Author Topic: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th  (Read 26345 times)

keeks

  • shooting from the hip ... because I am
Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #75 on: 23 November, 2009, 12:12:40 pm »
Geographically challenged perhaps.

The cliff jumpy bit in Quadrophenia is at Beachy Head, some way to the East. Almost Eastbourne in fact. 

Ditchling Beacon is a several of miles from the sea.


Youy may, of course, still be deluded, but who am I to comment?


your right I am deluded but I will still enjoy my Quadrophenia -ish  moment , might  even q up The Who ,guitar thrash ( you won't get fooled again) on the iPod for the crest bit.

chillmoister

  • King of Compton
Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #76 on: 27 November, 2009, 02:43:21 pm »
the mince pies are in the saddle bag of joy, the hip flask is full of the finest Armagnac and flask of hotchoc is about to be prepared ...who says the Faccomb 5 don't do things in style  ;D
appearing in a tea room near you

Hummers

  • It is all about the taste.
Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #77 on: 27 November, 2009, 04:10:18 pm »
the mince pies are in the saddle bag of joy, the hip flask is full of the finest Armagnac and flask of hotchoc is about to be prepared ...who says the Faccomb 5 don't do things in style  ;D

I see your Armangnac and raise you a hip flask filled with a fine Islay malt.

H

chillmoister

  • King of Compton
Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #78 on: 27 November, 2009, 04:22:46 pm »
chin chin sir  ;D
appearing in a tea room near you

urban_biker

  • " . . .we all ended up here and like lads in the back of a Nova we sort of egged each other on...."
  • Known in the real world as Dave
Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #79 on: 27 November, 2009, 04:22:54 pm »
I'm not picky - I'll drink either  :thumbsup:
Owner of a languishing Langster

urban_biker

  • " . . .we all ended up here and like lads in the back of a Nova we sort of egged each other on...."
  • Known in the real world as Dave
Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #80 on: 27 November, 2009, 04:30:38 pm »
Ok - I'm all lycra'd-up and ready to receive Hummers in the customary manner behind the bike-sheds at LTP
Owner of a languishing Langster

chillmoister

  • King of Compton
Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #81 on: 27 November, 2009, 04:50:00 pm »
i'll give you two a 15 minute head start
appearing in a tea room near you

StuAff

  • Folding not boring
Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #82 on: 27 November, 2009, 05:35:24 pm »
See you all at HPC. I think I'll pass on the return ride though...don't really fancy 60 miles into a 20 mph headwind........!

Riggers

  • Mine's a pipe, er… pint!
Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #83 on: 27 November, 2009, 05:38:02 pm »
Good luck to you all. I'd like to say I'd meet you somewhere, but I'll be tucked up in bed with my lovely wife. Yum, yum.
Certainly never seen cycling south of Sussex

Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #84 on: 27 November, 2009, 05:50:49 pm »
See you all at HPC. I think I'll pass on the return ride though...don't really fancy 60 miles into a 20 mph headwind........!

Well, since the current conditions are a South-Westerly wind (from LGW), we are going to be cycling into the wind on the way there.  Luckily the current wind is quite low, only 6mph, and it tends to drop overnight anyway, so hopefully we'll be lucky and it won't be too much of a drag.
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

Pippa

  • Busy being fabulous
Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #85 on: 28 November, 2009, 08:25:50 am »
It was cold but dry at HPC just before midnight. Hurrah! We all gathered, some of us nomnom'd some alchofrolic chocky and then quaffed some pure plain alcky (cheers Hummers  :thumbsup:). And off into the night we set. And then the rain started after around 30 mins. Many a waterproof was donned. But the rain stayed with us all the way to the Cabin cafe in Faygate at 4.30am for bacon sarnies  ::-)

By this point, despite some finest gore gear, I was wet through as my hat and gloves were so sodden the water had seeped up my arms and down my back. I was freezing and so the option to cycle a mere 3 miles to Crawley was just too much temptation and so I bailed. I took a couple of reprobates with me and have just arrived back at home.

Fair play to all that continued - you are braver than me. I'm sitting here wearing about 3 fleeces and I'm still cold :(

Duvet calls. Cheerio folks and see you next year for some hopefully warmer and drier rides please  :D

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #86 on: 28 November, 2009, 08:27:59 am »
It sounds as though you were one of the few to come to your senses! :thumbsup:
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Adam

  • It'll soon be summer
    • Charity ride Durness to Dover 18-25th June 2011
Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #87 on: 28 November, 2009, 09:49:46 am »
I was sensible enough not to sign up in the first place!  (As I knew I wouldn't be able to come along).

