So yesterday (Sunday 14th August) the magnificent 7 set off to the city of Londinium, using a variety of non-road cycles.
Unfortunately, we were at the last minute advised of a withdrawal from the Team as @Luke Nash nev had not managed to sort out his calendar in time (not many gasps of surprise being heard).
Fresh in the minds on one rider was last year’s adventure which found him in conflict with a long yellow snake. The rest of the group made sure to point out any sign of a hose pipe to @Paul F regardless of the colour, we even had a short training session during the ride to help him out.
The remaining six met at a lay-by just outside Dunmow before heading to Broxbourne where we readied and mounted our trusty steads.
It was clear from the off that @~Tony Marsala and @Nick Latchman were the most acrobatic of the group seeking out every opportunity for a bit of off road adventure.
10 miles in we stopped at a little cafe by the river for some light refreshments and to fix a broken spoke on Paul H’s bike. During the short reprieve from the pedalling, a young lady who had just broken up with her boyfriend was seeking a new partner and sought to find any eligibility within the group … needless to say no phone numbers were exchanged, despite @Tony Wood being the only available one in the group.
Once back on the canal path Nick and Tony M continued displaying their acrobatic skills, this continued into London where with a demonstration (or rather an attempt to demonstrate) of his excellence Tony M decided to clear 5 sets of stairs in a direction which defied gravity. He managed to clear the first four flights before, gravity and the 5th flight defeated him with a rather large thud … alas he was too quick to his feet and the photographic evidence was not secured, but there were 5 other witnesses 😉 (your secret if safe with us Tony).
Once into London we visited some of the famous landmarks, which included Tower Bridge, HMS Belfast, the Westminster Palace and the Cutty Sark! The only real nuisance was that one of the team (who had fallen bunny hopping some 30-40 stairs) manage to split the inner tube on their rear wheel … maybe a lesson to the show offs there 😂😂😂😂. Thankfully there were no injuries.
We stopped at the Cutty Sark for some luncheon, at the outdoor food market and once refulled we headed off back to Broxbourne.
With our own little satnav (Tony W) bellowing out the directions, we navigated our way back with only one or two minor stutters.
Once we had passed Hackney the pace picked up a little and we were on the home stretch. All of the other users on the tow path were really accommodating, with one minor exception, being a gent with his wife in a wheel chair, balancing a garden chair, and trying to carry a picnic basket along at the same time (rather unsuccessfully). Needless to say it was everyone else’s fault he was stuggling, and both he and his wife wished us well, using some rather Germanic / Gaelic language that none of us understood.
When we saw the couple a little later at our ride end, as we were enjoying a cuppa and a well earned ice cream, they even waved us good bye. Alas I think that the lady had lost four of her fingers in an accident as Nick pointed out that she was waving goodbye with one finger 😊. It is great when people wish you well.
It was an amazing (if not long) day out, and definitely to be repeated. We are please to say that Paul F has now achieved his ‘negotiating yellow snakes when riding a bike’ certificate and we are all super proud of him 👏🏻.
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