2026 Reliability Ride - Spring Classic
Event Date
Sunday, 1st March 2026
Details
The Hemel Hempstead CC reliability ride through the Chiltern Hills has been a fixture for around 40 years, becoming a "classic" pre-season event. It follows the traditional reliability ride format where riders are self-supporting, the routes are not signed, and riders select a given time-band to complete the ride within, those successfully finishing within the time-band being “reliable” and eligible for a certificate.
This year our event is again part of the Spring Classics series of reliability rides being promoted with other local clubs in the area. There are seven events in total, running from 11th January until 22nd March.
The Hemel Hempstead CC event has a choice of 3 distances, all starting and finishing at our Club House in Nash Mills recreation centre, near Kings Langley, Hemel Hempstead (by the traffic lights under the railway bridge across the A4251 London Road, at the junction with Nash Mills Lane).
Hemel Hempstead CC
Nash Mills Recreation Centre
Nash Mills Lane
Kings Langley
Hemel Hempstead
HP3 9TE
We are supporting two important charities: the Air Ambulance and DENS, a local charity supporting people facing homelessness, poverty and social exclusion. All profits from the event will be split between these two charities.
The 100km ride is a very attractive but testing route through the Chilterns. It goes out through Chesham, Wendover and Chinnor, returning through Speen, Great Missenden, Chesham, Kings Langley and back to the club house where refreshments are available. It is a hilly circuit, climbing some of the well-known hills in the Chilterns, including Chinnor, the notorious 1-in-4 Small Dean Lane (a killer but mercifully short), Speen, and Frith Hill along with numerous other smaller hills. Choose from 3 time-bands: 3 to 3½, 3¾ to 4¼ hours, or 4½ to 5 hours.
The intermediate route of 66km follows the 100km route as far as Butler's Cross, where it turns left to climb up past Chequers and down to the Hampden Bottom valley, rejoining the long route to Great Missenden and back to the finish. It only adds 16km to the 50km route but it includes significant additional climbing and so is a worthy challenge. Choose from 3 time-bands: 2 to 2hr 20m, 2hr 30m to 2hr 50m, or 3hr to 3hr 20m.
The 50 km route option follows the 100km route as far as St. Leonards, then cuts back to Chesham to rejoin the long route back to the clubhouse to finish. The 50km route is about enjoying the ride without pressure, so there are no time bands.
The HQ will be open from 7:45am to allow the first riders to leave at 8:00am, with registration continuing until 9:30am.
Entry fee is £10.00 for non-members and £5:00 for HHCC members.
Enter via RiderHQ here:
HHCC Chiltern Classic Charity Reliability Ride 2026
(online entry closes 27-Feb-2026 11:59pm)
Entry on the day at the event HQ is subject to available places, so advance entry via the above link is recommended. On the day entry is £12:00 for non-members and £7:00 for members.
The entry fee includes light refreshments.
Routes
For those that need the assistance of a GPS device and don't like the adventure of using our route map + directions, you can get the route from RideWithGPS (but you know it is really cheating):
