# The London Classic - 01.04.12



## Sigmund Fraud (Feb 6, 2012)

Just a note to say entry for The London Classic 2012 is now open.  Space limited to 300 places.

This is our third year of putting this on.  For those that don't know its a 38ish mile bike ride starting and finishing in Crystal Palace taking in a clockwise loop of south, central and east London featuring a selection of bone breaking cobbles and lung busting hills.

Entry is free (donation is optional).  All proceeds go to The Evelina Children's Hospital.

http://www.thelondonclassic.org/


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## ChrisFilter (Feb 6, 2012)

Signed up


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## tommers (Feb 6, 2012)

Ta for the reminder.


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## braindancer (Feb 6, 2012)

I thoroughly enjoyed this last year and would have been well up for doing it again but that weekend is no good for me - boo...

Ah well, hope it goes well!


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## Onket (Mar 22, 2012)

This must be about 33 miles further than I've ridden in one go for about 20 years (I am exlcuding Critical Mass cos it's not the same).

I'm actually a bit worried about it.


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## tommers (Mar 22, 2012)

Stick with me Onket.  My mate hasn't ridden his bike since doing it last year and hadn't ridden it in the year before that either, so we'll be taking it nice and easy. 

Don't worry about it, you'll be fine.  Cheap energy drinks are the key.


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## ChrisFilter (Mar 22, 2012)

Oh blimey. I forgot about this and I haven't been on the bike in about 3 weeks. Could be interesting!

Edit: I might join you in the slow stream, Tommers.


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## colacubes (Mar 22, 2012)

Me, Ruby and Biddly were discussing this on facefuck yesterday, and our distinct lack of hill training   Tbh I'm just going to treat it as a nice pootle with mates.  There's loads of out points if it gets too much.  The thing is I can easily do 30 miles on the flat at a steady pace - it's just those bastard hills at the end   I'm not built for hills


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## Onket (Mar 22, 2012)

tommers said:


> Stick with me Onket. My mate hasn't ridden his bike since doing it last year and hadn't ridden it in the year before that either, so we'll be taking it nice and easy.
> 
> Don't worry about it, you'll be fine. Cheap energy drinks are the key.


 
What time you planning on starting?


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## tommers (Mar 22, 2012)

Dunno, usually about 9, 9:15 or something. About then anyway.  We've both got kids so we're up at a reasonable time.   There's no rush.  Get back about lunch time, meet up with the family and hang about for a bit, have a few beers, watch the racing, scare the toddler with my bongy eyes cos of the energy drinks.  It's all good.


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## Onket (Mar 22, 2012)

Sounds almost exactly like my plan. Also- The earlier we start the earlier we finish (in theory).


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## tommers (Mar 22, 2012)

Yeah, exactly.  It's a great ride TBH.


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## London_Calling (Mar 22, 2012)

If I had a front wheel I'd be all over this... might still try.


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## Hellsbells (Mar 22, 2012)

what percentage of this ride is hills? I've done zero hill training since last summer


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## London_Calling (Mar 22, 2012)

128%.


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## editor (Mar 22, 2012)

Fuck knows why I've agreed to do this seeing as my little folding bike (and me) is woefully ill equipped for such a venture.


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## colacubes (Mar 22, 2012)

editor said:


> Fuck knows why I've agreed to do this seeing as my little folding bike (and me) is woefully ill equipped for such a venture.


 
I didn't realise you were in the crew  

Tbf memespring's done it twice on his Brompton so you'll be fine


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## editor (Mar 22, 2012)

nipsla said:


> I didn't realise you were in the crew
> 
> Tbf memespring's done it twice on his Brompton so you'll be fine


He pedals around a lot more than me these days. My sprightly days of clocking up 50 miles every morning are way behind me, thanks to lovely, lovely beer.


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## Paulie Tandoori (Mar 22, 2012)

Onket said:


> This must be about 33 miles further than I've ridden in one go for about 20 years (I am exlcuding Critical Mass cos it's not the same).
> 
> I'm actually a bit worried about it.




and so you should. my legs were total jelly by the end last year.

but its brilliant and if i wasn't a numb-brain who fucked up my dates, we'd be doing it again this year.

the cobbles soften you, the hills kill you. first bit is nice though. g'luck.


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## netbob (Mar 22, 2012)

I'm doing it on a bike with more than 3 gears this year.


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## tommers (Mar 23, 2012)

My mate has just dropped out.


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## ChrisFilter (Mar 23, 2012)

Well perhaps you, me and onket should form a lazy fuck solidarity pack?


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## tommers (Mar 23, 2012)

That sounds like a good idea.


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## Sigmund Fraud (Mar 23, 2012)

Hellsbells said:


> what percentage of this ride is hills? I've done zero hill training since last summer


 
All the hills are at the end - 4 out of 5 are in the last 3 miles.  I've removed two smaller hills this year so its less severe than last years edition. The _Canonbieberg_ in SE23 will as ever be the queen of the climbs


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## London_Calling (Mar 23, 2012)

That looks suspiciously like he's near Honor Oak Road, probably on .... Westwood Park


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## Hellsbells (Mar 23, 2012)

and about how long are these hills?


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## Sigmund Fraud (Mar 23, 2012)

Stop worrying about how long the hills are and ride your bike!


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## Hellsbells (Mar 23, 2012)

I'm not worrying. I'm just curious and like to know in advance what to expect.


