Clacton Pier Run

Essex • Start/finish: Chelmsford • Distance: 135 miles • Riding time: 4 hours • A relaxed daytrip through the glorious back-roads of the Essex countryside, heading to coast for an ice cream, before looping back into some of the quainter corners of Suffolk on the way back to the start – which is easily reached from the A12, making it an ideal route for Londoners looking for a weekend escape.