Charlie

Leaving Greenwich under a rising sun The mountains demand everything you have, but sometimes, a flat-looking map around a massive city can extract an even heavier price. The challenge is simple yet brutal: ride a 360-kilometer gravel loop that circles London, never straying more than 30 miles from the city center, while being hunted down by a professional racer. Alex Paton and Simon Richardson of the Global Cycling Network set off from Greenwich at 4:48 AM, facing a route engineered by Charlie of Hidden Track Cycling. This is the London 360, an off-road beast boasting 4,000 meters of elevation, loose rock, and punishing singletrack. To make it a true test of grit, professional gravel racer Jenson Young from the Ribble Outliers Pro Gravel Team agreed to hunt them down. After a negotiation at the start line, Jenson granted the duo an 80-minute head start. Armed with Wahoo GPS units for navigation and Selle San Marco Shortfit Allroad saddles to absorb the inevitable vibration, Alex and Simon rolled into the morning mist. The illusion of the easy loop Many think the countryside surrounding a major metropolis is tame. It is not. The early miles along the Thames quickly gave way to technical, overgrown paths. This is ADHD gravel riding. The direction changes constantly, the terrain shifts from loamy singletrack to rugged, post-industrial paths, and the mental tax of navigating under dense tree cover is high. By hour four, near East Grinstead, the duo had clocked 81 kilometers, averaging 22 km/h. They felt conservative, keeping their pace steady to survive the looming heat. But Jenson was already flying. Riding the aerodynamically optimized Ribble Ultra Grit race bike with 50mm tires, Jenson began shaving minutes off their lead immediately. The hunt was on, and the pro had no intention of stopping for ice cream or extended breaks. When the gap evaporates At the 100-kilometer mark, Jenson was already closing in. The reality of a professional’s pace hit the GCN presenters when their separate film crews began crossing over in location. The deficit had vanished. Alex was struggling to manage his temperature as the heat climbed to a punishing 33 degrees Celsius. On a frantic water stop, Simon scrambled to reload his gear while Alex faffed with his setup. Just as Simon swung his leg over his bike to flee, Jenson rolled up. The catch was made. Rather than immediately dropping them, Jenson showed mercy, easing his pace to ride alongside them for about 45 minutes. The contrast in form was stark. Watching Jenson glide over rough terrain highlighted the vast gap between former pros and an active, world-class gravel racer. But the mercy was short-lived; Jenson eventually surged forward, disappearing into the heat haze. Surrendering to the heat By hour ten, the physical toll became absolute. The temperature topped out at 33°C, turning the gravel paths into an oven. Alex’s body had nothing left. Cruising at a crawl, they realized they could no longer sustain the pace required to finish the loop. At kilometer 201, they made the heavy decision to pull the plug. They chose to head direct to Greenwich, taking a 100-kilometer shortcut to ensure they would at least be there to witness Jenson’s finish. Meanwhile, Jenson was enduring his own battle. He suffered a nasty tire puncture, ripping his sidewall 30 kilometers after leaving the GCN duo. After double-plugging the tire, he pressed on, fighting through a squeaking pedal and a grueling 2% drag up an old railway line near Hemel Hempstead. A historic performance Jenson crossed the finish line in Greenwich looking encrusted in salt, but victorious. His total time, including all stops and his flat tire repair, was an astonishing 14 hours, 43 minutes, and 42 seconds. He absolutely demolished the previous route record of 21 hours, riding at an average speed of 25 km/h across 348 kilometers of technical terrain and intense heat. Alex and Simon reached the finish shortly after via their direct route, full of respect for a phenomenal athlete. The London 360 proved to be a magnificent, brutal masterpiece of a route. For those willing to suffer, it stands as a rugged challenge right on London's doorstep. While it defeated the presenters this time, the fire remains lit to return and conquer the loop.