Overnight ride from Cambridge to King’s Lynn on a Brompton

Last Friday, I joined the lovely Friday peeps for a ride that is a firm favourite of many, but one I had never participated in before: Cambridge to King’s Lynn. Now, let me tell you, I had been asked whether I was going on this ride for some time, but as it doesn’t start in London and getting back can take a while longer than usual, I was rather undecided. But, when Dr John and Geoff, two chaps I know all too well, confirmed they were up for the challenge, I thought, “Why not?” So, I signed up and purchased my train tickets.

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!

Overnight London to Felpham...nearly!

Thursday was quite a busy day. I had been out with the family visiting a few places but I had been very organised and had the choice of either of my two Orange Brompton bicycles, both clean and raring to go. This ride to Felpham, not far from Bognor Regis was to be the first night ride of the season as the previous ride to Southend - which would have been the first - was cancelled due to poor weather. I set off with my Orange Titanium and made it to the start point in good time. 

At the start I was very pleased to see Geoff, who I had not seen since last year and our trip to Dungeness. Far too long. Sadly, Dr John wasn't well so could not attend. Jenny and Paul were the only other participants on small wheels with Samantha making up the old Brompton crew, albeit on big wheels. 

Our ride leader was Bob and after the safety tak and briefing about the ride we got ourselves ready and just after midnight we set off. 

We got as far as Clapham Common before for a regrouping and the dreaded 'P' word travelled up and down the ranks. One rider had succumbed to a puncture. This was not the only person to have suffered a visitation from the 'P' word but I believe this rider only had some tyre patches (for me a last resort when all else fails) and no inner tubes. This was to be a theme for the first part of the ride up to the refreshments stop at Burstow. 

Much of the ride followed the route that Dr John and I take on our rides to Brighton. I have to confess to missing my friend and will definitely need to arrange one of our duo rides. 

We reached Farthing Down and the cattle grid entry and exit a great deal later than we should, sadly due to punctures and waiting around. Normally, it is when it rains that there seems to be more punctures. Although quite chilly, the rain stayed away and it was just going to be one of those nights. 

We arrived at the sanctuary of Burstow Scouts a little before 04:00 - a great deal later than I can ever remember. As always the welcome was friendly and the refreshments just what we needed. The Tail End Charlies had not arrived until nearly an hour later - assisting with you guessed it more punctures - and just after 05:00 we departed having completed less than 30 miles with a little over 40 to go. I have to confess I did speculate about just bailing there and then, cycling on my own to Brighton. The train from Bognor to London Bridge take almost 2 hours. 

In the end I cycled for only a few miles more at after I took the photo below I bailed. I said my goodbye to the new Tail End Charlies - the originals were somewhere further back dealing with more mechanicals - and made by way to Horsham Station. I arrived at about 06:30 having only cycled 39.9 miles since London. Wow! The train was empty and I got into London and then home at a decent time. 

I am sure that the chap with all the punctures will be better prepared next time but it really was a complete pain in the arse that the ride was delayed for so long. The next ride will be to Burnham-on-Crouch in a few weeks time and already I look forward to it. Let's hope that we don't have a repeat of this number of mechanicals!

Many thanks to Bob for leading the ride and a special mention to the Tail End Charlies, Ross and Greg who both deserve an OBE!

Until next time, stay safe out there people (and always take a f*&%#@! inner tube)!!

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The best overnight Brompton ride to the coast so far for 2021

After a very bust few days at work I had been looking forward to the night ride to the coast I had planned with with Dr John a few weeks ago. We had intended to choose Whitstable as our destination but with the Bank Holiday timetable being slightly disrupted making the return leg for Dr John problematic, we opted for our joint favourite Brighton. 

I cycled part of the way and encountered very few other cyclists in Hyde Park and The Mall. The start point was not too long before midnight near the London Eye. The South Bank was busier than it had been the past few weeks but still nowhere near as busy as before the 'C' word. It was good however to see some normality return. Dr John was there waiting when I arrived and not too long thereafter we were off into the night. 

Our pace was conversational but the few miles between Oval and Clapham South we always take a little quicker as it tends to be a more lively location. We made the left turn at Cathless Road but for once there was no fox to be seem stealing across the road in front of us. 

We reached Farthing Downs and the infamous cattle grid! Infamous as on the small wheels of a Brompton it is a big deal riding over it!! After taking a few customary photos and having a snack we headed off. At this point our respective dynamo lights were beefed up with our larger offerings on our handlebars, as this point becomes more rural. 

At a location called Chaldon the sign that mentioned the date 1086 caught my eye. I do not know for certain but I would imagine this dates from the Domesday Book on the same year where it must get a mention. 

Not too long after 2 a.m. we arrived at Outwood Mill, having been looking out for it. This time we walked round to the side to get a better view. This is a privately owed and a sign reads 'viewing by appointment.' I fancy it would be well worth doing just that. When I looked at the photo I had just taken the reddish hue to the sky took me back to the story of the workers putting the finished touches to the top of the mill, who could see the glow of the Great Fire of London in 1666. 

