James, one of our Ride Leaders, reports on the CTC Northampton ride *to* London on 7th August 2016, planned and led by Ian Macsporran (group Treasurer and your regular correspondent).
Northampton Station
With a mixture of excitement and trepidation, seven of us met
outside Northampton Railway Station on a veritable assortment of bikes,
e.g. tourers, Italian fixies, hybrids and trusty racers. On this
occasion, however, we weren’t there to board any of London Midland’s
delightful carriages down to Euston but to ride there instead. Our goal
was to follow a route Ian had planned with his usual thoughtful
meticulousness insofar as it incorporated as many ‘bike-friendly’
stretches of road as possible. Typically, he was also kind enough to
provide a very helpful information sheet for members who like to ride a
little quicker than others. This highlighted regrouping points, lunch
stops and junctions where the traffic could get hairy. Unfortunately,
for anyone (me) who’d left their reading glasses at home, Ian’s careful
handiwork was reduced to a blur and ensured that stopping at the correct
places was largely due to guesswork and a well-known online mapping service.
Setting out via the B526 towards Newport Pagnell it soon became clear
that – aside from some surprisingly gusty blasts of wind – the day was
going to provide us with something akin to perfect cycling conditions.
The sun was out, the thermometer was rising and, with a few exceptions,
even the drivers seemed happy to share the roads with us. After Newport
Pagnell and the outer reaches of Bedfordshire our route became more
rural as we passed through Sharpenhoe, Barton-le-Clay, Hexton, etc.,
climbed a few hills and reassembled for lunch at The Lilley Arms in,
err, Lilley. The food was wonderful, as was the service and the
plentiful supply of free water. The only downside being the sad news
that a fellow cyclist had been taken seriously ill somewhere along our
route.
En-Route in Hertfordshire
Post-lunch riding began with a suitably gentle five mile(ish) descent to
Whitwell; a village it is easy to assume must have an exceptionally poor
water drainage system until you’re told that it’s actually the
watercress capital of the universe and is, in fact, meant to look like
that. Such fascinations, however, were quickly forgotten thanks to the
incline that greeted us as we took a right turn out of the village
centre. Still, we continued to make good progress as we headed on out
through Blackmore, Wheathampstead and Sandridge before finally reaching
a cycle path that took us to our afternoon tea break: South Mimms
Services.
Yes, it’s real
In terms of atmosphere, this particular stop was a million
miles away from your usual cyclist’s café. However, we were thirsty,
hungry and, to be fair, it did have a Waitrose. Aside from the fruit
machines, additional entertainment was provided in the form of Ian and
his latex gloves as he sought to locate and repair a puncture with a
dexterity and precision more commonly associated with world-class
cardiac surgeons.
Cyclists at South Mimms Motorway Services – Not a Usual Sight
The final stage of our jaunt was perhaps the most demanding insofar as
we were soon in Barnet and the outskirts of London. Cycling through
London is always an adventure – even on a late Sunday afternoon.
However, we made good use of the bus lanes and Ian was always keen to
make sure that as a group we never became too spread out. Highgate,
Gospel Oak and Camden all passed in a haze of traffic and frazzled
pedestrians before we finally crossed Hampstead Road and arrived at our
destination: hot, but happy, and, for those of us who’d not bothered
with factor 50, some tan lines that were to look quite peculiar on
Monday morning.
End of the Road
I’ve been to London many times by train, car, coach, etc., but can
easily say that this was the most interesting and fun way that I’ve ever
travelled there. It was just a shame that we didn’t carry on down to
Brighton! Many thanks to Ian for organising the trip and making the day
such an enjoyable one.
Note: this report has been edited slightly from the original for legal and other reasons.
CTC Northampton 