When I first did Ride London, I tried to think of routes to do to keep myself interested. As I’ve said before, doing laps round Richmond Park or spending my weekend doing the same hills over and over again every week just doesn’t appeal.
So I came up with an idea to do the three national stadia of the three sports I love the most - Rugby, Football and Cricket. So I went to Twickenham, Wembley and St Johns Wood.
A few weeks ago, I had the same conundrum. Now I had already done the three national stadia so, I thought why not the three domestic teams I follow - Harlequins, West Ham and Surrey.
Now Quins was by far the easiest leg of the journey - hell I’d even cycled to games there myself. A quick jaunt through Bushy Park, up round Teddington and Strawberry Hill and round the back into the Stoop. I’d been first introduced to Quins by my dad at around age 4 much to the chagrin of my London Irish mother and it stuck.
Despite there seeming to be some sort of boot sale going on, I popped the bike up against the North East gate and stadium one was done.
For the second, I decided to head to West Ham. Formerly of the parish of Upton Park, the residents of the Boleyn Ground had decamped to the Olympic Stadium and where we would be starting Ride London, the Olympic Park. My parents were Tottenham fans but my two brothers were West Ham (Ilford-born) so I quickly worked out that supporting West Ham was probably the safest option in my household.
I headed over through Brentford and hit Chiswick High St and, this is no word of a lie, I hit green lights all the way. Through Kensington, through the West End, Clerkenwell and Old Street, the green carpet was laid out for me to the extent I was almost praying for a red light - good training for the 100 I suppose!
I got to the Queen Elizabeth stadium (to give it its proper name), ignored the bemused looks on the security guards’ faces and snapped the pic, second stadium done, one to go.
After realising that I headed back out the way I have previously headed to the park, I hit Mile End Road west.
Now don’t get me wrong, the segregated lane is great for protecting cyclists but when you want to hit traffic speeds, it’s not that great. Stop, start, making sure you don’t hit bus users who have to cross to get to the bus island. Also there was one thing I forgot - what you reap, so shall you sow.
Yep, every single light seems to be red. I stopped started all the way to Blackfriars where I engaged in the now traditional game of chicken with tourists on the Super Highway to Westminster, past the diversion and over Vauxhall Bridge to the Oval and Surrey’s HQ, the cricket team I had followed since becoming interested in cricket far too long ago.
Surrey has always been seen as one of the power houses but since Adam Holliaokes' days, it had seen, well, better days on the field if not off it where is is indeed probably the most powerful County in English and Welsh cricket.
A quick photo and snack there then I obviously got a tail wind as it seemed to be a rapid run down to Putney, Roehampton then up through Richmond Park then home.
My three teams have, over the years it must be admitted, been studies for mediocrity but….but with Surrey winning the Championship last season and both Quins and West Ham showing signs of the uplands, they all have definitely taught me one thing - if I give Ride London my best shot, even if I have to walk or crawl to get to the finishing line, then I will have done my best.
*Three Stadiums or bust
Training Ride: 15
46.3 miles
15.4mph
612ft
Total mileage: 508.8 miles
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