The Cobblemonster (formerly known as TLC) - The cobbles, the hills, the madness.

Great day, as always! Had to leave before raffle numbers got called, will the winning numbers be announced somewhere?

I don't even know my number!

Great ride, thanks to the organisers, lovely to see lots of old faces. I felt a bit left out not wearing a BC jersey :)

well what with the fantastic weather and great company that was a super day. Nice light lunch of beer, pork pie (don't tell the rabbi please) and chips at The Dog & Duck, then up those tiny-south-of-the-river hills. Queued for beer for 10mins at the Gipsy Tavern then gave up 'cos it was 20 miles' home & the missus didn't want me back late :-(
Great organising and super route but can't help thinking it would have beeen a lot more fun without all those fuckin' cobbles!

Great fun morning ...good to see it back. Thanks to Ben and Adam for the company. Pity I had to rush off at the end, but at least I good to Wood Green in time for Belgian beer and the last 60km of Paris Roubaix....

Really annoyed I missed this, stupid bespoke! Hope everyone is nice and tanned and possible drunk too on this lovely sunday! x

I knew something important was missing from today :-)

Thanks to @JAHtim for cheering me up today. Just the sight of you on the road lifted my spirits.

To the person in the LFGSS jersey, looking for a cashpoint near the station, sorry for being so utterly clueless :-)

I blame sunstroke.

Ah, lovely day. I started late, as usual, although earlier than before, and had a hugely enjoyable ride round. I think I added about eight cobbled secteurs, although they weren't the terribly distressed ones that figure in the ride, but for the most part well-paved ones where the old way of laying London cobbles was still visible--very rideable. I started with Rose Street in Covent Garden, then did about five extra ones around Shoreditch, where I diverted from the route completely, did an extra two in the tunnels under the railway next to Three Colt Lane, St Katherine's Way, and a final one in Sayes Court Street. Actually, it may have been ten. Not too much extra distance, maybe a mile or three. I got lost in Greenwich (again) but did all the secteurs there, only in the wrong order.

Maze Hill was OK, not quite as crawly as usual even though I was feeling exhausted, then I had to walk a short bit of Canonbie Road (and walk down the other side again, as usual), Eliot Bank was extremely slow as always, and strangely Wells Park Road felt quite good.

I only managed to catch up the group ahead in Prince Street, then saw the first forum group in King William Lane, until I finally caught up with them again at the top of Wells Park Road.

Company at the pub was wonderful, it was great to see so many not-often-encountered people.

Still such a good event.

Lovely ride, even though BN and I started late it was great to spot some folks at the end and the aprés-ride pub was perfect. Well done all

it would have beeen a lot more fun without all those fuckin' cobbles!

HTFU, you northern wuss. :)

@Ludd

lurgy I've had for three weeks

Ah mate tough luck, affected us in my family, hellish fortnight or so shaking it off, happily I was good to ride it.

That was me mate! Found it moments later!

Anyone loose a Castelli Brevet today?
Found it on the road today I I thought someone might want it back.

What a bloody wonderful day . Same again next year.

the old way of laying London cobbles was still visible

Haven't really noticed different bonds (not sure if the bricklaying name applies) but I'd like to.

Canonbie Road (and walk down the other side again, as usual)

I walked down as I only have pieces of wine cork for brakeblocks ...

What a brilliant day as ever. Cheers all for organising and great to see all the usual suspects and then some.

Except that Skully guy. He has an untrustworthy face and smells of malibu.

sat at the cutty sark from 11 till 2 ish watching the riders pass by
what a lovely day out

might actually do the ride next year

Haven't really noticed different bonds (not sure if the bricklaying name applies) but I'd like to.

It's not only a matter of the bonds (many old cobbles are not bonded, just laid very precisely), but also of materials. Granite is far too hard-wearing and will still stand proud when all the bonding has already been washed/scraped out. Older cobbles were made from a mixture of cement and fly ash (a waste product of the coal power industry). They generally wear smooth and are much better to ride bikes over. That material was also cheaper than granite, meaning much larger, less easily shifted setts. You can always see in streets where these still exist how we've lost the art--you only have to look at repairs, which are generally much lower quality/with granite/hard to ride.

Yes really enjoyed the ride, it felt like a summers day, good to wandering around London with other cyclist engaged in the same thing. It was a bit tougher than I thought it might be, but hey got round in my own way. Enjoyed the watching the race too, the pub staff were lovely as well.

Hipster business op : The Real London Cobble Co, making and laying those nice smooth brick like cobbles that are still about.

What an awesome day! I was a lot fitter 2 years ago and struggled up a lot of the hills - but those lager shandies and a calippo lolly at the end made it all worthwhile!
Strong bike tan too.

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Awesome day out, thanks to all who organised. Great route and great to meet some new peeps.

Oliver,
You are sounding off on a subject you have little knowledge of when it comes to cobbles, Bonds is a concept from Bricklaying and as you know (because we were both at the same lecture by Carlton Reid) the majority of London roads were paved with wood up to the Second World War. Cement and fly ash alone would make poor cobblestones, fly ash is generally added to concrete as a cement substitute and as a way to slow the speed of set and heat generated. There is a good website on how paving is laid here

Bonds is a concept from Bricklaying

That was what I was talking about, not the cement/grout whatever in between.

btw Adam was that you who'd been drinking Tyskie at your table?!

sat at the cutty sark from 11 till 2 ish watching the riders pass by

Ah dicki I'd have loved to see yer. I was racing this guy adam trying to accelerate over any cobbles. Also had already stopped at an excellent pub less than a mile earlier, the Dog & Bell. No river view but a top boozer, best on the route.