Duo Brompton overnight ride London to Shoreham-on-Sea

Dr John and I had pencilled in the night of 4th July for a nocturnal adventure for some time. Thankfully we could both make it, so I headed off to the meeting point near the London Eye.

It was a mild night and apart from a light waterproof jacket - just in case - there was no need for lots of layers. London was busy. Hyde Park was closed off. It seemed as if there was some sort of event in there that was just finishing. Lots of people had cowboy boots and hats, a little like when Taylor Swift was in concert at Wembley. Any cycle lanes were filled with those awful rickshaw bicycle things. Why anyone uses them is a mystery?

I arrived in good time and so did Dr John. After getting ourselves ready and with the route loaded, we headed off into the night. It was good to catch up and Dr John is great company. As such the miles passed by very easily. 

This route, although avoiding Ditchling Beacon, has quite a few ups and downs to keep one occupied. It is a route I have cycled twice with the lovely Fridays peeps and the ride leader for those rides - Jim - had chosen wisely. 

Once we had passed the various Clapham stations and turned down Cathles Road things got quieter. Cycling through Tooting Common we saw several foxes embolden by the fact they were urban and on home turf. We passed a youngish chap lying on the floor. His friend shouted out from some distance away that he was okay and just drunk. I shouted back that he should not leave him and the chap on the floor then shouted back that he was okay. 

This route seemed to get us out on to much quieter lanes sooner than our usual London to Brighton route. This made things even more enjoyable. We saw several more foxes, some deer and heard the odd bird or two letting us know it was there.  

About 30is miles in we passed the traditional stop on the organised ride (Burstow Scout Hut) and settled to eat the snacks we had brought with us on the wall of a car dealership. This did seem to be in the middle of nowhere though?

At about 04:00 the sun was ever so slowly starting to appear, accompanied by an increased chorus of birdsong. I did not take many photos for this one. I blame chatting away to Dr John! The photo below was Newells Pond (I think) and like us cycling through the night another chap in a tent had probably fished all night. (I much prefer the cycling).

The last few miles into Shoreham saw us cycle on part of the Downs Link. This is a 35ish mile mainly off-road trail.

The surface of this section of the Downs Link was pretty good and the G-Line was in its element. It is as about as much off-road as I like!

We arrived at Brighton Station and boarded our train. It wasn't terrible busy but another couple of bikes were there in a disabled seat area opposite the ones we were in. A wheelchair user boarded the train and we got up to move. The huge pannier bag on one of the two bikes in the disabled area prevented him from getting to the area we had vacated. At first he simply ignored me asking him politely to move his bag - despite seeing what was going on. When he did get up he said to the gentleman in the wheelchair 'where do you expect me to put them?' referring to his bikes. What a charmer! 

Saying our goodbyes, I got off at Farringdon and Dr John at St Pancras. Once home I was out for the count once my head hit the pillow. 

This ride was a little over 67 miles and certainly provided a good workout. As always thanks to Dr John for his friendship and company. (And in case you ask, Dr John was banned from using moisturising body lotion for this ride)!

Hopefully we will have another adventure sometime soon and we might cycle to another favourite haunt. 

Until next time, stay safe out there people!

London movie locations on a Brompton G-Line

Today, a ride with the lovely Fridays peeps with the gentleman that is, Ross leading. Ross could quite easily make a fortune guiding people around London on his themed rides as they are that good. Today was all about movie locations and braving the heat, I made my way to Hyde Park corner bright and early. 

Although not featured on the ride, seeing the London Eye was very apt as it has been used quite a few times as the backdrop for various films. The most notable for me being, Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix, 2007. 

I arrived at Hyde Park well inside the agreed meeting time. Traffic lights were green, the roads seemed quieter than usual and my G-Line just glided along effortlessly. After a quick coffee from the nearby cafe I waited for the others to arrive, which did not take long. We were soon off in search of movie locations and they came thick and fast. 

Genevieve, 1953

The first location took us to SW7 and Rutland Mews and Genevieve. This was a 1953 comedy where two veteran cars take part in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. Rutland Mews is where the car - Genevieve - is parked and where owners Alan and Wendy (played by Kenneth More and Dinah Sheridan) live. 

