Sunday Echappée

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Sunday Echappée SS15 team kit

The team kit is made up of 4 triangles, each symbolise a direction to explore; North, South, East and West. We started as a group of mates in the South East of London. We have grown in numbers and now occupy various parts of the UK. The Kit represents the rides we have been on and the rides we will go on.

Design: Andy Ainger

Images: Adam Ainger

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The Pilgrims Way is an aged track stretching (roughly) from the shrine of St.Swithin in Winchester, Hampshire to the shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury, Kent. The natural, geographical contours along the route provide some modern day cyclists with a weekly pilgrimage of their own to test their legs upon the short, steep gradients that adorn either side of this historic road. Not content with merely joining said cyclists; we decided to follow in the footsteps of our pilgrim brothers and sisters of old, and head further, deeper along the winding route east of the Medway and further into the glorious Kent countryside (and back again!) We wanted to explore more of what this ancient pathway has to offer……and, more to the point, we wanted Fish and Chips by the sea!

The route we took can be found here… https://www.strava.com/routes/2362691

Words: Karl

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Friday 3rd April  - "like riding bikes on gravel? On and Off for 160kms? I bloody don't.." - this was my post on Instagram promoting the impending Epic Echappée our homage to the Tour of Flanders the day before it was due to take place. Billed as "the Classic" of the year (mainly by us!), it was going to be 160kms (100 miles in old money), with over 2,000 meters of climbing and *gulp*, 14 gravel sections. Tasty then. Mainly due to my bike meaning more to me than the oxygen I breathe and being a rather vocal opponent to riding the rough stuff, I decided to knock my participation on the head for this one and let the real hard men of the group loose on what would turn out to be, an absolute belter of a ride. Saturday 4th April - Morning of the ride: I popped into Brickwood coffee house, Clapham where the ride was due to roll out from, to say "hi!" to the chaps and wish them well on the ride, I was passing through en route to Regents Park for some laps. An hour later I would be sat on the front of the gruppetto heading for Richmond Park and pastures new, with 14 gravel sectors staring me in the face, as well as a ton of mud, grit and a bunch of unforgettable experiences. The ride started with good intentions of being as social as possible with 160kms on the horizon. Before long, usual form soon ensued: Neil Philips sat on the front tearing legs off before we'd even hit Richmond Park... everybody's heart-rates elevating to new max heart levels, straining to keep his wheel whilst he just sat upright talking like he's in an armchair with a pipe and slippers on. Finally taming his enthusiasm, to an extent, and settling in, we hit the first of the gravel sections. My nemesis now staring right at me. Gravel. Real gravel. That proper stuff. Golf ball-sized chunks of stone waiting to pull you down onto their jagged tooth-like surfaces and tear flesh from bone and split rubber and carbon like a warm knife through butter. I was scared. However, in the true style of the Echappée, lots of encouragement from a genuine top bunch of riders by my side and with the recent Echappée ethos (SMASHY SMASHY!) that Geraint Thomas had stolen and decided to unleash on the pro Spring Classics at the forefront of my mind - I grit my teeth and smashed across it. Tail-sliding left and right. Up and down through gears to find optimal grip levels. Bum firmly planted on the seat and watching everyone shoot past, I grinned like the Cheshire cat that got the cream as the adrenaline rushed through my body. My word it was actually fun... I would attempt to put into words the main part of the ride: the rolling across Surrey and Kent under cloudy skies, chilly but perfect for riding, the comradery during punctures and when at 100km+ it began to really hurt. The beautiful climbs, the deadly, evil, horrible tyre munching... no, sorry, sorry..... exhilarating gravel sections, the coffee stops and relief at said coffee stops, the mud caked grass and tarmac stretches causing our bodies to clamber all over our bikes to find purchase on a multitude of different terrain OR the fact Steve (route-master extraordinaire) included a gravel section that wasn't even a road.... honestly… it was literally just a hedge and a trench... on a climb. I would attempt to do this part of the ride some justice but there isn't a vocabulary from English to Mandarin and all those in between that could manifest the correct imagery in your minds. And quite honestly, you really had to be there to experience how much a ride such as this takes out of you, how much you don't want to stop regardless of the energy sapping, muscle aching, body beating road that lies ahead. The fact that the people around you encourage you to battle onward and the utterly sensational world we live in just making every pedal stroke an absolute pleasure... on any surface. With it's various challenges, handful of punctures, slippery roads, secret climbs and me showing the team how to properly open a banana; this really was every, single bit as epic as it had been billed. Chapeau to everyone that took part, genuinely smashed it and made it every part the only Spring Classic you need to be a part of next year! I for one will be back, provided that is if I’ve finished cleaning my bike by then.

