Anyone go on yesterday's London Skyride?

[swee'pea99]

I'm surprised no-one's posted anything about the biggest cycling event of London's year. Did anyone else go? I went with 'er indores and a littlun, and it was ok, but TBH I'm not sure we'll do it again. I think it's one of those things that's kind of a victim of its own success - it just seems to get bigger every year, and you end up spending far more time stopping than going. But I'd be interested to hear anyone else's take on it.

 

[ChrisKH]

Exactly. Done it since it started and last year I felt it had lost any novelty it once had. It's an excellent thing to take the kids on IMO but even my ten year old opted for a local bike run in preference this year. Nice to do if you haven't done it before, but I think it's trying to be all things to all men.

Had a roadie come up behind my nine year old in full kit last year and berate him for being in the way. There's too many people to do it at speed or have 'give way' rights for being faster and I told him as much.

 

[Globalti]

The joy of cycling in a a city like Copenhagen or Amsterdam is that everybody rides the same non-competitive sit-up-and-beg bikes at exactly the same speed so you don't get this kind of conflict.

The Manchester Skyride was better marshalled than the Blackpool Ride the Lights, which was anarchy.

 

[jdrussell]

Yeah I did, it was my first time. Thought it was pretty good. But yes very very busy. Especially this part here (hopefully you can see that)

 

[Over The Hill]

Busy but good fun and novel to have the run of London. They just need to now do it about 4 times per year to spread the numbers out!

 

[jdrussell]

Busy but good fun and novel to have the run of London. They just need to now do it about 4 times per year to spread the numbers out!

lol, I'd go every time

 

[Jezston]

Is everyone wearing hi-vis?

Seems a bit pointless if there's no cars!

 

[swee'pea99]

Is everyone wearing hi-vis?

Seems a bit pointless if there's no cars!

Not me. I'd sooner stick needles in my eyes than provide free advertising for the dirty digger.

 

[Globalti]

I'm the same; I refuse to wear the damned logo. Meanwhile my son collects them because he subscribes to the idea that high-vis is some kind of talisman that allows you to jump out in front of a 48 tonne Romanian lorry without being crushed.

 

[Arch]

Had a roadie come up behind my nine year old in full kit last year and berate him for being in the way. There's too many people to do it at speed or have 'give way' rights for being faster and I told him as much.

There's always one, isn't there? Surely a roadie in full kit is missing the point. He can ride any time he likes, on the road, can't he, if he's that keen? Or is he actually too scared to do that - all the gear and no idea?

I did the Leicester one, and it took me about 90 minutes to do what ended up as about 9 miles (bit of a detour). There were places where you just had to sit back and wait, because a little kid was all over the road, or someone stopped suddenly on a steep bridge. Add in that I was on a borrowed unfamiliar bike, and there was no way I was taking any chances. In fact it wasn't all that relaxing - traffic in car form was just swapped for traffic in bike form.

But I can see that a novice or newbie, or just the occasional family cyclists, would enjoy it.

 

[jdrussell]

Check this dude out then. Yeah good work on the helmet lol

 

[Norm]

I might have gone but I did the Richmond to Windsor run instead. Having seen the video, though, there's no way I'd attend. I'd rather ride with cars.