Kent Kent the Elephent

Oh, and it looks as though, if I don't get the 22.37 from Otford, I may as well ride home rather than muck about with changing trains.

where are you based?

Forest Hill/Catford area, so it's only about 17 miles of familiar roads (mainly the A21 actually). Or I could get a train to Sevenoaks and change there for Lewisham, but that would take about as long as riding back.

Can see the rain clouds building in the west. On the way.

@Ludd unfortunately only a slight bend on the number plate - although on this kind of car this could end up costing more than the front wheel, who knows
@middleofnowhere feeling better already, thanks. Have a fun ride you all!

We am in pub and mighty wet. Big thanks to Matt for leading

You guys broke me.

am feeling pretty ruined too

Ditto

Cheers - Matt good ride.

Felt sorry for the girls at the pub having to serve seven squelchy cyclists at two minutes before closing

I feel hungover but I don't drink. Am assuming it's tiredness and dehydration.

Must remember that when Matt stands up on a hill and goes past not to even bother trying to imitate, he climbs too strongly. Thank you so much for organising this. Hope your wheel isn't too badly damaged from the pothole.

I really enjoyed it despite the rain, some of those descents were sketchy and a little too exciting!

any finishers photo?!

some of those descents were sketchy and a little too exciting!

Hah yeah, this. Need to get my Diablo back on the bars. With just a Hope V1 it was a case of point and pray.

the remote switch for my strada light stopped functioning toward the end of the ride. it's so useful to be able to go to full beam on descents without having to move my hands.

I was coveting your light setup all the way round. Makes such a difference, especially the head-lamp. Not sure why I left the house so underlit given some of the lighting hardware we own. Oh well. Increased the excitement I guess!

@Howard
don't worry I was considering robbing you of your mudguards, and could have murdered @Ruserius for his spare shoes and dry socks at the end

@ludd 's gears were a contender for theft too

I feel like I've been put through the washing machine on a cold cycle.

You mean the traces of "energy gel" have not rinsed out properly?

Ha! Thanks to @dancing james I will never be able to look at an energy gel in the same way again.

Superb ride all round. DJ applogising in advance for being slow up the hills then riding away from us on Star Hill and then every other long climb on the route. The beautiful spring weather at the start, then the first spots of rain as we climbed Chrurch Road, turning to a steady drizzle for the spin down Ide, filling in to a refreshing light rain on the way up Bayleys, to the frankly biblical (ok, maybe a little hyperbole there) final 15 miles, filling shoes and rendering brakes next to useless.

Actually the rain reduced braking was a blessing in disguise for me. That pothole I hit had, as I suspected, put a pretty much terminal dent in the rim. I could feel the tick tick tick of a rough spot on the rim but the braking was so reduced that it never felt in danger of throwing me off. It was only riding back through town when it had dried enough for normal brake function that I realised how bad it was. I was getting such severe brake judder as that bit of the rim passed the pads that I was sacred of losing control of the bike. Wheel was due for replacement anyway so no big loss.

Heavy week of wheel losses for ThNKRers!
I don't like riding in the rain (hence bringing the complete change of clothes), but I loved that ride. Am cherishing the bit of mud still stuck in my eye.
Thanks all for making it such a fun one

Excellent work everyone. While I'm incredibly jealous of you all getting to ride (yes even in the rain) I definitely did the right thing by missing it. Riding in the cold rainy night is not the best thing for a mild chest infection. Hope to see you on the next one. Since I wasn't able to take any pictures (from not being there) here's an artists impression of what it almost definitely looked like:

Someone photoshop @middleofnowhere fixing his wheel and yeah that's pretty accurate

And @Ludd 's shifting shifters. That was a brutal pothole. I do feel a bit of a plum as I'd pretty much just warned everyone to take care as we were approaching the stretch where the potholes are, then I plough straight into the first one. I was considering taking @Sam 's advice and using the next lane over but had decided to stick with the route I knew as it would be dark and wet. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Earlier rain.

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Sorry, I should have responded before your ride. You can't go wrong on the alternative road. Just need in your head to pass Bore Lane, 500 yes later turn left onto it, then left again at the end. Next time!

dude, you are probably sorted for a front wheel already, but if not i can give you a semi-decent one for free. just give me a shout if needed.