YACF "Can I have a go mate?" session...

[Kim]

Putting this in Freewheeling because I don't think it has to be recumbent-specific...

Splitting off from this thread, it occurs to me that it might be fun to organise a gathering of the forum's darksiders (along with tricyclists, tandemistas, the 'bent curious and so on) together with their more interesting machines, specifically for the purposes of letching at and trying out each other's bikes.  I would also suggest that such activities would be greatly enhanced by availability of ^_CAKE, beer, curry and so on.

Obviously this needs to be somewhere easy to get to with silly bikes, which probably means London or the Midlands somewhere.  It would be highly desirable to have somewhere where people can nervously wobble about without having to worry too much about evading traffic, walkers, dogs, small children and if at all possible, steering.  From experience, tarmac and gentle slopes are best for teaching people to ride.  Grass hurts less, but is much more difficult, especially on all-out road bikes, and is liable to be slippery mud at this time of year.


So yeah.  Who's interested?  Who's got a silly bike?  Is this a terrible idea?  Where would be a good location?  Ideas please...

[Kathy]

Where would be a good location?

Richmond park. After sunset, when there are no cars. Because I think what is lacking from your original plan is (a) DARK and (b) over-amorous deer with pointy things randomly wandering on the roads.

Go on, you know you want to! 

[Polar Bear]

This has all the potential for a YACF camping weekend.  Awesome idea too 

[AndyH]

Who's interested?

Absolutely, great idea. 

Who's got a silly bike?

No. But I'd bring the Enigma along. You never know, someone may like to try it. (It got Crapag on it PB   )

[arabella]

calling assassin with the tandem trike 

[dasmoth]

Would definitely be up for this, and we could probably "contribute" either a USS Grasshopper or a (two wheeled, I'm afraid) tandem, depending on logistics and what else is going to be there.

[Chris L]

Where would be a good location?

Richmond park. After sunset, when there are no cars. Because I think what is lacking from your original plan is (a) DARK and (b) over-amorous deer with pointy things randomly wandering on the roads.

Go on, you know you want to! 

You've missed the over amorous deer, I'm afraid.  They're randy in October.  After that it's just too chilly.  (OT do deer do dogging?)  If you can hang on till May you can have them just plain violent, if that would meet your requirements.  We do, however, have DARK in spadefuls.

If you avoid Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings, you can have a go on my Grasshopper.

[Polar Bear]

@ Andyh:  I might like to try your enigma.   Perhaps some Crapag just works

If Margaret Hilda still lives with me I'll see if I can bring her along.

[Aidan]

Not really that silly, but I could bring my Brompton

[David Martin]

We had a u.r.c Embra meetup many moons ago which was Jolly Good Fun (tm). That would be at least 5 years back..

[rower40]

'mupfrit.
Grasshopper or Windcheetah?  Getting a Windy onto a train can be a challenge that even the Psychic Paper isn't up to.  Choice of route, time-of-day, type of rolling stock, time since guard's last tea break - all of these are relevant factors. Hopefully a small box of Celebrations or similar chocolates may assist.

London or Brum both good for me.

There's a good 3 weeks' worth of fettling (at my normal speed) before the Windy is working again.

[Karla]

@ Andyh:  I might like to try your enigma.   Perhaps some Crapag just works

If Margaret Hilda still lives with me I'll see if I can bring her along.

I have a bike with crapag and crabon combined!  I'd also very much like to meet Margaret Hilda; the shot of her, me and Wow riding a triplet will take pride of place above my butler's hearth.

[Tim Hall]

I haz a Pino, and I'm not afraid to use it.

And a Vision R40.



London (Richmond Park) would be better for me he said selfishly.

[Auntie Helen]

London would be OK for me, Brum a bit too difficult to get to on train with trike...

[Torslanda]

What a totally brilliant idea!

This needs a pub location, beer logistics and chips supplies.

I would nominate either Anglesey or somewhere on the NTR/Thirsk/Darlo axis. This would mean most peeps would need to travel (but with good rail and road links) available camping or B&B and quiet roads, silly bike adventures for the uses of . . .

We could,of course, take over a college campus in Summer for a few days and have races, rides, beer, more beer, food and maybe even some more beer.

(But that would be called Cyclefest and it's 7 years since we had one of those) 

[Karla]

I would nominate either Anglesey or somewhere on the NTR/Thirsk/Darlo axis. This would mean most peeps would need to travel (but with good rail and road links) available camping or B&B and quiet roads, silly bike adventures for the uses of . . .

I'll second the second of those.

[Si]

  Who's interested?  Who's got a silly bike?  Is this a terrible idea?  Where would be a good location?  Ideas please...

Well, when we had the first ever YACF Tandem ride, with a number of first timers and wobblers, we started off from Sutton Park in Birmingham.  Had the advantages of being in the middle of the country (if you discount Scotland  ), good rail and motorway access, car free tarmacced park roads with some gentle slopes, and then, once used to the machines it was just a few hundred metres ride to get out into the country side.  the park itself has two pubs, two cafes and copious free car parking.

[tiermat]

I would nominate either Anglesey or somewhere on the NTR/Thirsk/Darlo axis. This would mean most peeps would need to travel (but with good rail and road links) available camping or B&B and quiet roads, silly bike adventures for the uses of . . .

I'll second the second of those.

ooooh, idea time, maybe we should have a Northern one and a Southern one, with hopefully at least one person attend both (which would mean having them on different dates) so that we can compare and contrast

[drossall]

Upright trike if in striking distance of Herts. I've never considered buying a recumbent, but I'd like a go in exchange

Anyone got a unicycle?

[Kathy]

Upright trike if in striking distance of Herts. I've never considered buying a recumbent, but I'd like a go in exchange

Anyone got a unicycle?

Yup.
can't ride it though...

[drossall]

That's all right. We don't need you to be able to ride it in order for us to fail.

[loadsabikes]

it's a great idea

[Cunobelin]

Where would be a good location?

Richmond park. After sunset, when there are no cars. Because I think what is lacking from your original plan is (a) DARK and (b) over-amorous deer with pointy things randomly wandering on the roads.

Go on, you know you want to! 

Want to what?


Ride a recumbent or "become friendly" with an over amorous deer?

[AndyH]

I've never been on a unicycle or a bent or a tandem trike or a trike of any sort for that matter, & I haven't been on a tandem or a fixie for 25 years. Come to think of it I've never been on a penny farthing either. Or a randy Stag. In fact downtube shifters would be a novelty. Anyone got a fixed recumbent trike?

This could be the best fun I've had for a long time. The north / south idea appeals - I'm very south. Bit unfair on the midlanders though.

[Jurek]

Richmond park. After sunset, when there are no cars.

Great idea.

You just might want to check you're not clashing with The Richmond Hell Riders.

With the shorter days and longer nights it's the start of their seasonal practice runs.