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  • London orbital ride: 28 March, 2009 - 29 March, 2009

Author Topic: London orbital ride- March the 28th and the 29th 2009  (Read 11387 times)

woollypigs

  • Mr Peli
    • woollypigs
London orbital ride- March the 28th and the 29th 2009
« on: 14 October, 2008, 04:08:23 pm »
Sorry dudes and dudettes I will not be able to do this ride, still too tired after a days work as I'm not over this bug :(

Yeah it is back :)

March the 28th and the 29th 2009

CLICK HERE FOR UPDATE

I keep coming back to this idea and never get around to do it, the main reason is that it will be over 140 miles and I have never done it before. But I really do want to do it.

Here is the first draft I made some years ago.

The route is here Gmaps Pedometer at 146 miles.

I think we should start it next year, on a Saturday around 3pm as I'm sure that this route will take us over 15 hours to do with rest and food/drink stops, so that will get us back at the start point around 6-8am the next day and the trains etc will back up running after their nights rest :)

Current mood: AARRRGGGGHHHHH !!! #bollockstobrexit

Andrij

  • Андрій
  • Ερασιτεχνικός μισάνθρωπος
Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #1 on: 14 October, 2008, 04:20:29 pm »
How about starting/finishing at the J30(?) services, well know to those who have done the Southend FNRttC?  It's close to Purfleet rail station - and a bit further away - Upminster rail and tube station.  Tube is District Line (bikes permitted) and both rail lines are C2C terminating at Fenchurch Street (for those returning to London).

This would also allow us to start or finish with a trip through the Dartford Tunnel.

15 hours sounds about right.  I'd be interested in helping scout out the route beforehand - drop me a PM.
;D  Andrij.  I pronounce you Complete and Utter GIT   :thumbsup:

jellied

  • skip to the end
    • Ealing Bike Hub
Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #2 on: 14 October, 2008, 04:23:58 pm »
I was inspired by a mention of this on the FNR and did sketch out a trail route myself.

Upminster would be very handy given my parents live there.

To scout out the whole route single-handed would be tricky - wonder if it's worth asking for people to do sections of it?
A shitter and a giggler.

Charlotte

  • Dissolute libertine
  • Here's to ol' D.H. Lawrence...
    • charlottebarnes.co.uk
Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #3 on: 14 October, 2008, 04:26:38 pm »
Or to find someone with a motorbike anna GPS to log it...?
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αdαmsκι

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Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #4 on: 14 October, 2008, 04:28:16 pm »
Sounds like an interesting idea.  Jellied: I agree that having ride leaders for certain sections would make a lot of sense.

Would an early start not make more sense because then you could do the whole ride in the day?  (However, I do realise that people would need to get to the start, which would prevent an crack of doom dawn start.)
What on earth am I doing here on this beautiful day?! This is the only life I've got!!

https://tyredandhungry.wordpress.com/

woollypigs

  • Mr Peli
    • woollypigs
Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #5 on: 14 October, 2008, 04:28:44 pm »
The Dartford Tunnel I was somewhat hoping to avoid, thinking about starting below the river and then go clockwise until above the river and therefore missing the tunnel and also the planning out how many there is and get a car/van etc to take us over. I'm not as god as Mr. Legg and honestly would like to have as little organizing to do :)
Current mood: AARRRGGGGHHHHH !!! #bollockstobrexit

rr

Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #6 on: 14 October, 2008, 04:29:15 pm »
Or to find someone with a motorbike anna GPS to log it...?

I do like a volenteer

woollypigs

  • Mr Peli
    • woollypigs
Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #7 on: 14 October, 2008, 04:30:47 pm »
Adamski : you are right and early start could get the ride over in a day with arriving at the finish around 21-2200 and time to get home, but it will be a pain to get the start on time. And mostly I fancy a over night ride as there will be less traffic and I love night rides :)
Current mood: AARRRGGGGHHHHH !!! #bollockstobrexit

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #8 on: 14 October, 2008, 05:07:56 pm »
The Dartford Tunnel I was somewhat hoping to avoid, thinking about starting below the river and then go clockwise until above the river and therefore missing the tunnel and also the planning out how many there is and get a car/van etc to take us over. I'm not as god as Mr. Legg and honestly would like to have as little organizing to do :)

Sound thinking.

146 miles sounds like a bit far for us, though.  Never mind - I like the thought of rides that have an idea behind them.

btw, did you really say
Quote from: woollypigs
...I'm not as god as Simon Legg
;D
Getting there...

Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #9 on: 14 October, 2008, 05:16:40 pm »
It may be possible (with a small diversion along nice country B roads and the A30 between J13 and J11) for me to be able to provide a food/drink stop.

Though this would be subject to time and me being in the country as I doubt my Parents would be to happy if I was not there.


Matthew

Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #10 on: 14 October, 2008, 05:37:57 pm »
I'm up for this, but would prefer to avoid the Dartford Tunnel.  The FNTttC Southend run in April removed any lingering romance about this particular section of the road network.  Too much organisation to get a group through, with very reluctant assistance from the authorities.
The sound of one pannier flapping

αdαmsκι

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Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #11 on: 14 October, 2008, 05:47:09 pm »
Woollypigs:  Fair enough & I agree that night riding is great.  You would also get the chance to use a number of the larger roads at 3am, which would make navigation etc. easier.

