London Sightseer - September 7th 2014

[marcusjb]

Anyone up for this classic, but bonkers 100km?

A couple of friends fancy it, so Cass and I will ride (it starts about 3km from us now) - we did it a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it.  It's slow, hard to navigate and you have to walk some bits on the south bank - but it is fun and you do see lots of the city including bits you never knew existed.

I will probably do it on my shopping bike - I may have to walk a couple of hills.

[Ian H]

Anyone up for this classic, but bonkers 100km?

A couple of friends fancy it, so Cass and I will ride (it starts about 3km from us now) - we did it a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it.  It's slow, hard to navigate and you have to walk some bits on the south bank - but it is fun and you do see lots of the city including bits you never knew existed.

I will probably do it on my shopping bike - I may have to walk a couple of hills.

I've done it a couple of times. It looks daunting on the routesheet but is actually great fun to ride.  It's also very suitable for anyone for whom 100km is a long way, probably because the distance is broken into easy chunks.

[gouldilocks]

I'm up for this one again - have done both the midweek and weekend versions of this and it is a great ride, apart from the section down the Strand which is a bit manic with all the buses and taxis.

Paul G

[Cycling Daddy]

Hoping to manage to do this without work intervening this time
L

[fixillated]

Anyone up for this classic, but bonkers 100km?

A couple of friends fancy it, so Cass and I will ride (it starts about 3km from us now) - we did it a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it.  It's slow, hard to navigate and you have to walk some bits on the south bank - but it is fun and you do see lots of the city including bits you never knew existed.

The Thames Festival has been spread out over several days so it may be
easier to get through to the info control at HMS Belfast.

I will probably do it on my shopping bike - I may have to walk a couple of hills.

The climb up to the Royal Observatory could be challenging. Priory
Lane and the Royal Ballet School in Richmond Park should be manageable.

The route is different, like this year's midweek ride it includes the
Olympic Park and leaves out the overpass over the Blackwall Tunnel
approach.

[lisat]

I would have loved to, but it is the only weekend of the year that I have to work.

[menthel]

I will see if I can wangle a pass for this one. It's the day after my S-i-L's 40th but a good ride might blow away the cobwebs. I could just grab the commuter from the front garden and go for this one!

[Jethro]

Have done the mid-week ride several times now and love it.  It really is a unique experience!

Having missed the mid-week event this year, am now hoping to ride the Sunday version and if I can get hold of a tandem, this could be Mrs Jethro's first audax.

[Veloman]

Have done the mid-week ride several times now and love it.  It really is a unique experience!

Having missed the mid-week event this year, am now hoping to ride the Sunday version and if I can get hold of a tandem, this could be Mrs Jethro's first audax.

I can help you with tandem.

Only problem you will have is transporting it to London.

[Arry-R]

Methell you sure have loads-a family birthdays etc that you have to attend! !

[Mrs jethro]

no thanks Veloman, maybe next year.

Oh no, what have I done?  Jethro, help.  how do I remove what I have just written here?

[Jethro]

 

[menthel]

Methell you sure have loads-a family birthdays etc that you have to attend! !

I have a biggish working class South London family (it's all about faaaaaamily) and my wife is Bengali, so there is lots of family (and extended family) with lots of birthdays etc. This year is worse because it's my 10th wedding anniversary, my parent's 40th anniversary, my S-i-L's 40th Birthday and the boy's 5th birthday all within a couple of months. I wish I had more audax time!

[hellymedic]

Methell you sure have loads-a family birthdays etc that you have to attend! !

I have a biggish working class South London family (it's all about faaaaaamily) and my wife is Bengali, so there is lots of family (and extended family) with lots of birthdays etc. This year is worse because it's my 10th wedding anniversary, my parent's 40th anniversary, my S-i-L's 40th Birthday and the boy's 5th birthday all within a couple of months. I wish I had more audax time!

I converted the ride to my grandmother's birthday tea into a 200km Hostel Dart...

[menthel]

Methell you sure have loads-a family birthdays etc that you have to attend! !

I have a biggish working class South London family (it's all about faaaaaamily) and my wife is Bengali, so there is lots of family (and extended family) with lots of birthdays etc. This year is worse because it's my 10th wedding anniversary, my parent's 40th anniversary, my S-i-L's 40th Birthday and the boy's 5th birthday all within a couple of months. I wish I had more audax time!

