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• Man of Kent audax 200km

  • When
    29/03/2020
  •  
    08:00
  • Location
    Golden Green, Tonbridge, Kent

  The classic tour of the Garden of England.  Entry fee includes food at the start, finish and the legendary Vicarage control in Faversham!
  

  A 203km cycling event starting from Golden Green,Tonbridge.  Controls at Faversham, Wingham, New Romney and Headcorn, plus 4 information controls.
  
  Please note - entries on the line are not accepted.
  

  For 2019 routesheet click HERE

  For 2019 map and downloadable gpx file click HERE

  

  
  

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• SFA Sportive 2020

  • When
    26/04/2020
  •  
    09:00
  • Location
    Marden Memorial Hall

  
  

  Please note that the date for the 2020 Sportive is Sunday 26th April (not the customary May bank holiday Monday) and that the start location in Marden is the Memorial Hall not Vestry Hall.  Also, new for 2020 there will be an 85km route as well as the traditional 115km one.

  The revised route and feedstop in 2019 were well received, as was the sunshine and Kent's fine countryside: along the Greensand ridge, through haunted Pluckley and historic Tenterden.  There were extensive views over Romney Marsh before returning through Sissinghurst and Goudhurst with a long downhill at the end.  At the same time a tremendous £3,800 was raised for the Air Ambulance.  Feedstops for the 115km route will be at 55km and 85km.  The new 85km route will avoid the Romney Marsh loop and have a single feedstop at 55km.  

  
  

  A reminder of the 115km route is below.
  Riders' instructions and routesheet for 2019 are here
  A report of the 2018 sportive in the club magazine, The Milestone, is here.
  2019 target times can be viewed here
  

  EVENT HQ

  
  Marden Memorial Hall is on Goudhurst Road, Marden. (OS grid TQ740445 Post Code TN12 9JX).  The Hall will be open from 08:00 for a 09:00 start. Groups of about 15 riders will start at 2 minute intervals.
  
  This event is organised by Duncan Edwards and Bob Watts aided by a team of two dozen dedicated helpers.

  t: 07402 549927
  e: sfa.sportive@gmail.com

  PARKING
  

  
  We encourage you to cycle to the event or, if this is impractical, to car share.  If you do drive, the pay-and-display station car park is only £1 on Sundays.  Free parking may be available on Pattenden Lane subject to later confirmation.  Please DO NOT park in the Memorial Hall or Library car parks.
  
  

  THE ROUTE
  
  Below is the route for 2019 which will be changed slightly for 2020 to reflect the new start/finish location.  Click on 'View full route' below to view the route in 'Ride with GPS' and to download (export) route files in various formats 

  
  

  SFA SPORTIVE 2015
  

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• The Fairies Flat 5 audaxes 50 to 300km

  • When
    21/06/2020
  • Location
    Bethersden Village Hall

  
  For many years the Club has been organising its own summer series of Audax rides from Bethersden offering five distances from 50 to 300 kilometres to suit a wide range of riders.  Apart from the pleasant Kent countryside, the flatish routes and quality of food provided, participants often welcome manned controls (seven in total!).  In 2020 the rides take place on Sunday 21 June, one day after the summer solstice.  Entries will open on the Audax UK website in October 2019 and will close one week before the event.  There are no entries on the day, except for the 50km event.

  Route sheets and gpx files from 2019 are below.  These will be revised nearer the day, and following a routecheck, but are unlikely to change much.
  

  Riders' instructions and start times are here.

  Route maps and gps files at the links below: 
  

  • Starting 10.00 am: Fairies Easy Peasy 50km
  • Starting 9.00 am:   Fairies Flat 100km
  • Starting 8:30 am:   Fairies Fairly Flat 150km
  • Starting 8.00 am:   Fairies Half Flat 200km
  • Starting 2.00 am:   Fairies Flattest Possible 300km

  
  

  Routesheets are below:

  
  

  Event	Links to	routesheets
  Easy Peasy 50	Standard	Large Print
  Flat 100	Standard	Large Print
  Fairly Flat 150	Standard	Large Print
  Half Flat 200	Standard	Large Print
  Flattest Possible 300	Standard	Large Print

    
  

  EVENT HQ

  Bethersden Village Hall
  Forge Hill
  Bethersden
  Kent
  TN26 3AF

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• Medway Marvellous audaxes 100 & 200km

  • When
    19/07/2020
  • Location
    Kent, location tba

  A third running of two well-received audax events by club member Tim Decker, with catering at the start and finish.  The start/finish location is yet to be finalised and hence the route is not yet firm.  However, below you can see the delightful and interesting route Tim set in 2019:

