Author Topic: London Sightseer Sunday 1 Sept 19  (Read 1601 times)

robgul

  • Cycle:End-to-End webmaster
  • cyclist, Cytech accredited mechanic & woodworker
    • Cycle:End-to-End
London Sightseer Sunday 1 Sept 19
« on: 31 August, 2019, 01:50:05 pm »
Any one riding this excellent event?     It's in the plan provided the weather looks OK and I get up ready to leave home at 0615 to drive down.

Rob

Re: London Sightseer Sunday 1 Sept 19
« Reply #1 on: 31 August, 2019, 02:27:52 pm »
Any one riding this excellent event?     It's in the plan provided the weather looks OK and I get up ready to leave home at 0615 to drive down.

Rob
A bit too close to my daily commute, Rob.
Forecast is for a max of 19°C and dry.
Enjoy the ride.

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: London Sightseer Sunday 1 Sept 19
« Reply #2 on: 31 August, 2019, 03:27:35 pm »
HK and I are likely to be there.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Re: London Sightseer Sunday 1 Sept 19
« Reply #3 on: 31 August, 2019, 03:59:46 pm »
Has anyone got a GPS file for it ??

robgul

  • Cycle:End-to-End webmaster
  • cyclist, Cytech accredited mechanic & woodworker
    • Cycle:End-to-End
Re: London Sightseer Sunday 1 Sept 19
« Reply #4 on: 31 August, 2019, 04:27:03 pm »
If anyone has a route sheet I assume it's the usual clockwise route - i.e. out via Twickenham, Hammersmith, into the parks, City, Tower Bridge, Olympic Park ?   (it has been known to be run in the opposite direction)

Rob

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
Re: London Sightseer Sunday 1 Sept 19
« Reply #5 on: 31 August, 2019, 04:31:21 pm »
I'm riding it with my chum the Czeating Czech. I've got the GPS files,  although Bill the organiser recommends an amount of caution due to the "concrete canyon" effect.
There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle: you can
"overhaul" it, or you can ride it.  (Jerome K Jerome)

Phil W

Re: London Sightseer Sunday 1 Sept 19
« Reply #6 on: 31 August, 2019, 09:21:45 pm »
Didn't spot this on calendar. Will look out for it next year.

Re: London Sightseer Sunday 1 Sept 19
« Reply #7 on: 31 August, 2019, 11:10:31 pm »
I’ll be there.

It’ll be my first audax and I’m very much looking forward to it, even though the routesheet looks a bit, er, labour-intensive  :)

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: London Sightseer Sunday 1 Sept 19
« Reply #8 on: 01 September, 2019, 03:01:13 pm »
Opted for the FNRttC instead.  One day I'll get round to doing this one.

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: London Sightseer Sunday 1 Sept 19
« Reply #9 on: 01 September, 2019, 03:49:39 pm »
Started half hour late, rounded up some navigationally challenged newbies (only took them off-route once), bailed at Stratford to get home a bit earlier. Good to chat with Bill at Stratford, hopefully he’ll heal well after an off at Semaine Federale.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
Re: London Sightseer Sunday 1 Sept 19
« Reply #10 on: 01 September, 2019, 07:33:19 pm »
Cracking day out. I was on The Pretty Bike (green Bob Jackson with curved seat stays, fancy lugs, like a Curly Hetchins) riding with my mate Jan. A first time audaxer called Noel hooked up with us shortly after we set off a few minutes before the official time. We wound our way across London without too much drama and got our cards stamped at the velodrome. A quick bite of lunch then a bit of rendering assistance  - another rider had lost the key to his padlock but fortunately I was carrying a pair of cable cutters. A quick squeeze and he and his chum were free. Personally I'd be deploying a meatier lock than one that can be cut with cutters designed for brake cables,  especially when the  bikes are locked out of my sight in sunny Stratford.

Off to the Isle of Dogs and Canary Wharf, where I  detoured to see Pippsy briefly.  I hooked up with my riding companions again at the Wolfe statue in Greenwich Park. As we made our way out of the park I startled damerell OTP by swerving towards him and asking if he was indeed David Damerell. Key diagnostics were (a) looking very much like damerell and (b) riding a Triumph roadster.

