Starting point




Hertfordshire
WD18 7HF

One for the Mountain Bikers! This is a Challenging Route in terms of the amount of climbing, but we'll take it on at a Steady Pace over the route.

The route will cut through Whippendell Woods & enjoy a road descent to the Grand Union Canal. After a brief roll along the towpath we cut up through the public bridleways traversing the grounds of The Grove Hotel. At Langleybury we off-road it through some picturesque farmland where we then have our first real challenge with a descent on loose gravel. Following the valley we then take on a challenging off-road climb heading up & over via Penman's Green to Belsize. Then it's a lovely country lane section along to Flaunden where we cut off-road again and descend down to the Chess Valley - the descent through the woods is exhilarating and the last bit on chalk is a good challenge. We follow a bridleway along by the River Chess, climb to Chenies on road, then descend to Sarratt Bottom to the idyllic Crestyl Watercress Farm. We then face the challenging Dawes Common Climb up to Sarratt Green before cutting back off-road down a gravel descent back to Chandlers Cross, Whippendell Woods and The Cha Cafe. All in all, hopefully an exhilarating ride with lovely scenery right on your doorstep! :)
Please wear clothing that is suitable for the weather conditions, gloves are recommended, and check that your bike is in good working order before the ride - especially that your brakes are working & your tyres are pumped.

Please bring two spare inner tubes with you & money for the Café/Pub if you want anything. Changing an inner tube is faster than fixing a puncture should anyone suffer one on the day.

If your bike might need a little more TLC or hasn't been ridden for a while, you can always bring it in for a free assessment; we're Not-For-Profit and promise to give you an honest price if your bike needs fixing, fine tuning or a full service. :)

Route rating

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One for the Mountain Bikers! This is a Challenging Route in terms of the amount of climbing, but we'll take it on at a Steady Pace over the route.

On road, off road, tow path, cycle paths, fields and bridleways

Who else is on this ride?

Ride leaders

Profile photo for Nicholas Bury
  • Ride Leader

    Ride Leader
  • Community Groups Volunteer

    Community Groups Volunteer

Nicholas Bury

Profile photo for Ian Barber
  • Ride Leader

    Ride Leader

Ian Barber

5 ride participants

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