It was the Sky Sports Freewheel last Sunday. We had been holed up in our house suffering from colds but we decided it would be good to get out of the house to ‘clear the cobwebs’. Which is just what we did!.
This year the powers that be decided to remove the Peckham Rye hub. Luckily the Freewheel website had a number of led rides listed. Our nearest one was starting at Sydenham and coming through Ladywell Fields at 9:15.
I spent the previous day getting the bikes ready. I installed a new Strada Bicycle Computer and washed and oiled the bikes. I also fitted the Carradice pannier to Amy’s bike. I was to be carrying Jake in his baby seat.
We arrived at the entrance to Ladywell Fields at the prescribed time. Already there were 20-30 people waiting. Most age ranges were in attendance. Children, toddlers, youngsters and people of a ‘mature’ age’. We set off for Greenwich soon after the marshall arrived. We followed LCN 21 through Cornmill Gardens and then through Brookmill Park. After that it all went a bit wafty, meandering through estates and quiet roads until we emerged on the Thames Path at Cutty Sark Gardens.
There were a few hundred people waiting here. We has a little rest and after 5-10 minutes set off. We rejoined the Thames path and headed for Rotherhithe. On Jamaica Road a mad old lady was raving that she couldn’t cross the road. Heh heh heh! The beast that is the peloton cannot be stopped by mere red lights :-).
In no time at all we were cheerily cycling across Tower Bridge while car drivers on the other side looked on in a bemused fashion. This is where the traffic free route started. The weather was fantastic for the ride. Slight breeze and sun!
This year it wasn’t possible to queue to get your photo taken. Instead they had set up photo towers at various points around the course. It was down to luck really as to whether you managed to get your photo taken. I’ve looked on the Freewheel website and alas cannot find ours :-(.
At St. James Park we had our little picnic. This was a lesson learnt from last year when the organizers ran out of free sandwiches and we had to resport to buying our lunch at the exorbitantly prices concession in the park. Afterwards to decided to head back and finish the route. I must say the feeling of cruising past Buckingham Palace amongst like-minded cyclists was great, and not a car in sight anywhere!
All in all an excellent day. In total we did 27 miles. Part of this was an extended ride down to the O2 after the event at which point we ran out of steam and got the ferry back to Greewich ;-).