Buckingham Palace, Sea kayak & bike

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Horis Karloff

New Member
I know I'm not going to be believed but here goes all the same.

I make Bicycle kayak trailers some from ally or stainless, some are telescopic and sell them.

I took my Ecobezhig sea kayak at 18 ft long, trailer and folding bike to London in my camper last week. On the day the General election was announced I decided to go for a paddle and a peddle to central London and on the Thames.

I started at Brixton, South London and towed the kayak behind the folder 2 miles to the Thames and Westminster Bridge. I then decided to go over the bridge and do some sightseeing first. So over the bridge we tow and down to Parliament Square, TV crews all over the place and the protesters camped on the green, FREE TIBET etc.

Around the square I towed my kayak and more cameras clicking and heads turning. "What's up you people? never seen a sea kayak being towed behind a bike in London before"? all 25 feet from wheel to rudder.

Anyway I got into Whitehall and honked my hooter as I passed Downing Street, 100 heads turning, 20 cameras clicking. I got to the top of Whitehall and turned into the Mall going under Admiralty Arch with my heading Buckingham Palace straight ahead. Part way down some navigation lights turned red so I stopped, unlike most cyclists in London. The Japanese school children crossed the road and another 20 clicks of their cameras.

Green and full steam ahead with St Jame's Palace on my starboard side passing at 8 knots. A few police cars outside but I don't look in case they think I have a bomb in my kayak. Made me think about that too, a bomb??

Buckingham Palace was a convenient place to drop anchor or rather the Victoria memorial and its fountains. Down goes some Lucozade and rubbing the sweat away I thought it may not be a good idea me being off the road and in a strictly pedestrianised area so on the bike I got.

I wasn't too sure where to go next so I steamed down the Mall again after doing a hard starboard turn in front of another police car, again making no eye contact.

Ecobezhig and I arrived at Trafalgar Square after once again going under the Admiralty Arch. It was here I got off the bike and pushed it into the square with one hand. "Look CCTV cameras, one hand it can't be a bomb, not with one hand" People, people everywhere. Get out of the way! kayak coming.

I do wish the local councils would not put those bollards so close together, how on earth does anyone get a kayak through for God sake.

"OUCH", I looked back quick, someone decided to grab my new stainless steel rudder. "I didn't put a razors edge on it to cut anyones hand officer" I did it to make me go faster in the water. I practiced the lines in case I had to use them. I think he was all right though, well I expect he was. " You shouldn't have grabbed my rudder then you 'd not have cut your hand"

I got outer there quick passing the National Gallery and another bunch of tourists, once again I honked my rubber hooter, heads turned, click, click, click.

I thought to myself, Should I stay or should I go now
If I go there will be trouble An' if I stay it will be double So come on and let me know.
Well I didn't stay and ecobezhig, my potential bomb, and I slowly turned up Charring Cross Road on foot.

Leicester Square is one big tourist magnet, not sure what for but a magnet all the same. On we went past the Odeon cinema and all the caricature artists. "Come over here, I paint you" Come over here, I smack you with my lendle splits.

Anyway to cut a long story short I peddled around Piccadilly Circus, sort of and down Haymarket, down Whitehall again and onto Vauxhall Bridge via the TV cameras outside parliament.

Vauxhall Bridge has an excellent slipway for launching kayaks and a convenient bike rack or chaining my bike and tele trailer.

The paddle was down to Tower Bridge and then back again 8 kilometers ish. done it in my old race kayak a few times too.

It was a hard peddle against the wind and the rush hour traffic back to Brixton. All those vehicles being caught by a sea kayak at the navigation lights on red.

Brixton, Brixton, "Oh how nice it is to be back in the Caribbean or something
icon_lol.gif


So there you have it, if you want to be seen and be seen as Eco friendly then tow a Perception Ecobezhig sea kayak behind a folding bike in central London.

By the way the bike goes on the kayak and the trailer inside. Cost of the trip? 2 bottles of Lucozade from an Asian's corner shop, "HOW MUCH"
 

sheddy

Legendary Member
Location
Suffolk
this thread is useless without....
 

just jim

Guest
Horis Karloff said:

That really is it! Good show!
 
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