Words: Karl

Photos: Andy, Neil, Sophie

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Little gallery from a ride we did the day before Milan - San Remo, we thought it was only fitting that a suitable destination was found so we embarked on a ride down to south England’s finest seaside resort; Bognor Regis!

Images: Steve, Jack, Neil 

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In the great British tradition of the early season reliability trial and in honour of the spring classics taking place on the day before the Tour of Flanders, Sunday Echappée presents ‘The Epic Echappée’ a Saturday trip to hell and back.

This ride operates a shit load of gravel policy.

Where – Black Lab, 18 Clapham Common Southside, Clapham London SW4 7AB

When – 8am Saturday 4th of April, rolling out at 9am.

The Route – Will be revealed in the days leading up to the ride, it features 160km skirting the southern edge of the M25, there are 14 gravé sectors and around 2250m of climbing. Bring your legs and your pain face.

The ride finishes at Cycle PS in Camberwell where we will celebrate how bad ass we are for completing the ride with beer and pizza.

Please feel free to share this ride and invite your friends, the more the merrier!

Sign-up here...

https://www.strava.com/clubs/96362/group_events/28501

This is a gentleman’s race (a fast group ride/reliability trial where we inevitably smash the shit out of each other), not a road race or a sportive. It can be done on a road bike although we recommend 25s and a couple of spare tubes, it is unsupported and you are responsible for yourself and your equipment. You join us at your own risk and you are expected to ride in a safe, considerate manner, both to other road users and other riders.

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Having ridden in a couple of crits at the tail end of the 2014 season and having achieved some positive results (but alas no race license meant no points), I was keen to get a solid winter of riding under my belt and then have a real crack at this racing thing in 2014 with the Echappée boys.

So team registered and license bought I resisted jumping in too early and aimed to kick things off at the end of Feb, the classics were starting then so its spring right, road race season?

San Fairy Ann Spring Series #1 - Cat 4

San Fairy Ann Spring Series, sounds nice right?  Spring means warmer sunny weather so Andy and myself popped our names into the hat for the first round Cat 4 race on the 28th Feb.  Arriving in Gravesend Cyclopark at 3pm I thought maybe I should have bought my lights with me, the sky a thick steely grey and the air wet with a constant drizzle, added to this we were greeted by what could only be described as a raging gale.  A brief spin round the local neighbourhood and a few sprints in the car park before we were lined up and waiting for the off.

The commissaires whistle went and immediately the pack was torn to shreds by the wind and cold, wet conditions.  I made the early break with four others before the end of the first lap and noticed Andy was working hard with the second group on the road.  A little too long on the front on my pulls and I found myself distanced by the break at around the half way mark, settling into a steady rhythm I put my head down and pushed on waiting for the second group to catch me and offer up some wheels for a little refuge.  The gap we had opened up in the front group was sufficiently large enough that I spent 3 laps on my own in no-mans land before Andy and a select second group finally showed up.  A quick glance around at the faces in the group showed the conditions were taking their toll so I tried to work with these guys to keep the pace up and make sure we stayed away from the next group back.  It was a relief to finally hear the bell for last lap and I took it up on the front to ramp things up a little.  As we came into the bottom of the final drag I sat up a little to try and force a move from further back, it worked and straight away I jumped to onto his wheel before coming round with about 100m to go.

