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Mr. T
Joined: 30 May 2005
Posts: 65
Location: London
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 Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 10:48 am Subject: More help needed...about venues this time. |
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Guys, I see from the threads that you train at different places. I would like very much to be able to train with you, but my job in the City does not make that very easy at all. I skated a lot in Hyde Park so far , but I can only enjoy it early in the morning when it is relatively free of crowds. In the Summer mornings it is nice but at 8am there start to appear the stupid tourists that, of course, have to walk on the bycicle lane and, while once I got into a fight with one of them trying to teach him to read the signs, if I am to do that all the times I would end up being more trained as a professional wrestler than as a skater.
I read about the Lea Valley Circuit where the LIM is held.
Is the venue open to skaters all the times? Or are there special times when skaters can use it. I could probably use it just during week-ends, so it would be great if I could go there to skate and not having to worry about geese and tourists and, occasionally, horses.
How about the Mall when it is closed to the traffic on Sunday? Is it suitable to put the pedal to the metal or do you have to keep a super careful watch for the tourists as well? The Pelicans in St. James's Park, at least I noticed do not leave their premises. In Hyde Park I am sure the geese make a point to cross the road just when I am skating by...
Thx for any suggestion again. |
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Mikey-two-Names
Joined: 24 Feb 2004
Posts: 4108
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| Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 10:54 am Subject: |
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Yes, the pedestrians can be quite annoying when they walk in the road and the cycle lane. Here in the UK things are different though, they have a right to be there, so it's our duty to avoid them. There are no jaywalking laws here, the road is considered public highway and pedestrians also have the right to use them.
Eastway cycle circuit (lee valley) is open much of the time, and you can use it if you wear a helmet and pay a small fee. There are times when it's booked and closed to the public.
The Mall is skateable, we used to do intervals there, but there are a lot of tourists and other pedestrians to avoid. I'd say South Carriage drive is better, though the surface is slightly rougher. That shouldn't be a problem with your big wheels though. |
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Mr. T
Joined: 30 May 2005
Posts: 65
Location: London
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| Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 11:02 am Subject: |
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| Mike, so pedestrians can walk on bycicle lanes and when a bicycle approaches it is the cyclist who has to be careful? Ooops.. |
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Gav
Former British Record Holder
Joined: 24 Feb 2004
Posts: 3354
Location: Maida Vale
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Mikey-two-Names
Joined: 24 Feb 2004
Posts: 4108
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| Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 11:07 am Subject: |
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| Mr. T wrote: |
| Mike, so pedestrians can walk on bycicle lanes and when a bicycle approaches it is the cyclist who has to be careful? Ooops.. |
I know, it's a bit stupid of them to be walking in the cycle lane really, but yes, you can't run them over, LOL! |
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Mikey-two-Names
Joined: 24 Feb 2004
Posts: 4108
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| Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 11:07 am Subject: |
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| Gav wrote: |
| My opinion... the Mall is too rough, it's even worse for tourists at the end by the palace. I stay well away from there. |
LOL, it's nowhere near as rough as South Carriage drive. Well, either that or you went looking for the roughest bits of the Mall. |
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dan_b
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 2428
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| Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 11:08 am Subject: |
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You shoudl be able to see links to a small selection of past threads about venues at http://del.icio.us/telent/skating+venue - though I've only been using del.icio.us for about a day and am not sure it works exactly as I think it does, so maybe you can't.
If you're in the City it sounds like for weekend skating you have miles of deserted road on your doorstep already ... |
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Mr. T
Joined: 30 May 2005
Posts: 65
Location: London
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| Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 11:12 am Subject: |
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Thank you Mike. I had no clue. I was not planning to run anybody over. Which is why I skate at 5:30am whenever I can. A good fist in the eyes would have sufficed. 
I think it is a strange law, but justified because English people like American are very respectful of rules. It is the tourists who often have no clue or sense of law and make the law/rule pretty much useless.
