Pen Paper Steel Social - An Essex gravel adventure!

No one likes an early start, especially on a Saturday morning. But this particular Saturday promised to be a good one, provided you didn’t mind a bit of mud. We were headed to Colchester for a ride organised by Richard, the man in charge down at Pen Paper Steel, a company dedicated to all things cycling and adventure so we knew we were in good hands and the day certainly did not disappoint..

Arriving fashionably late was not a good start but luckily we spotted the group further up the high street and after some quick hello’s and having our portrait taken by Richard we rolled on in the direction of the unknown. Two routes were on offer for the dozen or so riders who’d braved the cold for some knobbly tyre action, a 70km and a longer 100km option. We opted for the shorter of the two but Richard assured us we were still in for a good day of riding.

After a steady ride through town we hit the first of many sloppy field edges which set the tone for the day, I managed to avoid wet feet for at least 5 minutes before being betrayed by a deceivingly deep puddle. The majority of the group were riding the longer of the two rides and after a few k’s they peeled off from us three to hit the extended loop. Our trio continued along various lanes and farm tracks before hitting a sublime mixture of single track, footpaths and bridleways. Heavy rain from the previous days made these sections even more of a blast, sliding around hunting for non-existent traction.

Following a fast decent down a farmers track we were greeted with slippery foot bridges and a few sets of stairs which called for some shouldering action. After a brief ride alongside the A120 we rode across a curious piece of civil engineering, a flyover with nothing but wilderness at either end and inaccessible by car. Richard explained that there were plans to build a housing development here but after creating the crossing over the dual carriageway the plans were scrapped, leaving a hefty concrete monument but a great addition to the route.

More rough-stuff followed with a great bit of technical riding through a woodland, finally emerging on the shores of an estuary with clear views to the town of Wivenhoe. Following many k’s of slogging through thick mud, the gravel path along the estuary was a welcome change and spurred on by the promise of coffee we cracked on toward civilisation.

Once we got to Wivenhoe coffee was drank and rumbling stomachs led us down to the local fish and chip joint for some much needed carb-loading. Fed and full of potato we pushed on up the estuary toward Hythe where the route headed inland then immediately out back the way we had come but on the opposite side of the water.

As we entered the next section of the ride, my legs decided they’d had enough and the nature of the terrain meant I didn’t make nearly as many photos as I should have! While a picture paints a thousand words, I’ll try to describe how awesome this bit was..

Friday woods is the property of the MOD but since they’re such nice guys a large portion of the land is accessible for public use, provided they’re not actively training with guns and other things that go bang. The foreboding warning sign as we squeezed our bikes through the narrow gate only made us more eager to explore, I mean, who doesn’t like things that explode? A long gravel track led us past various military buildings and signs telling us where we could and definitely could not go. The woods themselves are vast and given the autumn season the floor was a sea of leaves and mud, did I mention the mud? Twists and turns through the trees and some top-class decents with the equal ascent shortly after kept the old brain fully engaged.

Legs feeling the burn we pushed on through the trees, crossing a quiet road and entering yet more woodland, the only clue of military activity a large fence with more than enough warnings advising to keep out. It was around this time we slid through some extra muddy spots and I, of course, ended up with a foot in it. Soggy toes intact we continued, emerging at the main gate on the opposite side of the MOD land. From here it was a mixture of road and field edges before a final push on a footpath that skirted a housing estate and a quick bimble through town. Dead to the world, I was eventually reunited with the others at the cafe where we had started that morning. After farewells, myself and Marcus rolled back to the car and got comfy for the drive home.

A rude awakening for my well rested legs but a fantastic day nonetheless, I’d like to thank Richard for putting on such a great event and giving us a tour of some of Colchester’s finest off-road offerings. We hear there’s a few rides in the pipeline for 2020 and we’ll definitely be back for more!

If you want to know more about Richard and his fine company, you can visit his website Pen Paper Steel or check out his instagram @penpapersteel to keep up to date with the latest news and photos.