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@bq
Phil, I was discussing this with Oliver in the pub. I've thought about this some more, and I think the reason there were so many stops is simply that the average pace was about 5-7mph too fast, so you kept a) having to stop for the slower ones to catch up, and b)having to stop because you kept losing people, and then had to go back and find them.
This was supposed to be a social ride, rather than a club run. The right pace for a social ride is about 12mph, with an average of about 10mph. For those of us who don't escape London that much, that average is about the most you can do across town with all the traffic, so that's where everyone's fitness level is at.
Now I did every mile you did, more or less as fast, but you young freaks with your energy and no arthritis might be able to zoom about at 20mph all day but that pace all but ruined the ride for me.
There should have been a proper stop at the first pub that we passed for a quick refresher, and probably 2 more after the pub we did stop at. If we had stopped for a drink in Chigwell I very much doubt that Ilias would have crashed. I was right behind him and the guy was running on empty and zoning out before he crashed.