Chapeau to those who did though, as the south seems to have had a deluge.
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” -Albert Einstein

Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #88 on: 28 November, 2009, 10:52:59 am »
Well, I'm back now.  Strangely enough, the second half, after the Cabin Cafe was almost entirely dry.  We had a few spots, when it was threatening to start up again, just after sunrise, but that was all.  It was pretty dry.

Aside from my shoes and socks, which despite overshoes, were utterly soaked (not helped by stepping into a muddy hole in the ground when helping out with a fairy visitation), and my gloves which whilst wet were still fairly warm, most of my clothes are dry.  I did swap over to mitts which were dry, and a bit warmer than the gloves, during one of the many fairy visitation stops.

I think this ride probably now holds the record for holes.  The man himself had three, and at least one other unfortunate soul had two.  I was there for five repairs, passed two others who didn't need any help.  I suspect we had multiple repairs being undertaken simultaneously.

All of that makes it sound bad, but actually it was a great ride, grinning in the face of adversity. ;D  It was also quite a novel route, for me, not going over Ditchling, and coming into Brighton from a different direction.

I am however knackered now.  The guys planning on cycling west along the coast are going to be utterly thrashed, if they manage it.  Just cycling a few hundred feet from the cafe to the roundabout, along Brighton front was very hard work.
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #89 on: 28 November, 2009, 11:21:44 am »
.....  as the south seems to have had a deluge.

Guess where we were between the hours of 3am and 4am....  ;)

Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #90 on: 28 November, 2009, 11:58:49 am »
Sounds like a tough ride - well done all.

LEE

Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #91 on: 28 November, 2009, 05:20:20 pm »
Let's all agree on one thing, it was wet.  From memory it went from dry, to spitting to heavy and finally into stair-rod setting around 2am until 4am.

The sight of 50 wet cyclists in an orderly queue at the petrol pumps may confuse anyone examining the security camera footage (unless the camera can depict the rainfall outside the protection of their roof).

Hummers hit a flooded pot-hole as he rode into the forecourt and was thrown from his bike.  Using all of his natural grace, dance training and Ray Mears' bushcraft he was able to recreate the image of a camel falling down a flight of stairs.

My gloves and shoe-covers held out until just before the Cabin Cafe when they were finally overwhelmed and things went squelch-shaped for the remainder of the ride.

It was great to finally do a fnrttc and great to see so many familiar faces.

I was most impressed by some of the people who rode so far wearing canvas 'plimsoles' and fairly low-level protection against the elements for 9 hours.
I think I'd have quit.

As for the planned ride from Brighton to Portmouth, that was torn up about 1km into the ride.  We were making such terrible progress into the Westerly wind that we turned around and let it blow us to Hove station (where we had a 10/10 "Full English", Al Fresco, at a Caff on the station steps. Highly recommended).

I managed an additional 40-50 miles cycling back to Andover from Havant station and that was enough, start 12 midnight, finish 4pm, 16 hours end to end which is like a 300km Audax timeframe.  To be honest, it felt like I'd done a 300 as I arrived home.

OK, booze X Factor and sleep

StuAff

  • Folding not boring
Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #92 on: 28 November, 2009, 07:36:42 pm »
Previously posted on the other place...
I can only agree that the Dunkirk spirit/British seaside holiday mentality was much in evidence. Despite (like everyone else) being very wet indeed, it was kind of fun in its own perverse way. And there was the reward of Sig's splendid baking as well!! I think even the first-timers weren't put off from returning.
The rain seemed of almost Biblical proportions, but apart from the permanently squelchy feeling in my shoes it wasn't actually that uncomfortable (not pleasant of course, but...). I don't think overshoes are designed to cope with three or four hours of such saturated rainfall. My gloves, shoes and overshoes are going to be damp for a day or two I think...

Rather more troubling was my front light problem. What I use is a Cateye EL320 (my regular commute light) for the first part of the ride on better-lit roads, then I switch to the Hope Vision 1 for the sticks. The Cateye, as on the ride to Whitstable last time, decided to flake out and go very faint, though there should have been plenty of life in the (recently charged) batteries. Not a problem, I went to the Hope earlier on. Until it too decided to play up. It flashes once before powering down straight off. Time and again. Aaargh! I switch the Cateye back on, and it promptly leaps out of its mounting, to be smashed and run over. So I have no front light at all at this point....fortunately Hummers lent me a head mount light, which proved for than sufficient for the remaining darkness. I tried swapping over the Hope's batteries with the ones that had been in the Cateye, and my spares, no dice. I can only assume the wet and cold had an effect- might have left the battery cap just a fraction loose, it might have been as simple as that. Fortunately, back at home it now seems to be back to full health, and I'm going to give all the somewhat problematic Duracell rechargeables (the Camlink ones in the Hope have been A1 before this morning) a complete charge/burn cycle to hopefully bring them up to proper operating performance. Already bought a new EL320 ready for Monday's commute.