A solid 6th place meant a few points on the score sheet and Andy rolled in just behind but unfortunately in 11th and just out of the points.

MK Bowl Spring Series #1 - Cat 4

The following week saw me line up on my own in Milton Keynes.  Knowing that a Cat 3 license was one really good result away had me hoping that this would go well especially with a vast improvement in the weather.  The week had seen my head full of cold and lacking in riding though so I was left wondering how things would pan out.

Racing at the bowl was completely different to what we had experienced the previous week.  The main bunch stayed together albeit with five or six of us really driving the front, attacking each other, chasing and ramping the pace.  Attacks would some on the drag up to the start finish, only to be bought swiftly back on the swooping downhill towards the first corner.  No one stayed away and coming into the bell lap everyone was together.

I came out of the final corner in third wheel, nicely positioned for the finish as we started up the final drag.  No more than half way up though a jump came from quite far back and as they raced past me I figured that was the winning move and decided to chase.  I had a long gap to claw back but as we approached the line I came along side and threw the bike forwards. 

Half a bike length, a win and 10 points, Cat 3 target achieved.

MK Bowl Spring Series #2 - Cat 2/3

Having achieved my upgrade and already being entered into the Cat 4 at Milton Keynes a quick email was all it took to find myself on the start sheet of the Cat 2/3 the following Saturday.

A decent week off work, on the bike and having just watched Andy put in a super strong ride to finish 7th in the 4s I was feeling excited but racked with nerves as we rolled round a neutral first lap. As soon as the car pulled off the suffering began, the first fifteen minutes was an unrelentingly brutal series of attacks and chases, I was well into the red and we weren’t even a quarter of the way in!

Fortunately as the break was established and the Corley-Drops team came to the front to take control things settled down, a little.  I quickly realised that this level of racing is a completely different kettle of fish, organised teams and very strong and experienced individuals.  I concentrated on trying to maintain my position somewhere around the middle of the main pack.  In hindsight I spent way to much time on the outside and burnt too many matches moving up on the uphill drag. But I was hanging on and feeling ok, although I was pleased when we passed the hour mark and the board came up with five to go.  Coming into the last lap I was able to move up in the bunch and into the first ten wheels but got boxed slightly in the final bend and found myself on the outside without any wheels to follow as the sprint began to wind up.  I dug in and gave it my all but 30m or so from the line my legs decided they had had enough.  I still finished in the top half of the finishers so all in all it was a good day out.

So three races down, points earnt, an upgrade obtained and then a baptism of fire with lots of lessons learnt; looking forward to what the rest of the season will bring!

Words: Steve Revill-Darton

Photos: Tom Krause, Lucy Revill-Darton, Andy Ainger, Steve Revill-Darton

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https://www.strava.com/routes/1310105

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Race report - Andy

Round 11 of the London cross league was my first cross race.

Riding out to the Redbridge Cycling Centre with new Echappée recruit Will, meeting up with Neil Phillips on route, the two seasoned cross riders gave me lots of hints and tips on the journey. It was my first time at the Hog Hill circuit and with a clear sky, we were able to see the amazing London skyline in its full glory from the Essex setting.

With 10 minutes to go till race time, riders set about warming up and testing the conditions. As soon as I rode into a grassy uphill section, it dawned on me what I was in for; an hour of PAIN!

The race callings were made and we lined up on the grid. The whistle blew and we were off, full speed; to what section or corner, I had no idea! (I’d had no time to do a proper warm up lap).

Following the riders, the first section was like a stampede of buffalo climbing from a river. The surface was slippy like ice and my bike soon became a magnet for mud. It quickly weighed an absolute ton, which meant lots of digging deep to keep momentum. Riders began struggling to keep their pace. I found myself running a large amount of the course, with the bike slung over my shoulder.

