London Fixed-gear and Single-speed SJS Cycles

We did occasionally lose people hence me shouting most of the time, "wait up!" to no avail.
A group missed out Southwark Bridge by going Straight to Blackfriars on the South. Another group missed the Millennium Bridge by turning down that death tunnel North and went to Blackfriars.
I had though after Blackfriars Bridge we had caught up with everybody.

Yup, that's my point:
You can't see because of the bike traffic, a group of us didn't know of the detour because there's zero chance anyone could've shouted it all the way back, and seriously... slowing or holding up 150 people when a puncture or incident occurs isn't the best thing, it only takes a few people to help out in almost any incident, and for the vast majority of incidents it's just going to be a case of "too many cooks".

So what I'm saying is, can we get over this idea that no-one will be left behind and that we need to ride as one huge group. It's neither practical or safe.

There's no doubt other rides started small, the Dunwich Dynamo was originally a few people who would of course have ridden together and helped each other. And now it's a "leave when you want, go at your own pace". Of course this a league away, but it shows the evolution from the "one group" to "a constant stream". We're not that big, so I'm proposing something halfway... a known start place and time, but to purposefully and deliberately let the group of riders become a stream of riders, and then to only regroup halfway-ish for a major photo/break and then to again let the group become a stream before congregating again at the end.

All told a funny night.
Fortunate as we were with the weather and even the 3(?) punctures we had were remedied quickly.
Thanks to everybody for the photos and videos.
To those that got in mishaps I wish you all a speedy recovery.

Well there is always the next ride to hone our organisational skills.

No way, I mean most people could probably have sprinted large sections of that, but larking about was the fun for me.

I'd love to see 100+ attempting something like Brighton as a pack, that'd be wild.

Also, being forced to ride together forced people together socially. If it was each to their own, you'd just group off with people you knew wouldn't you?

brighton night ride?

Greetings,
Just wanted to say thanks a lot for a great ride. This was my second and once again liked the vibes. Good to put more faces to internet names and thanks to Andre, Jim and Martin for the ride back homewards.
Until the next one.
Peace and Love,
Tim

I was one of the riders that missed Trafalgar Square (real shame) and was waiting on Vauxhall Bridge. It was still a fantastic ride and I loved it, cheers MA3K for all your work. When are you starting the list for next year?

Wow - that looks special.

Looked out for you on the way home from my night, ready for an epic Do A Skid shout-out, but no luck.

Next time...next time.

Same here...
I think it was a setup because they didn't have a lens wide enough to fit me in that group shot. ;)

London to Brighton in the dark is the FUTURE!!

Would take some serious planning but I think there'd be enough enthusiasm (and expertise) for it

is stupid, some big fuck-off hills!!

I'd like to make one request for next time.
Let cars pass you when you can.
If you are in a big group at the front spreading across two lanes and holding a bunch of cars and vans up, as happened a few times then the people behind you are forced to breathe in their exhausts for miles. If you let them past then everyone gets cleaner air.

a Brighton ride day or night would be amazing. Think seriously about this Idea. I'll be the first to sign up!

Fun ride, cheered me up a lot. Thanks.

+1 on letting cars past when it makes sense - this isn't critical mass...

I was with the group who headed back east via Notting hill - sorry to anyone we dropped going up the hill (no idea why we went that way). Waited a bit at the top, but perhaps not long enough. Hope anyone left behind made it home ok.

moth

Definitely! Set off during the day walk around Brighton for a bit then head back after dark, this would be a fantastic ride.

Thanks all for a super smashing night and fix up quick all those folk who had to much of a smashing night.

For the record I'd just like people to to know that my bike handling skill are premier league and that for that rolling stoppy/endo I was always in complete control ;-O

Good work Build n BMMF heading up the charge on the way home at a very pleasant pace. I was almost tempted to not split of a Roseberry Ave.

Was that you that went up the 2 stair by the Ship?

I've no idea where the ship is but if you mean was it me that gracefully popped up a 2 set of steps cresting which upon my front wheel with a look of placid serenity on my boat race that was me Duncan.

+1.
The only danger is the more into the countryside you get the more acceptable it is to drive a tracker pissed out of our mind. That said it would be wicked. Quite a few people know the route by now and I recon it would be possible to leave in time to catch the sunrise, and early trains home if the weather stops beach frolics.
Anyone fancy it early Dec?Maybe start a poll for a date?

Haha! Sorry Tim, didn't know your forum name. It was a thing of beauty . . . so was the look on your face when your rear wheel touched down!

it was at The Ship . and i wish i had a camera ready for that. priceless

All I heard was 'Yeah I can make that' then turned round to see Mr Tiles rolling about 5ft along the ground on just his front wheel with that 'Oooooh Shit' look on his face. Classic.

Actually, there was one just on Friday, organised by the good folks over at CTC Cheam and Morden via ACF:

http://www.anothercyclingforum.com/i...?topic=51278.0

I found it surprisingly manageable, although I rode geared and during the daytime, along the route of the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run two weeks ago:

http://www.londonfgss.com/thread12197.html

Only two major uphills and two fast downhills really, and you can always avoid Ditchling Beacon by doing Clayton Hill. This route was mainly fast A roads.

