Wow what a weekend of cycling activity, well more a Saturday of cycling activity. Sunday was for recovering. Saturday 13:50 Apsley. I was to race my girlfriend Maddy from our house to Hyde Park Corner in London. It's probably a distance of 25 miles by road and the train takes about 30 mins into the main station at Euston. I was using only a quarter loaded bike on the quickest route I could pedal. She was going to walk to Apsley railway station and get the train to Euston. Then tube,bus,walk whatever was available to Hyde Park Corner to rendezvous for the start of the London part of the World Naked Bike Ride which started at 15:30. I hadn't been on the bike at all for the last week due to being ill and was a bit apprehensive on how I would be. I got off to a bad start by forgetting the keys to my padlock, this put me about a minute behind. When I passed Maddy walking up our road she was already half way to the station. We had arranged that she would phone me when she got to Euston to see how long I would be, just in case I didn't have any energy. When she called I was about a minute behind what I had hoped for and was just coming off the A41 and crossing the M1 motorway at J4 heading up to Stanmore. I knew I had about an hour to go from there. I had cycled this route for the first time last week and the traffic wasn't too bad, that was a lot later in the evening though. Lunchtime today was a lot busier and slower going. I came up to Marble Arch with three minutes to spare and had not heard back from Maddy. I hot wheeled it down Park Lane and weaved my way to the fountain that we had arranged to meet at just off Rotten Row. She wasn't there and time was dead on 15:30. When I eventually got through to her phone she explained she had been stuck on the tube with no signal. So a resounding win for the bicycle over public transport...or so i thought. She also explained she had been shopping on Oxford Street for 15 minutes! I think we shall call that a draw then :)
The Naked Bike Ride was just getting started when we arrived and nice weather made for a good turn out. People of all sexes,colours,shapes and persuasions had arrived on bicycles,tricycles,rickshaws and skates to promote better attitudes to bicycle safety and body image. Bodypaint,comedy masks and sound systems were in full effect. I think I will join in next year now I know more about it. You have been warned!
Cycled down to Brixton for a few hours for a birthday beer with some friends then headed back to the site of Smithfields Meat Market for the 2011 Nocturne London series. On the way back to Smithfields a guy on a track bike fixie pulled up next to me at the lights and we had a chat.
About two hours later I was watching him participate in the "Fixed Gear Longest Skid" competition, hilarious! Not only that but he only went and won it!!!!!!!!!!!! Well done Jim from Brixton Cycles. After the skid competition was the event I had come for: The Brooks Ordinary Trophy, penny farthing racing in London for the first time in over a 100 years. Seeing the riders sitting pretty astride their iron horses really hammered home to me what a site it must have been to see Thomas Stevens ride into town when nobody had ever seen a bicycle before. One can only wonder what was going through the minds of people witnessing such a sight for the first time. This was the first time I had actually seen an Ordinary being ridden and all the photos and videos in the world don't do it justice. Incredible sight! The start of the race itself was signalled by muskets being fired and as the smoke rose into the night sky, for a second you were taken back to very different time. The race was a close run affair with the lead changing several times throughout the race. Congratulations to James Brailsford who won.
My favourite rider was sporting the Thomas Stevens helmet, I wonder if it was Joff Somerfield?
Click here to watch the the final lap Click here to see the days route
Having been suitable impressed with the Nocturne I left Smithfields at 21:30 in the dark and had the lovely pleasure of cycling out of London on a Saturday night. The fun of the earlier part of the day had started to catch up with me and the last part of the ride was a real slog. I eventually coasted home at half past midnight, 62 miles after I had started. That is the longest days riding I have done this year, probably ever! I reckon that means I could cycle around the world then...to be continued.
The Naked Bike Ride was just getting started when we arrived and nice weather made for a good turn out. People of all sexes,colours,shapes and persuasions had arrived on bicycles,tricycles,rickshaws and skates to promote better attitudes to bicycle safety and body image. Bodypaint,comedy masks and sound systems were in full effect. I think I will join in next year now I know more about it. You have been warned!
Cycled down to Brixton for a few hours for a birthday beer with some friends then headed back to the site of Smithfields Meat Market for the 2011 Nocturne London series. On the way back to Smithfields a guy on a track bike fixie pulled up next to me at the lights and we had a chat.
About two hours later I was watching him participate in the "Fixed Gear Longest Skid" competition, hilarious! Not only that but he only went and won it!!!!!!!!!!!! Well done Jim from Brixton Cycles. After the skid competition was the event I had come for: The Brooks Ordinary Trophy, penny farthing racing in London for the first time in over a 100 years. Seeing the riders sitting pretty astride their iron horses really hammered home to me what a site it must have been to see Thomas Stevens ride into town when nobody had ever seen a bicycle before. One can only wonder what was going through the minds of people witnessing such a sight for the first time. This was the first time I had actually seen an Ordinary being ridden and all the photos and videos in the world don't do it justice. Incredible sight! The start of the race itself was signalled by muskets being fired and as the smoke rose into the night sky, for a second you were taken back to very different time. The race was a close run affair with the lead changing several times throughout the race. Congratulations to James Brailsford who won.
My favourite rider was sporting the Thomas Stevens helmet, I wonder if it was Joff Somerfield?
Click here to watch the the final lap Click here to see the days route
Having been suitable impressed with the Nocturne I left Smithfields at 21:30 in the dark and had the lovely pleasure of cycling out of London on a Saturday night. The fun of the earlier part of the day had started to catch up with me and the last part of the ride was a real slog. I eventually coasted home at half past midnight, 62 miles after I had started. That is the longest days riding I have done this year, probably ever! I reckon that means I could cycle around the world then...to be continued.
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