London Fixed-gear and Single-speed

what a great ride - my 1st one - managed to get a couple of people from work along too - took some low quality video from a flip video thing lashed onto handlebars which i'll post as soon as

I brought far too much food. Someone recommended to bring a lot and I am still eating energy bars and packed noodle salad. Feel absolutely fine today. And Cornelius definitely kept us entertained on the beech (and from falling asleep).

For some strange reason I was really wired when we got to the beach, I was tired obviously but I just couldn't slow down mentally, didn't really sleep/doze until we got on the coach at one. Apologies if I stopped anyone from getting some well earned rest, with my cultural babblings, film quotes and raucous laughing at my own jokes.

Had a bit more time to reflect and moments that stand out are:
playing domestique to brain flick on the way to the feeding station,
deciding that discretion is the better part of valour and acknowledging that I wouldn't be able to keep the pace set by Ma3k and others and falling away off the back to a more sedate and comfortable speed,
riding down country lanes after midnight, with my lights switched off and the moon lighting the way,
being backlit by my friend emile's car like light and seeing the shadow cast by myself huge on the treelined lane in front of me,
riding swiftly along winding lanes with the moon on one side and the rising sun on the other,
the mini echelon/peloton of hippy, jonny, clintsmoker, tommy, and myself riding hard yet smoothly as night changed to day,
hearing morning bird song when I hadn't slept at all,
meeting up with the rest of the forum bods at various corners along the way and feeling really proud and grateful that I knew so many riders/people on the dynamo,
the sense of achievement as I rolled into Dunwich, and looking to see the beach, and that bacon sarnie that Aroogah bought for me, best bacon ever,
the good craic at the beach, on the beach and on the coach on the way home.

All in all good times, good times.
photos at the flickr site, http://www.flickr.com/photos/1162371...7606310812761/

... and some more photos by danDNA

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandna/...7606289514478/

This is the "Dinky" that some of you see about on her recumbant. Say HI, as she'll never mind. She's the same one that rode the weekend before the DD to help check the route, then again did the proper DD, but put out candles to help guide you to the beach.

She's caught here smoking an (ahem) ciggie (look away Stevo, look away). :))

...I see her in streatham with her kid, two up on a recumbant - that's one crazy lady!

Two DD's back to back - impressive stuff!

I was telling Corny last night, that she has her 9 year old daughter jump on behind her, and she honestly treats her recumbant like its a motorcycle. I think she's cycled to Holland before, but that could be misinformation from a magazine article that she was in a few years ago.

Ahh she was on our bus on the way back to London.

...will say hi the next time I see her, and thank her for the "right turn" info after the food stop.

^^
+1. I would have gone straight past it other wise. She's a life saver.

Met her when we were both still couriers......back in the day. She's a laugh, and there's not much she doesn't know about bikes, or cycling. I keep telling her to join the forum, but she doesn't have a single speed, and with the weight she sometimes carries on her recumbant, I don't even think single speed would be a practical solution.

Yeah, Brett and I missed that one. Luckily some people were riding back towards us only 300yds up the road.

We saw her around Sudbury. She was getting a bit of grief from some inebriated locals, all she did was smile and say "jump in, I'll give you a lift".

we got some "gerrof the road you waaaaankers" from the odd passing intellectual motorist but it was all weighed out by the two young high spirited girls sitting on a bench shouting for us to "go left, they went left!" and the middle aged couple in some deserted village saying "good luck!" "have a great ride" and other nice encouraging things.

it's nice to know we have people in england who don't despise cycling, even if it's only a ratio of 10:1

Off topic, I know, but here's what is printed about "Dinky" (Denise Wilson):

http://www.bikefix.co.uk/index.php?u...bsm_code=words
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk/wiki...s?OpenDocument
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/events02/lancaster02.html
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/oldnews/Issue73.pdf
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/oldnews/Issue74.pdf

In the last 2 links, you will even find such mularkey as Aerospoke, Velocity exclusive rims and Penny Farthing Racing! I kid you not.

you must've missed the fading "cunts" at the end of all those

seeing this now, PMSL

On the bike show.

http://thebikeshow.net/

Cornelius, I meant that in the nicest possible way. If you would do stand-up I would buy a ticket. You really are funny, especially in combination with Stompy.

Quality... Roberto Cracks me up!

Well done guy's. Looked like a awesome ride.

here's my video of the ride - as you can see everyone overtook us!
next year might even try it fixed....

love the jazz at the end. works well in cinema effect.
But you are right, the first 2 minutes of being overtaken.. and some where freewheeling.. there must have been a point where you thought about pointing the camera at the hedge or back at you ;)

You See Corny Dancing at 3:55... you can't miss him. just look for that ass ha ha ha

we seemed to be overtaking people all night, some groups/individuals we must have gone past 4 or 5 times! because of our frequent "nature breaks"

mdx, thats an excellent vid. Good work.

thanks - i did it with a cheap and cheerful Flip video, cable tied onto the handlebars, came out suprisingly smooth

RPM's report here: http://www.rollapaluza.cc/?p=68

I've got a write up here.

Hello,
just a quick message to say, really enjoyed reading all your write ups and especially mdx's film, it looks like I remember it. Anyway, will definitely be doing it again next year, hopefully being a little more fit and able to converse...its funny seeing faces from the photos that you saw in person, its a bit like seeing famous people....or those people you see on the bus the whole time and suddenly see them somewhere else and don't know if you know them or not.
Anyway, hopefully it will be as splendid next year!

Sorry, this is a clip for the DD 2007, but I hadn't seen it before today, so I thought somebody else might want to see it. If it was posted already, my bad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0kic...eature=related

Ha, jonny at 3:39.

How about that rain hey?

i remember the cameras and that presenter whose career hasn't gone far in the twenty years since he used to present the local sports news for Central TV. gone down hill some would say