London Lockdown 160 - Group DIY Perm - Fri 03.03.23 - 10pm start

[markldn]

Date and Location

4th Anniversary Edition

Date: Fri, 03 Mar 2022
Distance: 161.7 km
Climb: 1,086m (flat)
Start Time: 22:00 (late)
Starting from: Victoria Station car park, London (meet opposite bike racks at car park entrance to Victoria Place mall - see Google Street view)

Apologies for the early date this year - I have a wedding (turned 1000km ride planned) in Taiwan that conflicts with the normal 2nd/3rd week of March.

Route

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42117919

TLDR

Group Social DIY night ride around London.  Starts at 10pm from Victoria Station (for pre-ride food, the 2nd floor McDonalds closes at 23:00).  Post-ride brekky at Victoria Station Wetherspoons where I can confirm the taps turn on at 8am (opens at 6:00).  A great ride to see London as you've never seen it, be able to say you're not a fairweather cyclist, test lights/gear, all safe in the warm confines of this great city.  There are plenty of places to stop, eat and mingle with the locals along the way (see the map).

Also, see Morris Major Organiser Pete Davis's short but infectious write-up of last year's event in Arriveé Magazine here.  Phone-friendly version here.

Genesis

In late March 2020 we went lockies.  Four weeks later the PM would announce “we are past the peak” of the pandemic.  This ride seeks to replicate what it was like for the exercise-inclined during these unprecedented times.  A bit weird, quiet streets, circuitous.  Staying local was the (legal) order of the day.  Non-essential travel was shamed.  Hair grew long.  We all know this so why am I saying it?  Because it's sentimental!!

Accepting the guilt that if I rode outside the M25 I could be “hit by a car and take an ambulance from someone who needed it”, I set about creating and sourcing local London routes.  If I were hit by a car locally, at least I could walk myself to a nearby hospital, the thinking went, or maybe the driver would take me if I were nice.  The London Fixed Beers missions were a particular highlight for me—giving riders a curated tour of London’s boroughs while taking advantage of the empty streets (but for the ominous queues starting to form outside supermarkets).

I rode the first version of this “strava art” in April 2020, and one year later extended the route with the needle in commemoration of the vaccine.  Ironically, as I rode down the Mall while tracing “the needle”, I went right through an anti-vaccine march.

Touring London’s boroughs on empty streets turned out to be actually quite nice.  But daylight scenes reminiscent of Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later again are unlikely—though not impossible—to return anytime soon, and I don’t want to lose half a lung riding 160 km through London traffic during the day, so the tradition continues at night.

Fee

There is no fee but I ask that you make a minimum £6 donation to the Lewisham Bank of Things.

“The Bank of Things is a Young Mayors Project working in partnership with Lewisham Local aimed at Young People aged 11 to 25 living in Lewisham. Former Young Mayors have used their budgets to develop the Bank of Things to address the issue of poverty and lack of resources for young people in the borough. We now supply everyday necessities to any young person facing hardship living in Lewisham.” - Lewisham Bank of Things

Upon donation, please message me at “ kowalskimark [at] gmail [dot] com ” to inform me of your intention to ride.

If you can't make this date, feel free to use the route.  I just ask that you make a donation, shamelessly credit my instagram on your social media post so I can feed my goldfish, or else just let me know that you enjoyed it and try and join next year.

Finish

This ride is not validated.  I won’t be publishing a list of finishers anywhere but I will record you as having completed it for my own records.  Please email me confirmation of riding if you don't finish with the group.

Riding in London

Be safe, bring a decent lock or bring your own food.  Last year there were 5 of us and we all rode together, dropping Tom off to a heavily pregnant wife around 4am as we passed his house.  I see no reason why we would not repeat this tradition again as it really did make the ride extra special.  We only stopped once for food at Bow McD's (see route).

Group DIY Registration

This ride is a DIYSE Group Perm.  Details on how to register your DIY with Audax UK without uploading a track will be shared prior to the ride.

Haven't I seen this post before?

Yes!  Here's the thread from last year's ride

[alfapete]

Bump.
Please don't make me be the anchor around Mark's ankle this year. Anyone else up for this, or else it might be a lonely night.