Along the Thames path, navigating by a mix of Osmand talking in my earpiece, following line on a borrowed Garmin and reading the detailed route sheet, we eventually found ourselves in Battersea Park where Noel kindly bought ice creams. The route from there was much less fragmented, meaning a bit less peering at navigational aids. Richmond Park, Ham, Teddington,  Hampton Court, Bushey Park and then it was over.
There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle: you can
"overhaul" it, or you can ride it.  (Jerome K Jerome)

robgul

  • Cycle:End-to-End webmaster
  • cyclist, Cytech accredited mechanic & woodworker
    • Cycle:End-to-End
Re: London Sightseer Sunday 1 Sept 19
« Reply #11 on: 02 September, 2019, 08:06:17 am »
Another great day - to meet some other commitments we did a truncated version at about 52/53 miles - rather than turn left off Wapping High Street to go to the Olympic Park we pressed on along the river to Canary Wharf Pier and the ferry across to the Hilton hotel on the south side (slightly odd wheeling the bike through the hotel lobby) - then turned right and followed the river until we met the official route - with a slight diversion parallel to the course to avoid the hordes of morons wandering about between Tower Bridge and Westminster Bridge (in effect just riding one block back from the river) - after that it's a blast all the way back to load the bikes at 1500 and away.

We'll be back for next year, hopefully both runnings.

Rob
PS: The last 3 or 4 times (of the 8 or 9 I've done) I've ridden this on a fixie - made a change to ride the tourer this time and enjoy a little bit of freewheeling!

Re: London Sightseer Sunday 1 Sept 19
« Reply #12 on: 02 September, 2019, 08:24:13 am »
My first riding of the Sightseer yesterday, and wow what a different Audax ride. Yes its hard work navigating, but rewarded with discovering parts of London I didnt know existed. On the way out managed to ride with a group who knew they way - their leader had done a recce on monday. Took the DLR to avoid steps in the tunnel, but then told afterwards it was actually working (even though their website said out of service). Still had loads of steps at Greenwich DLR station. Afterwards following the Garmin was ok. After the stop the Garmin was getting low on juice, and although I had a battery pack, I hadnt a mount for the battery and the garmin, so left it in back pocket and tried to follow NCN 4 south of the river, which was a bit hit and miss. Unfortunately between HMS Belfast and Battersea park I lost my brevit card, so no validation. I wonder if the midweek version is better with fewer people on the busy bits of the Thames path. Even got a couple of BCQ points at Greenwich and Richmond park.

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: London Sightseer Sunday 1 Sept 19
« Reply #13 on: 02 September, 2019, 10:17:31 am »
My first riding of the Sightseer yesterday, and wow what a different Audax ride. Yes its hard work navigating, but rewarded with discovering parts of London I didnt know existed. On the way out managed to ride with a group who knew they way - their leader had done a recce on monday. Took the DLR to avoid steps in the tunnel, but then told afterwards it was actually working (even though their website said out of service). Still had loads of steps at Greenwich DLR station. Afterwards following the Garmin was ok. After the stop the Garmin was getting low on juice, and although I had a battery pack, I hadnt a mount for the battery and the garmin, so left it in back pocket and tried to follow NCN 4 south of the river, which was a bit hit and miss. Unfortunately between HMS Belfast and Battersea park I lost my brevit card, so no validation. I wonder if the midweek version is better with fewer people on the busy bits of the Thames path. Even got a couple of BCQ points at Greenwich and Richmond park.
The midweek version is better as you can cross the river in the cable car. It was packed on the Thames path, although will say it was great weather and I got there at lunchtime, so there were a number of tourists and also all the local workers enjoying lunch outside.

Eddington  127miles, 170km

Re: London Sightseer Sunday 1 Sept 19
« Reply #14 on: 02 September, 2019, 11:13:45 am »
This is one of my favourite 100k's and now completed it 14 times, mostly the midweek event in June, but completed it again today also.  I think that I prefer the Sunday version as most of the roads are quieter especially in the City.  I decided to folow the Wednesday route most of the way including crossing the River on the Emirates cable car then lunch at Greenwich.  Very busy in the parks today, especially Richmond Park with lots of cyclists.

This really is a unique event and quite unlike any other 100k that I have ever done. I hope to be back again for my 15th next year (probably the Sunday).

Hope you get well soon Bill.