2017-07-30 John Beckett's Ride London

Post date: Aug 04, 2017 9:36:52 AM

John Beckett writes:

This event was the fourth one I have been on and the first in which I completed the 100 mile course. My day started at 04:00 in the morning and after breakfast I drove to the Archway area of London where I parked my car before cycling to the Olympic Park in Stratford. By the time I arrived at the Olympic Park at 07:00 many thousands of riders have already left and by the time that I started at 08:32 the majority of the 27,000 or so riders were on the road. The weather conditions for cycling were ideal with a mixture of cool air in the morning warming up during the day with the temperature not being too hot at any stage. The event is on closed roads so no one had to worry about stopping at traffic lights, roundabouts or marshals manning the route at all junctions etc. On the outward journey to the Surrey hills the route goes through Limehouse, The Tower of London, Pall Mall, Richmond Park, Walton on Thames, West Horsley, Abinger, Hammer and on to Forest Green before heading back through Leatherhead, Esher an on to London. Riding through London I felt like a tourist on wheels going past most of the iconic buildings, especially those along the embankment and across the Thames.

Apart from losing two nuts and bolts on my rear mudguard and a quick “Heath Robinson” repair with Gorilla tape I had an incident free ride. There were many riders who had punctures and a few who had accidents at least one seemed to be quite serious but hopefully the rider recovered. There were also numerous bits and pieces of bicycles and equipment that had fallen off as well as bits of clothing scattered on the course. By the time I had ridden 48 miles I reached Newlands Corner in Surrey where I stopped for 30 minutes to have a few bananas, topping up my water and food supply. I also enjoyed a little rest by sitting on a bench overlooking fantastic views of the Surrey Hills. I then set off for the second half of the ride which included two hills, Leith Hill and Box Hill. Leith Hill is a long steady climb along a narrow leafy road where many riders (I was not one of them) getting off their bikes to walk to the top. I understand that during the day riders had struggled going up Leith Hill which became congested with some falling off their bikes at low speed.

Once I was over Box Hill which is a narrow twisting road with a good surface and fantastic views for miles around the last 30 miles into London and the Mall was relatively straight forward with only Wimbledon Hill presenting any challenge. On arriving at the finish in the Mall in 8 hours 22 minutes and 15 seconds I received my medal for finishing. I then met my wife in Green Park where we had a coffee and a little food while watching riders and their families and friends doing the same. Part of the motivation for doing the ride was not only to conquer Leith Hill for the first time but to raise funds for the St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP), to purchase cold weather clothing to go into the Society’s “Vinnie Packs” for rough sleepers. I have received sponsorship amounting to £1,276.55 (including Gift Aid) which will enable clothing to go into 370 of the SVP’s “Vinnie Packs”. As the Society’s motto is “Turning Concern into Action” I feel that I have gone some way to achieving that aim.