Skyfall, 2012. 82 Cadogan Square

82 Cadogan Square was the former address of the John Barry, composer of the the Bond theme and the scores for 11 Bond films. In the film Skyfall, Barry's former residence is used as the home of M, played by Dame Judi Dench. The location was used perhaps as a mini tribute to Barry who passed away the year before. 

Repulsion, 1965

Set in London, Repulsion is a psychological horror thriller starring Catherine Deneuve who has an apartment in South Kensington. Despite being critically acclaimed, I had not heard of it or seen it. I suspect I probably never will as I am not sure that its plot of a a Belgian manicurist living in London really grabs me! 

A Fish Called Wanda, 1988. 69 Onslow Gardens

Now this is a film I have seen many times and mainly as it has my favourite Python and world traveller, Sir Michael Palin in it. In a famous seen, Sir Michael's character, Ken who is a hitman, is tasked with the business of getting rid of an eye witness to a robbery played by Patricia Hayes. Outside this house instead of killing Hayes character, her pet dog is squashed to death when Ken shoots a bullet at a rope carrying a heavy load of building materials. 

Ride leader Ross doing his thing

Notting Hill 1999. Portobello Road.

Much of the filming for Notting Hill took place on Portobello Road. It is a location I know well and I have very vivid and fond memories of going there early every Saturday morning with my late dad to stock up on fruit and veg and have a look at some of the antiques on offer. It still has its market, still sells fruit and veg and does have antiques but alas it has changed greatly. It is a bit of a tourist trap nowadays. 

The famous front door leading to the flat that Hugh Grant's character shares with his flatmate had a line of people waiting to be photographed in front of. The original door was auctioned off for charity and the current one is an exact copy. It all brought back some very happy memories. 

Alfie, 1966. 29 St Stephen's Gardens

On of the locations used for Alfie, starring Sir Michael Caine as his residence. As with so many areas in London, it has changed quite considerably over the years. 

A Hards Day's Night, 1964. Marylebone Station

In this film where the Beatles showcased, they can be seen running into Liverpool Lime House Station and then running out of Marylebone Station. Both scenes were filmed at Marylebone. There are lots of lots of locations associated with the Beatles nearby to this and if you click HERE you will find a blog post dedicated to just that. 

The King's Speech, 2010. 33 Portland Place

Build between 1776- 1779, Portland Place was laid out by Robert and James Adam. It was the High Commission for Sierra Leone between 1958-1998. For The King's Speech it was used as the as the home of the then Duke and Duchess of York as their home in 145 Piccadilly. A stunner of a house, it is one of the few that remains intact and not converted into apartments. 

Batman. Senate House.

Senate house looks very 1930s America and has been used in both Batman Begins and Dark Knight Rises. It has been used in many other films and television show over the years as well. It is part of University College London (a wonderful establishment) and frequently used where an American city skyline is needed but without the need to go there. 

Once we had reached the end of the ride - on a very hot day - I said my goodbyes and after about 25 minutes of cycling, I was home and glad of a cold drink waiting for me. Later that evening, I inflicted ‘A Fish Called Wanda’ on the Orangettes. 

My G-Line performed well and increasingly I seem to be using this and my Brompton Electric. My other two have not really had much of an outing this year. 

As always, it was a great ride and I really enjoyed it all. Many thanks to Ross. 

Until next time, stay safe out there people!

I've never seen Sir Paul McCartney in NW8 when cycling on a Brompton!

It would be true to say that I like The Beatles. Perhaps a little more than 'like' would be a better description. A few years ago I did a Beatles themed ride, that I really must repeat sometime soon. Please click HERE for that blog post if interested. 

I lived not too far from the famous Abbey Road Studios right up until I got married and moved out of the family home. Sir Paul McCartney owns a property not too far away from the famous Abbey Road Studios. Zoom forward to the present day and I still find myself in the area quite regularly. In all that time, I have never set eyes on the great one.

