FNRtME (Friday Night Ride through Middle Earth) to Rollright Stones - 14-15 Sept

[philthehill]

I could be up for this ride with Jon the Viking. For me it has to be Sept 7/8th due to work. Rollrights sounds like a great plan!

[CAMRAMan]

Another vote for the Rollrights. I had an amazing divining experience there a few years back.

I will probably join you on the route rather than from Brum.

This is all date dependent and I couldn't make Sept. 7/8 as AWL Jr will be taking his 11+ that weekend.

[Andrew Br]

An alternative thought:- What about Birmingham to Manchester ?
It's about 90 miles, a sensible route could use a lot of the Cheshire Cycleway and it's fairly flat.
There's no shortage of breakfast options in Manchester and it's easy to get to most places after the ride.
I've ridden as far south as Stoke and Market Drayton from Manchester and I could certainly help plan a route at the northern end.

Failing that, the Rollrights sounds a good idea.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I quite fancy the idea of a ride to the Rollrights, though left to myself I'd probably do it by daylight. I'll leave voting and planning to the Middle Earthers.

[Kim]

My apologies!  I've got caught up in other things and completely neglected this thread.   

So, Rollrights it is (I've updated the OP)

We need a date...

I appear to be booked up until the second week of September.  And that's got the Tamworth audaxes on the Saturday, and the Macride on the Sunday which are both local and therefore silly to clash with.

14-15th or 15-16th of September are fine for me, as are 21-22nd or 22-23rd.  I'm on the list for the Brighton FNRttC on the 28-29th, but could ditch that if popular demand dictates.

Thoughts?  (Poll updated)

[Basil]

14-15th or 15-16th of September are fine for me,

Is a good w/e for me.  As is every second w/e from then onwards.

[jogler]

Is it defineatley a ride to the Rollrights?

[jogler]

& EXCACTLY where would the start location be?

[Basil]

Is it defineatley a ride to the Rollrights?

Dunno, I assumed so.  My plan was just to follow everyone else.

[jogler]

I ask 'cause the Rollrights are a BCQ question

[Basil]

& EXCACTLY where would the start location be?

Need to think of somewhere people can leave vehicles overnight for those arriving by road.  Plus feeder ride from Mordor Central for train people.

[Kim]

Definitely to the Rollrights.  Route a work in progress.

I reckon the foyer of New Street Station is probably the best starting place for this one.  It works well for the Yorkists (who, admittedly, have a much nicer station), has things like coffee and loos, and I know how easy it is to get lost by bike in central Brum.

ETA: Hadn't thought about cars.  Wonder if the MAC car park is okay to use overnight?  (Can check..) I was reckoning on following NCN5 through Canon Hill Park on the way out of the city, so could meet motorists there with minimal danger of anyone getting lost.

Sunrise is 6:42 on the 15th.  How long do you reckon it'll take you to ride 80 odd km (including a couple of hills), nobby?  I'm reckoning on at least an hour of stoppages for the Tesco stop and assorted faffings.

[Basil]

Usual offer of spare room(s)[1] from me.  You could just leave a car outside my house (Street parking) 0.6 miles from NCN5

[1] one single, one double

[andrewc]

14th/15th works for me. 2 weeks to recover from Tan Hill and 2 weeks before Carlisle to Newcastle if I decide to go for that. (There's a rather good gig in Liverpool that night...)
Wonder if we can fit Hook Norton on the ride to Banbury ?   

[teethgrinder]

King Rollright and the Whispering Knights. I pass those on my way westwards, often at night. They charge you money to see those stones! but not very much. You may have to just climb the barrieir if you get there early. I think (but don't know) that there a few stones on the other side of the road which can be seen for free. I've never actually stopped to have a look.
There's a garden centre (Wyatt I think) if you go east which has a jolly good cafe often frequented by cyclists and it has a very nice view out of the very large window because it's on the top of a great big ridge.
Failing that, there is Chipping Norton which has a nice cafe on the right if you take the A361 southbound. (Turn left on the right hand bend on the high street, effectively going straight on. Don't go down the hill.) It does a good fried breakfast.
Banbury has all the usual chain eateries and a train station.
I might come out and join you somewhere, if only at the stones or cafe, depending on dates and times etc.

[jogler]

I'm a definate maybe.
14th is best for me.

I would come on the train so meeting at BNS would be ideal.

[Polar Bear]

We're definite maybes too.

[CAMRAMan]

I think it was £1.50 to get into the Rollrights a few years back. Includes free use of the diving rods.