[iddu]

G'wan then.

Better get fit(ter)...see you there.

[markldn]

Haha thanks Pete.  I'll be riding it rain or (moon)shine.  Slow or fast.  I don't mind.  It would be great to get a breakfast in this year though.  On that note, the Regency Cafe nearby is an institution, has bike racks nearby and would alleviate concerns with locking bikes up outside and out of sight at Victoria station.

[alfapete]

Better get fit(ter)...see you there.

Don't get too fit 

[Sergeant Pluck]

I'm in

<gulp>

[markldn]

Two Fridays from now bump 

[Sergeant Pluck]

Looking forward to it!

[markldn]

Currently in process of registering it as a Group Perm.  Will post instructions on how to register, which I am told will also qualify you for insurance under Audax UK for the ride (though I say this in no official capacity to whether that is true or not, only what others have told me should be the case).

Mark

[andrew531]

Hmm, May be interested. What's the group average kmph likely to be?

[alfapete]

Hmm, May be interested. What's the group average kmph likely to be?

Are you anxious it'll be too slow or too fast?
Last time I was responsible for slowing everyone down and I would normally do 200km in a little under 12 hours, and I'll be there again. It's difficult to be specific about a speed, though. Sticking together significantly increases average speed cos Mark knows the way and there are no hesitations at any junctions, otherwise navigation might add significantly to the time required.

[andrew531]

I certainly won't be too fast! I'd complete a 200 in circa 9-10 hours. If the group sticks together then I'll probably join the ride. 

[mattc]

Could be a definite maybe.

[Sergeant Pluck]

I’m guessing if we do about 23 km/h, and have half an hour at the McD, and another half hour general faffage, we should finish when places start to open for brekkie, i.e. 6 or 7?

What time did you finish up last time alfapete?

[alfapete]

What time did you finish up last time alfapete?

I seem to remember it was around 7.40am, but not too sure.

[markldn]

Here is a link to Bryn’s ride last year.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6883405927

8hr 47min elapsed time

[Sergeant Pluck]

And about an hour of non-moving time - sounds about right. I suspect it will be quite cold so hopefully we can keep rolling along, traffic lights permitting!

[Lightning Phil]

Here is a link to Bryn’s ride last year.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6883405927

8hr 47min elapsed time

Average moving of 18.5 km/h, very sociable

[markldn]

Still waiting on the DIY registration to come through.

Who else is joining?!

See you this Friday

[markldn]

Group DIY Registration successful.  Instructions in welcome email.

5 riders on roster.  Let's double that.

[parkysouthlondon]

Also, see Morris Major Organiser Pete Davis's short but infectious write-up of last year's event in Arriveé Magazine here.  Phone-friendly version here.

After reading Pete's article and another excellent write up on page 16 of the same magazine, I've decided to ride the LL160 too this Friday.

[alfapete]

After reading Pete's article and another excellent write up on page 16 of the same magazine, I've decided to ride the LL160 too this Friday.

Woohoo! See you on the start line!

[markldn]

We are in for a treat Friday night; the route goes past my new place in Lewisham and my girlfriend Myrna has offered to be waiting for us with coffee as we ride by between 12-1am!  There is a warm lobby at the bottom of my building that we can sneak into for a quick 10 minute break from the cold.  There is enough room for bikes.  Unfortunately this will only be available to those of us in the group as she will come down when she sees my dot approaching.

I have updated the route to take us past at 61.8km.  It shouldn't cause an issue with the DIY, as it only shortens by 200m.

We are up to 8 registered, with 2 strong commitments (email me to confirm donation!  It's only £6!).

Weather has improved.  Low of 2, feels like 5.

[Wycombewheeler]

Weather has improved.  Low of 2, feels like 5.

Do you mean low of 5 feels like 2? I've never known the feels like to be warmer than the actual.

I'm in. despite the coffee, hopefully drinking hot beverages will not be mandatory.

Confident a light will last all night, as only the low output will be needed under the streetlights.

[alfapete]

the route goes past my new place in Lewisham and my girlfriend Myrna has offered to be waiting for us with coffee as we ride by between 12-1am!

Shall I bring cake?