Central London CTC blog

As you may know, the Hon Sec has something of a fix-ation. And a fondness for audaxes. So what better than the ‘Fixed Wheel Challenge’? Target:25 fixed points, a point per 100km of audaxing completed sans derailleur. Sort of like a coffee-shop loyalty card, except no free coffee. Thermos of tea, maybe? After a very very long time, he’s done it, with the ‘West London 3/4’. A rolling Rocco special. Not flat. Ouch. And over-distance, natch (legit this time, it was 150km). When presented with his award by the men in white coats, Nick commented ‘I just couldn’t stop’.

Fortunately, we had no repeat of the problems of the 2007 ride. The trains were running normally and there was no need to find another ride quickly without proper reconnaissance. It was raining when the train arrived but the weather forecast said the weather would improve so we rode into Princes Risborough for a coffee. Sure enough, by the time we had finished coffee the rain had stopped. We rode on the Phoenix Trail, a Sustrans route along a former railway line, for about six miles to Towersey, spent half an hour at an art exhibition linked with the nearby Towersey Folk Festival and then rode on to Thame for lunch.

After lunch we visited the Thame Museum before riding via Moreton to Tetsworth on a route that started as a paved road but became an unsurfaced byway. Then it was via Adwell, Postcombe and Sydenham to a tea stop at the Inn at Emmington before returning to Towersey and the Phoenix Trail back to the station.

On Sunday Peter Turner led a two-star ride from Beaconsfield through the heart of the Chilterns, lunching at the Whip Inn (overlooked by the windmill at Loosely Row) and with afternoon tea at Great Missenden Church.

Here is a selection of photos by Elaine McKnight: more »

…a celebration of the Freedom Pass.

A simple 3* ride, from Chalk farm to Newton via Hertford North, with with an easy escape home from Cambridge. Or so we planned before checking the trains. No Hertford North service. No Cambridge service. Hum. Plan B, with an added C, and D on the return.

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Martin Hayman was the only Central London member to ride the Muswell Hills 200k on July 27th, his report follows:

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