Redbridge Cycle Circuit

Winter Racing at Redbridge Cycling Centre

Story posted January 4, 2009

Venue Website: www.redbridgecyclingcentre.co.uk

By Larry Hickmott

Whether its riding casually or racing, the circuits at Redbridge give riders some where to ride their bikes away from traffic filled roads.

My first trip out of Manchester for the new year was to a new cycling facility in North East London, the Redbridge Cycling Centre, a brand new £4.5 million state of the art cycling centre built by the London Development Agency. It was opened by the London Mayor Boris Johnson last year and was built as a replacement for Eastway, one of the country’s longest serving and well known traffic free cycle circuits which saw the greats race on it including the one and only Eddy Merckx.

The trip down to London saw my SatNav taking me the same way to Redbridge as it did to Eastway and it was only when I came off the North Circular that it had me turning left for Redbridge Cycle Circuit instead of right for Eastway. In terms of the time taken to get to this facility, it was the same as it was Eastway and the only glitch was the postcode in my SatNav took me to a industrial site on the same road (Forest Road, Hainault) as the circuit but a mile short of where I needed to go.

A few minutes up the road though and there was this brand new facility and it didn’t take long for the likeness to Eastway to be seen. The car park may not be at the back of the club house like it used to be at Eastway but a few hundred metres walk and the circuit buildings took me back to the days I have spent covering events and racing at Eastway.

But this venue was a more modern and purpose built facility and has to be the best I have seen so far on my travels around the UK. Although still work in progress, the venue’s building was a warm welcome retreat from the freezing conditions outside on a chilly winter’s morning. Once inside, I met up with one of the staff, Dave Smith, who showed me about.

First off I saw the bike room with hire bikes for road and off road riding and then a workshop. Then, a little further down the corridor, were the male and female toilets, changing rooms, lockers and showers. At the end of the building, over looking the circuit was the cafe area (open weekends and during events) whilst back down the corridor was signing on for the days racing in one of the three public rooms available for hire.

There is also disabled parking close to the circuit along with disabled toilets, showers and changing facilities in the circuits main building.

20090103_RedbridgeReport_02_

Bikes of all shapes and sizes along with Helmets for riders to turn up and ride the circuit

Having been around the building and taken full advantage of the cafeteria and their gorgeous chocolate cake, it was time to look at the circuit which is the jewel in this venue’s crown. Cycle circuits around the country are generally fixed in the shape of their circuit and are either flat or hilly but Redbridge can be both. The circuit’s buildings and start/finish line are at the top of the circuit’s hill, a 1 in 9 incline sure to test the fitness of any would be racing cyclist.

But with the help of some transit roads to join various parts of the course together, organisers of races at this venue can be very imaginative in the courses they design for races. For example, during this winter series organised by East London Velo, the organiser Leslie Everest has made use of the ‘alpine’ section at the top of the course to add some tight twists and turns to the course.

That is just one option open to organisers. With the lower section of the course being pan flat, it is possible for organisers to have some races during a days racing on that section and leave the hills for the Elites or perhaps even use various different circuits in the one race so the majority of a race is on the flat but finishes on the hill. The options are endless and other transit roads to give organisers even more options are being planned.

20090103_RedbridgeReport_06_

The wide descending hairpin after the start/finish looked like fun to race fast around!

Comparisons with Eastway are inevitable and whilst the circuit has similarities such as hairpins and hills, Redbridge does seem quite different to ride and the biggest difference is that no longer do you get a run up at the main climb. This hill rises up all the way to the finish line and you approach it from the flat section of the course. Once on top of the hill at the finish, you start to descend again to a wide hairpin (make sure your tubs are glued on!) and a piece of the course where riders seemed to be enjoying the thrill of descending at speed before the circuit again went up hill for a few hundred metres. A steeper, longer descent to the bottom flat section follows.

As circuits go, it can be as tough as the organiser and riders make it and watching the winter series races, all won by breaks, the full two kilometre plus circuit allows the strong riders to test their rivals to the max. For novice races however, the lower flat circuit of around a kilometre is better suited to helping them get adjusted to bike racing which as many new comer has found, is not as easy as it looks from the side of the circuit or the comfort of a warm cafeteria!

It was painful watching some of the riders slowly struggle up the hill every lap during the hour long races, each pedal stroke accompanied by a pained look on the face of the rider, but at least this circuit gives organisers the option for making it easier for riders who are not best suited to climbing!

Riders line up for one of the races at Redbridge on Saturday with commissaire Derek Lusher waiting for everyone who should be at the start to turn up.

Training Facility
And for those who find climbing hills tough, the facility is also open for training during the day so you can work on areas of your racing which need improving. Redbridge reminds me in many ways of the Manchester Velodrome where it provides the facilities for cyclists of all abilities a place to ride their bike on and off road. It caters for both and whilst I’ll leave it to others to debate the pros and cons of all the off road options (BMX and MTB), the tarmac section does offer many more possibilities outside of racing.

Riders can turn up and pay to ride/train on the full circuit (or other off road circuits) making it ideal for those with time during the day who want to train without having to sharing their road space with cars and trucks etc. Structured training sessions on the circuit for example may well appeal to those wanting to do intervals on a closed circuit. And if you’re short of a bike, the circuit has those to hire as well including many from the old Eastway circuit. The venue also has gym facilities for a spot of weight training or cross training.

