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OK, so here's my thoughts on the recce ride. Opinions here are my own unless I say "the consensus was..." or similar:
Lots of pubs in central London are so close together that cycling between them takes mere minutes. Having ~15-20 mins between pubs seems like a decent sweet spot really, although even longer sections are good too.
Once you get sat down in a pub and start having a chat, getting going again was difficult even with just 4 people! Someone will need to crack the whip and make sure that we're not hanging around for the one person who just ordered a fresh pint when everyone else has an empty glass - one drink per stop seems like a good idea.
Bring cash.
Stop for lunch somewhere?
I found the ride surprisingly tiring.
Half pints are probably recommended over full pints - especially for the close-together pubs. Enforcing such a thing in a group is probably nigh-on impossible.
As for the pubs:
The Oakdale was a bit of a let-down, but the distance to get to it gave us a nice run and the route we did was good. It seems quite run-down and there were only two tanks of lizards. It may be better or worse on the last day (depending on exactly how close to drunk dry the place happens to be). I think it should still be included, though. Partly to get some distance and partly because it is still quirky.
The Three Kings, Clerkenwell was closed until 5pm so we skipped it and headed for lunch at the Dovetail. It's Belgian and has enormous burgers but I don't think it should be included on the ride. Mainly because it's quite expensive.
The Toucan everyone else seems to know, but I didn't and I think it's quite wonderfully quirky. In.
The Grenadier I think we generally thought was one of the quirkier central London pubs with some real character. In. It's on cobbles, has poor cycling parking for more than a handful of bikes but I liked it.
The Cask and Glass looked nice enough but it is just another Shepherd Neame pub. It is tiny and it does have bike racks outside though, so I'm not really against it going in.
We stopped at a pub on the way to the Montague. Another Shepherd Neame pub but despite the voluptuous barmaid there wasn't anything really quirky about it.
The Montague Arms looked proper mental quirky, but wasn't open when we arrived there (what, 5:30ish??). There was an advert for something they had on on a Saturday night at 8:30pm though, so it seems that they do at least open on the weekends. Can anyone confirm opening times?
The Gladstone I wasn't too sure about. It's quite quirky, being small and having musical instruments hanging from mirror ball turners on the ceiling. It also has live acts on. I'd be tempted to say leave it out unless others say include it. I think we were all a bit "meh" when we got there, having had a rather abortive trip to Peckham to see a closed Montague and all having plans for later on in the evening so maybe it didn't get a very fair showing.
All in all, the ride totalled around 40 miles I think.
Also, whilst riding around a couple of other places came to mind but I don't think they are really classifiable as pubs, so this will get me in trouble I think:
- Portobello Gold in Notting Hill. It's a bar really, but the interior is stuffed full of plants.
- Roxy Bar & Screen on Borough High St. It's a bar with a cinema screen in the back. Not really anywhere to lock up though and on the 19th they are showing the Six Nations final day. I assume that if people wanted to watch that, they wouldn't be out on their bikes.
- Portobello Gold in Notting Hill. It's a bar really, but the interior is stuffed full of plants.
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cool, will have a proper digest but first reaction is:
Roxy - no. It's definitely a bar, not a pub, and not that special, unless you like expensive bottles (Sierra Nevada, Modelo Negro amongst others). it might be better on a weekend (it's mainly an after-work swagger place) but I suspect only really good if you know they will be showing something a bit special.
rather like the look of Portobello Gold.
did you stop in kennington?
Grenadier sounds great.
Timeout says Montague opens at 7pm - could have to make it the last stop in that case?
I think the Glad only does pies (Pieminster) which pleases me, but it is quite a limited menu...
really want to go to the Salisbury on Green Lanes, but I think it's too close to the Oakdale. just have to make another trip!
remembered the Retro Bar off the Strand, not sure if it quite qualifies as quirky. vaguely music-themed, and a certain... je ne sais quoi. you can drink along the alley so okay for bikes.
the Oakdale is really the point (for me) of doing it this weekend, otherwise it could be whenever... doesn't seem to be that much interest in the ride at the mo though. ho hum.
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Oh, and there's the White House on Green Lanes just next to Clissold park, which has rabbits running around and is a haunt of the late night-East drinks lot (it's open until very, very late).
We didn't go to Kennington, no.
Oh, there's Gordon's Wine Bar next to Embankment tube. It serves many types of port and is quite a bizarre place.
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Bump.Ride is today. Depart 2pm, LMNH.
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pretty well I think. Turnout was small, but they were mostly alright people :)
gladstone was impressive although 3 quid entry cos of bands playing.
Most annoyingly, i got home to find that my internet (yes, my very own personal internet!) is down and my mad IT skillz just aren't enough to fix it.
Weather was lovely, if a bit nippy in the shade/night
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About
Quirky pubs ride - suggestions needed
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@hoonz
Think they might have noticed already ;)