The Spring Onion is now in its 15th edition and we couldn’t be happier. We have tweeked the course on a few occasions over the years and feel we are one climb away from a perfect course, who knows what we have install for the 2024 edition.
We have been looking back over the years at the average speed and it’s been creeping up, riders are upping their game. With that in mind we have decided to set fair but challenging times for the 15th edition . We are giving riders 6 hours to cover the course, thats 1.5 hours less than 2023 – it’s time to go hard or go home – lol. This equates to just under 11mph (17.33 kph), starting @ 08:30 , feed station closes at 11:30 and the event finishes @ 14:30, this should NOT be a problem, so please take this into consideration when booking this event.
As a way of celebrating our 15th edition we will be rewarding those who enter and finish within a time band a discount on our foreign trips in 2025. The discount will be dependant on – the OFFICIAL CHIP TIME that you finish in , and NOT your GPS – the discount you get is NOT TRANSFERABLE and is only available for 2025 trips only. The only trip not on the discount list for 2025 is Gran Fondo Tre Cima Coppi.
If for whatever you you can not ride there will be NO ROLLOVER OPTION to 2025 and a refund will be available if you cancel within 28 days of booking please read TC’s
Time
00:00:00 > 3:00:00 – discount = £100.00
3:00:01 > 4:00:00 – discount = £ 75:00
4:00:01 > 5:00:00 – discount = £ 50.00
5:00:01 > 6:00:00. – discount = £ 25.00
How long is the Spring Onion ?
Doors Open from 07:30
Event starts from 08:30
Feed Station closes at 11:30
Ride closes at 14:30
Numbers MUST be collected by 09:00 am
Feed Station is at The Cricketers Arms Pub Wisbrough Green
HQ Address Cobham Village Hall Lushington Drive, Cobham, Surrey KT11 2LU
Ride numbers will be issued at the sign on and will have the chip stuck to the rear of the number. The number must be placed on the handlebars to ensure detection when crossing the line, do not wrap it around the head tube or put it in your pocket as it may not be detected.
There is a rolling mechanic and a mechanic at the start.
Riders who can not complete the course or have a mechanical please see the numbers below – BUT PLEASE STAY ON THE COURSE .
Result sheet will be emailed out to you as soon as possible, hopefully the evening of the event.
Advice – Ensure your bike is road worthy – carry at least 3 tubes
Wear a helmet for your own protection no helmet no ride
This is NOT a race, please respect other road users and residents and go by the Highway Code
Parking @ the HQ, if you use the local roads park sensibly ambulances need to get through to the old folks home.
If the event has to be cancelled it will be rescheduled for another date
Once you have collected your number – stay clear of start line because you chip will be trigged as soon as the event has started.
Have a good ride and enjoy the day.
Hot food will be at the finish on your return.
HQ Emergency Number
tbc
Mechanic Number
tbc
Broomwagon
Tbc
Entry Cost – early bird :-
Entry in advance £32.50
Each Sportive is designed for riders to be self-sufficient on a pre-planned route which is clearly marked by arrows on the tarmac.
Our Sportives are NOT races. We do provide electronic timing chips for our Sportives, but these are purely for an individual rider to measure their own performance.
In the event that we have to cancel a Sportive, we will give as much notice as possible and give those who have entered the following options: full refund; roll-over to the new event date; roll-over to the evet in the following year; move your entry value £s onto another European Cycle Events event.
This is the third time I have participated which is a good advert in itself!
– I think you should warn parking is limited & the alternatives, in case people turn up late.
– We need more than one plastic tie for the front number please.
– The pink arrows were very easy to see.
– There was a time trial also running on Sunday which was a little dangerous as we crossed their path on a corner – would it have been possible to provide any warning?
Finally whilst the feed station is in a lovely location and has toilets, the refreshments are a little basic!
Thanks again for a well organised event.
Fantastic season opener, well organised and very friendly. Technical rolling route with some steep hills thrown in, def a good challenge.
Dudley even organised the weather for us, bright blue skies 🙂
This event and I have “previous”. I followed a more experienced friend at his pace, stopped for the wonderful feed station and then paid the price. My legs thought, after 30 miles, the spring ride had come to end and refused to work for the rest of the ride. It was a tale of two halves to this sportive that takes in some great lanes and hills. I plan to come back and conquer it properly this year… and get back in time for the pasta, which ran out due to my slow pace.
Really good route, surprisingly quiet in terms of traffic. I felt that it challenged my cycling especially towards the end. Also, very good value.
6 Reviews
The Spring Onion has become, for myself and many colleagues, an unmissable event for the early season. Unlike many of the more commercial and industrial sportives finding their way onto the calendar, this event retains the character of a local, club-sponsored event. It is characterised not only by its camaraderie and spirit of healthy competition, but by a thoughtful, scenic course. Owing to the sometimes very poor quality of roads in Surrey and West Sussex, mechanically sound equipment and extra tubes are essential.
Great day out, tough course with loads of technical descents and steep hill sections to tax the legs, really well-organized event. nice touch with the free massage and great spread of food after the event which was welcomed with open arms after a tough ride. Thank you for making this a memorable day.