The 30 minutes Gary quotes is by car !
It's a not too unpleasent ride from Heathrow - endless suburbia for maybe 15 miles on the west and southwest side.
>From Gatwick, bit of hike because the 30 minute link is freeway (motorway, to us) and finding the country roads would need map-reading or a Garmin/TomTom device. There's some surprisingly nice countryside just outside London. Ripley, famous in cycling history (and not JUST because it's my birthplace !) is a few miles away.
Brooklands is where 'massed start' racing started in the UK. Had been banned on the road since 1900s because of it frightening horses. Vic Jenner rode in the World championships early 1930s, totally unused to road racing in a bunch and came back determined to do something about it. Co-promoted with 'the Bicycle' magazine Olympic trial races on the closed motor-racing circuit. Brooklands started as an oval like your ovals (quite a lot left) but added the road circuit and hills later. Circuits closed in 1939. Museum is cars, aircraft and some bicycles. The Director at Brooklands is a good friend and their days like this are well organised. Schools back in September, so airfares/hotels are a bit cheaper.
End of commercial break !
John Purser
Sudbury England
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Message: 7 Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2011 16:18:47 +0000 From: gary higgitt <garyhiggitt@hotmail.co.uk> Subject: [CR] FW: WHAT DO YOU RIDE ? ALL OF THEM To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Message-ID: <SNT117-W18DDEC48EDE8FCFB7C46C3F7E70@phx.gbl> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Hello all
1st post, great site, Im very fortunate to have been able to collect lightweights for many years, from when I started riding / racing at 15 on a Reg Harris and a Hetchins in the late 60s
I have ridden all of them at one time or another over the years , l Eroica , 3 times and many other retro rides in Europe which are just as good, if not better then the l Eroica such as the RETRO RONDE from Freddy Maertens museum in Belgium in june, its one of the best ,better organised and a proper festival of all things retro cycling dont stay in the town itself ODENAARD theres a beer festival for 3 DAYS and the bands play until 4 AM ,
Some of my on topic bikes are on [ http://photobucket.com/
My BIKE FESTIVAL this year is at BROOKLANDS , WEYBRIDGE, SURREY , KT13 0QN, UK, ON SEPTEMBER 18th 2011, Its at the BROOKLANDS MUSEUM / MERCEDES BENZ WORLD a google search will find the museum, ?11 gets you into all areas of the museum except the CONCORDE, the FACTORY RALEIGH COLLECTION is at BROOKLANDS, Its 30 mins from Heathrow or Gatwick airports Its a Jumble/ SWAPMEET / Trade show / Exhibits from all marques invited / best bikes in diferent catagories /Hillclimb / pre 84 lightweight rides, starting on the Historic Brooklands Racetrack Banking to the start of the TOUR OF BRITAIN start place at THAMES DITTON , ALL WELCOME ,
GARY HIGGITT WINDSOR, UK
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