Apart from that, despite the weather (those who bailed early were perfectly justified) it was yet another splendid night/morning, though I can't say I enjoyed the standing around necessitated by the numerous mechanicals (or my own chain drops..). Still more lovely people to meet (nice to see Hummers and the others from the Pompey area, amongst others). The Madeira and the Cabin Cafe both did excellent work, again. And as ever, sterling work from Simon, Adrian, TECs and wayfinders (didn't do any myself this time, but I must confess my enthusiasm last night was dampened somewhat, pun intended). Despite so many regulars being absent, it went as smoothly as it could under the circumstances.

Nearly forgot, excellent route, though some of those climbs were rather hard work (the Beacon would of course have been worse....).

Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #93 on: 28 November, 2009, 08:28:10 pm »
Well that was all a bit character building. Standing by a roundabout on the Crawley ring road in the pissing rain for 20 minutes, wringing water out of my gloves, I did find myself thinking "I really could do without this". When we reached the finish and Handbag had conquered her worst fear, wet socks, and was once again wearing her more usual happy face, I remembered what it is that I love about it.

As a personal bonus I liked my new bike and, after 900 miles, the Brooks saddle appears to have admitted defeat and acknowledged that I am it's master.
[Quote/]Adrian, you're living proof that bandwidth is far too cheap.[/Quote]

LEE

Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #94 on: 28 November, 2009, 08:33:32 pm »
Forgot to mention the excellent organisation and also the Marshalling at every turn.

People I thought were behind me suddenly appeared at junctions, pointing the way. 

Very civilised, please do this on my 2010 Audaxes (because I can never read my route sheets at night) and I will donate more than 99 pence *1 to children in need *2

Note 1.  This amount could be several millions let's not forget.

Note 2. The said children need not be totally and 100%, not, not, unrelated to me.

Adam

  • It'll soon be summer
    • Charity ride Durness to Dover 18-25th June 2011
Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #95 on: 28 November, 2009, 08:34:57 pm »

As a personal bonus I liked my new bike and, after 900 miles, the Brooks saddle appears to have admitted defeat and acknowledged that I am it's master.

Finally!!

Well done.  ;D
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” -Albert Einstein

jane

  • Mad pie-hating female
Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #96 on: 28 November, 2009, 08:45:55 pm »
As a personal bonus I liked my new bike and, after 900 miles, the Brooks saddle appears to have admitted defeat and acknowledged that I am it's master.
If I had known it had a broken in Brooks on it, I'd have made a better attempt at stealing it.

So glad I decided to do this ride despite having a few doubts after looking at the various forecasts beforehand. Despite the weather living up to the forecast (and some),  the company and the egg sandwich at the Cabin made up for it in spades. The wayfinders and TECs deserve a special mention. Once on the road and moving the cold and wet were manageable- but to (voluntarily) stand around while various parts of your body freeze is real dedication and selflessness. Nice to meet many new faces. I don't fancy Mike's chances when those feisty young women from Hull get hold of him! I think they were expecting a balmy ride under a full moon- but you know that would be just be too predictable amd far too boring.  But I hope we see them again- they were great fun.
And, finally, thanks again to Simon.
Jane

Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #97 on: 28 November, 2009, 09:16:34 pm »
Standing by a roundabout on the Crawley ring road in the pissing rain for 20 minutes, wringing water out of my gloves, I did find myself thinking "I really could do without this".

How I know what you mean........  ;)

Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #98 on: 28 November, 2009, 11:15:06 pm »

 some of us nomnom'd some alchofrolic chocky and then quaffed some pure plain alcky (


And very nice it is too. Thank you
[Quote/]Adrian, you're living proof that bandwidth is far too cheap.[/Quote]

Hummers

  • It is all about the taste.
Re: FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th
« Reply #99 on: 29 November, 2009, 08:38:28 am »
+1 for Pippa's chocolate cake.

At times, it did feel a bit chilly but the cabin having a log burning stove and the cessation of all moistness afterwards meant it all ended in good cheer.

Good company, laughs and liquor were shared before and during the ride too, especially the weary Cascha who battled through exhaustion to finsih in realtively good spirits.

H