Drome II Drome: From '48 to 2012, join me for a ride to Herne Hill Keirin Fest

This bank holiday Sunday, 25th August, I'm doing a guided ride from Look Mum No Hands to the London 2012 Olympic Velodrome in Statford, down through east London towards the Thames and past a "phantom velodrome", across the river and on to Herne Hill Velodrome in time for their 2nd Annual Keirin Festival. (And who doesn't love Keirin?)

It's about 18 miles, mostly on quiet roads, cycle routes or through parks and will form a sort of cycling site-seeing tour / history trip / chilled out Sunday scenic bike ride.

All the details are over on my blog here and everyone is welcome. It's a fiver a head, with all the money going to the Herne Hill Velodrome Trust's pavilion appeal. It should be a great ride and you might learn something new along the way.

Hope to see some of you there!
Mark

• Start: Look Mum No Hands, 49 Old Street, for an 11AM departure
  
• Finish: Herne Hill Velodrome Keirin Festival, 104 Burbage Road, Herne Hill, SE24 9HE
  
• Costs: £5 to take part in the tour, plus bring your Oster Card / Travel Card or cash for the ferry across the Thames (Adult £3.80, Oyster PAYG £3.42, TfL Travelcard holder £2.50 or buy your ticket in advance here)
  
• What to bring: Plenty of water, snacks, maybe a hat or sunblock, and money to spend at the festival. Shoes for walking in if you wear clips.
  
• Caveat emptor: There will be no Keirin Festival if it rains, therefore the DROME II DROME tour will also not take place if it is raining. Stay tuned to Twitter for meteorological updates. Riders participate at their own risk.
  

Just thinking I should probably have posted this under Rides and Races as oppose to Track - sorry if I screwed the system!

also possibly needs the actual date in the title - I'm reading it as a ride that happened last year

What's this phantom velodrome?

It's this Sunday (2013!) and the weather is looking good, touch wood.

As to the phantom velodrome, read the post, come on the ride and find out for yourself.

(Incidentally there's LOADS of disused tracks around London, when doing the research for this ride I was surprised how many have just disappeared over the years. Would have been so easy for Herne Hill to go the same way)