Now my mum saw both him and his late wife Linda on more than one occasion. My dad definitely saw Sir Paul at least once. Me...nothing. In addition to this, I have never been inside Abbey Road Studios. The closest I have come was when I was given an Abbey Road Studio mug as a Christmas present. I was of course pleased, but it isn't the same is it!

My association with Brompton Bicycle started over 30 years ago when one was gifted to me. It was red but I convinced myself - even back then - that it was more orange than red. I used that bike almost every day while at university and for the purposes of keeping fit only, I used to cycle past Abbey Road Studios in the crazy hope that I might see Sir Paul going in, coming out or travelling to his property not too far away. As you have read, it did not work. 

What would I say if I were to meet him I hear you ask? I do not know? I would possibly be rendered speechless! I have a sneaking feeling that many of you out there will regale me with stories of you meeting Sir Paul now that I have written this blog post!

In the meantime, I will happily cycle past Abbey Road and occasionally stop to take a photo of one of my Brompton bicycles propped up against the outer wall of the studio. That has just made me think. I have not yet done this with my G-Line! Right, my next ride in about 10 minutes...

Until next time, stay safe out there people! 

Brompton World Championships 2025

Next Saturday is the sporting event of the year for many people - the Brompton World Championships 2025. 

The tickets for race entry sold out pretty quickly but last week a few became available again. A shame that Brompton did not release them earlier as I know several of you out there - including yours truly - made other plans.

The event is at the same location as for 2024, Coal Drop Yards, not far from King's Cross. Its format of 5x laps of the 900 metre circuit remains the same but this year there will be timing chips (a great addition to a few people with perhaps a clipboard in hand furiously trying to take down race numbers). 

It really is a wonderful event and I think that this year - had I been taking part - I might have taken my G-Line. I would imagine that it would be brilliant on the ramp down. Alas, it is not to be.

Even if you are not racing, watching it all is great fun and last year many people did just that. For those of your taking part, enjoy and best of luck. 

If you want to read about my Brompton World Championships for 2024, you can do so by clicking HERE.

Until next time, stay safe out there people 

G-Shock and a Brompton

Many years ago I recall being on a shopping trip with my late mum where I saw a Casio G-Shock Square sitting in a little water tank with bubbles rising upwards. I gazed at it transfixed for a few minutes. I was to be given an updated version of one of these a few years later and I suppose my fixation with all things G-Shock began. For me (and I suspect a few of you out there) the G-Shock does seem to go hand in hand with owning a Brompton and cycling. More so than more expensive brands I could mention. 

In my early 20's I had a couple of watches that were eye-wateringly expensive. I am sure that you can guess the brand. One was a dive version and the other had a second hour hand for telling the time in other time zone. I sold them long ago when Mrs Orange and I moved to our second home. I don't miss them at all. Being mechanical watches they lost/gained a few seconds a day and every now and then required a service that was not inexpensive. Added to this, despite their rugged credentials, they had to be treated with care. I certainly wouldn't have cycle in one. That is where the G-Shock differs. 

I should say that I have only ever bought versions of the G-Shock Square with a five appearing in the thousands column. They are accurate and those that can receive a radio signal, allows the watch to set the time for you in the early hours of every morning. This results in a watch that is never, ever wrong. Most of mine are solar powered so batteries are not needed. I have a few 20+ year old watches that are still doing what they are supposed to do. They are water resistant to 200 metres and some crazy types have taken them down to much greater depths, with their watches being more than able to handle it. Finally, they are shock resistant and can handle just about anything. 

The new kid on the block is very much a nod to the 1983 model. In the photo below it is the one on the left - DW-5000R-1AER. This is quite wonderful and sold out in a matter of hours. It even comes from the Casio factory in Japan where the originals were made. I suspect you might think that the other two are the same. They aren't and perhaps only a G-Shock nerd could tell the difference. 

I recently bought a white version - GW-5000HD-7ER - and it too is rather special, also direct from the Casio factory in Japan. It is heavier than a normal G-Shock and underneath the white bezel it is all solid steel. It is in retina burning white and I love it. 

Naturally, I have a few in orange. I love the way that when on a night ride to the coast it somehow receives the radio signal from the atomic clock in the early hours of the morning, resetting the time.

