Forge 2 Forge Coffee Sportive
We had a fantastic turnout on one of the sunniest mornings of autumn this year. Please keep an eye out for future sportive and in-store events we will be hosting throughout the year.
Ride Details And Files.
Download GPX here.
Strava Link here.
Distance: 98km Elevation: 860m
Event Start/End: Forge 1860. 232 Upper Richmond Road West, Sheen, London. SW14 8AG.
Refreshment stop: Forge On The Green, Shamley Green, Guildford GU5 0UB.
Here are the rider notes from the day, should anyone wish to ride the route in the future, these should prove helpful.
You may know that Forge1860 has a highly regarded reputation in the cycling community, and we want to ensure this event is enjoyable and safe for everyone. To help us achieve this, Guy and William Pearson kindly ask all riders to:
Obey ALL traffic signals and the highway code.
Cycle safely and considerately.
Ride single file where necessary.
Avoid riding more than two abreast, especially when in groups.
The course has been carefully designed to be both scenic and challenging. It will not be signposted, so riders are expected to follow the route using a GPS device.
Once you are released from the start, roll out of Sheen, passing through Richmond and Twickenham, where extra care should be taken on the narrow, busy streets. The route then leads through beautiful Bushy Park and past iconic Hampton Court Palace.
After winding around the back of Sandown Park Racecourse, you'll make your way through Esher and Cobham before joining the narrow country roads beyond Plough Lane. You'll then carefully cross the busy A25 to climb the North Downs at Staple Lane. Please be ready to brake when descending the winding Coombe Bottom hill, control your speed, the surface is loose and uneven – there are no prizes for getting down first!
Turn right at the bottom for a brief spell on the main road (caution), before turning left into the idyllic lanes of Surrey. Pass through sleepy villages and lush farmland and at exactly 49.5km, you will arrive at Forge On The Green for a well-deserved stop.
On leaving the cafe, you'll find yourselves in ever-narrowing and twisting back lanes as the route passes near historic Shere and towards Peaslake. Before the village, there’s a sharp left into the tiny Hoe Lane descent. Caution must be taken here as cars notoriously get stuck, which can result in head-on confrontations. Please squeeze past politely if you have to.
Your next challenge will be to cross the A25 again and climb White Down. After one steep right hairpin, you'll face an incline not dissimilar to the ramps in a multi-storey car park. When you see the WWII pillbox perched up on your right, you'll know you have 250m to go.
Roll over the top to enjoy the long, steady descent all the way back to Effingham, where you can refill bottles at the fabulous Queen Stage, followed by a sharp right to Bookham and through Leatherhead. The road opens up as it heads to Oxshott, but please take extra care at the large roundabout under the A3 towards Esher. A cheeky right before the town takes you the back way to the Silly Isles, where riders must negotiate the nonsensical roundabout system. Tiptoe through Kingston market and into the Park for the last leg home.
This is an unsupported ride, riders take part at their own risk and must obey the highway code at all times. If you require emergency help call 999.
Thank you to our partners:
In support of:
