Ride Tomorrow?

Headhuunter

Any of you lovely people in SE London fancy a quick spin tomorrow? Something up to the 60ish miles level although less is fine. I only know one route and have a cr@p sense of direction and just want to ride without having to stop to look at maps. I average 18-19mph usually on a country "club" ride and stop occasionally to take a sip of water, eat a banana etc at the top of hills. So if anyone else is out around Kent and has a sense of direction, knows routes or simply has a Garmin, let me know!

Canny Jock

I may well be - have recently bought a Garmin and spotted a 55 mile-ish route I was going to follow through Kent. I was planning to leave about 8.30ish if that suits? I might lower your average by a mile it two though

bigmat

I might be out tomorrow morning. Will probably head out early and could do a Kent run?

Canny Jock

I'll post a possible route later, what do you think about leaving 8.30ish?

Headhuunter

8.30 could be ok but a little later might be easier where shall we meet? Cafe in crystal palace?

Headhuunter

can we say 9 or 9.30? If that's impossible then 8.30

bigmat

Early start good for me - I need to be home (Beckenham) for 11.30. Can meet at Crystal Palace, or Elmers End roundabout?

Headhuunter

ok. 8.30 elmers end outside the garage - skoda i think. Ok?

Canny Jock

Ok - let me get the route sorted and I'll try and post it in a bit.

ketsbaia

Could well be up for that. I know a few good routes out that way.

However, I might struggle to get to Elmer's End r/a by 8.30am. :shock:

Headhuunter

is 9 or 9.30 better? Better for me. 8.30 is a bit of a shocker on a bank hol mon! Unless the only option

ketsbaia

Know what you mean.

Would feel like getting up for work, or something.

Canny Jock

I could stretch to 9 if that's any help?

ketsbaia

Nine would help, definitely.

Is the roundabout at the end of Elmers End Road/Croydon Road?

Headhuunter

ok. I'll spin by elmers end at 9ish to see who is there. Even 30 mins more in bed would be a help. Just heading back from the pub at the moment

Canny Jock

Here:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UTF8&q ... 16&iwloc=A

Do we all agree on 9? Trying to get a Garmin route sorted, hopefully I'll get it right!

ketsbaia

Nine's fine. I'll be there, assuming the missus doesn't object.

I'll be on the 'dale with a yellow Campag jersey on, if the weather's OK.

Paul E

I'm biking to work and back, that's about all I can do tomorrow, getting paid well for it though

bigmat

9 is fine, might have to head back early depending on how long route is but can figure that out tomorrow.

Headhuunter

ok see you at 9. Should be on a 2007 black focus cayo. Not sure what i'll be wearing!

Canny Jock

I've created a route based on this, but leaving from Elmers End:

http://www.gpsies.com/map.do;jsessionid ... uwatsupjfq

Works out about 51 miles.

ketsbaia

Looks good.

See you in a bit.

Headhuunter

i'm here. Outside skoda garage. Got here a bit early. Getting cold. Anyone coming?

ketsbaia

Well, that was fun. Apart from the puncture at the end of my road. And the total lack of legs. And the myriad mechanical issues. And the getting a bit lost. And the impromptu test of my bike handling skills/brakes a mere mile or so from the finish.

I need to get out much more. All of my Marmotte form has disappeared.

Good to meet everyone, though. Hope everyone else managed to get back without further incident. Will definitely be up for a repeat SE London massive trip out again at some juncture. In the meantime, it's straight back on the turbo for me. Once these aching legs have recovered, that is.

Canny Jock

Hey guys, good to meet you all. Apologies for the poor Garmin navigation skills and cramp/general slowness, I promise to sort both out for next time!


I was rather slow after I left you - even the downhill sections were agony, but got home OK. Even managed to walk again after a few hours

Ben, what happened later?

Headhuunter

yeah good to meet you all. Interesting route, further east than my usual rides. Sorry about the various technical issues with my bike and thanks for the help and k thanks for the tube - sorry to hear about your puncture after you'd given me your spare tube. We should do it again sometime.

Headhuunter

Canny Jock wrote:

Hey guys, good to meet you all. Apologies for the poor Garmin navigation skills and cramp/general slowness, I promise to sort both out for next time!


I was rather slow after I left you - even the downhill sections were agony, but got home OK. Even managed to walk again after a few hours

Ben, what happened later?

After we left you i got another puncture and then when i'd fixed that, that one went as i was inflating it so i had to fix the tube. K almost ran into the back of a volvo which braked sharply whilst passing a bus! Very eventful

Canny Jock

Nightmare!

Here's the track of the route from mine - let me know if you can access it:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/46890698

And to anyone not impressed with the speed - it's my fault!

bigmat

Good ride fellas! Pity I had to cut it short, seemed like we were just getting to the nice bit. Managed to hammer it back home for 11.39, average speed 19.4mph greatly helped by a stretch along the A21 where I was holding a steady 30-32mph for 3 miles or so. I can suddenly see how these time triallists post such impresive times!

ketsbaia

Headhuunter wrote:

sorry to hear about your puncture after you'd given me your spare tube.

No puncture after I left you - the puncture I was on about was the one I got just after I'd left, which is why I was a bit late.

Legs are now fully recovered, which is nice. Clearly not all my fitness has disappeared. As I'm on holiday this week, I'll be heading out that way again a couple of times to see if I can claw back some speed.

Headhuunter

MatHammond wrote:

Good ride fellas! Pity I had to cut it short, seemed like we were just getting to the nice bit. Managed to hammer it back home for 11.39, average speed 19.4mph greatly helped by a stretch along the A21 where I was holding a steady 30-32mph for 3 miles or so. I can suddenly see how these time triallists post such impresive times!

Very good! Yeah I think K and I floated around the 25mph+ level for a while on the burn back into London, but there were a few hills. Generally it was a hilly old route after you left us, we just seemed to go up and up!