It would be great if even in London, at least in the Summer, they closed the Hyde Park to all traffic like they do for Central Park in NY. |
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Mr. T
Joined: 30 May 2005
Posts: 65
Location: London
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| Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 11:14 am Subject: |
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| dan_b wrote: |
You shoudl be able to see links to a small selection of past threads about venues at http://del.icio.us/telent/skating+venue - though I've only been using del.icio.us for about a day and am not sure it works exactly as I think it does, so maybe you can't.
If you're in the City it sounds like for weekend skating you have miles of deserted road on your doorstep already ... |
Thank you Dan. I work in the City and I lived there briefly. Right now, though, I live in the Kensington area to be close to the Park. I am paying an outrageous rent for my love to skate.
You are right the City is a desert during the weekend, but not completely and you can skate but you need to keep at least 4 eyes open all the times. |
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Mr. T
Joined: 30 May 2005
Posts: 65
Location: London
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| Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 11:21 am Subject: |
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| ls_mike wrote: |
| Gav wrote: |
| My opinion... the Mall is too rough, it's even worse for tourists at the end by the palace. I stay well away from there. |
LOL, it's nowhere near as rough as South Carriage drive. Well, either that or you went looking for the roughest bits of the Mall. |
I have to go with Mike here. Man.. if the South Carriage drive is rough! I did that once. At one point I could not avoid to look down and check if my wheels and frame were still there. Believe me: 5x90 does not help there. you probably need Pirelli tires to tackle that road. But, I found what Mike once told me on this forum when I posted before coming from the US, to be true: i.e. when you can skate gatorbacks you are a better skater. After the carriage roads (have they ever be paved after the public works in 1850? ) when I skate the Serpentine Road, it feels silk smooth. Also because of the early hour I get there to skate, once I fell asleep while skating the Serpentine. Too bad there are no poachers to get rid of the Canadian geese!
However, I find the North Carriage road really the limit of what I call skateable roughness. It is almost painful. My most serious concern, overall is that if you fall on either the South or the North carriage roads you are going to leave a lot of skin and flash behind!  It ain't pretty. |
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Mr. T
Joined: 30 May 2005
Posts: 65
Location: London
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| Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 11:27 am Subject: |
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| Maybe I will try Richmond someday. The descriptions sound very positive. |
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dan_b
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 2428
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| Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 11:28 am Subject: |
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| Surface on the Mall is quite variable: some bits are vil and others pretty OK. If you're skating towards the palace, it's a lot smoother nearer the middle of the road than it is on the left. |
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ed!
Committee Member
Joined: 13 Mar 2005
Posts: 4465
Location: E R, London
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| Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 11:40 am Subject: |
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| Mr. T wrote: |
| Thank you Mike. I had no clue. I was not planning to run anybody over. Which is why I skate at 5:30am whenever I can. |
Is it not dewy at that time in the morning?
High Street Kensington must be nice to skate up and down when it's quiet...I've done so on many a night.
There are some nice residential roads around the St John's Wood area - filled with straights, turns, uphills (and consequently downhills). |
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Mr. T
Joined: 30 May 2005
Posts: 65
Location: London
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| Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 11:52 am Subject: |
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| ed! wrote: |
Is it not dewy at that time in the morning? |
Not in late Spring or Summer or early Fall.
| ed! wrote: |
High Street Kensington must be nice to skate up and down when it's quiet...I've done so on many a night.
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I do not recall High Street Kensington to be quiet very often. Pavement is nice, though, I agree. Skating at night is not my thing. I am an early riser, and not a night owl...
| ed! wrote: |
There are some nice residential roads around the St John's Wood area - filled with straights, turns, uphills (and consequently downhills). |
Will have to check this place out.... |
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ed!
Committee Member
Joined: 13 Mar 2005
Posts: 4465
Location: E R, London
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| Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 11:58 am Subject: |
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| Mr. T wrote: |
| I do not recall High Street Kensington to be quiet very often. Pavement is nice, though, I agree. Skating at night is not my thing. I am an early riser, and not a night owl... |
On the occasions I've been, around 11ish pm HSK is quiet enough to skate freely on the road - not sure about the pavement, but I'd imagine it's good.
Not sure what SJW is like during the early hours, I'm the complete opposite to you  |
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