  The 200km event visits the Hoo Peninsular following the popular Heron Trail cycle route and passing the historic St James Church made famous in the opening scene of Great Expectations. It is worth stopping briefly to view the Graveyard: '....five little stone lozenges each about a foot and a half long which were arranged in a neat row ... and were sacred to the memory of five little brothers of mine....'  The North Kent Marshes are one of the most important natural wetlands in Europe and riders are likely to see a variety of different birdlife whilst enjoying stunning panoramic views of the Thames and Medway estuaries. After heading back into Higham the ride enters the North Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and gets a lot hillier, but also much more wooded. A control at the popular Speedgate Riding Cafe provides ample opportunity for refreshments. Riders then drop down to the beautiful Darenth Valley passing through the villages of Eynsford and Shoreham before following the foot of the North Downs along the Pilgrims Way to Titsey. The next section goes over the Weald through small lanes crossing the Medway near its source at Forest Row, which offers ample opportunities for refreshments and then eastwards to the South of Tunbridge Wells to the penultimate control in Staplehurst. This section is nicely varied, with lots of short climbs and descents, traditional villages and forests. Heading back towards the finish the section the next section is flat as it follows the River Beult a tributary of the Medway to Wateringbury. After climbing Red Hill riders reach the North Pole (A pub, not the Arctic) and are rewarded with a long downhill stretch to Aylesford where the River Medway is crossed again. The final section follows the Medway through the villages of Eccles and Burham before crossing the river again next to the M2. In the distance riders can see Rochester Castle and Cathedral and the Isle of Grain. A final climb through the outskirts of Strood takes riders past Gads Hill Place, Dickens country home, where he wrote many of his most famous books, back to the finish at Higham.

  The 100km event has a 9 a.m. start, 15 minutes after the first train to Higham, enabling entrants to arrive by train.  The route also heads out on the Hoo Peninsular following the popular Heron Trail cycle route and passing the historic St James Church made famous in the opening scene of Great Expectations. it is worth stopping briefly to view the Graveyard: '....five little stone lozenges each about a foot and a half long which were arranged in a neat row ... and were sacred to the memory of five little brothers of mine....'   The North Kent Marshes are one of the most important natural wetlands in Europe and riders are likely to see a variety of different birdlife whilst enjoying stunning panoramic views of the Thames and Medway estuaries.  After heading back into Higham the ride enters the North Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and gets a lot hillier, but also much more wooded. A control at the popular Speedgate Riding Cafe provides ample opportunity for refreshments.  Riders then ascend the North Downs passing the world famous Brand’s Hatch motor racing circuit. At the top of Speedgate Hill it is worth taking the time to enjoy the fabulous views over the Weald of Kent. A fast and steep descent leads to the delightful villages of Ightham and Basted and a control at Gover Hill Woods.  The next stop on the ride is Aylesford, where the ride crosses the Medway again on the old bridge, which is only open to cyclists and pedestrians.  The final section follows the Medway through the villages of Eccles and Burham before crossing the river again next to the M2. In the distance riders can see Rochester Castle and Cathedral and the Isle of Grain.  A final climb through the outskirts of Strood takes riders past Gads Hill Place - Dickens country home where he wrote many of his most famous books - back to the finish at Higham.

  Entries will be through Audax UK website nearer the day

  
  

  For the 2019 event details:
  Route including gpx files:
  Medway Marvellous 100
  Medway Marvellous 200

  Routesheet:
  Medway Marvellous 100
  Medway Marvellous 200

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• The Fairies Crown audaxes 100 & 200km

  • When
    18/10/2020
  •  
    08:00
  • Location
    Ulcombe, Kent

  Here's your chance to enjoy the autumn colours with the San Fairy Ann CC Crown rides in 2020.  They are named after the Wye Crown high above the first control on Wye Green, which was cut into the chalk of the North Downs 118 years ago to commemorate the coronation of Edward VII.

  In 2020 the much admired routes will still allow the 200km riders will still get to see the sea in many places and pass those famous castles at Walmer, Dover, Sandgate, Hastings, Bodiam and Sissinghurst.  Half of the 100km route is within the North Downs and High Weald areas of outstanding natural beauty.  Both routes try to keep to less busy roads.

  
  

  The start and finish is Ulcombe village hall, Kent ME17 1EB on Sunday 18th October at 8:00 for the 200km and 9:00 for the 100km.  Entries will open on 1 April 2020 but you would be no fool to enter.  Below are details of the 2019 event which are unlikely to change too much.

  • Entry for the 100
  • Entry for the 200
  • Routesheet for the 100
  • Routesheet for the 200
  • Rider instructions.

  A gpx file can be downloaded by clicking on View Full Version of the map below then exporting in your chosen format.

  
  

  As always, there will be a warm welcome and a decent spread of food both before and after the event.  We hope to see lots of club members, and maybe introduce some audax novices to the delights of these events.

  
  

  If you have any questions about either of these events,
  please contact Bob Watts bobwatts999@gmail.com

  For more info about the club:  San Fairy Ann CC

  THE FAIRIES HALF CROWN 107 Km
  

  
  

  
  

  THE FAIRIES CROWN & ANCHOR 210km
  

  
  

  Start location
  

  
  

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