I do see quite a few cyclists wearing G-Shocks, perhaps more so on those with mountain bikes. I was given an Apple Watch for a present a few years ago but it wasn't a G-Shock. As such I discreetly and gradually wore it less and less. My eldest Orangette wears one of my older G-Shock Squares and I am glad that she does. As for me, they really do complement the Brompton as that go anywhere watch. I have cycled through the night in constant rain and glad I had one of my trusty G-Shocks on my wrist!

Now I have written that, I wonder if there will ever be a Brompton/G-Shock collaboration and subsequent bicycle? What a terrible thought. I will just stick to the watches. 

Until next time, stay safe out there people!

Cleaning ones Brompton

There are some people out there with a Brompton bicycle that is used every day but rarely - if ever - being cleaned. I have not been someone who has ever fallen into that category. I take the view that a clean Brompton is a happy Brompton. There is to follow then perhaps a surprising revelation about another mode of transport where I take a different view but more on that later. 

One of my first purchases when I owned a Brompton for a few months was a Park Tool bike stand. With this I found the cleaning process a great deal easier. It also made things much quicker. 

The other thing I use is a chain cleaning device - again made by Park Tools. WIth a little bit of chain degreaser therein, you can have your chain looking a great deal better and performing well. 

I then clean the frame, wheels, tyres, chainring and sprockets. By the time I have done all that, I have probably covered just about the entire bike. Finally I make sure that it all dried off before applying oil to the chain. In the early days of owning a Brompton, as far as oiling the chain after washing and drying it was concerned, things were hit and miss. I even used GT45 and that alone. For the past few years I have used a specific chain oil (dry in summer and wet in winter) and made sure that I drop a little oil on each roller. (In the early days I applied far too much)!

Once all this is completed, behold...my clean Brompton. I like to keep all my Brompton bikes clean and tidy which is more than I can for my car. I rarely wash it and do not really care a great deal for my car or cars in general. I could afford a much fancier one but have never really seen the point. My Brompton bicycles are looked after to a much higher standard. Perhaps you can tell me what you do with your Brompton. Are you like me? Are you one of the people who rarely cleans it? 

Until next time, stay safe out there people!

A few London bridges for a G-Line amble

One of the great things about living in London is that you can get on your bicycle and go on some rides that might have had the genesis as a crazy thought the night before. Having mentioned a few rides that have gone into extinction such as the 'Thames Bridges Ride' it put the idea into my head. With a couple of hours to spare, I headed out in search of all things bridges. 

Tower Bridge was built in 1894 which machinery to raise the central road span in 90 seconds. This now happens rarely but in the past it was much more frequent when London was a busy port. 

London Bridge built in 1973 replaced earlier bridges that were built since the 1st Century. The Romans built the first London bridge not too far away. 

Southwark Bridge was built in 1921 has the City and St Paul's Cathedral to the north and Southwark Cathedral to the south. 

Waterloo Bridge was built in 1942 is rather plain compared to the earlier bridge it replaced. That one had nine granite arches and pair of columns. 

Westminster Bridge opened in 1862. A favourite of many due to its stunning views. As such it very popular with recently/soon to be married tourists who can often be seen posing halfway across. 

Lambeth Bridge in its current guise was built in 1932. It replaces a previous bridge that was built in 1862. 

Vauxhall Bridge opened in 1906, is perhaps most famous for its views of the Secret Intelligence Building that is home to MI6. If you like James Bond pay the bridge and those views a visit but don't get too close.

Chelsea Bridge build in 1937 in the usual way for many London bridges, replaced on that was built in 1858. 

In all I cycled about 25 miles and as it took me more or less bang on two hours I was pleased. There are of course another seven bridges after this but with only two hours it will have to wait until another day. 

Until next time, stay safe out there people!

Memorable Duo Overnight London to Brighton

The London to Brighton overnighter is something I have completed several times with my friend Dr John but believe me, this particular adventure was to prove memorable in more ways than one! 

