The Fridays on a Sunday

As the sunlight pushed through the gap in the curtain I should have known that this was going to be one glorious day.

Once up and ready for a party I headed out into the sunshine. The clear, blue sky, the cold crisp air on my face, the anticipation of the day ahead had me grinning like a Cheshire Cat all the way to Hyde Park Corner.  This was the annual Christmas Ride of The Fridays - a cycling club that has done more for me and my cycling than I ever thought possible and is certainly a debt I will never be able to repay.

Every single ride they run is meticulous in its detail, the route, the camaraderie, the halfway stops, the destination - all brilliantly researched, planned, recce'd and re-recce'd. So much so that I never give a jot of thought to the route, sometimes I don't actually bother taking note of the destination - Margate, Ramsgate - who knew?!

It's a very special group of peeps and the fundamental ethos of every ride is focussing on fun over distance which has allowed me to cycle to seemingly impossible destinations. London to John O'Groats, Paris, Burnham-on-Crouch all reached by camaraderie and cadence. Occasionally there have been some unfun moments caused by knackeredness and appalling weather. Fog so thick I couldn't see three meters ahead (Turners Hill) sheet rain followed by a bombardment of hailstones (Bury Hill) and the longest 17 miles in the world into Wick. 

Just as my brain recognises that I'm not actually enjoying myself someone appears alongside, like Mr Benn, saying how horrendous things are. An enormous realisation that suddenly not only am I not the only one out there but that also others are thinking exactly the same! So we all pedal together making the distance melt into nothing other than a fabulous time on two wheels.

This particular ride is one of my favourites. A celebration of all the rides in the year although It's definitely the shortest!  It's a ride of friendship, architectural enlightenment and - totally uniquely for this group - daylight!

I was one of the first to arrive, but no sooner had I said hello to a fellow cyclist we were Fridays a plenty. By the time the Cavalry arrived (literally!) we were a far greater number than they and we were a bit of a crowd.

Somehow I was nominated to be the All Up Call Up Girl which basically means hanging out at the back of the ride with the Tail End Charlies. Result! It was quite amazing to see the very long snake formation of bobbing cyclists heads weaving their way through Hyde Park, chatting and laughing as they made their way along the cycle path. 

Our first stop was Westbourne Grove where we were joined by Our Man From Leeds who was without Woodrup but with Pie! This man is entirely responsible for me being the proud owner of a Woodrup - a Leeds based frame builder whose Steel is Surreal! Westbourne Grove was also the place to see a fine example of a book not looking like its cover. Or rather a public convenience that didn't look like a Victorian Prison. 

 It was also an opportunity for a certain Frank to relieve himself of his Cycle Chat top that is doing a relay with Cycle Chatters around the country.

There was a small distraction whilst I called the Met Police Cycle Task Force to report that my bike had gone AWOL whereupon it was miraculously located the other side of a bench! Very drole!

Back down to Kensington Palace (not, said Alice) where we walked along the back of Millionaires Row - something I have never done before. It didn't feel like London at all.

Down Exhibition Road to the Science Museum which I understand isn't ornate brickwork but like the Duckworth's house and Tower Bridge - it is cladding. I never knew that!

Onto the Fulham Road to look at the Michelin Building - Bibendum - and on to Lambeth where we had our first (and I think our only) Mechanical. So there I was surrounded by super dooper cycling gurus and I watched in awe as Allen keys were produced, tubes were replaced and inflated yet the conversation topic was not dropped for a second. 

 We caught up with the ride on Southwark Bridge, headed into Hackney and somewhat unexpectedly into a church. It reminded me of the interior of the one used for Love Actually (it wasn't) but it had several clin d'oeil facets and it was very humbling that the Church Wardens had opened it up just for us. The opportunity to use the conveniences in the crypt was a little spooky - not least when His DZship called out "is anybody there?"  All up call up in a crypt!!

The next stop was FAB, literally. A facade disguising the real building behind it. I loved it! 

A few more photos, then south following all the relevant mmmarvellous signage over Tower Bridge to All Bar One. 

We were joined by several more Fridays, the beer and banter flowed as only it can and after much chit chat I eventually headed home via Victoria with Fab Foodie who had come down from Oxford for the day. Oxford, Leeds, Portsmouth, Aylesbury - just some of the places that fellow Fridays travelled from. Sadly some of our number was missing - hopefully next year they will be here.

As I made my way home under clear and starry skies - I marvelled at the magic of The Fridays and its raisin d'être - Their DZships. Two people who have re-shaped the cycling club module to make it something that is extra-ordinary. A joy to be part of, allowing us to achieve unthinkable distances time and time again, leaving us wanting for nothing but more. I hope that the unbelievable good fortune found with the weather also takes hold in other parts of their lives, particularly where it is needed the most.

I took some pics here

Thank you Peeps!!