I only ever seem to see pictures of Bromley Riders sitting about in pubs - need to do turned into an opportunity to investigate last Saturday.
I trailed through the suburbs making my way to Barnet - direction Essendon. This seems a nice place to play bicycles, with undulations galore en route to Hertford.
I wasn't expecting to do Herford -Newport in 50 minutes...it's just that I carried my own raincloud and pulled in for 15 minutes, earlier, to let the worst pass. It was a wind and rain and sun mix-up morning.
I had a particular desire to route myself through Much Hadham - a 'Henry Moore moment' has been on my agenda for a while and it was nice to do this, thanks to my new GPS.
The countryside was wearing the 'Yellow Jersey' of a springtime classic.
I also found myself going over a ford for the first time (unless you count the night with Fifi Lamour in the car park of Old Pelotonians RFC circa 1980 - utilising the bonnet of her Escort Mk1)
Anyway, digress ye not, I had to slow down after passing this sign, and eventually arrived at the start - a "few minutes late."
Dialled in Ian's course to follow - the starting point was a couple of streets away...novice thoughts ensued but I was on my way after a walnutbreak and sustenance. 90-odd kms to the start of this Ride so far.
At one point I was tempted to cut across the map and head off the main party at Thaxted but, wanting to play GPS, I decided to follow the exact route - it was only fair - and reached Debden. A pretty village and displaying pargetting on a majority of the buildings.
How to make a statement...
and how to make a statement appropriately!
(cropped to straighten the view)
And lo! I bumped into the very kind arallsopp and ilovebikes who had shown concern and formed a search party. Nice. In fact, very Andy.
Lovely to meet up with these guys and we set off - 'fairly briskly' is apt - to catch the others. No chance. They could have been anywhere, hidden in one of hundreds of pubs - all disguised as houses. We pressed on, communication by telephonic means was employed and eventually we found ourselves way past the main group! ilove bikes, having gone all week with just one slice of Ryvita, was in danger of eating the marmite jar on arallsopp's shirt, so we stopped at the Three Horseshoes. Interestingly, the barmaid was the Guinness Book of Records champion slow server. Nighttime fell, and once again the rescue party came to find me. I pressed button B on my Garmin toy and we returned to lunchtime. Brilliant device!
Cycling fuel - "c'est necessaire" - as they don't say in France. Coupled with that other important balancing agent;
vital fat, vital salt, and vital carbs.- presented in interesting edible form.
During lunch, the assembled velocists were treated to a treatise on "The bendiness of bananas and recumbent riding posture."
You either loved it or you hated it - even though he tried to make the banana a peeling...
We saddled up, rode a bit and then stopped.
Gratuitous shot of my bike casting a shadow - to late for the 'photo challenge' - as usual...
And so we finished. At Audley End was another beginning. The pub, the platform and the return to Londres.
We were off again. Katie came along as the token woman (Why can't we just use money like everyone else?) No. I joke - she did well battling the headwind which became very persistent. She kept pace up to Sawbridgeworth where the train became her friend - well done Katie...a big effort up all those slopes that Ian slipped in for his return 'downhill to London'!
We stopped for a quick walnuts and ilovebikes threw a few shapes as practice for the dancefloor later that evening...
The cast-iron, non-eating, non-drinking Burak looked on. He thought he had seen it all. He hadn't. We were headed for Ponders End, Tottenham, Stamford Hill...man, he was in for a culture shock! "Is this London?" was his polite enquiry as yet another rabid potato grunted his thoughts towards our group. arallsopp's vehicle was proving to be an attraction,
so we all sprinted off and left him to fend for himself got close and shielded him from the public...
All this while The Dark Horsemen of the Cycleclips were wending their way through deepest enemy territory - Ian pausing momentarily to cast a loving eye over the Spurs Supporters Shop. Thoughts of Arsene crossed his mind (Can't think why he likes the Arsenal manager either...)
The group took in the sights of Seven Sisters (only one in the picture) and Stamford Hill - it was a bizarre AND bazaar part of the voyage!
And finally, after munching the miles and coursing the byways of North Essex we came upon the steppes of Upper Potholia - Kingsland Road, so arallsopp celebrated with a puncture. Yes, you heard it right - we use that word!
Pothole problem! If the other 9,999 don't get you then the last one will! Andy holds a masterclass (or is it a wheel) whilst the co-equipiers study form on the Kingsland Road (not shown for reasons of taste).
I said adieu at this point as the ring road was calling me, whilst the true hard core continued with Ian in the van (no - not that sort of van silly!) to Bromley, Orpington and Beyond. (BOB for short)
A pretty interesting day - figures as stated earlier in this thread. Thanks boys - I always seem to have fun. I particularly enjoyed looking in that lady driver's handbag as she was giving me a lift down the road...lipstick, disco ticket, photo of bonj - it was only the thought of kidnap that made me get back in the saddle. And breaking off the wing mirror wouldn't do any good. If you're not looking out the front there's not much chance of bothering to look behind!
Thanks Bromley, great.