We set off round the course, the police riding ahead and behind, blocking side roads and closing down the lane ahead when the SPR took us onto the wrong side of the road. The process they use is one of repeated leap frogging. Once our procession of 3 bicycles had passed, the police motor bike guarding the side road weaved past us and took up position on the next unguarded side road ahead. I imagined that this must be what it is like to be in a Royal or VIP procession around Central London. Although as the police motorbikes expertly weaved past we cyclists it made me think also of the TV images of the Tour de France.
We had numerous brief stops to record intermediate distances, and for the police to clear traffic problems ahead. Central London is surprisingly busy between 2 and 4 am. On our second lap down the 4 lane Northumberland Avenue, we were on the right facing some huge lorries stopped ahead of us. The police expertly shuffled the traffic around so the lorries could cross to their right in order to leave the shortest line clear for us to ride.
Here is the group assembled on The Mall with Buckingham Palace lit by the rising sun very overexposed in the background.
Since I headed home to bed soon after the measurement, I did miss the opportunity for the traditional post measurement breakfast to work out results and to learn more about David's extraordinarily long measuring history. But we have agreed to make contact on Skype. I did however give David a short ride on my electrically assisted measuring bike and he seemed suitably impressed!