7 January - Camberwell - Holborn - Clapham

Day 7

Rider: Andy

Bike: Cannondale

Location: Camberwell SE5 - Holborn WC1 – Clapham

Total Mileage: 11 miles

Route: Walworth Road/Elephant & Castle/Blackfriars/Farringdon Road/Chancery Lane/Gray's Inn Road/Theobalds Road/Piccadilly/Victoria/Vauxhall/Wandsworth Road/Clapham Picture House.

Time: 8.40am

Food: Tea, Innocent Smoothie, 3 Weetabix, Banana, Mushroom Risotto Soup, more tea, soya latte, Italian chocolate, 3 bottles water, large slice birthday cake, steak and frites (bernaise sauce) (this was the second steak as the first was just not how i wanted it), really crap dessert, pack of revels, 2 glasses of baileys and cup of tea. (the Revels were eaten while watching 127 hours, the new Danny Boyle movie.

Mechanicals: Rear brake sticking when brake applied - need to fix for tomorrows ride

Idiots Encountered: (1) – Guy came through a red light into my path - i said "Interesting Red Light" - in a sarcastic tone perhaps. He shouted at me to "f... O..", to which i replied with a finger - mmmmm he was not happy lol - even more irritating was the fact he was on a Brompton - the bare cheek.

Photos: As i wasn't going to leave my trusty steed out in Clapham on its own, I bundled it into the boot of the car and did a quick change the toilet at Gastro. Raph had bought a mud guard from Evans - a mud guard indeed - what is the world coming too - i have seen a basket and a bell that might work well with it.

6 January - Camberwell - Holborn

Day 6

Rider: Andy

Bike: Tifosi Fixed

Location: Camberwell SE5 - Holborn WC1

Mileage: 10 miles (5 miles each way)

Route: Walworth Road/Elephant & Castle/Blackfriars/Farringdon Road/Chancery Lane/Gray's Inn Road/Theobalds Road

Time: 8.40am

Food: Tea, Innocent Smoothie, M&S lunch, Nuts & Dates, more tea, 3 bottles water (no Butternut Squash in filo pastry pie), tuna & broccoli, fat free yoghurt and a banana.

Mechanicals: Non - though I did drop off Grants MTB wheel to Edwards to get a spoke mended - bit awkward riding with an extra wheel - kind of like having a fixed tricycle of sorts.

Idiots Encountered: (NON) – No shouting, no tutting, raising of eyebrows, nodding of head, no one to chase, no one to spar or lock antlers with - BORRRRRRRRRRRING - Dull, dull, dull - how am i ever going to get fit if i can't chase some young pup through the streets of London. Oh well - i had to drown my sorrows in sainsburies - To my horror the dinner i had promised myself was 38.5g fat - YES - another kick in the teeth - ARSE.

Photo: My dirty little buggar out shopping - how sad - might as well get a basket on the front for it after todays cycling sadness.

5 January - Camberwell - Holborn (plus Lunchtime training ride)

Day 5

Rider: Andy

Bike: Cannondale

Location: Camberwell SE5 - Holborn WC1

Mileage: 20 miles total

Commute: (5 miles each way)

Route: Walworth Road/Elephant & Castle/Blackfriars/Farringdon Road/Chancery Lane/Gray's Inn Road/Theobalds Road

Lunchtime Ride: 10 miles

Route: Gray's Inn Road/King's Cross/Tufnell Park/Dartmouth Park Hill/Highgate Hill/West HIll/Kentish Town/Euston/ Gray's Inn Road

Time: 8.30am (Lunchtime ride 1.15pm-2pm)

Conditions: Wind at back north bound and in face on return

Food: Tea, Innocent Smoothie, M&S lunch, Nuts & Dates, more tea and some pasta (yes, i know it's late to be eating it), 3 x Ryvita, ooh and a vanilla activia yoghurt.

Mechanicals: Non

Idiots Encountered: (1) – 1. Woman dressed in black, stepping out into road not looking - dumb ass. Oh yes, and i was overtaken on Camberwell Grove by a guy on a fixed who was trying so hard not to look knackered - oooops - or was that me. I caught him up, the bloody show-off - you'd never catch me trying to cycle someone into the ground while pretending not to break a sweat.

Photos:

4 January 2011 - Camberwell - Holborn (Commute)

Day 4 

Rider: Andy

Bike: Tifosi Fixed  

Location: Camberwell SE5 - Holborn WC1

Mileage: 10 miles (5 each way)

Route: Walworth Road/Elephant & Castle/Blackfriars/Farringdon Road/Chancery Lane/Gray's Inn Road/Theobalds Road

Time: 8.30am  

Weather: Dull 

Food: Tea, Yoghurt, Innocent Smoothie, M&S lunch, Nuts & Dates, Glorious Soup and more de-caff tea/innocent smoothie

Mechanicals: Non

Idiots Encountered: (3) – 1. Cyclist dressed in black, no lights, crossing red light (in my path) while texting on phone. 2. Woman in black crossing Camberwell Grove not looking (missed her by an inch- silly cow. 3. Women on Camberwell Grove stepping out without looking and stepped back just in time. I had three bright flashing lights on, riding a white bike (ok, technically it is white - bit dirty at moment), with fluro rims - hellooooooooooooooooooo

Photos: My dirty little buggar

3 January 2011 - Crystal Palace Hill Training

Day 3 

Rider: Andy

Bike: Cannondale Road bike  

Location: Camberwell via Herne Hill to Crystal Palace

Mileage: 17 miles

Dulwich Wood Park 10% (up x6), Gypsy Hill 15%, Fox Hill 20% (very short)

Weather: Cloudy and cold

Food: Had Covent Garden Lemon Chicken soup/toast/2 cups of tea and some xmas cake in Crystal Palace at Grants. (Grants is not a restaurant)

Mechanicals: Non

Photos:

2 January 2011 - Southbank - Oxford Street

Day 2 

Riders: Andy/Grant

Bike: Boris's Hire Bikes  

Location: Southbank to Oxford Street

Mileage: Not very far

Weather: Cloudy

Food: Non required - though could have stored some in the basket

Mechanicals: Non - don't think i would have been mending a puncture on that bike top be honest.

Photo of the day: Does my bum look big in this?

Other Photos:

The moment my Boris membership arrived - how sad:

1 January 2011 - Peaslake

Day 1 - 1 January 2011

Riders: Andy/Grant

Bikes: Ironhorse MK III Elite (x2)

Location: Peaslake

Trails ridden: T1, T2, Reservoir Dogs, Slush Puppies, Yoghurt Pots x2, Barry Knows Best

Mileage: Approx 15 miles

Weather/Terrain: Wet and Muddy

Food: 1 Vanilla & Banana bar (high Five), 2 x sausage rolls, 2 x Lattes, 1 Chocolate Chip Cookie and a packet of M&S  crisps

Mechanicals: Broken Spoke

Photo of the day: It was slightly deeper than i realised

Quote of the day: "Would be a great view if we could actually see anything"

Other Photos: