Cyclists will ride a beautiful loop of Essex, including part of the 2014 Tour de France route.
The planned route for the Ford RideLondon-Essex 100, 60 and 30-mile challenge rides, part of the world’s greatest festival of cycling, has been confirmed for the next three years.
The planned route will again start and finish in central London. In between, the route will take riders out into Essex where it will pass through some of the county’s most picturesque towns, villages and countryside and include part of the 2014 Tour de France route.
The route, with the three distance-based options (100, 60 and 30), is an evolution of the one that has been used for the first two editions of Ford RideLondon-Essex and promises to be even better in 2024 for participants as well as for communities and businesses.
Enhancements include expanded community activations that will greet riders as they pass through towns and villages on the route and refined community access plans drawn up in collaboration with key stakeholders including residents and businesses.
The plans have been developed following an extensive debrief of the 2023 Ford RideLondon-Essex rides and an agreement with Essex County Council to extend its partnership with the event until 2026.
Hugh Brasher, Event Director of Ford RideLondon-Essex, said: “We’ve now had two successful editions of Ford RideLondon-Essex using this route, which has been carefully developed to ensure it offers riders a unique experience of cycling on traffic-free roads in London and the beautiful countryside of Essex while, at the same time, minimising the impact of the road closures on the communities it passes through.
“We have, year-on-year, refined and enhanced the route based on feedback from stakeholders, participants, communities and businesses, and we will continue to do this to make the Ford RideLondon-Essex challenge rides even better for everyone, whether you are participating or you are part of one of the many amazing communities the route passes through.”
Will Norman, London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said: “The Ford RideLondon-Essex challenge rides are a wonderful celebration of the joy of cycling and this fantastic route will allow cyclists of all abilities and backgrounds to soak up the famous landmarks of London and the beautiful scenery of Essex while engaging with the communities they pass through. By enabling more people to explore the benefits of cycling, we can build a greener and more prosperous London for all.”
Councillor Lee Scott, Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning a Growing Economy, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming Ford RideLondon-Essex back to the county over the next three years. The event brings thousands of riders and visitors to Essex with many expressing a desire to return to the county after the event. It is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the county, inspire people to get fit and it raises millions of pounds for charity each year.
“We are always looking to improve the event and over the next few months we will be working closely with the local communities along the route to ensure the event continues to go from strength to strength and that the whole of the county benefits.”
The Ford RideLondon-Essex 100 route will go through the London boroughs of Westminster, City of London, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Hackney, Waltham Forest and Redbridge, before heading out into Essex via Epping Forest.
This circuit of Essex will see riders pass through some of the county’s most picturesque towns, villages and countryside, including the historic market towns of Epping, Ongar and Great Dunmow. The second half of the ride takes in part of the 2014 Tour de France route, passing Felsted and Chelmsford before returning to London via the picturesque town of Ongar.
Around 25,000 people will take part in the 2024 Ford RideLondon-Essex 100, 60 and 30-mile rides. The range of distances enable people of all abilities to be part of the event, with the 30-mile ride the ideal distance for those wishing to take part over a shorter distance, the 60 a great mid-distance challenge and the full 100 miles an iconic challenge.
Many of the participants will be raising money for charity. RideLondon has raised more than £85 million since its first edition in 2013.
You can enter the Ford RideLondon-Essex 100 here.
Entries for the Ford RideLondon-Essex 60 will open in November and entries for the 30-mile ride will open in the new year.