England : London Sunday London ride

[Mista Preston]

Great ride if a little cold. Good to see some new faces today. We visited the new West Ham stadium had a cuppa then cycled down the Greenway to the Woolwich ferry then home via Greenwich. Managed 42 miles today and made it home for a lovely roast followed by what was left of my birthday cake

 

[Aperitif]

That's a nice picture of you Clive.
Who is that big bloke in the front?

 

[ajstephens]

Thanks for today guys, as a newbie the first ride through the forum was great. Everyone very friendly & welcoming. The restrooms and refreshments were exceptional and Clive, Ian and Andy offered a Sunday London ride second to none

.

Looking forward to the next one, hopefully a bit warmer next time! See you the 6th

Aj

 

[User10571]

'S good to have had your company on today's ride, Adrian.
Hopefully we'll see more of you soon.
PM' me if you need details of the links we discussed.
User10571

 

[ianrauk]

That's a nice picture of you Clive.
Who is that big bloke in the front?

Quality 'Teef....lol

 

[ianrauk]

Thanks for today guys, as a newbie the first ride through the forum was great. Everyone very friendly & welcoming. The restrooms and refreshments were exceptional and Clive, Ian and Andy offered a Sunday London ride second to none

.

Looking forward to the next one, hopefully a bit warmer next time! See you the 6th

Aj

, Thank's Aj. Fiver is in the post.


It was the original 3 Bromley Massivites at the Dripping Tap. TC said there was roadworks on our usual route so we decided to hit the Old Kent Road instead. Even though the tarmac was a little smoother it was a lot busier. If I ever have to do Elephant And Castle roundabout ever again it would be too soon. I have only ever done it once before and it showed. I was all over the place, it's not a nice place to be on a bike..

Got to Hyde Park and a little throng was waiting, including 2 new faces, AJ and Jochen (Another bent rider). So off to the loos in Hyde Park as per usual to empty the bladders of the usual few. Then on to the Olympic Park in Stratford for coffee, biccies, croissants and Bacon Rolls. We then took the Greenaway back to the River for the Woolwich ferry. Getting a brilliant view of London City Airport and planes.

We got to the ferry as it was loading so no wait which made for a nice change.


After we left Aj at Woolwich, Clive and Andy at Greenwich and User10571 at Deptford. We zoomed back into London for a couple of laps around Regents Park, then back through the City through Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and back onto the Embankment to Tower Bridge (with the ubiquitous non waiting, overtaking, left turning black cabbie) then off to home.

80 miles for the day(only the 1 puncture..me

). Not too cold, but not too warm either, just a dull grey day weather wise.

A nice leg stretcher though, certainly feeling it now.
Thanks everyone for coming and always great to see some new faces joining our merry band.

 

[dellzeqq]

Quality 'Teef....lol

as they say in these parts...........+1

 

[Tollers]

Although obviously I'm not going, I have to ask if it's ever Croydon turn for a visit
Sent whilst out and about

Croydon Council. Boost tourism by rebranding your town 'The Magical Kingdom of Croydonia'.

 

[Becs]

Sorry I missed another one - it looks like a great ride. I'll be out for at least the next one, if not 3 weekends depending on how my various ill family members get on over the next few weeks.

On a positive note I got to do a Sunday ride of my own - rolling hills (yes Luke there are some! although we were technically in Suffolk not Cambridgeshire), riding past loads of stud farms, over Newmarket heath and down rather muddy country lanes. 33 miles and only 3 traffic lights! Did it in about 2 hours, it was such a great feeling to stretch the legs (and bomb downhill shouting weeeeee like a big kid!). I wish I had one of those Garmin thingies to put the route up but if anyone feels like a bit of a google we roughly went Bottisham, Six Mile Bottom, Weston Couville, Dullingham, through a few villages I don't remember, Moulton (apparently a fantastic view over the heath but it was thick fog by that point), Newmarket, Exning, Burwell, Swaffham Bulbeck then straight to the pub in Bottisham. It's so lovely round there it's almost worth an excursion from London sometime!

