Top Gear Challenge/Westfield Challenge - bring it up again

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The Orange One
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Top Gear Challenge/Westfield Challenge - bring it up again

Post by The Orange One »

Several times in the past, the idea of a Top Gear style Challenge done by forum members has come up. Such as here, here and here, although that last one is Andi racing the sun in a car as opposed to a cross London race.

Top Gear style challenges across London that actually got the public transport correct have also been attempted, but none has been filmed particularly well - this one between Wimbledon and Stratford is probably the best. Decent video producing, however, is not a problem with members of the forum.

Since Clarkson's firing from the BBC, the discussion was once more brought up, but it was Leam's comments about how Sydney does a Westfield Challenge that gave me the perfect route for a possible challenge - Stratford Westfield to Shepherd's Bush Westfield.

Main Competing routes
- Central Line
- London Overground
- H&C + HS1
- Bicycle
- Car

Other possible routes (would definitely be slower though)
- Run (it's about 10 and a half miles, so looking at parkrun and London Marathon times 1 and a half hours looks about right - although one would have to compensate for traffic lights and pedestrians!)
- Buses (probably slower than the runner, assuming a 25+94 combination - Tangy do you know of a faster way?)

What else? You could take a boat from Hackney Wick to Willesden Junction and walk from there, but if you thought a 9mph speed limit on Top Gear was slow between Kew Bridge and Wandsworth Bridge, most canals have a speed limit of 4mph, and you have 11 locks to go through, and then you have to park, so leave it at not recommended. That's pretty much it for ways across London, I think. You could add other cars, or a van, I suppose, but they'd have little time difference with the car.

Anyone for this?

Also, District Line from Gunnersbury to Monument? If the Stig had gone to Richmond, then used SWT + JLE + DLR it would have got him to London City long before the others!
All London buses: 23 hours 25 minutes (with Adham, David, Josh and Tangy)
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DrainBrain
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Re: Top Gear Challenge/Westfield Challenge - bring it up aga

Post by DrainBrain »

For a Clarkson-esque route:

JLE to North Greenwich
RB1 to Blackfriars (or Embankment) then RB6 to Chelsea Harbour
LO Imperial Wharf to Shepherd's Bush.

Can't imagine it would be very quick.
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RJSRdg
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Re: Top Gear Challenge/Westfield Challenge - bring it up aga

Post by RJSRdg »

Remember - for a Top Gear-style challenge you need to find two places that are much closer together by car than they are by Tube!
272 stations in 18:30:32
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Re: Top Gear Challenge/Westfield Challenge - bring it up aga

Post by The Orange One »

Yes, but it's not Top Gear style in that it's biased towards cars, it's Top Gear style in the way that it's a race between different modes of transport, filmed in full dramatic style.

Obviously, because we are tube challengers, we'll do the public transport properly - if you saw the Top Gear London challenge, The Stig is not exactly trying to win with public transport. There are several other ways to beat the bike - something with South West Trains and the Jubilee Line via Richmond, Waterloo and Canning Town would have put him probably 20 minutes ahead of what he was.

Actually, can you imagine Jeremy Clarkson on a canal boat, operating locks?
All London buses: 23 hours 25 minutes (with Adham, David, Josh and Tangy)
Holds some alternative challenge records. Not sure which ones.
20½ Random 15 challenges: 01:58:48 best
That guy who runs those Twitter polls about tube stations and London Boroughs.
DrainBrain
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Re: Top Gear Challenge/Westfield Challenge - bring it up aga

Post by DrainBrain »

The Orange One wrote:Actually, can you imagine Jeremy Clarkson on a canal boat, operating locks?
With his usual (former) cohorts it would probably be a bit like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgpfYBMqURw

Skip to about 1:20 for the bit with the lock.
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Re: Top Gear Challenge/Westfield Challenge - bring it up aga

Post by The Orange One »

He's got the others doing it for him, though! I've worked a few in the past and it's really quite hard to do alone, not to mention really slow.
All London buses: 23 hours 25 minutes (with Adham, David, Josh and Tangy)
Holds some alternative challenge records. Not sure which ones.
20½ Random 15 challenges: 01:58:48 best
That guy who runs those Twitter polls about tube stations and London Boroughs.
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