On the more rideable sections, I was able to move through the field, catching up and then passing Will. However, this seemed to kick him into gear and he soon over took me again. 

The bike was jamming with mud and I made several quick stops to attempt to clear the muck from the derailleurs.

The rider positions were yo-yoing back and forth, with riders making up or loosing positions due to the conditions of the sodden terrain.

I now had Will back in my sights, mounting the bike on the small uphill section of tarmac, I was greeted with an unusual thump. Bugger! A puncture, my race was cut short with a lap and a half to go. 

At this point, a small part of me was glad it was over. I had started the race with only ambitions to finish, but I felt disappointed that I had had a real chance of coming in the top 20, with so few laps to go. But these things happen in racing.

I’ll be making another appearance to another race soon, for sure. It was a great eye opener and a  true initiation into cyclocross racing.

Race report - Will

After a week of excess - christmas parties, nights out, and bad eating - an hour long cross race seemed somewhat more appealing than a steady winter base ride on the final Sunday before Christmas.

From an initial viewing, the top of the course which spun its way around the top of the road circuit looked relatively mud free. This turned out to be a great judgement of error as the lower portion of the course was being turned into a mud filled mess during the vets/womens race.

After obligatory discussions on tyre pressure, which were all superseded by advice from a veteran racer to run them even lower we lined up at the start. Being lined on the 4th row meant the start was always going to have an element of wacky races, so the rider making Mario kart noises added to the slightly comedy feel of the start.

The course zig-zagged across the lower level before a slog of a tarmac climb to bring you to the top level for relative respite from the mud. From the top a chicane filled descent didn’t allow for any chance to get your breath back before you were hit with a series of short climbs and a set of hurdle high barriers to jump.

For the lower portion of the course the thick heavy mud made riding near impossible, requiring running far longer than any cyclist should be made to.

The final lap of the race eventually came, the mud was winning the battle, so for the first time I finished a bike race by running over the line. Tales of mud filled horror were shared over cups of tea in line for the jet wash.

The eagerness to race again slowly appears the next day, as too do the bruises and aches form the day before.

Images: Jess Staddon

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Gallery: Kent CX

Images: Jonny, Andy

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Gallery: Milton Keynes UCI Cyclocross World Cup

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Mud Soldiers

  The autumn is upon us, and with it comes a new array of cycling media to feast upon; cyclocross! Last year we missed out on this due to a distinct lack of cross bikes.

Not this year!

Jonny and I had recently purchased new toys to explore trails surrounding London and, once we’ve honed a few skills, possibly even a few races.

Epping Forest is a large ancient woodland in the north east of London and the perfect place to head for a bit of cross action. We headed northwards along the towpath with the new Steeds. We had ridden through the woodland on numerous road adventures but had never explored what lay either side of the tarmac.

The mist hovered above the vegetation, the rain gently bounced off our cap peaks, nothing was going to dampen our spirits. We took off, flying down the first set of trails. Within minutes, this became a minefield of tree roots and deep mud. Having not let enough pressure out of my tyres, it was a matter of seconds before I hit the deck.

Laughing, I picked myself up and we continued down the trails. We were certainly finding our feet (wheels), or so we thought until Jonny, who said “Its amazing how much grip we have”, headed straight towards a set of bushes and crashed. We hadn’t had a ride like this in some time; technical, hard going and downright dirty.

We decided to head towards the Bikes Tea Hut for a much needed warm drink. Once there, we were greeted by a group of local riders, who were interested in our new rigs. They were also amused, or equally impressed that we hadn’t crashed more with the amount of pressure in our tyres. They offered us some advice on tyre pressure and the best routes in the forest.

We moved on, heading deeper into Epping Forest, joining a mountain bike trail. Logs lay in the way (not a problem), as we needed to practice our dismounting and mounting. The lowered tyre pressure certainly gave us more confidence, and we quickly built up speed.