I am a doubtful now, as I'm in Suffolk the weekend that seems to be favoured (14-15/9) and 11+-ing with AWL Jr the weekend before.

[Si]

Would there be a possibility of the ride going past Northfield Railway station so that I could join there?

BTW, does anyone know how far it is from New St to the Stones...roughly?  Are we talking closer to 50, 75 or 100miles?

BTW, useless bit of trivia - Ravenbait, whom I'm sure a lot of people from here will know or remember, was IIRC, once the warden of the Rollright Stones and once chased Ali-G around them with a large sharp weapon!

Entry: "The Stones are open to the public every day from sunrise to sunset for a
very modest entry fee of £1 for adults and 50p for children over 7.  Money
should be put in the collection box when the site is not wardened."

[Crumbling Nick]

Last time I rode to Hook Norton, it was about 42 miles from Solihull. We're about 7 miles from New St. & the Stones are a couple of miles further than Hook Norton, so a few more than 50 miles, assuming a fairly direct route.

I'd guess a speed of 11 m.p.h., so a riding time of around 5 hrs would be a starting point.

[Ray 6701]

Would like to join you but can only do the from the 21st of September as I have audax rides on the 1st 3 weekends.

[robgul]

Kim - suggest that you now apply the "Field of Dreams" concept here - build it and they will come!

Decide on the date - create the route - promote it - ride it.    Simples.

Rob

(and if you want any help with ideas for the area/lanes etc from Stratford to the Rollrights let me know ... we use a lot of that area for the Shakespeare 100 rides)

[Kim]

Agreed.

I reckon the 14-15th has it, then.  I'll update the OP and add to the calendar.

All route advice is welcome, especially for the bit after Stratford.

Bodger: I wasn't planning to head as far west as Northfield - I was thinking we follow the cycle route to where it meets the Pershore Road in Kings Norton (by the playing fields), then up Primrose Hill - which is generally accepted as the optimal route for avoiding the combination of traffic and nasty gradients - and into the lanes.  Suggest you meet us at the Pershore Road (or indeed, just keep following Route 5 into town until you find us)?

[robgul]

Agreed.

I reckon the 14-15th has it, then.  I'll update the OP and add to the calendar.

All route advice is welcome, especially for the bit after Stratford.

Bodger: I wasn't planning to head as far west as Northfield - I was thinking we follow the cycle route to where it meets the Pershore Road in Kings Norton (by the playing fields), then up Primrose Hill - which is generally accepted as the optimal route for avoiding the combination of traffic and nasty gradients - and into the lanes.  Suggest you meet us at the Pershore Road (or indeed, just keep following Route 5 into town until you find us)?

14 - 15 is Friday/Saturday so the suggestion (IIRC) up thread for Tesco in Stratford as the stop will work as it's open all night (obviously not the cafe) - again as suggested, given the overall ride distance it probably needs a fairly direct route to the Rollrights .. I'll plot something out (with an extension to Banbury being the nearest place with a useful train service and cafes for breakfast) - and estimate on time at Tesco would be useful ... I'm guessing that possibly I and others from Stratford, would join there.

... from Primrose Hill the "alternative Rte 5 - is it 55?" is quite good - Forhill - Weatheroak - Church Hill N, Redditch - to meet "main Rte 5) through the park to just by the Alex hospital in Redditch - then there's a better route to Stratford via Studley, Spernals, Great Alne, Wilmcote (avoiding the ford at Coughton).

Rob

[Kim]

... from Primrose Hill the "alternative Rte 5 - is it 55?" is quite good - Forhill - Weatheroak - Church Hill N, Redditch - to meet "main Rte 5) through the park to just by the Alex hospital in Redditch

Given that it's a night ride, I'll probably avoid Icknield Street, taking the parallel route to the east:  top of Weatheroak, Birch Acre, Hob Hill.  It's slightly less lumpy, better surfaced and it avoids the steep gravelly descent with the sharp bend at the bottom that isn't much fun in the dark.  (Visitors to the Coach & Horses will testify that it's even less fun to climb back up after a few pints.)

I wasn't sure about whether to go through Redditch, or whether to head east - Portway, Aspley Heath, Ullenhall, Spernall sort of thing.  I know that works well in the daytime, but it might be better to just go straight through Redditch at night.  Of course, that would mean actually working out how to follow the cycle route through Redditch without getting lost.

then there's a better route to Stratford via Studley, Spernals, Great Alne, Wilmcote (avoiding the ford at Coughton).

My thoughts exactly.