The event is beloved by everyone.*
*with the possible exception of motorists, train companies, music critics, persnickety cyclists seeking lane discipline, etc. The Guardian even did
a piece about etiquette."it’s within everyone’s interests to act responsibly"
Road.cc
tweeted it in.
Actually, I didn't do the ride either. I had every intention of doing it, even going so far as to take the train to London and picking my way through the crowd at the beginning. But shortly after hitting more open road I also hit a kind of spiritual bonk. I'd already gotten what I'd come for – the buzz of city cycling, the feelgoodness of the green – and suddenly felt prematurely fatigued. And it was hot enough to make my previously lucky shirt uncomfortably clingy. And didn't I just do this last year (and a bunch of other times besides)? Funny how something I had really been looking forward to quickly turned into something that seemed like a chore.
So I turned around before the M25. God that felt good. London is my sweet spot. Maybe next year I'll break free from its orbital.
