Ride of the Falling Leaves | Long Route 110K

RotFL (as the cool kids call it) is Dulwich Paragon’s annual sportive. We like to think of it as one last hurrah before winter riding proper begins. For many riders it’s their first introduction both to us as a club, and to the fantastic roads in Kent we find to ride. The ride was started in 1998 in memory of Ruth Picardie, a journalist and friend of the club. Proceeds from the ride have gone to The Lavender Trust set up in Ruth’s memory by her sister Justine. In recent years the club has made a matching donation to Prostate Cancer UK, and in 2024 we will also be donating to Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex. The money you pay gets you safety signage, food and drink at the start, finish, and feed station, and includes a donation to charities chosen by the club. As the routes are very well known these days, your fellow riders and official GPX files will replace correx arrows to guide you round. And to save you having to race through traffic and to help avoid the temptation to jump lights (please don’t) we are switching to self timing. The routes (70km/105km) may change a little each year but always start at the iconic Herne Hill Velodrome, before heading up and over Crystal Palace and out of London via Layhams Road. The first challenge is the climb to Woldingham, after which the routes split. The shorter route descends directly towards Westerham, whereas the longer route takes in a Kentish loop featuring Edenbridge and the less-than-playful Toys Hill. From Westerham (where you’ll find the feed station) the routes re-combine, and then tackle the steep slopes of Sundridge Hill before the (mostly) downhill run to home.