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Bimbling bumble around Sth London
Posted by : Leiba (81.178.221.68) 
Inappropriate or SPAM?
On Friday 12/07/13 at 03:29:15
I decided to go down and visit Davebike today and to pick up a spare tube while I was there. A nice day for a ride but a shame it had to be through town traffic though. But off I went only to be thwarted by a diversion around Farringdon Rd. In retrospect, after coming back the same way (it was only closed southbound) I could have gone most of the way along it and then took to the back streets that I knew from when I used to work there. Instead I had a 3 mile detour to get back to Blackfriars bridge. It was all plain sailing from there, down through Brixton then....oops, wrong turning. Oh well, just carry on and turn left, then left then left again and it should bring me back on track. But I was a little suspicious so I pulled up next to a police car and asked the driver "Where's Central Hill" He pointed to just over the lights. I was back on track.
When I pulled into Davebikes place there was his Cub, another red one and a blue one up on the stand. The bloke standing there with him said "Another one!" as I pulled in. The blue one came down and Ruby went up. Dave was looking at my bent brake pedal. He attacked a piece of hose pipe and put that over the piece I already had on there to lower the pedal so that my foot wasn't always resting on it. A squirt of WD around my rear brake spigot, a little bit of chin wagging and tales, then I collected up my new innertube and said my goodbyes.
About a mile down the road, the road I wanted was blocked by a policeman and blue tape. Another detour only this one wasn't marked out. No problem. I had all the time in the world, I'd left Hub with his favourite TV dinner, already cooked, in the microwave.
I'd left Dave at about 3.50pm ish. At 5.15 Hub phoned. "Where are you?" me. "I don't know but I've been to Clapham". Hub "What you doing there? You should be at the Elephant and Castle." He's good at making obvious statements. I carried on looking for signpost of some where that I knew. I went through Tooting Bec. Some place that a woman told me was Little India and then spotted a sign for C. London and Wimbledon. Aha, now we're getting some where. Then the phone goes again (guess who?) "where are you now? me, "I don't know. I've just spotted a sign for central London and Wimbledon, I'm going to follow that." Hub, "But where are you?" me, "Somewhere called Woodstock" Honest, that's what it said atop the sign.
So I followed the signs for C. London until they disappeared. No problem, just keep going in the same direction... until I came to a junction with a left or right turn only. Which way? I go left. Wimbledon and more un-signposted road junctions. I find myself travelling along a nice little road called Church Rd. Although it didn't seem to be a main road it did have some lovely hanging baskets all along its route. Then I saw why. So that's where Wimbledon Tennis actually takes place!
Still I carried on, my instinct telling me to keep going in that direction, down a hill. Towards the Thames maybe? Onwards I go the the phone rings again. "Where are you now? me, "Wimbledon" Hub. "You don't want to be there, you need to get to Blackfriars bridge" doh. me "Yes I know, but somebody took the signs away".
Onward again but now I know I'm getting some where, somewhere that leads to where I want to be. The buildings are taking on that industrial shape, That modern look that they seem to want to put by the riverside. And... I've found another sign for C. London! Now I'm heading for Battersea, onwards and onwards. Just as I'm getting to the Elephant and Castle, (Its now rush hour with a vengeance) The phone rings again. I feel that I must point out here that I have an earpiece with my phone that fits nicely in my ear under the helmet. The phone is set to answer automatically. I usually pull over to talk, partly because of the distraction and partly because of the wind noise. Anyway, guess who's on the other end. "Where are you now?" He's getting like a stuck record. Me, "Just coming into Elephant and castle." Hub. "You want to take the Blackfriars Bridge." 
me "I will be, I can't talk right now, I'm in the middle of the traffic here" Hub. "OK, tell me when you're over the bridge" And with that I miss the turn off for Blackfriars Bridge. 
So now I'm heading down river and looking for a bridge, any bridge. I end up going over London Bridge and turn left to take me back toward Farringdon Rd, (Blackfriars Bridge) Just my luck, it's an underpass under the bridge/road. I have to go a couple of more miles along the Embankment before I can U turn and head back to the slip road up to Farringdon Rd. From here it's plain sailing again. These roads I know like the back of my hand, up past Kings Cross.........RING RING! "Where are you?" By now I could scream! me. "Kings Cross" Hub "What you doing there? You should have come..." I interrupt, "I did this route for five years, I know it. It's the route I always use." Silent scream here. Hub. "OK, I'll put the kettle on"
A little bit of traffic around Kings Cross, I say little, there wasn't really that much of it but a convoy of cement mixers in a narrow roadworks road....
Soon I'm crossing Holloway Rd, along Seven Sisters Rd and a few minutes later and I'm home.
Three and a half hours of bumbling bimble and fifty miles and the tea is now just at the right temperature. 
Jeez, that saddle made my bum feel as though I'd been sitting on a moving concrete bench.
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