Our halfway stop was the usual 24-hour petrol station that had the bonus of a hot drinks machine! Once we had eaten our various snacks, yet again I started to feel a little chilly so on it was with the boil in the bag light waterproof jacket. This stayed on for a few miles before coming off again. 

Turners Hill - once a challenge came and went and now serves as a way of warming us up. Dr John usually calculates what the temperature will be there at 03:00 to help decide what clothing to wear. 

Dawn arrived not too long after 04:00 with birds stating to sing their hearts out. In some of the fields in the photo below we spotted some Red Deer running. They settled but as soon as they saw me - trying my best to take a photo - they bolted. A lovey sight though.

For this ride I had decided to abandon my saddle bag in favour of my Mini O bag. I liked having the extra capacity and didn't mind the weight being on the front. 

Pressing on and with the sun doing its thing, the scenes before us were stunning. On our previous rides this year we have missed these views altogether as sunrise has been much later. It was great to see and experience it and one of the draws for this sort of ride. 

With the sign pointing for Ditchling we knew that the big test, in the form of Ditchling Beacon, was not too far away. The lovely scenery made for some great backdrops (for my Brompton) so I snapped away quite happily. 

Arriving at the car park at the base of the Beacon we got ourselves ready. Our ascent would not break any King of the Mountain times on Strava (not that I am on Strava) but that really wasn't the point. We made our ascent together and as we rode up, to our left the views in-between the trees and hedges were stunning. 

Before 06:00 we had made it and welcomed the next few miles into Brighton, most of which were downhill. 

At Brighton I took a photo of the Pier and we headed off to the station. Our train should have taken us to St Pancras but instead stopped at London Bridge. Punching a route to Baker Street into the Wahoo we headed off to the Wetherspoons for breakfast. 

Breakfast arrived quickly and eaten as rapidly. That done we went our separate ways until next time. Another great adventure. Many thanks to Dr John for his company and friendship. I am sure that we will do something like this again soon. 

I got home in very good time and after a shower and cup of tea I headed off for a few hours sleep. As I type this I feel fine but my legs are telling me that I have cycled from London to Brighton. 

Until next time, stay safe out there people!!

London to Cambridge overnight on my Orange Brompton

Friday marked the end of a very long week and Friday itself dragged. The only thing keeping me going was the prospect of a night ride - not to the coast - to Cambridge. 

I decided to take my Titanium Orange Brompton with me for this adventure. There was no prospect of rain (always a deciding factor) but thinking things might get a little chilly I wore one of my 'Proviz' jackets just in case.

The route for this London to Cambridge run looked rather good and being relatively flat I decided not to get the tube in from where I had taken sanctuary. This meant a 15.5 mile cycle to the meeting point outside Euston station. 

My journey to Euston was plain sailing and things definitely seemed a great deal quieter than they should be. Stopping to take a photo of my Brompton in a dark, atmospheric passage was a rather eerie affair as a large crow cawing was just about the only noise that could be heard echoing but not seen.

Somewhere further along I caught sight of someones front garden that was on many levels far more sinister that a Victorian alley. The garden was filled with potted garden ornaments. I took a couple of photographs, initially oblivious to the fact that through the windows a television was on with people watching it, watching me. I pondered on what sort of people would have such a front garden and quickly pedalled on!

Reaching Euston station in good time I made my way to the front entrance. The station itself was almost devoid of people and the only ones I did see were security guards. It was unusually quiet. Waiting for me was our ride leader Nick, along with fellow participants Gordon and Dr John. The others that would have made up our six bailed so it was to be the four of us. 

We set off just before midnight, riding in London streets that were more like 03:00 a.m. on a Monday than just before midnight on a Friday night. It was all rather strange. 

Our route took us through Holloway, Finsbury Park and on to Enfield. The further we cycled the more we started to leave the urban behind. By the time we passed Hoddesdon and Harlow things started to get quieter and street light gave way to the many lumens on our various front lights. 

For several miles I was alone in my own thoughts, getting some (and I hate this word but will use it) headspace.

At one point I really felt the cold and was actually shivering. Pulling up the zips on just about everything that possessed a zip I carried on and only felt better a few miles thereafter. Luckily this feeling did not linger and for the remainder of the ride I did not experience this again. 

We were one of I believe five separate groups most of which followed a slightly different route. A few minutes after we arrived at the service station off the M11 in Bishops Stortford  a small but perfectly formed Brompton contingent arrived. Socially distanced we had a chat while consuming our various items of food and drink. This was at roughly 37 miles in which meant we only had 30 miles remaining. 

After saying our goodbyes we stepped out into a chilly and still dark morning. I put on a snood but didn't really feel the cold and the pedalling helped to keep any feelings in this direction away. 

At 50ish miles we reached the highest point in Cambridgeshire, Little Chishill. This is reached by a long incline that takes one up to St Swithun's parish church. Some of the American readers of my blog are always amazed by the age of some of these buildings I mention in my blog that most people living here wouldn't bat an eyelid at. This church was founded in 1136 with parts of the current building surviving  from1275. In daylight I would imagine that there would be some pretty good views but sadly as it was still dark, we just had to imagine what they might be.

