Ride Report July 23rd 2023

BBC 100th Anniversary 80K

This was an anusual ride in being very long (80km) and on a Sunday. Ride leader was Werner who had covered a lot of ground in developing the route. We had tried a 60K version on Easter Monday when there was heavy rain and only 2 riders managed to complete the whole route (Report here). On the 23rd had much better weather and 8 riders turned up, 7 completing the route. Here is Werner’s own account of the ride.

One rider left early. Much better than Easter Monday when there was only one rider left at the finish. She realised in Golders Green that she had other plans and dropped out, not because she was exhausted.

Back in 7h57m, so my recommendation to add an hour to your advertisement was pretty exact. Moving time 04:59:19 (but that doesn’t include stops at lights), last Sunday’s route check was 04:09:54. A 10′ stop at Riverside Studios for a coffee addict and toilet breaks. Around 30′ in Walpole Park as riders spotted cake. It was also social, we saw lots of LCC T-shirts and chatted to Ealing cyclists. That stop messed up the plan, there wasn’t demand for a lunch stop in White City but one or two riders asked for the promised lunch break between Maida Vale and Golders Green. We agreed to postpone it till
Alexandra Palace and spent 40′ at the lakeside.

Pippa had expected a mighty climb to the Palace and was surprised when we got there easily through the backdoor. Not sure whether she wanted to compensate, somehow she turned left instead of right when
we came out of the car park and had to come up that hill again. Undisputed winner of the polka dot jersey. Highgate West Hill may have set a new altitude record for a healthy ride but nobody dropped seriously behind. From there mainly downhill to Camden Palace and Mornington Crescent.

It was a bit strange, most of the riders didn’t grow up with the BBC and may have no idea what the programmes were I mentioned. At least Pippa and Pat lit up at every mention of Dr Who and Blue Peter. But the other riders didn’t need the links to enjoy exploring bits of London they hadn’t known. Hampstead Garden Suburb was off-topic but appreciated.

Annotated route map at https://southwarkcyclists.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/BBC101-1.pdf. Details of most of the stops are in the report from the 60K,Easter ride.