And start a list for who's keen? I certainly am.

Fantastic night.
Great to see so many old and new faces.
Gutted we missed the Mil Bridge waiting like we were first at Charing X.
Great ride back east too apart from when I crashed from lack of food, lost everyone and had to refil at a dodgy hotdog vendor in Leicester Sq.

Roll on the next...

Ahh, so that's what happened. I saw the fallout from it and decided to post myself there sideways as a marshall - sorry to anyone else that fancied having a go at it!

Great ride all round guys, far too many people to thank but here's a few that sttod out:

jonny mack, obviously.
bmmf for being real fast and totally unhipster
ray and pajams for the beer baton fail right in front of me
brm for helping me get stoned as a mofo at kew green
everyone who rode back central from kew - that was some sweet riding and we got some great cheers.
the really pissed up kid at kew who kept shouting "is it some kind of bike party?" before falling over.

Lots more. bright times.

some of the West drinks crew met a guy last Thursday who takes part in the ACF rides to the coast.

they are on hiatus until March 09, but happen on the Friday night closest to a full moon and are set up to be at a leisurely pace arriving by the sea in time to get a cooked breakfast and watch the sunrise.

the guy we met said we should be welcome to join in (though knowing the lfgss more likely gatecrash) their rides.

so many good memories its all got a bit muddled in my head: bagels, hundreds of people asking "are you doing this for charity?", the incredible pleasure of me and finally finding a toilet after two hours of watching men pissing off bridges...

my favourite bit was the tourist couple trapped at the end of the millennium bridge between two never-ending streams of hollering cyclists - they looked like they had never seen anything so exciting :)

thanks jonny, thanks everyone who gave me booze. ace, ace night.

Marshall?
You dared me to try and jump it, when I went past!:)

Good work on the spliffery, Mash/Snowy - I thought I may have gone past the point of no return with the weed at Kew, but I got home, hehe.

Some nice shots by my neigbour Roman (White Blue Red Bob Jackson)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/romansk...7609273190241/

Hey Vinyl...is Roman czech by chance? I know him I think. Tell Him nice pics
(scottish pete) if it is him

I went on the one to Whitstable in October.

Yes, there is a winter break now, I should have mentioned that.

Actually, Simon Legg (organiser) will require you to register with him beforehand, and I think you do have to be an LCC or CTC member (not sure I remember that right, though). This is to some extent to assist with marshalling and to ensure the ride doesn't lose anyone. The group stays together, not all the time, but there are regular waiting stops to allow slower riders and the backmarker to catch up. Very unlike Dunwich Dynamo or Exmouth Exodus. Ad hoc marshals mark every junction turn-off. It made for very slow progress to Whitstable but worked very well.

I'm down with whatever rides involve night time and a bit of distance.

Someone say list? =D

1.mmccarthy

I actually had fun doing that repair! the one I had later didn't go so smooth. brand new tube exploded after installation and so had to repair my battered up old tube! loving your argos man. I really don't remember being on my phone?? beer, fixed gear, bad idea. panda shandy for the next ride I think!

FT made it but I think it was Slamm who came a cropper.
Nice work tho Marshall Mashton!

But what we're all asking ourselves is how?

Divine intervention?

slamm wasn't riding.. don't get me started again on poor slamm's Saturday night...

*sniff*

Fixed!

yep I was gonna say he wasn't there... why Jamas, what happened to him?

heres a how to vid from some mad Italian roadies

http://www.magicotempe.com/video.asp?ID_VIDEO=8

That was an impressive tube change. DVDA indeed! Haha.

i've heard rumors of a broken lo-pro.

Brilliant ride - the sea of twinkling lights through central London and an almost wobbling bridge won't be forgotten in a hurry. Thanks to whoever organised it. I'm the guy who bumped into a few of you at the Crabtree the other night so thought I had to come along after such a sociable introduction. The Friday Brighton night ride, Ditchling at 6am and no sleep wasn't the ideal preparation though. There were only two of us fixed on that ride, so walking the Beacon wasn't an option in terms of credibility. By coincidence, the other was a veteran of a couple of previous LFGSS rides who was gutted at missing out on the Bridges foray, but had a pre-booked ticket to Hull for Saturday afternoon.

A night ride to Brighton wouldn't be that difficult to manage, Even Rapha managed it (sort of). The key seems to be to have a few people who know the route, use back and front markers and stop every now and then to regroup. Not that different from Saturday. An easy pace is best as nothing is open for breakfast until about 7am anyway. With a midnight start the timing is about right. We also did a half way coffee stop at Gatwick which gets you out of the cold for a bit. I'm in for the first one - hills are way easier at night

You are meant to register for the monthly Friday rides, but you don't have to be a member of anything. Its just to make sure he doesn't lose anyone in the middle of nowhere which seems fair enough. Apparently they have been running for 3 years, I've done about five this year, and the numbers have hit 60 or 70 a couple of times with no problems regrouping and keeping it together. Maybe worth signing up for the March ride to see how they go.

balmain the clothes company or balmain the suburb of sydney?

DVDA it was!!
I think beer and bikes is a dram combo.. although a 4 hour 40K might be at odds with that statement.

Balmain the Sydney suburb - lived there for four years, still not sure why I left.