Straight away, things took an unexpected turn when cycling through Hyde Park travelling south, all of the gates were locked. There were several cyclists on hire bikes trying to lift their bicycles over the locked gates. Knowing that one gate might actually be open, I headed towards it to find it locked. A member of the Parks Security sitting in a car indicated where the open gate was and I travelled through. Despite this, another cyclist could be seen all but throwing their bicycle over the same gate moments later?!

Arriving at our meeting point I saw Dr John waiting. It was good to see him and soon we were off into the night. We turned right at The Old Vic and our adventure truly began. 

It was a mild night and quiet on the roads. There just didn’t seem to be too many people out an about. We knew that there would be rain at some point but as the weather forecasts in the days before our ride has changed frequently, we didn’t really care. 

At our left turn past Clapham and all the busy nightclubs packed with people both inside and out, things got much calmer. On this road we usually spot an urban fox or two going about their business. Soon we saw one and then at least three small fluffy cubs, playfully bounding around. 

As we cycled along we chewed the fat and caught up on all the things we had been up to. (I think that our last ride might have been last December). 

Sticking to our tried and tested route, we soon arrived at Farthing Downs and its cattle grid. This marked the point at which the urban landscape more or less gives way to a more rural aspect. We had a snack and just as we got ready to set off again, a few drops of rain started falling. This was to be followed by a great deal more!

The rain was quite light for a good few miles but very much a constant companion. We arrived Outwood Windmill and stopped to take some photos. Construction for this began in 1665 and it is said those working it could see the orange/red glow of the Great Fire of London in 1666. 

At this point - I think - Dr John started to complain about the rainwater in his eyes. 

Just before Turners Hill we stopped an inn that had a seating area outside. We parked our Brompton bikes and tucked into the snacks we had brought with us. 

We approached Turners Hill and perhaps because of the constant rain, it felt much longer than it usually did. In fact this was a feature of any incline. Dr John revealed that the probable cause of his sore eyes was the fact he has used moisturising body lotion after his bath and may have also applied some to his face. 

At certain points Dr John had to stop as his eyes were painful due to the incorrect application of moisturising body lotion on his face. I found out that it was of the avocado variety and made a mental note that should I ever apply moisturising body location, it must not be near my face!

On the wildlife front (in addition to foxes) we also saw a few badgers that darted across our paths. The highlight though was see twe female Red Deer running side by side on the country lane ahead of us and then almost magically disappearing through the hedgerow. 

At the junction in the photo below we would normally turn right and then cycle up the usual route to Ditchling Beacon. Both of us had had enough and knowing there was a much fabled calmer route avoiding considerable gradients, I used my Wahoo to find it. We turned left and then almost immediately right. What an

error of judgement!

Things started off rather well. It was a narrow road that looked as if cars wound stray onto. It was steep at times but nothing we couldn’t handle. This soon changed. The gradient became worse than anything on the usual route and the surface was so terrible we were forced to get off and push. While this happened the rain fell and Dr John could be seen further down the road with an expression on his face like Juliet Stevenson when she cries a lot in ‘Truly Madly Deeply.’ Just when I thought it could not get worse…it did. 

At the top of our new route the road gave way to open countryside. We had to walk along for about a mile before we arrived at the top of Ditchling Beacon - the bit we normally arrive at when cycling up the traditional route. I could have cycled along this quite happily. I mean, I had my G-Line with me after all. However, I kept this to myself as I didn’t want to leave Dr John. In fact I felt a little like James Garner when in ‘The Great Escape’ he helps the character Donald Pleasance plays! 

Eventually we made it to the open road with the rain started to subside a little. It was then straight to the station and on our respective trains - me central London and Dr John slightly further afield. 

On the train I felt wet because I was soaking. My gloves were heavy with the weight of water and I started to steam slightly as the water evaporated. I also had to fight staying awake. 

At Farringdon I got off and after cycling at a gentle pace, was soon  back home. After a shower, some food and a few hours sleep I felt fine. (After my shower, I did not apply moisturising body lotion). 

Dr John was okay after the ride too and as always, I thank him for his company. Our rides together are never dull, always memorable and I suspect it will not be too long before we do something like this all over again. 

Dr John 

So dear reader as always, until next time stay safe out there!