BBC Centenary 80K Ride

NOTE. Please register on Eventbrite so we can limit numbers, link below.  Also note this is a special Sunday ride starting at 9am.

BBC Centenary 80K. < https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bbc-century-80k-bike-ride-tickets-676636507007 >

Sunday July 23rd. Last October saw the BBC become 100 years old and we did a 60K ride to celebrate with terrible weather and few riders. This is a bigger and better ride round the many sites used by the BBC from its beginning in 1922 to the present.  9 am start at Southwark Needle (S side of London Bridge, near LB Station). 7 hr ride with Werner leading. Stops for coffee and lunch so about 6 hours actual riding. Note on long ride like this it is hard to be certain about duration. Assume in planning that we could take 8 hrs and finish may not be before 5pm. Bring water or sports drinks and snacks. We expect to do the lunch stop at the old TV Centre at White City where you can buy food. But feel free to bring a packed lunch.  Route will include Ealing Studios, BBC Park Western, White City, Riverside Studios Hammersmith, Alexandra Palace, Langham Place, Aldwych and Maida Vale (but not in that order!).  Annotated route map at https://southwarkcyclists.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/BBC101-1.pdf..

This is a considerably longer ride than usual. It also has 530 m of ascending, concentrated in the second half of the ride.  Average speeds will be at our usual modest pace.  But you will need to be able to maintain this for 6 hours with only one long break. Your bike also needs to be ready for the challenge so check it over, sort out any niggles and bring a spare inner tube. Annotated route map attached.   We did a 60K version in April. The weather was dire – you can read all about it at https://southwarkcyclists.org.uk/healthy-rides/healthy-ride-reports-2023/ride-report-19th-april-2023/.