2012-06-20 - Midsummer Madness, Cutty Sark to Primrose Hill

Anyone doing this? S.E and S people especially. I'll be there beer in hand for a trundle.

Nice way to see in the longest day if you're not on one of the long rides.

http://www.southwarkcyclists.org.uk/social.shtml#Midsummer

I'll be doing this one.
Cider in hand.
Trying to round up a few more.

Does it start 2am on Sunday morning (Saturday night)? Do you need to call before or just show up?

Yep Sunday morning, just turn up.

This might be good practice for the Brighton night ride as I don't often do night rides.

This might be good practice for the Brighton night ride as I don't often do night rides.

It's an extremely short ride and won't give you much practice--although you might get more used to staying up overnight. :)

I was going to do this ride.

I was even going to do the Lewisham Peaks Ride, but things went pear shape.

I think it's Barry who's leading the ride (he who sorts out the Dunwich Coach tickets). But don't expect it to be a fast one.

This sounds great!

I'll be doing this ride tonight but starting over at Brick Lane rather than Greenwich, details below.

It would be nice to meet some people from here. If you spot someone tall on an old red Raleigh Team Europa (full gears on this one) then please say hello.

Marco

Meet at Beigel Bake, Brick Lane E1 6SB
Ride to Primrose Hill to watch the sun come up on the longest day. After stocking up with beigels (Beigel Bake is open 24 hours) we will first ride to London Bridge for 2.30am to meet up with cyclists from all over the capital before heading off to Frith Street in Soho for a coffee stop. Finally, all will ride up to Primrose Hill to watch the sunrise at 4.43am.

Brick lane is better for me than greenwich. I'll be there. 2am?

Woke up 1 hour late but caught the group up on Regents park outer circle. I heard someone moaning that they couldn't make it up the hill because the only had one gear.

FAIL.

The best bit was the chap who ran alongside us all the way from bar italia. Richard was his name.

Oh and his friend who turned up a while later without any shoes on!

Woke up 1 hour late but caught the group up on Regents park outer circle. I heard someone moaning that they couldn't make it up the hill because the only had one gear.

FAIL.

It wasn't me! Just saying.

Woke up 1 hour late but caught the group up on Regents park outer circle. I heard someone moaning that they couldn't make it up the hill because the only had one gear.

FAIL.

I did that when I did this ride. In my defence, it was the first time I had ridden single speed and had no idea what I was doing. My attempts at a long run up were thwarted by someone who started tacking at the bottom of the hill.

What a great night. It was nice to meet a couple of people from here as well as fellow cyclists from all over London.

There were plenty of highlights; the punch-up at the top of Brick Lane just as we were about to set off, the feeling of safety and control you get (and the buzz) when there's 200 odd of you together on bikes, the dodgy right turn at Trafalgar Square, pedestrians shouting "where are you all going" and someone shouting back "Stonehenge", the flash mob we all created and the traffic chaos that ensued when we stopped for a drink on Old Compton Street, traffic free Regents Park ring road and a traffic free ride home through London being just some of them.

I saw a few people taking photo's and vids - if anyone spots them on the internet then please post the links up as I'd love to see them and re-live the moment. The ones I took were on top of Primrose Hill on a crap camera phone, so really not much use to anyone but here you go

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39737451@N06/sets/72157620216910422/

Finally, thanks to the organisers!

Marco

This year's Midsummer Madness is on a Tuesday night - Tuesday 21 June: Always magic about. Meet 2am Cutty Sark Gardens or 2.30am Southwark Needle (south end of London Bridge), or 3am Bar Italia in Froth Street...for an easy paced ride under the dawn chorus of Regents Park to the top of Primrose Hill in good time for the 4.43am sunrise. Then back through the quietest West End streets you've ever seen to a north Southwark cafe for breakfast around 6am. Then work or whatever...who's coming?

I did it last year...it was fun...apart from the crappy weather. And I nearly got on the guardian bike podcast. Or I would have if the loopy journalist hadn't 'lost' my footage...

I did it last year...it was fun...apart from the crappy weather. And I nearly got on the guardian bike podcast. Or I would have if the loopy journalist hadn't 'lost' my footage...

shame about the journo!
and yeah, not great when the weather's crap but always pretty special.
weekend ones are best though as they pull a bigger crowd.

If I can get the next day off work, this sounds like a well nice ride! Really don't have the stamina these days to stay up all night and make it through a day at work the next day.

But weekday ones are a great excuse not to do any work the next day. Which is what I did.

Would probably be worth turning up with the spok and track gearing just to see the look on Barry Mason's face.

Bar Italia in Froth Street...

Hehe. :)

^ true that. Not heard of this before, sounds good. Will try to make sure I'm not working that Wednesday.

Gona possibly do this on Late Shift
So looking good.

In!

Thanks MM.