I converted the ride to my grandmother's birthday tea into a 200km Hostel Dart...

I would have to go very out of my way to even get a 100 from these events. Although the wife and myself are supposed to be riding to Oxfordshire next weekend for the anniversary weekend...

[hellymedic]

Well, I did live in Poole at the time, with grandmother in London...

[menthel]

Well, I did live in Poole at the time, with grandmother in London...

That would be an advantage!

[hellymedic]

Well, I did live in Poole at the time, with grandmother in London...

That would be an advantage!

The 24-hour garage used as a start control was only about ¼ mile from my abode and grandmother lived within a mile of the Youth Hostel...

[revrob]

It looks daunting on the routesheet but is actually great fun to ride.

Is the routesheet out for this yet?

Will there be a gpx track for it?

Coming down from North Wales for it!

[marcusjb]

I haven't yet had a routesheet (but I won't panic quite yet!).  I will do a GPX for it no doubt, and will post a link.

I am looking forward to it - hopefully it's the same cafe by the foot tunnel for the lunchstop, served excellent goat curry, rice and peas last time (does sandwiches etc. as well, but I am a sucker for Caribbean cooking). 

I will probably do it on my shopping bike - I may have to walk a couple of hills.

The climb up to the Royal Observatory could be challenging. Priory
Lane and the Royal Ballet School in Richmond Park should be manageable.

There will be walking for sure - 22Kg and 1 gear.  But probably my favourite bike to ride!  I've ridden it 30km to and from town quite a few times - so how hard can 100km be?!?!

[bhoot]

I am looking forward to it - hopefully it's the same cafe by the foot tunnel for the lunchstop, served excellent goat curry, rice and peas last time (does sandwiches etc. as well, but I am a sucker for Caribbean cooking). 

That's our local. They do a good jerk chicken too, but the service is often "unhurried"!

[αdαmsκι]

As a heads up to anyone riding this tomorrow the south lift in the Greenwich foot tunnel has been dead since Thursday, and remains dead, which makes Royal Greenwich Council look pretty shoddy considering this weekend is the Tall Ships Festival. If riding a tandem or other silly shaped bike is your thing then you may want to consider the ThamesClipper from Masthouse to Greenwich as a crossing option rather than carrying a bike up a 100 stairs.

I've given Bill a heads up.

[Jurek]

^Sound advice.
It actually died on Monday or Tuesday - I forget which, but I was in it at the time 
It wasn't working six hours ago.
Don't expect it to be working by tomorrow.

Aside: Why is it that I can DHL stuff to Germany - it gets collected by 16:00 and is with the recipient the following day (works equally well going in the opposite direction) yet lift components take an *age* to arrive from Germany.
Rhetorical question....

[marcusjb]

As a heads up to anyone riding this tomorrow the south lift in the Greenwich foot tunnel has been dead since Thursday, and remains dead, which makes Royal Greenwich Council look pretty shoddy considering this weekend is the Tall Ships Festival. If riding a tandem or other silly shaped bike is your thing then you may want to consider the ThamesClipper from Masthouse to Greenwich as a crossing option rather than carrying a bike up a 100 stairs.

I've given Bill a heads up.

Now that is useful information for someone with a bike that weighs 23Kg......

Thanks!

[αdαmsκι]

Oh, I'd forgotten that bikes are now allowed on the DLR as well, tho I doubt that covers tandems. (However, it may be possible to sneak one onto a train - if you are successful then get off at Greenwich rather than Cutty Sark as it's easier to escape the former station.)

^Sound advice.
It actually died on Monday or Tuesday - I forget which, but I was in it at the time 

More info needed!

It wasn't working six hours ago.
Don't expect it to be working by tomorrow.

Nor was it working 2½ hours ago....

It wasn't working six hours ago.
Aside: Why is it that I can DHL stuff to Germany - it gets collected by 16:00 and is with the recipient the following day (works equally well going in the opposite direction) yet lift components take an *age* to arrive from Germany.

Aside: Why are those lifts so unreliable? Surely there isn't anything particular complicated about these lifts compared to others?