Sunrise is one of the main draws of nocturnal rides. Experiencing the change in light, the dawn chorus from the many unseen birds lining the route and the beauty of the sun emerging from clouds is a joy. This morning was no exception, with the colours being particularly beautiful.

With the back of the ride broken the sight of the 'DNA' path - 10,257 lines of four colours representing the sequence of the BRCA2 gene - meant that Cambridge was but a step away.

At Cambridge station we saw some riders from a different group who beat us to it. Dr John and I said our goodbyes and thanks to Nick and Gordon and we bound the 08:03 train from Liverpool Street. At 09:15 we arrived back in London and shortly after Dr John and I said our goodbyes too. I arrive back home before 10:00 a.m. which I was rather pleased about.

In all I cycled just over 83 miles and as I type this I feel pretty good. My Orange Titanium Brompton was a joy to use and along with my Orange, Black Special Edition I feel I have a wonderful stable of Brompton bikes for many adventures ahead.

Many thanks to Nick for the great route and being our ride leader and to Gordon and Dr John for their company. 

Sadly, this might well be the last night ride of this type for 2020. October does traditionally mark the end of the night rides to the coast anyway, so it will probably be March 2021 before I can experience of the joys of these again. However, this will not stop several more adventures before the year is out.

Stay safe out there people!!

Brompton Winter Lights Ride

The 'Winter Lights' at Canary Wharf - which runs until 25th January - has become an annual fixture of the the lovely London Brompton peeps. Having attended for a number of years I was pleased that a sizeable group had set last Friday as the day we would attend.

The meeting point was the London Eye and rather than take the car I decided to cycle just over the 18 miles to the start at 18:00. Part of my route took me on the Grand Union Canal and again it proved to be a little bit of a shock to the system! There weren't that many cyclists heading into London but there were loads cycling from it. Many had no lights, wore dark clothing and as such almost invisible - even with my lights blaring ahead.

I made it to the Eye with seconds to spare and my face felt the cold a little more than normal as any breeze enhanced the dentistry work undertaken earlier in the day on an upper molar!

At the meeting point most of the runners and riders were ready for starters orders and there were some familiar faces. Dr John, David, Anne, Zoom Zoom, Jenny and Andrew were there and it was great to see them again. All we needed was Geoff and Mark to have the 'old firm' complete.

After a quick briefing we were off, heading east towards Canary Wharf. The miles flew by as easily as the conversations. We caught up on all the gossip and planned the weeks ahead for more cycling adventures.

Every so often we stopped and took the odd photograph. I decided not to take my big camera with, opting for just my iPhone. Taking photos after dark is challenging but it coped pretty well.

Our route was very familiar territory and hugged the river Thames. With Canary Wharf - with its ever changing skyline - in the distance we knew that it wouldn't be too long before we reached the Winter Lights.

Naturally this was the moment a group photo was taken to prove that we were there.

At Canary Wharf things were busy. People mainly viewed the various installations on foot and again I felt the Brompton provided the perfect way to see whatever you wanted quickly.

First we saw '16 bits' which consisted of a wall of light that pulsed. It was somewhat hypnotic.

The next one was 'Sky on Earth.' This was a cross between a generous bubble bath and something out of a 1970's sci fi movie.

The 'Shish-Ka-Buoy' glowed various colours and was likened to something I cannot commit to this blog by a fellow participant!

The 'Mountain of Light' proved to be a riotous success by the number of people taking selfies next to it and in one case a person attempting to straddle it!!

'Liquid Sound' again proved popular and various pulses of water pumped out the the accompaniment of music that was definitely 'Radio 3.'

I took a photo of the 'Neon Tree' from a distance as it would have meant wheeling my beloved Brompton across grass. Even talk of an orange bra suspended from a tree could not induce me over across said grass.

'Constellations' was another hypnotic installation and the ring of light made made me think of portals or worm holes.

'Affinity' was again very popular with the selfie-taker and reminded me of O-level Chemistry and as such took an instant dislike to it.

The last installation I took a photo of was 'Pools of Light.' This were little plastic balls floating on water. The poor security staff were constantly reminding visitors that they were not to throw, touch or even think that 'Pools of Light' was an interactive installation! I felt sorry for them as they must have been saying the same thing all night and every night!

By this point I had seen all I wanted to see - my tooth was starting to let me know it wanted a hot drink - and I was pleased when David announced we were heading back. Our journey back to Waterloo Station was purposeful. At the Tower of London I said my goodbyes to the front of the Brompton peloton and made my way home.

Many thanks to David and Jenny for leading and acting as Tale End Charlie respectively. It was great to see lots of faces from the past as always wish I could see therm more often. I will hopefully see one of them - my dear friend Dr John - in less than two weeks for the start of several adventures. It will probably mark the start of cycling adventures proper for 2020.

Until then, keep riding and stay safe!