A very large crowd assembled on the southbank, even bigger than last month, possibly somewhere between 1200 and 1500 riders, on a beautiful summers evening, close to the longest day of the year. This was possibly one of the biggest rides of the last five years, other than the 30th birthday celebration in April 2024. The gender balance for the ride is also starting to look much better, with far more women attending than even just six months ago.
The ride went down the Old Kent Road, and then turned south before the end of it, heading into Nunhead and climbing up to the top of Telegraph Hill. A brief stop allowed the riders to recombine at the top, as many fixed gear and BMX riders walked their way up. The now-regular wheelchair attendee with the Palestine flag refused all offers of assistance and powered his way to the top, covered in sweat, to cheers from other riders.
The ride then headed down into Brockley, to the confusion and delight of the residents, shopkeepers, and pub-goers along the route, who waved and smiled as the Mass went by. The ride continued on towards Honor Oark Park, and then turned east to climb another hill, this time to reach the top of Blythe Hill Fields, well-timed to catch the sun setting on the horizon over the cityscape.
The ride stopped here for about 45 minutes, as people sat and socialised, and enjoyed watching the sun set. A mini-shop selling drinks and sweets appeared, along with a similar four wheel electrical cart with its rear casing cut off and a coals BBQ bolted to its flooring instead.
The ride then went back over One Tree Hill – putting in some serious elevation for the Strava enthusiasts – and then down towards the western side of Peckham Rye, then up alongside Burgess Park, and through Bermondsey Street to reach Potter Fields, where the ride ended for most people. The sound system riders combined their rigs together again and played some tunes. Security guards from More London came along but generally leave CM alone when it arrives there as the crowd is friendly and good natured.
Despite the huge size of it, the ride stayed coherent and together all evening. There were many first timers on the ride, and commenters on various social media platforms said that they had enjoyed it immensely. The corking was also excellent and there were minimal incidents of drivers getting agggressive or trying to barge through. The ride is in a good place at the moment and that is contributing to more people coming every month.