It wasn’t long before over confidence got the better of me, my front wheel became lodged in a boggy rut, launching me over the handlebars, and into the peaty brown soup.

At this point we both cracked up, and couldn’t ride much more due to hysteria. Slowly regaining composure, we carried on, the trail getting more and more demanding. I imagine you could have really let go on a mountain bike, but not so with a cross bike. I attempted to hit a small mound on the downhill section, to get some airtime, which was shortly followed by my third crash. On the slippery surface that was my landing, I lost the front, falling from my bike and slid down the hill on my side.

Feeling slightly beaten, we headed back, laughing all the way back to London. We were greeted by strange looks from fellow cyclist’s and pedestrians, due to the amount of mud we had accumulated on our bikes and ourselves.

A jet wash later, and we headed home, with grin’s the width of our faces.

Words: Andy

Images: Andy, Jonny

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London-(nearly) Brighton-London 200k

  Ok, so it wasn't Paris-Brest-Paris, or even Milan-San Remo. We didn't climb mountains, nor did we face snow and ice or an unrelenting headwind. But a wintery 200k+ over the North and South Downs and back felt challenging enough by the time we rolled back into London at 6pm.

  Six of us departed Brixton early Saturday morning; five Echappées were joined by Will, a friend from Thursday Regent's laps. Unfortunately, by the time we rolled back in we'd lost Dean early on (knee) and Steve in the later stages (the lurgey), though both soldiered on courageously until they could pedal no more. Karl didn't make the start line due to an unfortunate double whammy of illness and a cracked seat tube. A complete Echappée epic will have to wait for another time.

  Four of us did make it, and spending a whole working day in the saddle was magical experience. From the morning frost to the evening dew, we were privileged to witness the full cycle of a late autumn day. The weather was consistent with what you'd expect from November in Britain; the temperature never rising above 10C, we were at first enclosed in mist, which cleared during a lunchtime shower, before it re-gathered in the valleys as darkness descended late into the ride. The gradually-changing light illuminated a complete spectrum of autumnal shades across a damp, leaf-draped landscape. The scenery was different from how I remember the standard London-Brighton route, thanks in no small part to Steve's talent for route plotting. Mostly taking back lanes, we weaved our way to the coast and back, cutting through woods, fields, and even via private estates (hilariously, down one private road we got a stern warning from the local land Barron).

  The final two hours was spent in total blackness as we navigated our way back through the narrow Kent lanes. Although dangerous, it was deeply engaging, demanding total concentration from our tired minds. But despite our precariousness, it was blissful. A mixture of darkness, concentration and fatigue tends to produce an heightened meditative state, a total awareness of the sounds, smells and glimmering sights passing by. The overriding memory of the final two hours was of constantly scanning the road for potholes whilst maintaining enough speed to quickly reach the relative safety of London's orange glow.

  On shorter rides, satisfaction comes mostly from going faster but the satisfaction of big miles is less straightforward. A sense of achievement can come from multiple sources: good conversation, witnessing beautiful sights, and covering great distances efficiently, are to name but a few. One of the least obvious sources of satisfaction, for me at least, comes from the concentration involved with monitoring of fuel and effort. Like the crew of a steam locomotive, the long-distance cyclist's engine requires both patience and vigilance as it is all too easy to forget to eat, to eat too much or go too hard. Tip the balance too much in one direction, then BANG...the engine stops.

  My audax experience is limited, as it is with the rest of Echappée, but I, for one, can see myself aiming for distance as I age and my speed begins to tail-off. A full day in the saddle is something that is well in the reach of any moderately fit cyclist; it is certainly easier than trying to hold the wheel of someone fitter than you, and it feels like an 'event' rather than purely 'exercise'. The will comes from the mind more than it does from the legs. As I pulled in to my street at the end only one question remained: how much further could I go?

Words: Jonny

Images: Andy, Steve 

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Velonode.cc asked us to write a feature on who we are and what we are about.  We were super stoked to be featured on their site, click HERE and check out the finished article!

