Sunday London Ride 24.02.13 32.45 miles, ave speed 11.5mph, top speed
23.2 in 2hrs 48mins.
A text from a friend on Saturday night asked if I was going
to do this ride. I hadn't decided but that spurred me on - yes, I replied and
agreed - subject to ice.
At 7am the alarm went off and I stuck my nose above the
duvet. Brrrr, it was cold. The BBC
weather website said it was -1. Minus 1!
Well that's the end of the ride thought I.
20 minutes later a text arrived from Becs "Am up and about, heading
for station, see you at 9.30". Gordon Bennett, this was going to happen
after all!
Minus 1 was still ringing in my ears - that means there could
be ice. So this would be a hybrid ride and no cleats - trainers were deployed. My cleat learning curve had reached the stage
that if you don't unclip your feet fast enough you land on the ground like a
sack of potatoes and can really hurt yourself.
And I learnt that the hard way on my first or second group ride at night
when I didn't unclip my foot fast enough and not only held up 35 people for
three quarters of an hour whilst I recovered from the fall but also fractured
my arm.
Not my finest moment especially
as this happened at 2.45am ie in the middle of the night in the middle of
nowhere - about seven miles outside Blackburn. Best not think too much about
that! Suffice to say that stopping on a bicycle is basic and involves using the
brakes - an automatic reaction learnt many years ago. However incorporating swivelling your feet at the same
time takes practice. I think I have
mastered this now and wouldn't dream of cycling long rides without cleats - but
not on ice.
I layered up and headed to Hyde Park Corner at 9.25 where I
found three others - looking very cool of course but also rather cold!
They
were all in cleats and lycra - this was a longer than 5 mile ride and indeed
one of them had been up since 7 and cycled 30 miles up and down hills near to
home. I said that if I was not able to go the speed they wanted I would turn
back without a worry.
Becs arrived a few minutes later and we were both happy to
hear that the original plan to Alexandra Palace was revised to go to The Olympic
Stadium instead (which is a flat route). Wooop
Wooop!
We waited for the Household Cavalry to go by. It always takes my breath away and I take too many pics!
We cycled down Constitution Hill
behind them, along the Mall and into Trafalgar Square, down to the Embankment and
along to Blackfriars Bridge following a friend called Ian.
Onto Commercial Road, into Whitechapel and all the way to The
Bow Flyover. This junction is well known
to cyclists and non cyclists but not for good reasons. Two people in separate incidents were killed
within three weeks of each other using this junction - on their way to
work. Shocking and inexcusable.
Transport for London have redesigned the junction and this was the
first time I have seen it. I'm not
really in a position to comment - it was a Sunday morning, with fairly empty roads, as
part of a group. On a Monday morning in rush hour or on a regular basis I have no idea what it's like. I do wonder how many
people in TFL and the Department of Transport actually, genuinely commute to
work on a bike. I hope they know what
they are doing - the price paid in lives lost - any life - is too high.
We made our way towards the Stadium - the security guards were very helpful and even operated a human level crossing for us - opening gates as we arrived and closing them behind us.
We made our way towards the Stadium - the security guards were very helpful and even operated a human level crossing for us - opening gates as we arrived and closing them behind us.
We reached the cafe where the door furniture was unusual!
Since my last visit a year ago, a conservatory has been added. Nice and warm - I look forward to being back there soon.
The Manager chatted with us about cycling and he confirmed that the bicycle racks that were missing would be returning soon!
Meanwhile we had some wheels to admire
Very nice!
Possibly not quite as clean as this bike though
Possibly not quite as clean as this bike though
Down to the Woolwich Ferry, a route I cycled on my very first Sunday London Ride two years ago when I was on a low racer recumbent. We were not at one, the recumbent and I, but that's another story. It did mean that being so low I had no idea that we cycled past the City London Airport runway - it looked not unlike (although I have never been there!) Hong Kong Airport. Next time I will take some pics.
We reached the Woolwich Ferry terminal just as the ferry was unloading - perfect timing!
Once across the river and along
to Woolwich Arsenal to do play hide and seek (somewhat unsuccessfully) amongst
some statues!
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