… across town.
Friday is my normal day off, so after a pit stop in Victoria to have lunch with Victoria, I headed across town over to Kiwi Cycles to pick up our 2 new crank sets. Coming tru’ the City right after lunch, it was a good time to just pootle and people watch.
Everyone just dressed to impress, to just sit inside a office block, running around … I must get there before this and do that before I get to go here there every where… oh the joy of working outside and have the time to relax.
I could see that the tourist are out in force, when I went past of London’s traps, I wonder how many pictures that ever have been taken of say St. Paul.
Even managed to get to a mate and sat and chatted for a few hours about this and that, before heading back across London just after rush hour and while the sun was setting, nice.

… when you have a fully loaded trailer, full of your newly purchased Ortlieb panniers (4 front, 2 back and a handle bar bag) and 2 front pannier racks and 1 back pannier rack.
That you do not have any room for your shopping, so that you have to stuff it any available pockets and have a plastic bag dangling off the handle bars :)

I was out in a pootle today with two mates for 20 miles.
We went down to Richmond Park, Ham and then on the river past Teddington Locks, Richmond, Kew, Mortlake, Barnes, Hammersmith, Putney along the river.
Though we did know that the surface would be along paths that would be bumpy we did not expect it to be 3" deep loose gravel, which is impossible to ride on and dangerous.

… was done in great style. I think it was the biggest turn out we have had on a pootle ever on yacf. And my folks and Peli’s mum was here and got to see all our mad cycling friend and they got to meet each other too.The ride started at Tower Hill ending at Westminster, 38 of us I think the count was at the start. We set off in beautiful sunny weather though a bit on the nippy side, brrrr, I think it was below -2c the night before and around the 0-1c in the sun, but there was smiles all around.The route took in The London Wall, The London Stone, The Gherkin, Fleet Street, St Paul’s, Postman’s Park, Royal Court of Justice, Temple Bar, Covent Garden, The London Eye, Cleopatra’s Needle, The bank of England etc etc.We met up with my mum and dad at St. Pauls, where we also had time to have our tea stop, well for me it was a hot chocolate with mars mellows, num num.We ended up at Milbank Tower and had a great meal, it had been a long ride (5miles) and we cyclist had to re:fuel :)

… started of in Parsons Green, and had a not so nice 6 miles up north to the canal. But as soon we hit the canal we were away from the Saturday shopping run, and on and along the Grand Union Canal.Most of it I have ridden before but past, but past Perivale I haven’t, so I was living in hope that it would be ride able. Most of the ride was on fairly good surface, though one or two place it was a very narrow dirt track with not much space to spare. But we all were careful and didn’t have a dip in the drink.We had a quick pint in Black Horse, before we headed out again, I was hoping that there were more pub or cafes along the canal. Well it might be that we missed one or two off the canal, if we had turned off at one point. We arrived at the Fox just after the 3 bridges, and enjoyed a lovely pint and pub lunch.A splendid day out, only 2 visit along the canal which is pretty good compare to the amount of glass I spotted. 14 off us in good company managed and …

I have just move house, 6 miles due south in central’ish London. And what is the best way do so, by bike of course.
We got some funny looks :) But we managed to move every thing in 2 runs. If we did it by car, yes we could have done it in one run. But we would have been stuck in traffic for hours, as the 2 local football teams was played at home and the whole area was grid locked.

… or as they are also called a visit by the fairies. And a good defense against then is to get some tyres that have Kevlar (Specialized Armadillos) in them. I have been using armadillos with great success over the years. Well until the buggers started to use the heavy artillery, like a nail that went strait tru’ and made a hole in my wheel.
 

So my beloved Stella broke on me, on the way to work :( After a few days wondering around what to do now. A friendly man down south come to my rescue and mended her :)And look she now got horizontal track ends too :)

… “Stella the fixie” my new ride. She is an 15+ years old Peugeot “12 speed”, that I have stripped form it original paintwork of red, blue and white. And just sprayed her with a coat or 2 of lacquer as I liked the look of the metal under the paint.She is running SystemX hubs (flipflop), 46×18, 700 wheels, yeah I know front and back brakes but hey I have to stop 16stones of me and it is the first time I’m on a fixed.

… to do a London Pootle and then the finish with a pint and a pie oooh the pie was that a good pie or what but more about that later. Sorry but this is going be a long post but hey it was a great day out.
We took off from Albert around 10am, yeah well early on a Saturday for me I know, but man was the weather just spot on and oh yeah the girls was out too showing off their stuff too so HOW could I complain.We followed the route that would take us past the CTC old strong holds, in their 125+ years in business. So that took us down via Fulham where we stopped at …6 Fulham Park Gardens. London home of Thomas Hiram Holding who in 1876 initiated the idea, at a time when there were few cycle tourists, that there was a need for a club which would bring cyclists together and arouse interest in cycle touring amongst men who would be glad of each other’s company.
we then went onto Putney to see …Earldom, Landford & Hotham Roads Putney, boundary of area occupied by Putney Velodrome existing 1891 to 1905, first concrete …