The London Classic 2013

[tiswas-steve]

Noticed this about a week ago, 30 odd miles around London containing (as the website puts it) lung bursting hills and also taking in cobbled road surfaces. Looks a real belter, a bit of Paris-Roubaix in the depths of Sarf East London.
Afterwards you can actually watch the big boys tackle Paris-Roubaix on the big screen locally. Registation is 1st Feb, limited to 300 riders, I'm on da list, be good if any other CC,ers could make it.
http://www.thelondonclassic.org/about/

Oh !! Nearly forgot its Sunday 7th April.

 

[ceepeebee]

I'm signed up for my third one of these along with a couple of friends. It really is a lovely ride, great atmosphere, well organised. Bonus points for home pub being so close to home.

 

[tiswas-steve]

Yea, same here CeePee, there's 4 of us doing this for the first time, isn't the race showing in the Gipsy Hill Tavern ?

 

[ceepeebee]

Yeah, we watched the tour of Flanders in there last year, great atmosphere. Look out for the back side of canonbie road btw, the climb is a lungburster, but the descent is a bit hairy, steeper and with a v busy road at the bottom (looking at your location, you probably know this already)

 

[laurence]

this looks quite good. i need some rides to get back into cycling. might well try this, ta for flagging it up

 

[tiswas-steve]

Yeah, we watched the tour of Flanders in there last year, great atmosphere. Look out for the back side of canonbie road btw, the climb is a lungburster, but the descent is a bit hairy, steeper and with a v busy road at the bottom (looking at your location, you probably know this already)

I know Canonbie very well, thanks Ceepeebee, it's a beaut eh ? Great view across London as well .....

this looks quite good. i need some rides to get back into cycling. might well try this, ta for flagging it up

You're welcome Laurence ... Looks good don't it ?

 

[User10571]

I did this last year. It's an excellent ride. Very well organised. I've registered for this year's one.

 

[PaulRide]

I too am in the happy position of living locally (another Forest Hiller) and being signed up for this. Last year I tricked my offspring into coming to the pub, afterwards so they could watch me drink beer in the sun and chat with other cyclists.

User10571, will you be on the Pompino?

 

[User10571]

User10571, will you be on the Pompino?

I've mentally been gauntlet throwing to myself, this very same question, in that which passes for my branes.
I should be in a position to answer it tomorrow as the plan is to point the Pompino at Canonbie Road, and see what happens.
If I can get the Pomp up Canonbie, I can get it up anything.
Last year we took Canonbie from Honour Oak Road, (which I'm pretty sure is contre route) got to the top, turned 180° and came back down again - but we did that with gears.
I don't think there's any chance of doing that on fixed - You turn the corner and there's no run up, just vertically laid tarmac.
At least going the other way the ascent begins gradually, before biting you in the gluteus maximus.

Besides, the thing is...... it's not as simple as that.
By then I should have the soot bike ready, and my gut feeling is that it is going to be a bit of a natural climber......

(For the benefit of those not in the know - Canonbie Road, at 18%, is one of London's steepest ascents)

 

[ceepeebee]

We drove past the backside of it this afternoon and yeah, it's a sod. NB The fact that there are road works at the bottom of the escarpment too. I've tried to get up the *easy* side three times, and failed on each. Usually just after the bend when it kicks up. First time I was in a world of wrong, then got vertigo going down silly side.

 

[tiswas-steve]

Mind you ..... Eliot Bank which is the next hill on the route after Canonbie is no walk in the park.

 

[Mallory]

Thanks just signed up.

17miles from my home to start point so should be a hard day


Gives me an excuse to get my ass into gear, as mycycling log clearly illustrates

 

[User10571]

Mind you ..... Eliot Bank which is the next hill on the route after Canonbie is no walk in the park.

Eliot Bank, thanks to its delightful lack of anything resembling a surface, is a walk.

 

[tiswas-steve]

Eliot Bank, thanks to its delightful lack of anything resembling a surface, is a walk.

Think of the beer n grub at the Gipsy Hill Tavern, then head down and float over the craters of Eliot .....

 

[ceepeebee]

We went to the horniman just now and I got the fear as GLW parked up at the top of Westwood park, is it shallower than canonbie?