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For all that live in London and know the pressure of a five day working week it's hard to find the time that your bike so needs and deserves. 

We all feel this in Sunday Echapée with most of the group different working hours or with commitments off the bike (I know what your thinking, what could be more important right?), we have to find an outlet for the smashy smashy to get out. 

I write this we a smile on my face because it's funny how small moments can define so much but morning laps of Regents Park is one of those. We first me and rode here; Thursday 6.30am Rapha CCLDN laps, this round circuit of a Royal London Park, these monotonous, bland, repetitive laps of Regents Park. We put the hurt on each other here first, took digs at each other, rolled through to give each other a break on the front on these roads first.  

Maybe to some it's how I describe it above, but to me it's more, so much more. It's a chance to train through and off with the other regulars not just from Echapée to go full gas and put the hurt on. A chance to really have a go and let people see what a hard training session looks like. A chance to be hurt and know to train harder or to be smarter about your positioning on that final flying lap. All together though and however you look at it, Regents laps is a chance for all of us to meet no matter what the constraints of life. To end with a coffee and chat out the races of the past week or the working week we have ahead. 

I guess we all at Sunday Echapée hold these simple and basic training rides as some of the best rides we do. I think sometimes it's not the roads you don't know, but the ones you do so well that can put the biggest smile on your face. 

Words: Deano

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First day of fall

As a cyclist I quite like the colder months of autumn and winter. There’s something about the freshness of the cool air and the low light of the mornings, the ritual of layering up and the kit involved in keeping that optimum body temperature. Damp, greasy roads, fallen leaves, the changing colours, blah blah blah, I love it (although ask me again how much I like winter in mid-February and you might get a different answer).

This weekend we finally welcomed in Autumn, the temperature dropped 5 degrees overnight and on Saturday the heavens opened and drowned everyone who was out. Fortunately we tend to ride Sundays and were greeted in the morning by clear blue skies and not a cloud in sight. Leg warmers, check, gloves, check, long-sleeve jersey, wind jacket, over-socks, check check check.

Riding on roads through woodland really brings out the best of this time of year so that’s where we headed, climbing through trees, canopies punctured by the sun, the rays picking out the details of the undergrowth. I stuck to the script today and kept the roads paved but had a little surprise up my sleeve for the guys. I won’t go into details, if you want to find this road then you will have to look yourself, but there exists a beautiful climb back over the ridge from beneath the M25.  It’s a closed road, hidden behind a gate and a pile of fly tipping, but it is paved and smooth and winds through small switch backs turns climbing 200m, the bushes and trees attempting to reclaim the road from either side. It feels secret and you can’t help but wonder if you may have been the first to ride it.

We weren’t, but the fuse was lit, its time to ride productively over the winter, to seek out those roads less ridden to keep the motivation high as the days get shorter, by the time the summer arrives we’ll have drawn some new lines on our atlas.

Words: Steve

Photos: Andy, Steve, Jonny

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Surrey & Kent - 100km

Surrey or Kent? It gets to about Thursday afternoon and the question inevitably pops up on the Whatsapp group; ‘Who’s riding Sunday? Surrey or Kent?’ But what about a bit of Surrey and a bit of Kent? Can we squeeze it in, head out to Coulsdon, pop around the bottom of Caterham, ride along the ridge and drop over to Westerham? What’s that line on the map, is it a road (of course not, I’m planning the route, inevitably its gravel). 

These always turn out to be the best rides, the new roads, the little lanes, a different café and with Andy and the Panther in tow it was never going to be a leisurely jolly either. But where’s the fun in going slow anyway.  Take the left turn, not the right. Take a gamble on that line on the map, hop over a gate and take your road bike off-road. It ended up being one of those rides that really reminds you why you get up at ungodly hours, drag yourself through the suburbs and brave the elements. It’s what the Sunday ride is all about, well that and good coffee.

Words: Steve

Photos: Steve, Andy