London to Oxford Sunday

[Daren Austin]

Anyone else planning on doing London-Oxford this Sunday?

<URL: http://www.bike-events.com/lox04.pdf>

Well organised event, but not much happening in Oxford at the end. You
can take your bike back to London on the Oxford Tube or X90 coaches
free of charge (Or ride back).

Look out for me and my son Thomas. We'll be on the yellow kiddyback
Tandem. Thomas is 6, but has been in training. He managed 32 miles on
_real_ roads last Sunday on the Anthony Nolan round OXON ride (on his
own bike no less).

kind regards,

Daren
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[Daren Austin]

[email protected] (Daren Austin) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Anyone else planning on doing London-Oxford this Sunday?
>
> <URL: http://www.bike-events.com/lox04.pdf>

Well we did it!

Highlights:
Cruising at >20mph on the rollers along the top of the Chilterns
40mph down a wet hill into Watlington (had to hold back)
Red Kite spotting <url:
http://web.onetel.net.uk/~gerrywhitlow/index.html>
Sheltering under the trees from 'stair-rod' like rain next to an old
MG TF
Climbing those hills...(no really....)
Announcer at the start and finish who gave Thomas a great send off and
welcome
Big two-tone horn purchased for the trip
Mobile backup who kept cheering us on
Daddy fixing a stranded cyclist's broken chain. The group looked
well-impressed when I donned latex gloves for the procedure. The
operation was a success but the patient was lost to follow up

Photo ops:
Richmond (start)
Pinewood studios
Cookham River Thames
Marlow suspension bridge
Marlow Ice cream stop
Chiltern hills
Christmas Common
Oxford (finish) with a BIG rainbow

Those food stats in full:
2 x peanut butter rolls
0.5 x sausage roll
1 x chocolate sponge bar
4 x dried apricots
1 x ice cream with flake
2 x bananas
1 x hot dog
12 x chocolate bourbon biscuits

ALL consumed by one six year old!!!! (I ate a ham sandwich, lots of
fig and date shortcake, some dried fruit and two flasks of tea) Those
chocolate bourbons are my top stokid tip. One biscuit every 3-4miles.
Chocolate taste but no melting, kept in a seatpack behind the captain.

Packing for adversity:
2 x coats
1 x sallopettes
1 x kids tights
2 x warm jerseys
Spare long-fingered gloves
First Aid kit (you never know, particularly with boys)
Tool kit (allen keys, leatherman, chain tool, spare links, spare spd
cleat, pump, inner tubes, puncture kit, tyre levers, adjustable
spanner, pedal
spanner/cone spanner, crank tool...)
Steel thermos flask (gotta have tea)
Food (see above!)
2L water and 2L of Sports drink (orange squash to Thomas)
Digital camera
Maps
Phone and wallet

The foam football was left behind signalling the serious nature of the
ride, and the lack of pannier space

Bike is a Dawes Twocan kiddyback tandem (30 kilos?) with about 10
kilos of luggage and 27 kilos of stokid and a not-low-enough bottom
gear. We only walked one very sharp hill (I pushed Thomas pedalled).
Think of it as the heaviest touring bike you ever rode, I kept telling
myself. I did the ride on my Brompton L6 last year in less than 2/3 of
the time and 1/2 the effort, but where's the achievement in that

Thomas' headteacher presented him with his certificate in assembly
this morning.

Kind regards,

Daren
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[Tim Henderson]

[email protected] (Daren Austin) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Well we did it!
>

Well done.

I saw you coming into the park in Marlow for the lunch stop (but
couldn't remember the details so didn't greet you as a u.r.c'er).

The whole ride seemed much quieter than previous London-Oxford ones I
have done (I turned up on spec with 10 mins to the end of starting
time and got number 649 - previously I thought numbers had gone easily
into four figures).

I didn't remember the long haul from Marlow to Frieth from previous
trips (so much so that I thought they had taken a different route this
year and we were going to miss out the beech alley climb from Turville
to Christmas Common - but then I arrived in Vicar of Dibley land and
knew what was coming next....)

I'm afraid that I christened my naff-looking but very effective Tchibo
cycling cape when the rain hit on the descent into Watlington - and
worried whether my brakes would be OK with wet wheels on that hill. (I
survived).

Must also say that I was impressed with the organisation after all the
adverse comments on London-Brighton last weekend. Loads of mechanics
at the stops. Good marshalling throughout. Good home made cake at
Chalgrove. Effective return transport with TNT lorry for bikes and
coaches for riders.

Regards,
Tim

 

[Daren Austin]

[email protected] (Tim Henderson) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> [email protected] (Daren Austin) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> > Well we did it!
> >
>
> Well done.
>
> I saw you coming into the park in Marlow for the lunch stop (but
> couldn't remember the details so didn't greet you as a u.r.c'er).
>
You should have said hello, I don't bite
>
> I didn't remember the long haul from Marlow to Frieth from previous
> trips (so much so that I thought they had taken a different route this
> year and we were going to miss out the beech alley climb from Turville
> to Christmas Common - but then I arrived in Vicar of Dibley land and
> knew what was coming next....)

I've cycled home this route from London a few times. the 3mi climb to
Frieth was pretty good for us. That last "Beech alley" killed us
^H^H^H me...

Great day out. Thomas slept in to 7AM this morning, he must be tired..
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