What on earth am I doing here on this beautiful day?! This is the only life I've got!!

https://tyredandhungry.wordpress.com/

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #12 on: 14 October, 2008, 05:56:22 pm »
The Birmingham one is great - you just use the A4040 aka the Outer Circle bus route.  About 30 miles, with leafy bits, a few surprising hills and a wide cross-section of Brummie life.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #13 on: 14 October, 2008, 06:00:32 pm »
As an alternative to the Dartford crossing (which based on the last FNRttC to use it, is an absolute pig), how about the Gravesend Tilbury Ferry?  Admittedly it would require the timing of the ride to suit the 6am and 7pm opening time, and I'm not sure how many cyclists they would take each time, but it's a possibility.
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

woollypigs

  • Mr Peli
    • woollypigs
Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #14 on: 14 October, 2008, 08:31:25 pm »
Yeah and getting a group to arrive at the right time is only something that Mr Legg or Peli can do and trying to tell them that x numbers of bikes is arriving at x time I would rather not do (read can't be arsed :) )

So starting south of the tunnel and arrive north of the tunnel sounds great to me.

I'm thinking and should set it in stone a date in the spring of next year, and then go for it and not chicken out :) When does the clocks go back/forward could do it on that weekend should give us enough light and not be in the way of DunRun and other overnight summer rides.

I would very much like people to give me feed back on the route and if they could do some scouting that would be very much appreciated.
Current mood: AARRRGGGGHHHHH !!! #bollockstobrexit

jellied

  • skip to the end
    • Ealing Bike Hub
Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #15 on: 14 October, 2008, 08:54:23 pm »
This is a shade longer than the DD - but without the swim at the end and slightly better options of bailing about during the trip.

A date in stone sounds a grand plan otherwise it will never happen, and making it low key rather than to organised sounds even better.

Scouting a head is fine - so long as some one "owns" the whole route or people can make amendments to keep the thing joined up.

It takes me at least a whole day to check out a short 20 mile ride around London, and that's with lots of back tracking which is easy in London but a real pain as soon as you leave urban roads and having to cycle back up 5 miles.
A shitter and a giggler.

Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #16 on: 14 October, 2008, 10:51:46 pm »
Wooly

Excellent idea.

The bit from where the route turns north west below point 65 through to point 66 is a rather rough track, which might not suit. Having looked at it for quite some time, it is a bit of a bugger to get around without just surrendering to the A25 for miles.

A more minor point, at point 74 it needs to go the other way round the Reigate one way system, or perhaps straight through the tunnel.
[Quote/]Adrian, you're living proof that bandwidth is far too cheap.[/Quote]

woollypigs

  • Mr Peli
    • woollypigs
Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #17 on: 14 October, 2008, 10:55:29 pm »
Reigate have a a tunnel ? Thanks Adrian for your heads up.
Current mood: AARRRGGGGHHHHH !!! #bollockstobrexit

Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #18 on: 14 October, 2008, 11:01:40 pm »
Yes, where we stop to regroup at the bottom of Reigate Hill on FNRTTC, the other side of the road is a cyclable path that goes due south and come out on the A25 by the "g" in "Reigate" on the map
[Quote/]Adrian, you're living proof that bandwidth is far too cheap.[/Quote]

Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #19 on: 14 October, 2008, 11:13:37 pm »
You could expand the ride into a two day ride. This would enable you to move further away from London, use more quiet, scenic and easier to follow roads. Essex, Herfordshire and Bucknghamshire have some very nice lanes for cycling. Maybe follow the Pilgrims Way in Kent?
The Gravesend Tilbury ferry is much more enjoyable than the Dartford Crossing. A much better ride o and from the ferry too, allthough the Gravesend side seems the worst, from my memory of my experience. But I don't know Kent very well. If there are too many of you for one ferry crossing, you could always split. One lot go to a pub for food, while the others cross the Thames, then stop at a pub in Gravesend for food, as they wait for the other lot to re-join them when they get off the next ferry.

Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #20 on: 14 October, 2008, 11:51:01 pm »
...If there are too many of you for one ferry crossing, you could always split. One lot go to a pub for food, while the others cross the Thames, then stop at a pub in Gravesend for food, as they wait for the other lot to re-join them when they get off the next ferry.

See, now there's a good idea, and it has a mandatory pub stop. ;D
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

dasmoth

  • Techno-optimist
Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #21 on: 15 October, 2008, 10:23:06 am »
I find this idea curiously compelling.  The suggestion of a longer ride a bit further out could be nice, too, but the Thames gets in the way even more.  A ferry from Southend to somewhere like Sheerness would  help a lot, but I can't find any mention of such a service.  Am I missing something?
Half term's when the traffic becomes mysteriously less bad for a week.

αdαmsκι

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Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #22 on: 15 October, 2008, 11:28:57 am »
I'm not sure how closely you wanna stick to the M25 & so these ideas may not be any use, but here goes.  From point 136 you could take Harper Lane (B556), which from memory isn't too busy (tho that may be due to time of day that I've cycled that road).  You could then follow the B556 to either Potters Bar or pick up the route again around point 140.  Somethink akin to this.

From point 11 you could use the B172 (that gives a good downhill if heading eastwards) into Theydon Bois & rejoin near point 17, like this.
What on earth am I doing here on this beautiful day?! This is the only life I've got!!

https://tyredandhungry.wordpress.com/

Zipperhead

  • The cyclist formerly known as Big Helga
Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #23 on: 15 October, 2008, 01:18:39 pm »
I'm thinking and should set it in stone a date in the spring of next year, and then go for it and not chicken out :) When does the clocks go back/forward could do it on that weekend should give us enough light and not be in the way of DunRun and other overnight summer rides.

Sunday 29th March
Won't somebody think of the hamsters!

Re: London orbital ride
« Reply #24 on: 15 October, 2008, 03:26:49 pm »
Nice idea  :thumbsup:

I would prefer a two day ride. I get pretty bored riding anything more than about 100 miles in one hit....
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!