The Cobblemonster 2018

Few bruises but they will heal (as well as my Rapha)

Proper brilliant day.

I'll write something better tomorrow. Watching golf now!

I had SUCH a good day yesterday. Thanks so much to everyone I rode with and to everyone I hung out with at the Jamm. 10/ 10 day, the rain didn't dampen our spirits!

Thanks for another brilliant edition @Dave_Cobblemonster!

@almac68 - speaking with the venue later. Dont recall seeing anything on our final sweeps but we'll see.

Thanks to all for making it out into the rain, which hopefully made it more epic! Thanks also for you donations to The Evelina.

And well done to @mashton for winning the frame, totally appropriate that a FG frame goes to this forum.

Pics up when I get them from the Scotsman.

Needless to say I had a lovely time and great to see everyone and good to meet @Hamham! Chuffed that I got some Chicken this year too! happy days. Thanks to @Dave_Cobblemonster , BC and Jamm for putting on and hosting a great event.

When I got on the bike and rolled out yesterday morning, the drizzle was cold and I wondered if I was in for a bit of a grind of a day. I couldn't have been more wrong.

I actually had one of the most fun bike days I've had in ages.

I've not ridden the London Classic before (sorry I just can't say cobblemonster) and it was a great introduction. Set off from BC just before ten in a group of old and new faces. Amazing to be riding with @edmundro again as well as @cornelius_blackfoot, @cake and loads of others. Soon caught up by @smiff who had dressed for the occasion. I believe he has invented the concept of the wishful thinking gilet.

I loved the pavé sections, with lefty Dave always ready with the hammer, if not the imminent next turn. Good riding fella!

Scotch Egg at the Cutty Sark was delicious and not even the arrival of the rain proper could dampen our spirits. Onward to the hills!

Everyone rode them with aplomb, even the evil combination of hill plus cobbles plus vegetation, in the much discussed new section. Quite the challenge. Not sure where it was, but it might as well have been Penge. To make it even better, we were soon joined by @Skülly to complete the dream team.

As usual, Canonbie was a huge test. I know it well and made a break off the front so that I could ascend it on my own, creating an Alpe d'Huez hairpin path up the North Face. Chuffed to make it to the top in time to hop off and video my compadrés arriving.

A couple more small bumps (ahem) and we were descending our way to Jamm, via the obligatory motorist altercation.

Jamm were perfect hosts and one of the bouncers even let me smuggle in some Nanny State, taking pity on my teetotal soul. The chicken smelled great, the big screen worked nearly flawlessly and the raffle was a dramatic joy to behold. Obviously the best man won.

Thank you so much to all of you for being amazing, but particularly to @Dave_Cobblemonster and the team.

Dang, just checked and the Canonbie Summit video wasn't actually recording. I blame hypoxia.

Ah, and also, mega props to @Cazakstan for stuffing surly forks into my jersey pocket and to @Skülly for shepherding me home with a Steamroller wrapped around my torso.

thread needs moar photos :)

ha. I was about to ask to see this.

Top day mate.

Here's some pics shamelessly stolen from @Mikey5000

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Nice pics @Mikey5000!

Just one more shout out to make, to my bike. I rode the route fixed on 46/20 and the Freddie Grubb was a joy to be astride. That bike just keeps in making me smile, even if 40 year old brake technology plus rain and diesel down Shooter's Hill was a bit exciting.

She skidded, track stood and even skitched her way around and is now well and truly a forum bike. Chapeau.

#coolrunnings

@mashton the secret mossy new pavé bit is in SE13, a strangely hard to name quarter that is somewhere between downtown Lewisham, Ladywell (friends such as @absurdbird who live there are adamant they are NOT in Ladywell) and St Johns, (which is the parish of the church you pass just before on Lewisham Way).

It is (certainly) NOT Penge.

By the way @absurdbird, what happened to you? Rain put you off I guess?

Is it me or is dunc looking more and more like the Mighty Emperor Ming?

@mashton that isn't Shooter's Hill, it's called Blackheath Hill, and I think it's way too busy and scary to be on this route really. (Shooter's is about two miles east of there). Yesterday I avoided that bit of route and picked my way around Blackheath and through Lewisham to rejoin the route around the last bit of pavé.

I came here for sexy pics of @Skülly .. where are they?!

I can see the head gear choice was the Nitto cap but did he carry spares? What was the beret situation?

Reported for bullying^. Don't go all wigan will on me

Conversely I enjoyed that bit. but I love hooning it down wet hills in traffic. Dulwich bit was a highlight too. Most of ther ride was basically Penge.

Either way. thought it was all rad.

hah

It is (certainly) NOT Penge.

In joke whooosh.

isn't Shooter's Hill, it's called Blackheath Hill,

Yeah, I should have known that. I also remarked that there must be a better route.

@mashton

In joke whooosh.

Oh dear I feel small, like the uncool kid at school.

Had a great time, got home, cooked dinner and then promptly fell asleep on sofa, after eating a couple of mouthfuls and feeing super full...Missus wasn’t happy.

Proud of myself for grinding up the hills, after being off the bike for about a month, enjoyed the chat and the drinks and the smoke (thanks @edmundro ) and just the all round forum goodness. Still fun to roll around as a massif with the forum fam.

An edited selection of the 5 photos I took.

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last one is great for the forum book