Location, Location, Location

Even for those of us who turn up with out a bike, the circuit is a pleasant place to spend a few hours watching some racing. With Redbridge high on a hill, and hardly a cloud in the sky, I was also able to watch the sun set over London at the end of a full afternoon’s racing.

I did of course take full advantage of the sun setting to add some photos of it to my landscape collection. With riders leaving one-by-one to return home and the officials who ensure the riders have racing to take part in working on the results, I left for the long drive home to Manchester after a very friendly afternoon spent watching some winter bike racing.

One can only imagine how great the racing is going to be at this venue once the road season begins in earnest late February with the long running San Fairy Ann Spring Circuit Races which were a major part of the season of racing at Eastway.

With the great view of the circuit from inside or outside the cafeteria, it’s an ideal place to chill and watch bike racing. Before the season is upon us in earnest though, riders in the nation’s capital can take full advantage of the circuit and all it offers either in training or racing.

Perhaps once it has some grass, some cyclo-cross even! My thanks to everyone for their help on my visit to the venue and riders looking to get in some winter racing to prepare for the season ahead, can do so each Saturday afternoon at Redbridge with races for 4th cats, 3/4 and E1/2/3’s as well as a women’s specific race.

East London Velo Winter Series

RESULTS (Round 4)

Women (Closed Circuit)
1. Ruth Middleton Veloclub Londres
2. Anna Grundy East London Velo
3. Elizabeth Chittenden Eagle RC
4. Sophie Varlow Private
5. Stacy Cooley East London Velo
6. Debbie Knott Hemel Hempstead RC

National B (Closed Circuit)
1. Andy Davies Fit-For
2. James Hawkins Cambridge Uni CC
3. Richard Hoult London Dynamo
4. Simon Bateson East London Velo
5. Mark Perry Dulwich Paragon
6. Kevin Ibbetson Fitsen Tempo
7. Philip Murrell Finsbury Park CC
8. Simon Bird Dulwich Paragon
9. Julian Bray Dulwich Paragon
10. Ishmael Burdeau Agiskoviner.Com
11. Phil Hersey Eagle RC
12. Ed Graefe East London Velo
13. Henry Martin Oxford Uni CC
14. Jonathan Maher Sigma Sport

Regional C
1. Sebastian Pancrate Private
2. Jamie Anderson North Road
3. Tim Butt Malden And District CC
4. Lewin Chalkley Private
5. Phil Cloke San Fairy Ann CC
6. Keith Gross Glendene CC
7. Alan Goode London Phoenix
8. Jason Kettle Lee Valley Youth CC
9. Luis Rendon East London Velo
10. Adam French East London Velo
11. Clem Berrill CC Hackney
12. Andrew Baker Private
13. James Cook Private
14. Phil Jarvis Colchester Rovers
15. William Wills Dulwich Paragon CC
16. Gary Funnell VC Norwich
17. Robert Reynolds Private
18. Dave Mulford Sydenham Wheelers

REGIONAL B
1. Jonathan Tomlinson East London Velo
2. David Barnes East London Velo
3. Alexander McNeill Rapha Condor
4. Hugo Humphreys Lee Valley Youth CC
5. James Sale Eagle RC
6. Oliver Rossi Glendene CC
7. Andy Wylde St Ives CC
8. Rob Windsor East London Velo
9. Henry Martin Oxford Uni CC
10. Richard Dasilva Stevenage CC
11. Dermot Kealey Mosquito Bikes
12. Darren Cainey East London Velo
13. George Pearl Southend Wheelers
14. Ian Coles North Road CC
15. Rob Jeffrey London Dynamo
16. Jonathan Appleby North Road CC
17. Christian Spencer Davies Private
18. Daryl Gannon Finchley RT
19. Sean Elliott Private
20. Christopher Baldwin Eagle RC
21. Tom Caldwell St Ives CC
22. Neil Martin Finsbury Park CC
23. Sebastian Pancratz Oxford Uni CC
24. John Shurmer Private
25. Steve Green PCA Ciclos Uno
26. Paul Bird East London Velo
27. James Wallace Private

NEXT EVENT: January 10th (Saturday)

12.30 40 minutes Regional C+
1.15    1 hour Women only
1.15    1 hour   Regional B
2.30    1 hour   National B

East London Velo Winter Series Round 5;
Entries on the day available, Four races for Category 4, Women, Category 3/4 and Elite/1/2/3.
Location: Redbridge Cycling Centre, Opposite the Cemetery, Forest Road, Fairlop, IG6 3HP
Race Organiser: Ms Leslie Everest (07736 364 687)

For details on the remaining events including Youth racing on certain dates, see the on-line calendar (click here)

OTHER PHOTOS

Racing

Second race of the day for 3/4 riders

Riders race past the circuits main building

The final section on the main hill is steep enough to make the sprint for the line a difficult one

Another view of the 3/4 race lining up.

20090103_RedbridgeReport_16_

The rider from the Southend club George Pearl attacks out of the blocks.

The leading group of three women past one of the diggers on the grounds of the venue which is still being landscaped. Leading is Elizabeth Chittenden from Ruth Middleton
20090103_RedbridgeReport_18_

The main descent on the Redbridge course.

The break of three became four briefly when a rider from Lee Valley joined them early in the race

All smiles from one of the riders in the leading group as she starts the climb.

Victory for host club rider Jonathan Tomlinson in a three up finish for the 3/4 race. See the photo Galleries (links at top of the page) for many many more racing pictures.

20090103_RedbridgeReport_22_