Thameside with the London Brompton Club Ride

Setting an alarm on a weekend used to mean long days of deadlines and deliverables in a hectic, sometimes hysterical (using both meanings of the word) environment. How things change. Nowadays as soon as the alarm rings out I am halfway towards the window to see whether the weather predictions are correct. 

Today was no exception. Luckily, such is the development in cycling attire it is possible to cycle in all weathers apart from gale force winds and icy conditions. Everything apart from that is down to what you wear and a little bit of luck. Despite the forecast I still wasn't sure of the rain or the temperature so extra layers were packed and I upgraded to a larger Carradice saddle bag.

As I headed out of the door the temperature pushed me to increase my pace a little. A few moments later I was overtaken by a roadie quartet heading for Richmond Park. It seemed like only a week ago that I was heading this way - another Brompton adventure ahead of me.

I met the first of the group then we were three, five, seven and off!  David was at the helm and I was assured that the ride would not feature hills or mud. Although like last week we were Thameside the route and the ride was so different. There was some familiarity as I realised we were on the other side of the river. The skies were big, water levels high although the water meadows from last time had run away.

 

There was also quite a wind. At some point I looked across and saw what I thought was a cormorant. Slightly excited to a) spot it and b) recognize it  I asked "Is that a cormorant?" and was completely ignored by Andy. This confused me a bit as it was so out of character. I asked again and the response was rather unamused "yes it is a cormorant - very irritating they are as they eat all the fish and I am an angler." Ahha! (I thought to myself) Clearly cormorants are not what you call a fisherman's friend! 

Conversations flew about all sorts of things. Commuting, architecture, gears, planned rides - all sorts.

A little further along there were trees growing out of the water not unlike mangroves. I've only seen mangroves in Far North Queensland - on Hinchinbrook Island to be precise where the temperature was the same as today's except in centigrade not farenheight!  Sitting in these Thames trees were very round balls of feathers - ducks out of the water who had puffed themselves up to the size of footballs to try and keep warm.

It never ceases to amaze me how much you see and learn from sitting on a bike. I never knew that Isleworth was north and east of Teddington - nor west of Brentford. Driving somehow removes this insight, especially if you don't do it very often and your map reading is concentrating on slightly bigger places further on - like Southampton, or Wales!

We popped by the original Brompton workshops "where it all began" as we made our way to Brentford. From there we cycled along Strand-on-the-Green and after a couple of attempts we were back on the Thames Path.

Over bridges, under bridges, along a drive and despite the zillions of times I've driven past it, we were all outside Syon House, home to the Duke of Northumberland.  It has a very good garden centre with gardens better than Kew (so I learnt) and is on the site of a medieval abbey. Cycling along the path, surrounded by grass for as far as the eye could see I couldn't quite believe I was anywhere near London. 

In Brentford we popped into The London Bike Hub which is a not-for-profit organisation offering all sorts of cycle-related services.  It is so exciting to see how many people and organisations there are trying to make cycling accessible to everyone. Whilst googling the Bike Hub I came across Brentford Bikes who lend cargo bikes to encourage a change in travel habits.  All good stuff!  

It also gave me an opportunity to look at Floyd's jacket.  They may not be able to spell nor do they seem to have a female line but swrve certainly know how to design and cool jacket - and Floyd knows how to pull it off. 

Back on our Brommies, cycling from Chiswick Bridge to just before Hammersmith Bridge and Owww! Chris cycled over a particularly slippery section and fell to the ground. Little red berries were caught in her pedal and her rucksack.

We stopped for a bit - it's always a shock falling over - and took in the view. Andy let me try his Brommie - all the gearing is lower than mine which has attracted my curiousity especially in The Hill Department.  I took it for a little spin, it definitely makes a difference as the lowest gear was clearly lower than mine.  I shall think on, as they say in Manchester.

Then we were back on our bikes (and yes, in cyclechat tradition - Chris's bike is fine!!  I should add for those that don't know Cycle Chat that this question is always asked in kindness never, ever malice).

Chris also and more importantly made a fabulous recovery and we were soon cycling under Hammersmith Bridge on to Fulham Football Ground. I was startled to know that the statue of Michael Jackson had gone, the previous club  owner had taken it with him. I also learnt that Fulham Football Ground is the oldest in the country.

