2009-08-22 Sat - The Bridges VII - East to West

http://s566.photobucket.com/albums/ss106/mooshoo2009/

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Good stuff brutha! Knew documentation wasn't far off- the milennium bridge footage is great too- anyone remember that old biddy telling everyone off?

Hi it's Dave from Reading.

Low point was getting a puncture after some cnut decided to throw his pint glass on the road directly in front of me.
highs were;

Drunk Peter's insults at the start
The sound of the millennium bridge
all the guys who waited to help me out at battersea park gates.
The sprint to catch up with the pack.
realizing we were miles ahead and sprinting with the dirty dozen.
Pitch black off-roading.

And yes I was the crazy guy who cycled back to Reading. For anyone who doesn't know; from London the A4 is the flattest straightest bit of road I've known. Plenty of 'safe' RLJ's. Found a shop I could walk in to a buy a nice baguette and a litre of lucozade sport. Nearly got blown over by the occasional mini cab traveling at the speed of sound. Felt like I could have rode forever, only felt the strain on the tiny incline just as you leave Maidenhead- Felt like a mountain.

Got home at 5 with a 30min break, 56 mile rode that day.

good times x

Nice one!

Thanks for organising... really awesome.

Highlights [apart from the whole thing]:
-Donating my bike to Mandela
-Everyone shouting 'DO A SKID' to the local kid wheelie-ing down the road
-Breakaway group speedie-gonalez pace
-Victory Beers at Kew
-Spotting a bunch of fixies locked up at ChinaTown at 3am for refuel
-Perfect weather

I suspect not many ppl have put up photos as this Sunday has been as sunny as sex but here are my 2 cents. They are more captive of the event / how I felt maybe rather than 'good photos'?

photo lolz

I was thinking about doing it back, the reverse route, but no-one I talked to took it seriously, and I wasn't that motivated anyway.

But I was thinking, next time maybe organise a hardcore who cycle back, but do it the opposite way round (so doing the bridges in the same direction, but doing the banks on the other side, so Kew -> Chiswick south side, Chiswick to Barnes north side etc.)

Would anyone be up for that?

that's to be expected when most cyclists have no idea how to ride in a group, fixie skidders are even worse as they seem to more prone to random direction changes. maybe you would be better off on a proper road ride, the stop start nature of city riding and riders with different agendas and some dubious ideas of what constitutes safe riding is always going to mean accidents are more likely to happen.

Its a fair point, but I find group riding on the mean streets of london without brakes is fine. There were just too many people not looking before they cut in to the group from the outside, or passing between people at two faster a speed. One geared pillock near the front at the beginning of the ride with a fluro "hump" was really trying my patience.

It seems the more I ride the lower my opinion of the vast majority of cyclists is.

Miserable arrogant cycling cunt FTW!

Good stuff buzz, more more more!!!

It seems the more I ride the lower my opinion of the vast majority of cyclists is.

There are a lot of bad cyclists out there. The 'look, no hands' chavs are my pet hates

not to gutted, just hurry up and organise a next one!! lol in need of a massive ride now

http://www.londonfgss.com/thread24819.html

;)

Hi it's Dave from Reading.

Low point was getting a puncture after some cnut decided to throw his pint glass on the road directly in front of me.
highs were;

Drunk Peter's insults at the start
The sound of the millennium bridge
all the guys who waited to help me out at battersea park gates.
The sprint to catch up with the pack.
realizing we were miles ahead and sprinting with the dirty dozen.
Pitch black off-roading.

And yes I was the crazy guy who cycled back to Reading. For anyone who doesn't know; from London the A4 is the flattest straightest bit of road I've known. Plenty of 'safe' RLJ's. Found a shop I could walk in to a buy a nice baguette and a litre of lucozade sport. Nearly got blown over by the occasional mini cab traveling at the speed of sound. Felt like I could have rode forever, only felt the strain on the tiny incline just as you leave Maidenhead- Felt like a mountain.

Got home at 5 with a 30min break, 56 mile rode that day.

good times x

Great effort, Dave, and nice to meet you at the end. I didn't hear you were riding back to Reading. Sound effort! Overnight rides FTW.

I was thinking about doing it back, the reverse route, but no-one I talked to took it seriously, and I wasn't that motivated anyway.

But I was thinking, next time maybe organise a hardcore who cycle back, but do it the opposite way round (so doing the bridges in the same direction, but doing the banks on the other side, so Kew -> Chiswick south side, Chiswick to Barnes north side etc.)

Would anyone be up for that?

I would be.

Love these bridge pictures:

And this one, for some reason--really dynamic, despite being blurry:

Blurring makes something dynamic doesn't it? Dynamism is movement and a blur indicates movement.

I like the smiling face in the middle of the blurring

My bike having a well earned rest
http://static.londonfgss.com/memberpics2829-albums744-picture4516.jpg
All my other pic's were crap, must take flash with me next time...

Oliver: perfect example of how to use the multi-quote function there! :P
Nice to see you briefly last night.

There are a lot of bad cyclists out there. The 'look, no hands' chavs are my pet hates

I ride a lot with no hands to give them, and my backside, a rest. But I can control a bike perfectly well without holding on (as on the last turn into Kew), and I always look over my shoulder when changing course.
for the record I thought the speed was fine there was a nice steady pace and a few good fast runs. a nice mix. I didn't think we stopped too much. I wish I'd bought more beer in putney when we were waiting for the peloton to arrive though!

to whoever it was who mentioned it, I'm afraid some of the people in the advance group had done all the bridges by the way. Not me mind you.

BRIDGES EIGHT BABY. I cant Wait!!!

My bike having a well earned rest
http://static.londonfgss.com/memberpics2829-albums744-picture4516.jpg
All my other pic's were crap, must take flash with me next time...

This is lovely, almost surreal. What a strange effect.

Blurring makes something dynamic doesn't it? Dynamism is movement and a blur indicates movement.

I like the smiling face in the middle of the blurring

I do, too. I think what I like the most about this one is the composition. You can take any number of blurred pictures anytime, but getting the balance interesting is something else. Disclaimer: I'm not a photographer by any stretch of the imagination, I just go by what I like.

Oliver: perfect example of how to use the multi-quote function there! :P
Nice to see you briefly last night.

Nice to see you, too, Harry! What multi-quote function? I don't think I used that anywhere?

And this one, for some reason--really dynamic, despite being blurry:

wow, awesome shot! just show this to anyone who asks "why would you ride through london at midnight..?"

EDIT:
show them this one also:

Yeeeeah mumbles real nice shot- also oliver's blurry pick- great perspective...

Yeeeeah mumbles real nice shot- also oliver's blurry pick- great perspective...

'Mumbles' is someone other than 'Mumbler'. ;)

NB not my picture! I merely saw it on flickr or somewhere. (I've already forgotten who took it. Poor form.)

• goes off to look *
  

'Mumbles' is someone other than 'Mumbler'. ;)

NB not my picture! I merely saw it on flickr or somewhere. (I've already forgotten who took it. Poor form.)

• goes off to look *
  
  

Ok, so my colloquialism of your alias is thus invalid... Ok mumbleR, and yeah, I saw that flick somewhere else too but kinda just breezed past it, never took in it's merit til
it was pointed out...

This was my first social ride since the vintage jersey 01, and that was a too long time ago!!!

Fantastic time!! Thanks to the organisers!

Szia

Loic