 

[martint235]

Sorry I missed another one - it looks like a great ride. I'll be out for at least the next one, if not 3 weekends depending on how my various ill family members get on over the next few weeks.

On a positive note I got to do a Sunday ride of my own - rolling hills (yes Luke there are some! although we were technically in Suffolk not Cambridgeshire), riding past loads of stud farms, over Newmarket heath and down rather muddy country lanes. 33 miles and only 3 traffic lights! Did it in about 2 hours, it was such a great feeling to stretch the legs (and bomb downhill shouting weeeeee like a big kid!). I wish I had one of those Garmin thingies to put the route up but if anyone feels like a bit of a google we roughly went Bottisham, Six Mile Bottom, Weston Couville, Dullingham, through a few villages I don't remember, Moulton (apparently a fantastic view over the heath but it was thick fog by that point), Newmarket, Exning, Burwell, Swaffham Bulbeck then straight to the pub in Bottisham. It's so lovely round there it's almost worth an excursion from London sometime!

Becs, don't forget next Sunday is the Maldon century......

 

[arallsopp]

Ah. Was lovely to ride with you all again. New faces and old friends, new friends with old faces, one old friend with new hair!

Got to TDT on time (for once) and only arrived a few minutes late at HPC! Roadworks gave us an all new approach along the very closed Mall, and three abreast up the equally empty Constitution Hill. Once we were safely grouped, the horses came through and we set off for the normal combination of loo breaks, comfort stops and banter. Threading three recumbents through the switchbacks on the cafe approach at the Olympic site was interesting. Development there seems to have barely moved since I was there last.

Admittedly, this was only last week.

Still, despite familiarity I managed to mess up thrice:

- Bringing out of date currency to the cafe means I now owe Jochen two cups of tea and Mice a fiver.
- Being marshalled onto the ferry without pause meant I also failed to say goodbye to him (Sorry!).
- Being split into two groups on the ferry meant I didn't fix Mice's front derailleur mid crossing, nor manage to communicate to all that I'd be dashing off come Greenwich.

CinderellaPreston and I played the pumpkin card and split with not quite enough time spare. Scurried back just in time for domestic restoration. Phew!

So, Hello / Goodbye / Thanks from me. See you all on another one soon.

 

[redjedi]

First time out to the Olympic Stadium for me this week. As others mentioned yesterday it does look remarkably un-remarkable for what should be the centre piece of the games. At least it will come in under budget

But it was still a pleasant ride, not too cold but could have done with a bit of sunshine.

It was good to meet a couple of new faces, hopefully they'll become regulars, and enjoyed a leg stretcher around Regents park with Ian and TC1 before heading home through Hyde Park.
51 miles on the clock for me which should set me up nicely for this Sunday's Maldon run.

On a positive note I got to do a Sunday ride of my own - rolling hills (yes Luke there are some!

I'm sure you did more hill climbing that some of us. Although the ramp off the ferry is quite steep.

Dullingham,

Voted Britain's most exciting village!

It's so lovely round there it's almost worth an excursion from London sometime!

Sounds like you're volunteering to lead a summer ride. Could be part of Abs' / Ian's / mine century ride a month plan

 

[StuAff]

Sounds like you're volunteering to lead a summer ride. Could be part of Abs' / Ian's / mine century ride a month plan

Indeed it does. Sounds good.

 

[Tim Hall]

A lucky escape there, you Sunday riders. The SE London chapter of the Tandem Club went to the Olympic site too, and rode along the Greenway, and used the Woolwich ferry.

Owing to a slack handful of punctures we didn't get to Stratford until one, by which time the container cafe was full to bursting. Next time...

 

[Aperitif]

ha ha Tim. The ferry must have been a latter day version of Noah's Ark - the suspects entering two by two...oh for a camera - it would have been a good essay - watching the ferry find its 'Ararat de Londres' - and a dove in the shape of Boris Johnson would guide you to safety...and a bike cleanliness inspection by Ian 'Herod of the Babywipes' rauk!