That year has gone by quickly. Have been looking at Canterbury and Hastings. Did the latter last year. It was what you'd expect from one of the small rides but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Probably won't do either this time. The weather looks decidedly poor - the minor rides struggle for numbers even under glorious blue skies. Canterbury 2014 was quite odd. There are shots from before the start - looked like a relatively high turnout with a good deal besides the usual 'every ride' participants. But the shots of the riders out there on the road suggested a much smaller number - unless the group got divided, as per London last year.
Thinking of having a different approach to London this time. The start at Hyde Park was absolutely awful last year. Everyone cramped under the trees while a huge mass of tourists elbowed each other for a glimpse of naked flesh. The end was almost as bad. A large number of riders seem to be covered up at the start and finish, and it's kind of understandable. Hoping to do the Lincoln's Inn Fields stop this time round. The riders seem a lot more relaxed away from the madness of Hyde Park and Wellington Arch. Might do the Regent's Park start and then go on to Lincoln's Inn. Not sure.
Brighton is the best UK ride by a massive margin, IMHO. Who can forget the fantastic weather and very large turnout of 2014, particularly the dancing in the fountain. This time I'm hoping to also do the Hove Lawns rest stop - but quite a lot depends on the weather. The warmer and more pleasant it is, the longer the rest stops as people tend to queue for an ice cream etc. A nice day also means a good turnout for the end of ride skinny dip. My 2014 haul from Brighton was the only WNBR set I've got thus far that I wasn't disappointed with. Could have done better, and the harsh midday sun certainly didn't help, but the end result was OK. Got a lot of positive comments from the riders, which is always nice.
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