Mice Log Star Date 47

A Marvellous Meander with Mates Saturday (16th Feb) 29 miles pootling around London with friends.  Some things you do in life, change it forever.  

Last year I cycled from London to Scotland (John O'Groats) with the most amazing group of people, some I had met before and others I had not.  655 miles later I had made some quite fantastic friendships.   

Three of these fab people joined me in London today for a London Hybrid Day (two of them live in Brighton). The essence of these rides is to catch up over coffees, brunches, lunches and dinners whilst introducing parts of our local worlds to each other.  

Having our hybrids rather than road bikes means we can leave the bikes outside for half an hour or so - locked together in the hope they are not stolen.  (We would never leave our road bikes like that).

There is no specific plan but ideas are mooted about in advance and it is all highly flexible on the day.  Look Mum No Hands in Old Street was selected as the first port of call

   

 

I met George and Sahar at Victoria then we headed up to Hyde Park Corner to collect CharlieB who had travelled in from the Chilterns.  We headed down Constitution Hill, Birdcage Walk and into Parliament Square laughing at how pretty St James's Park is and how we never normally see it other than gliding past it in darkness on Friday Night Rides to the Coast.

Onto the Embankment and along the Thames to Blackfriars Bridge where we headed North.  As it happened we went well North as roadworks courtesy of Cross Rail around Farringdon had disguised the streets so much we were practically in Islington before I realised.  Rather uncool to get lost in one's home town - especially with non Londonites!

Breakfast in Look Mum No Hands doesnt disappoint - apart from the prices which are beginning to push beyond reasonableness. 

It was delicious tho and the atmosphere is uber cool - it is all about cycling and cyclists. There is even and inhouse bike mechanic.  Take a lock tho as otherwise bikes are stolen from there as indeed they are from everywhere. 

The chatting continued and two hours later we realised it was probably time to start cycling again!

As we left we found two really cool bikes -made by The State Bicycle Company.  Very pretty, fixed wheel bikes. Apparently you can order them on line from a distributor in the UK although they are made in America.  The expression "Dear Santa" comes to mind! 

 

 

No sooner had we been on our bikes when we found The Bicycle Man bicycle shop and a cafe, just yards from Look Mum No Hands.  On the radar for a revisit.

Our next destination was Greenwich using the Thames Cycle Path NCN4 (as and when its not camouflaged by rubbish signage and ridiculous diversions all over the shop).  We cycled through the City and saw some buildings we didnt recognise.

Then to Shad Thames past Tower Bridge where we continued to be tourists

The Brompton at the Ready

                                           George leaning on a lamppost

                                                    Sahar at The Shad

The other side of Tower Bridge was easy to cycle along and we weaved our way along the river, chatting, stopping for photographs and seeing the busy life of the Thames as we cycled by.

This isnt George about to push Charlie in the drink - it's a conversation about panoramic settings on Iphones!

We must have gone up or down at least four sets of stairs on the way which for a cycle path is not entirely ideal!  Not forgetting those 10 inched pavements you are supposed to use

Just before Greenwich there is this amazing statue of  Peter The Great

We looked back along the river to see how small The Shard looked.

We saw a weighbridge, a lock, a series of houseboats, historic walls, fabulous skylines and at Greenwich The Cutty Sark.

 To top the lot George had his very first ride on a Brompton!

We stopped at The Meantime Bar and Restaurant for food - snacks for some and dinner for others and more laughter and general good fun continued!  It was dark when we left, we took the main road back via a quick trip into Cycle UK (why go past a Bike Shop?)

On towards Tower Bridge, a quick detour at a fish grilled car park and back on to the Embankment.  London at night is quite spectacular.

Clearly, many photo opportunities were taken and before we knew where we were haring westwards to ensure George and Sahar caught their train. We arrived with nine minutes to spare!

Charlie and I headed to West Brompton where he caught a train North and I pootled back home. Did I say 29 miles - I should have said 29 miles in magic company, learning and laughing all the way.  

What we wore:  George wore lycra leggings under combats with a cycling jersey under an uber cool top. Too stylish by half. Sahar wore leggings under a woollen dress with a cycling jacket. On her feet she wore leather boots. Charlie wore cycling shorts under cotton trousers and a cycling jacket.  I wore lycra leggings under a MaxMara skirt with a Merino baselayer, an Assos baselayer and my Gore Oxygen jacket. When the weather warmed up I swapped the jacket for a Castelli gilet. On my feet I wore cycling shoes.

As shown in the picture above, the duo on their fixed wheel bikes wore jeans, plimsoles (is that still a word) and sweatshirts.

What would you wear I wonder?