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## Sigmund Fraud (Mar 23, 2012)

http://2wheelchick.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=london+classic


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## tommers (Mar 23, 2012)

First bit is mainly flat and cobbley.

Second (much shorter) bit is very hilly.  Up and down, up and down.  None of them are particularly difficult, but they provide a certain sense of "achievement."  It's only South London, how bad could it be?

Cough.


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## Onket (Mar 23, 2012)

Hellsbells said:


> I'm not worrying.


 
I am.

tommers & filter- Yes. I am supposed to be riding with two mates who have done both previous years. One of them did it on a fixed speed both times. I expect to be left behind.


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## Paulie Tandoori (Mar 23, 2012)

Sigmund Fraud said:


> All the hills are at the end - 4 out of 5 are in the last 3 miles. I've removed two smaller hills this year so its less severe than last years edition. The _Canonbieberg_ in SE23 will as ever be the queen of the climbs


 
i could hardly walk up that hill, let alone ride up it.


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## London_Calling (Mar 23, 2012)

Sigmund Fraud said:


> All the hills are at the end - 4 out of 5 are in the last 3 miles. I've removed two smaller hills this year so its less severe than last years edition. The _Canonbieberg_ in SE23 will as ever be the queen of the climbs


I'm not suggesting it'll take a while but he was clean shaven at the start. And only 16.


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## editor (Mar 23, 2012)

*considers taking a lasso to affix bike to passing cars.


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## netbob (Mar 23, 2012)

That hill is a mofo. I got a couple of claps when I got to the top last year then had to explain I'd walked up most of it.


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## RubyToogood (Mar 23, 2012)

nipsla said:


> Me, Ruby and Biddly were discussing this on facefuck yesterday, and our distinct lack of hill training  Tbh I'm just going to treat it as a nice pootle with mates. There's loads of out points if it gets too much. The thing is I can easily do 30 miles on the flat at a steady pace - it's just those bastard hills at the end  I'm not built for hills


 
Actually it's not the hills that bother me, I do hill training every time I go anywhere, given that I live at the top of the Col de Crystal Palais. Not that I can necessarily cycle all the way up all of them, but I'm used to pushing up bits/stopping for rests, albeit fewer and fewer of them. It's actually the long flat bit that concerns me more, and the general length of ride, as the furthest I've been is Central London and back, with just the one hill at the end.


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## colacubes (Mar 31, 2012)

So are we all prepared then?  I'm about to have a big bowl of pasta in the pretence that I'm a proper athlete and I'm carb-loading


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## RubyToogood (Apr 1, 2012)

RubyToogood said:


> Actually it's not the hills that bother me, I do hill training every time I go anywhere, given that I live at the top of the Col de Crystal Palais. Not that I can necessarily cycle all the way up all of them, but I'm used to pushing up bits/stopping for rests, albeit fewer and fewer of them. It's actually the long flat bit that concerns me more, and the general length of ride, as the furthest I've been is Central London and back, with just the one hill at the end.


 
Very interested to read back my own comment there as this is exactly how it panned out. The bit I struggled with was the long straightish section from Tower Bridge to Greenwich. The hills I was fine with.

Top day. Excellent fun. Roll on next year.


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## Onket (Apr 2, 2012)

Yes.

This was brilliant. Excellently planned and run.

I had a great time and will be doing it next year too.

Only managed the first two hills though & had to walk up the others.


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## RubyToogood (Apr 2, 2012)

Well I didn't mean to imply that I actually _cycled_ up the big hills. I only managed Pepys Rd and the final bit up Gipsy Hill. Probably could have done better up Maze Hill than I did except that I was worried about leaving enough in reserve as I had been close to giving up at Greenwich.


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## London_Calling (Apr 2, 2012)

nipsla said:


> I'm about to have a big bowl of pasta in the pretence that I'm a proper athlete and I'm carb-loading


LIke me, you did the important part!


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## Onket (Apr 2, 2012)

Anyone else's thoughts?

Did tommers & Filter do the ride?

I saw pootle & eme & a few other people.


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## Onket (Apr 2, 2012)

p.s. Our group's stats-


*36.1mi*
Distance
*1,255ft*
Elevation
*02:50:35*
Moving Time


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## ChrisFilter (Apr 2, 2012)

Onket said:


> Anyone else's thoughts?
> 
> Did tommers & Filter do the ride?
> 
> I saw pootle & eme & a few other people.



No. I've got f*cking tonsilitis or strep throat or something


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## Onket (Apr 2, 2012)

Oh dear. Get well soon then & I'll see you there next year.


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## RubyToogood (Apr 2, 2012)

NB If I can make it round the course, anyone who cycles semi-regularly can. It's a challenge, but not an impossible one. I also really enjoyed the slight silliness of bits of the route, winding round on themselves etc.

Oh yeah, also, it was well useful having a basket despite the lack of cycle cool, because it meant I could bungee the instructions down on top of it and call them out as we went round.


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## pootle (Apr 2, 2012)

Onket said:


> p.s. Our group's stats-
> 
> 
> *36.1mi*
> ...



Yo! Onket! Nice surprise to see you! (And other u75 types)

That's not a bad time for someone who barely cycles/was worried...that's about the same time as our peloton made up of a courier, a hella keen cyclist and a fairly keen/regular cyclist


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## Sigmund Fraud (Apr 2, 2012)

Glad you all enjoyed it - I'll be back here later this week when we know what total we've raised - money still coming in dribs and drabs you see.


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