[LEL17] LEL and FreeCycle

[Delph Cyclist]

Is anyone riding the London FreeCycle on 29 July 2017?  That's the day before LEL, so you might be able to fit this in along with registration.  In 2013, this was held on the weekend following LEL so I got myself down there (in my LEL jersey of course) and had a great time - in fact it was one of the highlights of the whole LEL experience.

The streets in the centre of London are closed to everyone but cyclists, and there will be 1000s of them, cycling past all the usual landmarks.  How much does it cost?  There's a clue in the title. 

There are details here https://www.prudentialridelondon.co.uk/events/freecycle/

And a map of the route here https://d1ffaecguugkl4.cloudfront.net/ridelondon/live/uploads/cms_page_media/74/Prudential%20RideLondon%20FreeCycle%20Map.pdf

[DCLane]

I'm registered and may use it just to keep the legs turning.

[hellymedic]

FreeCycle is Free.

Various groups will lead 'Feeder Rides' from outer London to the main circuit, for those who are traffic-averse or desire company. Those who register get unnecessary corporate tabards.

Where will you be staying?

Suggest you join a feeder ride from near your accommodation for chat & banter.

eg Camden Cyclists' feeders start at Sidings Centre NW6 2BA at 10.00 or Swiss Cottage Gardens NW3 3EX  at 10.30

[grams]

For those unfamiliar with the event, it's a family day out with lots of wobbly children, and lots of marshals stopping all the bikes for pedestrians to cross, so unless you arrive very early you'll barely get above walking pace on a lot of the course. The western end is always the worst and can become a total scrum.

One spectacle worth seeing is the Brompton World Championship folding bike race, which uses the roads around the edge of St James's Park at 7:15 pm.

[Graeme]

I registered for the 'freecycle' and received a reflective tabbard, bike number and a couple of cable ties. Cool. I'm waiitng to see if hanging around at LEL registration or cycling closed roads in central London give the most opportunities for fun.

[Exit Stage Left]

Heather and I did this event in 2013 after I finished filming and she came down from controlling at Brampton.

We wanted to get some footage of LEL cyclists in London, and Delph Cyclist kindly obliged. The central London prologue overlapped with the first starts, so I concentrated on Loughton, and the Freecycle footage illustrated that aspect of the ride.

We really enjoyed it. It's difficult to get a feel for the layout of London, as I tend to use the Underground. The main sights are surprisingly close together.

I've got a flow worked out for the weekend. Friday; drive the 200 miles to Waltham Abbey, arriving at my hotel at 10pm, to avoid traffic on M1/M25. Saturday; film at Check-in. Sunday; film early starts and depart.

I'd like to do other things, such as film the welcome party, or the Freecycle. But the logistics would just deplete my reserves.

If you're staying in a more central location, it could work well. I'd be interested in some footage of the event.