2012-04-01 - The London Classic

not enough hills.

Do another lap?

Epic suffering value of this picture: 0

Epic suffering value of this picture: 3

Epic suffering value of this picture: 9.8

Do another lap?

did Gipsy hill twice before going in. now on sofa with tea.

That was fantastic. Couldn't have wished for better ride partners than skully, olc and zebra cyclist. (and David not-on-the-forum). Marco - what happened to you @ canonbie? The view from the top there was amazing - worth the grunt up.

Thanks for leading us, mostly, the right way Adam. Si - hope your stigmata heal up!

Lovely to see the rest of the forum for beers in the sun, but lunch and family called. Final few miles home were a bit stiffer...

lovely ride, wonderful weather.

Many thanks to the organizers, who did a great job.

Nice seeing a few peeps on Comercial Rd this morning. Lovely day for it. Never heard of this ride before, will have to check it out next year.

Had great fun, weather was glorious. Nice to ride with the south easts crew. Laner, cupcakes, fox, and fussballclub. Nice to meet up with dropout, olly398??? Samuelson and others.
Suffered up canonbie, there will be photos of me trudging up it. But apart from that was golden.

Congratulations to dropout for winning the all city frame, couldn't have happened to a nicer man, or one in more need of a geared frame to build up. He may now have to get out on his grupetto painted bike, on grupetto rides.

Will do again...

That was fantastic. Couldn't have wished for better ride partners than skully, olc and zebra cyclist. (and David not-on-the-forum). Marco - what happened to you @ canonbie? The view from the top there was amazing - worth the grunt up.

Thanks for leading us, mostly, the right way Adam. Si - hope your stigmata heal up!

Lovely to see the rest of the forum for beers in the sun, but lunch and family called. Final few miles home were a bit stiffer...

absolute pleasure riding with you mate! hands will be fine, i've antiseptic'd them (much more painful than any of the hills). cheers skully for the milk bottle patch!

Nice seeing a few peeps on Comercial Rd this morning. Lovely day for it. Never heard of this ride before, will have to check it out next year.

you will. this was my first time and i will be back for more

Had great fun, weather was glorious. Nice to ride with the south easts crew. Laner, cupcakes, fox, and fussballclub. Nice to meet up with dropout, olly398??? Samuelson and others.
Suffered up canonbie, there will be photos of me trudging up it. But apart from that was golden.

Congratulations to dropout for winning the all city frame, couldn't have happened to a nicer man, or one in more need of a geared frame to build up. He may now have to get out on his grupetto painted bike, on grupetto rides.

Will do again...

good news, i'd left by then. and good to see you and your riding party at the pub.

i went earlier than most but it was nice to see the forum arrive at the pub in dribs and drabs, think i spoke to most of you. even passed latecomer oliver schick on my way home

thanks cobblemonster and brixton cycles, top top day

Great ride - thanks to everybody who made it possible and those who came along. The owner of the Gipsy Tavern looked like he'd never been happier in his life.

I ended up only taking pictures of Canonbie Road and they all look exactly the same as Dammit's, only with 100% less Digger so I don't think I'll bother posting them.

I prolly shouldn't be here as I'm neither fw or ss but hey-ho, I had a fab day today and rode in great company along well-thought-out routes - what's not to like?

Big up and thanks to the organisers - I've got a good idea of how much effort that takes - and it worked like clockwork, guys, clockwork.

Digger, I'm the bloke in the blue Assos 851 top you asked 'Who are you waiting for?' just before the owner of the RED Poghliani (sp?) turned up - pleasure to make your acquaintance.

A stonking day out....

^joined 1 April 2012. Number of posts: 1

that made me smile, someone met some forum types on a ride, and it was a positive experience so they joined. welcome Jurek

^joined 1 April 2012. Number of posts: 1

that made me smile, someone met some forum types on a ride, and it was a positive experience so they joined. welcome Jurek

Cheers, mate - I'm usually to be found in one or two other fora - but today was a very (as you say) positive experience for me - really buzzed up from it :)

Cheers, mate - I'm usually to be found in one or two other fora - but today was a very (as you say) positive experience for me - really buzzed up from it :)

Oh, and the other thing was the overwhelming feeling of being amongst friends..... it's all good.