On to Bishops Park which I have known since I was 19. Both my rollerblading and tennis careers started and ended here (bruises from the former took some time to vanish) the aviary has gone, landscape gardeners have been busy, yet the little Victorian cafe still stands.  Bishops Palace is apparently being refurbished. It has a lovely walled garden, a not-so-secret-now vegetable garden with manicured box hedges around beds of herbs like lavender and Thyme. 

The dilapidated greenhouse always used to look as though it would tumble at the sound of a sneeze and when a cat would prowl across it  you would wonder whether the greenhouse would collapse under the weight of the stealthing creature.

As we regrouped, a dad with his four year old son gave our Bromptons a good look - it seems he (the dad) has a Brompton and was keen to learn about the club! Excellent!

Through to Putney Bridge down to the river and on to Wandsworth Bridge. Just opposite Chelsea Harbour we stopped for a photo opportunity before reaching Battersea Park where we stopped for lunch. 

Whilst we were inside the weather looked as though it might take a turn for the worse. Surely not? This is the Brompton London Club! However the heavens opened indeed. I made my goodbyes as I had to leave early and headed out into the downpour. Headwind, heavy rain, lights on - by the time I reached home I was remarkably dry! I made a detour into a bakery for a treat! 25 miles in brilliant company, fantastic route, fantastic day.

My photos are here  here - unfortunately my fit-and-forget attitude to my Brommie dynamo lights has inadvertently directed itself to my camera which does not have a dynamo so these pics were taken with my mobile not my (yes it's recharging as I type) camera.

Thank you David and Anne for a great day. And clearly the London Brompton Club style standards are being set from the top!  Great cap!

 

Thank you peeps!

T5MC

The London Brompton Ride from Richmond to Hampton Court Palace

As the sunshine gleamed through the curtain I realised that the Brompton magic was working its wonder with the weather. Bright blue skies, clear as a bell. To think that 24 hours earlier part of today's proposed route looked like this. 

                                                             (c) Andy Longfellow 2014

I headed out to discover that bright doesn't necessarily mean warm. Pedal power warmed me up along the South Circular, being overtaken by speedsters about to lap and slap their Strava/Strada (one of those is a pizza restaurant but I mean the other one!) records of Richmond Park. A win win win - they'd be pushing their physical strength to new levels, maintaining and improving fitness whilst not spending big money to sit and sweat in a gym - to top the lot they'd be riding a bicycle! Way to go!

Circuiting Richmond Park on a Brommie eludes me. I'm convinced I'd never reach the top of those hills so I stayed on the main road and discovered the power of one of today's unexpected guests - the headwind. A real work out! 

At Costa in Richmond I met Chris, then Tony, then caught up with Anne and David which was great and soon we were a group of 10. At last I could meet Mick B and Karen - not just a hallucination on the web! - with our illustrious Ride Leader, Andy. Chatting and coffee, holding on to our Brommies so they weren't blown over. It was all good. The 11th guest was the temperature. That robin must have his head under his wing, poor thing. The north wind blew. I put on my Tourcanourbano emergency waterproof wind proof jacket and it stayed on all day. 

As usual, bands of Brommies always cause a stir, a bit of standing and staring by members of the public. Once we were all together, Andy led us down a little lane, along Richmond Green and straight to a Chocolatier - except we could only look at it, no time to go in. I will be back!

Out over a bridge and along the towpath. We actually cycled along the stretch that had been underwater the day before. The water level was the highest I have ever seen, indeed the overflow of Friday had created a new lake on what is normally a playing field.

Then I had another Alice in Wonderland moment. This is the second time it's happened - both times on Brommie rides - as I must have drunk another Drink Me drink.  One moment I was cycling along the river and the next I was cycling in one of my photos, in a place I have never, ever been to before. It was so surreal.  I was so overcome by it all that I stopped cycling. And stared.

In my early twenties I spent so many summer Sundays picnicking in what used to be a meadow running down Richmond Hill. It used to have long grass and was full of daisies and buttercups. Picnics with my then boyfriend were often joined by his family. The long afternoons of games with nephews and nieces, hide and seek, I-spy, Scrabble, making the longest daisy chains encompassed by warm sunshine and fun. 

We even had a surprise birthday party there one evening. About 40 of us all hid in the long grass and as the Birthday Boy arrived (thinking he was going for a stroll with his wife) we all popped out of the grass singing Happy Birthday To Youuuuu!  I don't think I will ever forget the sound of his laughter rolling down the hillside as more and more of us appeared in front of him. We had all brought champagne and picnics which we shared and compared as we laughed and chatted the evening away until about 10.30 or so and left as darkness fell. A memory of memories.

