emmelinemay | After the Freewheel... (Reply)

Well, after a shaky start (a hour and a half long queue at finny park to get my brakes fixed which broke on my way to the hub and missing the marshalled rides in) I set off alone (and also upset and stressed after the marshalls and staff at finny park were uninformed, rude and patronising).

There was not much of interest at finny park hub, just people collecting bibs and setting off again. It felt quite pointless to have gone there, especially in light of the unnecessarily circuitous route to the main ride.

However, once i got to the main ride, it was awesome fun, the route was fun and interesting, and it really was awesome to ride in packs - although i still maintain that cyclists are often their own worst enemy. Swerving around, not checking behind you for other cyclists, and so on. On the way there people were going on the pavement, through red lights, cycling 3, 4, even 5 abreast. Not a good way to demonstrate to drivers that we can share the road!

It makes me wonder if it's less that people don't give a shit about the highway code or road safety, and more than so many people simply don't *know* it.

The St James Park Festival itself i can't tell you anything about, as they had closed it by the time i got there (about half 2) because there were too many people in it, which disappointed a great number of people who had heeded the website's warning not to turn up early to avoid crowds...

At this point I found

fluffydave and

yaruar and we went back round the route together. I cycled home by my own route, which was much quicker and flatter than going via finny park!

I have a number of suggestions for improvements, assuming they run this again next year. If you were there, please add to my list anything you think of, as I *will* be writing to them with this list, and my comments.

• Having one central festival didn't work - it got too crowded too soon, and many people were disappointed at not being able to get in. It would make *much* more sense to have separate festivals at each of the hubs, giving people the opportunity to enjoy the events both before and after they've ridden the main route, and not during.

• bike maintenance stops along the route, rather than just at the hubs. These had HUGE queues, and many people (like me) ended up on the main route several hours after we wanted to be. Stops along the route would also be very helpful for the many riders that had to stop due to flat tyres and other issues along the route.

• food and drink stops along the route, rather than just in the festival

• instead of bibs, provide everyone with a good high-vis belt. Branded with freewheel perhaps, but something that people can re-use, that actually contributes to safer cycling.

• free information about cycling and the highway code

• route and hub maps, perhaps on a laminate people can wear around their necks

• a MUCH longer running time. 11-4 wasn't nearly long enough!

• MORE PORTALOOS. I didn't go all day...

• a hub festival at clissold park - there are LOADS of cyclists in this area. An additional bonus of hub festivals would be that people who *aren't* cycling can attend their local festival without having to do the whole route. This would attract sponsors, more people would see them, and more people would spend money, thus generating revenue!

any more?

That said - there were good things. The marshalls along the route were generally friendly and helpful, the route really fun and well planned, and the general atmosphere (once you got to the main route) was fantastic. I do love cycling in london, and had a great time (although i need a stretch and a bath and a hot meal now!) - next year, if there is a next year - i expect to see more of you there!!

In summary, it was good, but it could have been SO SO SO much better. I'm glad I went, and glad i stayed sober last night so I could go! Sham on you those that didn't make it ;)