Echoing all the good things said about today, it was fantastic. Nice to see so many faces. Thanks esp to my riding buddies Dogpants, Dropout (congrats!) and Sam. Nice to meet TheorySwine, Yasi, Hoefla, Katy b/p? (soz) and many others!! Can the rest of life be made up of days like this please? x

looks great.. next year!

Echoing all the good things said about today, it was fantastic. Nice to see so many faces. Thanks esp to my riding buddies Dogpants, Dropout (congrats!) and Sam. Nice to meet TheorySwine, Yasi, Hoefla, Katy b/p? (soz) and many others!! Can the rest of life be made up of days like this please? x

Echo this and all of the above. Great day with good people. London ain't never looked so lovely!

Olly, I believe I owe you a pint via Dogpants. I won't forget.

That was fantastic. Couldn't have wished for better ride partners than skully, olc and zebra cyclist. (and David not-on-the-forum). Marco - what happened to you @ canonbie? The view from the top there was amazing - worth the grunt up.

Thanks for leading us, mostly, the right way Adam. Si - hope your stigmata heal up!

Lovely to see the rest of the forum for beers in the sun, but lunch and family called. Final few miles home were a bit stiffer...

Hi All

Really great ride and thanks for the groups I tagged along with. Villa, sorry I went missing on Canobie, my legs were giving up so I took the side road half way up and made it to the top on gentler climbs, I couldn't face getting off and walking past those kids!

Cardigan (Ian?), hope you heal up fast and same to the lady on the blue bike.

Marco

simon actually :)
we waited a while at the top of canonbie for you and to take in the view. then other riders came up and said they hadn't passed anyone on the hill so we moved on. was looking out for you at the pub but no spot. nice to meet you

Could just repeat what was said above but want to say it myself: great ride, great organisation, superb sunshine and I've never been happier walking away from a raffle where I've won fuck all. Nice one Dropout.

Total pleasure to ride with the Flanders Shenaniganza crew and our two bonus rides - you were all fabulous. Of course great to see all other associated forumgers out there. I have to say I feel like a million dollars after that ride, which equates to roughly £740,000.

no walking this year*! go me!

• as last year, admired canonbie from both ends but did not attempt.
  
  

also, absolutely love the timing this year - passing a Palm Sunday procession on brixton rd, more Palm Sunday related gatherings in clerkenwell, a sunny jumble sale in LMNH (and prolonged cake stop), goats, trousered chickens and icecream in rotherhithe, Zippo's Circus and powerkiting on blackheath among other attractions enroute. Also loved that both Maze Hill and Pepys Rd had an icecream van positioned at the top...

lovely leisurely day, all in all. good company with Yas and TheorySwine, and seeing several more forumites at the pub, when we finally got there.

That was terrific fun, thank you Team Flanders, a pleasure to meet and ride with you

A few reminders:

Cobbles

More cobbles

And a few more...

Canonbie beacon

A very happy Dropout

A very very happy Dropout

So many people I didn't manage to see or say hello to! Argh. What a day; definitely overwhelmed by what a good social experience it was.

yeah totally missed you!
funny, just as we set off Yas said "well, at least no-one's back yet"... less than 100m down the road we see the first 3 returning...
on my way there in the morning I did see a group in Loughborough Junction with BlueFleet at the rear, and then another group while I was waiting to cross Gipsy Hill having missed the turning, with Jana at the rear.

Bloody marvellous event, so glad I took part.

Highlights:
Guy on fixed Genesis (Mark?) who I offered to help stop when his chained jumped off going down College Road: like his mates said, how the fuck was gonna do THAT?

COBBLES.

A COUPLA LITTLE HILLS.

Chatting to ZebraC most of the ride, sorry Adam.

Seeing lots of friends en route, riding with some for a bit, some for a lot. Great to meet new people, yeah natch innit.

Not walking up anything thangyouvermuch on 49x19.

Patching up OneLessCardigans hands with my emergency boot patch and a length of magic bondage tape stuff.

Bloody great atmosphere at the pub after, seeing lots of later-riding people coming in.

But most of all:

Thanks to TLC/cobblemonster and all the people who made it happen for all your work, all the donors and riders.