The thing about this spot isn't just the meadow. It's the view. The Thames makes a sweeping turn to the left and there's an island in the middle. You can see for miles and every time you go there it is different. Here it is - with a friend (and his bicycle of course) in the foreground but behind him is the meadow and then the view. 

 

So without notice or warning I had literally ridden into my past as there I was riding my Brommie along the towpath to the right of the Island. As I turned round to see the meadow and hillside behind me all the memories above just flew into my head. 

Things like this only happen on a bicycle. You just see so many things that would normally be missed. As I looked ahead I realised I was way behind the others who were waiting around the next corner oblivious to the mind time that had brought me to a halt. I caught up with them and we weaved our way along the path, chatting about all sorts of stuff as we went over bridges, Victorian Thames Barriers and past ducks who were wondering how they could win their battle of the flow which was working against them. Andy was full of all sorts of information about the area making the whole ride very special. 

 There was just enough space for us to cycle along this stretch without putting our wheels in the water but all I could think about was Olaf who would have made me cycle through it - so on the return I did and Orange Brompton kindly took the pics as proof!

 We reached Kingston and once over the bridge we split into two groups as I was unkeen to give my Brommie a mud bath!  Ken, Tony and I stayed on the road and the others followed the river path. We met up at the back gates of Hampton Court which created a perfect photo opportunity. As soon as I saw the front I realised that the last time I saw it was when Bradley Wiggins was winning a race and where he leapt into the crowd. 

Once in the restaurant the heavens opened until we left when the sun came out again. Did I mention the power of the Brommie? The food at Hampton Court may be expensive but it is delicious and it is run by a charity I assume paying for the upkeep of the palace.

Cycling through Bushey Park we stumbled across the deer and I tried to match Brommie Antlers with theirs (this only works - if at all - on the M-type!). There was a visitation which meant we could enjoy the park a little longer as Mick B replaced the tube in lightening speed and we headed east accompanied by a Tail Wind!! 20.6 mph without much pedalling - what's not to like?

Sooner than I was expecting we were outside Costa again and the heavens opened - but not for long. We all said our goodbyes, four of us headed east sometimes into the headwind and at Putney Bridge we rejoined the river path. Thanks to David I found a great route home which means avoiding the Wandsworth one way system. Result! 

31.20 miles in 3hrs 22 in fabulous company on a really great ride. Thank you Andy, I very much look forward to the next one.  The rest of the pics are here

Drink Me!

Today's ride is the sort that Lewis Carroll may have devised for Alice. You could only be upright on a Brompton - a culmination of The London Brompton Club joining up with The London Recumbents.  What a sight we were as we headed out of various parts of Liverpool Street Station.

Although our Brommies and Recumbents caused a stir, one of our group (well, two actually) had brought a set of wheels that was so spectacular people were actually stepping back from it, in disbelief. A recumbent trike tandem. I have never seen one in the flesh before. A fantastic piece of engineering. Apparently it has 107 gears! I have no idea what it's top speed is - riding that down Ditchling Beacon would be terrifyingly fast. To think it has exactly 101 more gears than my Brommie. 

The Route of 12 Bridges took us over every one from Tower to Battersea. Our host, Ben, had arranged the most beautifully clear blue sky which acted as the most spectacular backdrop to display London's sights. As with all the London Brompton rides I've been on, they are always well organised with great routes, vistas and company. Bromptonites seem to be very kind and friendly people.

 

I met many new faces and caught up with others I haven't seen for a while.  We all chatted our way over the bridges - I had to do a double take as I realised that although I knew all the bridges, to quote the late, great Eric Morecambe in the Andre Previn sketch "but not necessarily in the right order"!! Ha! Southwark Bridge is east of Blackfriars  - how'd that happen??!!!

We did walk over the wobbly bridge, not entirely cleat friendly, but the views certainly made up for it.

By the time we reached Battersea Park we were all ready for a cup of tea so sat by the pond taking in the view. Unfortunately I hadn't clocked the temperature and was lacking in warmer clothing so once we had cycled over the 12th bridge I left the ride and headed home. Basic error on my part!  

A few other pics are here:  pics

21 miles in 2hrs 20 - Thank you peeps I can't wait for the next one!