The Old Portlians Reliability Trial is a comfortingly old-fashioned event, a traditional kickstart to the year to test whether your bike and body have both made it through the winter intact. The Old Ports club members are warm and welcoming and refreshments are oldskool – homemade cakes, tea and butties rather than gels and electrolytes. Even the entry price is friendly – just £5 !!!!!

There are usually some light refreshments at the Ashdown Forest car park (half way point) plus hopefully a few more cakes left back at the village hall!

Sign-on starts at 8am with first riders leaving at 9am. Take some cash for the entry fee and refreshments.

There are no RFID timing chips, instead there’s someone with a stopwatch who will stamp your rider’s card as you leave and return.

Getting there – Knockolt is a 16 mile ride from the De Ver shop so those riding there may need to start early (before 7:30). If you’re driving there’s plenty of parking at the village hall and in Knockolt village, or trains from Sydenham Hill / West Dulwich via Orpington to Knockolt Station (49 mins)

Routes

There are two routes –

Classic Route 100km on RidewithGPS or Garmin Connect

Shorter Route 70km on RidewithGPS or Garmin Connect

The Classic Route leads through pretty country lanes eastwards to Ightam, then winds its way south through Groombridge to the long drag of Ashdown Forest. The corner of the forest marks the halfway point, from there you turn back north and are rewarded with a long fast straight descent to Hartfield and on to familiar De Ver roads around Edenbridge and Toys Hill before returning to Knockolt.

The route has remained the same each year but may have last minute alterations due to road closures or bad weather conditions. The OPCC club members at the Village Hall will advise of any changes.