i’m not staying at home even if it is snowing. it’ll be fine. 🙂

Hope it’s on, but as arriving by train from the wastelands of Milton Keynes need a decision by 9 as the bethnal green diversion has been cancelled and I’m under pressure not to come down! Not going to turn up as billy no mates and be crucified for not going shopping as well!

it’s on. 🙂

Yeah, it’s brightening up, and the cloud predictions are looking good; no rain forecast for tomoz.

Just scribbling down a provisional ‘route’. Trying to consider stuff like the legality of certain sections; think the Barbican might have restrictions for bikes, but hopefully we can avoid any Babylonian Intervention.

Will be a right one for taking pics. Bring cams!

Oh, and thenaughtyboy will probbly be riding down steps and stuff so make sure you get video evidence to hand over to CoL Plod. And hope a Big Man will be along to show him the error of his ways…

I think I’ll come 🙂

I’ll be leaving from Victoria Station, and I’ll have to be there early to pick up my advance (Cheap!) ticket to get to Fareham, so I’ll be off about 4.30pm.

good skills. i’ll also bring a camera. and my best set of steps tyres. and some warm clothes!

Yep. I’m coming, just bought me train tikkit. 🙂

have a smashing ride/drinky boys and gals :):) sounds like good fun

Damn, can’t make it 🙁 Can’t get a lift from my sister’s to the station in Bedford, and don’t have a bike to cycle there.

Was looking forward to meeting folks, maybe another time.

Have fun!

but hopefully we can avoid any Babylonian Intervention.

Not going to happen now I’m afraid. I’ve made sure of that.

CCTV cameras will be buzzing, swiveling and zooming in & out on your motley bunch start to finish 😈

Right then….

I’ll be there, but not until one-ish, so I’ll have to liaise with the elf to work out where you all are going to be. Looking forward to it though!

BH

Afraid I won’t be able to come – plane to catch. Sue_W won’t see the niche 20er either. Another time?

Damn, can’t make it

(Is too upset. Locks self in bedroom, sobbing uncontrollably) 😥

Oh whell.

So, for those still bothering to want to turn up :roll:, it’s eleven o’ clock ay emm, on Saturday the seventeenth of December two thousand and eleven.

11.00am Sat 17.12.11

Don’t pee about being late; it”l be bloody cold and people don’t want to be hanging about for ages waiting for the stragglers.

Post below might be helpful for numbers involved.

Bully, ‘phone me, innit? We may be in Wapping about that time.

Right. Early to bed for to be nice and fresh tomoz. 😀

It’s frosty, dry and star-lit here – I am assuming a go situation for the ride. See you at 11am.

On the train in 15. Colder than a cold thing!

i’m definitely coming. leaving home in an hour and a bit. if anyone turns up and wants to join after we’ve gone, call me on:

(nobody harvest my number for spam, please. 🙂 )

IT’S ON! 😀

Bright and sunny here, but bloody cold, I’d expect. Temps not much above freezing.

Yep, just popped me head out on the balcony and it’s actually minus forty or something. Proper taters.

Winter drawers on….

We might get an early shower. It snowed in Farnborough about an hour ago and it’s heading east. Nowt to worry about.
I’m on the train. Waterloo ETA 10.34hrs, so I should be bang on time. 🙂

I can recommend the Winter Warmer at the Founder’s Arms. 6 pints of it last night and it was a very wobbly ride back…

So – how many arrests after an encounter with the “babylonians”

Ow.

I met up with a group of men from the internet, to go for a bike ride, and now my bottom hurts. 😥

haha, but what a video it will make. 😆

just got in, good times chaps. no arrests but two moderate crashes and a mechanical all in. got some riding in and also serious food and pints. enlightening pub talk as well. 🙂

On the train to the northern wastes and am the warmest have been all day. Not a you tube moment but I own up to falling off at 2 mph on the flattest piece of … Cough ..pavement we rode on all day. The choppers, foot soldiers were out in force early on but they gave up the chase quite soon. It was only thee boaty babalonians who kept trying.

Nice to meet you all. Hope the botty heals soon Elf!

Got some snaps:

The set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/theflatboy/sets/72157628456702349/

Some Highlights:

Poised for action by theflatboy, on Flickr

Hanging out at the Mens Lavatories by theflatboy, on Flickr

Two mean machines by theflatboy, on Flickr

"… and that’s how I get up the hills…" by theflatboy, on Flickr

Putting on a brave face by theflatboy, on Flickr

I very much enjoyed the beer, meeting new people, and riding approximately 2.2 miles.

Note to self: when riding your fixed bike miles from home, remembering a 15mm spanner will help if you get a puncture.

In the first two miles.

I’m not quite sure if I’m meant to be taking these painkillers, what I got from me neighbour, with alcohol, but I’m quite pleasantly surprised at the effects. 🙂

In spite of the low turnout ( I suspect some may have bin put off by that annoying early rain; I had a ‘word’, it stopped…), we had a great little Pootle, and I right enjoyed that. It was how a Pootle’s meant to be; relaxing, enjoyable, informative, stimulating, fun.

Sometimes, it’s not about the distance, it’s about where you’ve bin and who with.
I proper enjoyed that.

Apart from the hurty bottom thing. 😥

collectively we definitely resolved the “what tyres for rainy London” question. 🙂

**Feeling smug**

I have, err, a video of how 5 men went to London, and one left with a sore bottom.

YouTube here we come!!!

😆

it probably deserves its own thread, as a lot of people are ignoring this one by now. 😉

**presses PLAY for the 56th time**

Ohh that’s gotta hurt….. 😯

Elfinsafety – Member

I’m not quite sure if I’m meant to be taking these painkillers, what I got from me neighbour, with alcohol, but I’m quite pleasantly surprised at the effects.

what are they? And you shouldn’t take someone else’s drugs you naughty boy

I’m still on the train, when I get a wireless connection I’ll do the necessary.

I still reckon there’s £250 in this from YBF…,.

I have recieved a polite request to remain silent so the vid will not be posted.

that is disappointing news 🙁

😆

Sorry. I promised.

We want the vid.

!

Who owns the pink tandem BTW?

The vid should indeed be posted – all harmless entertainment. However, it’s out of my hands! The tandem was locked up en route, I took a shine to it. 🙂

No vids. Soz but that’s how it is.

Quite sore this morning. My whole pelvis has taken quite a jolt. No bruising at all, save for a couple of faint red marks. Quite disappointed really.

Sorry for having to duck out early, but I just coon’t face riding much further, and needed to get back in the warm to rest up.

Taking those painkillers was NOT a good idea. 😯 Nice and floaty at first, but then it all went a bit dark and paranoid and really not nice at all. Definitely not something to mix with alcohol. Ooh no. 😥 Got them off a neighbour a while ago; he had some left for something, gave me a few cos I’d done meself in playing footy or something can’t remember now. They’re fine on their own, bit ‘spacey’. I think I might get rid of them now actually.

The ride itself was great fun. We only did about 7 or 8 miles! 😆 Great little route though shame about some of the stuff closed on weekends though. 🙁 And how good was the cafe, eh? 😉

Bullheart has to win the prize for ‘Crappest Pootler Ever’. Bought an unsuitable bike, had a puncture within 400m of us meeting him, din’t bring suitable tools to fix it, walked more than he rode. 🙄

Oh, and what’s that we think of to get ourselves up that impossibly steep hill? 😉