Author Topic: Friday Night Ride To The Smoke (Oxford-London) 27-28 August (Read 13536 times)

andyoxon · « **Reply #25 on:** 24 August, 2021, 03:34:40 pm »

This looks like a 24hr SPAR - EuroGarages Holtspur, just down from Loudwater TESCO. https://www.spar.co.uk/store-locator/afb17948-spar-euro-garages-beaconsfield

rogerzilla · « **Reply #26 on:** 24 August, 2021, 04:28:13 pm »

McD's in High Wycombe is open too, although it's probably surrounded by chuds.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8blGwrG1WZs

andyoxon · « **Reply #27 on:** 24 August, 2021, 08:49:59 pm »

Full English at Paolo's is worth waiting for.

In 2013 I had a Tesco's chicken sandwich at ~3:30 a.m. - didn't really work for me. So perhaps coffee & snickers...

Andrew Br · « **Reply #28 on:** 24 August, 2021, 09:17:58 pm »

Quote from: rogerzilla on 24 August, 2021, 04:28:13 pm

McD's in High Wycombe is open too, although it's probably surrounded by chuds.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8blGwrG1WZs

Check that the 24hr bit includes the restaurant as well as the drive through else you could be disappointed.
DNAHIKT...........

On the positive side, I'd learned enough to ask at Blackburn Whitebirk McD's about their restaurant for the Manchester-Blackpool FNRttC.
We're going to a 24hr garage........

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #29 on:** 24 August, 2021, 10:09:11 pm »

Roger has recent experience in disappointment with 24-hour McDonald's.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #30 on:** 25 August, 2021, 12:09:15 pm »

I reckon they'd gone on a fag break. Sam says not to complain as it will only result in a minimum wage employee being sacked, but the real reason I haven't complained is that they might offer me a free meal, and I don't like McD's much.

mattc · « **Reply #31 on:** 25 August, 2021, 07:23:38 pm »

As I only found this thread today, count me possibly maybe in!

(I can vouch for drive-thru disaster at Abingdon MaccyD on a recent 4am raid - they genuinely did use the More Than My Jobs Worth defence, despite our glorious leader phoning ahead a few days earlier ... )

rogerzilla · « **Reply #32 on:** 25 August, 2021, 08:27:23 pm »

That would be awesome, Matt. It's been a long time.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #33 on:** 26 August, 2021, 11:10:39 am »

Light northerly wind, which is good. Pushes us down the exposed straight bits.

Wycombewheeler · « **Reply #34 on:** 27 August, 2021, 12:44:26 pm »

Quote from: Andrew Br on 24 August, 2021, 09:17:58 pm

Quote from: rogerzilla on 24 August, 2021, 04:28:13 pm
McD's in High Wycombe is open too, although it's probably surrounded by chuds.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8blGwrG1WZs

Check that the 24hr bit includes the restaurant as well as the drive through else you could be disappointed.
DNAHIKT...........

On the positive side, I'd learned enough to ask at Blackburn Whitebirk McD's about their restaurant for the Manchester-Blackpool FNRttC.
We're going to a 24hr garage........

The drive through branch closes at 2am anyway. The high Street McDs with no drive through, is apparently open 24 hours. Might need a rota for watching bikes/ going inside. Got back to Wycombe at 3.30 last Saturday night/Sunday morning and there was a massive crowd of youths outside

rogerzilla · « **Reply #35 on:** 27 August, 2021, 01:49:15 pm »

Well, Cafe Paolo is closed until Tuesday due to unforeseen circumstances

Solocle · « **Reply #36 on:** 27 August, 2021, 02:04:55 pm »

I too was let down by a Maccy D's lately... A303 Solstice Park 3 weeks ago. Got there at 5am, shut. That killed my ride, which was meant to be a 200k from London to Dorset. As it was, I settled for a century from London to Stonehenge.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #37 on:** 27 August, 2021, 02:08:07 pm »

"24h" does seem to mean "most of 24h, depending how we feel".

Lightning Phil · « **Reply #38 on:** 27 August, 2021, 07:22:52 pm »

Good luck all in these times of 24hr deserts

andyoxon · « **Reply #39 on:** 28 August, 2021, 10:52:08 am »

Quote from: rogerzilla on 27 August, 2021, 01:49:15 pm

Well, Cafe Paolo is closed until Tuesday due to unforeseen circumstances

Shame CafePaolo wasn't open.

ETA.

rr, ride postponed in the end.

andyoxon · « **Reply #40 on:** 10 August, 2023, 11:31:25 am »

No FNRTTS ride in August.

Just rode up Chinnor Hill for the first time in daylight, since FNRTTS years back, hearing the echoes of long gone barking 1am dogs.

Kingston (Blount) hill, to the West - definitely steeper.

PXL_20230809_2 by a oxon, on Flickr

PXL_20230809_3 by a oxon, on Flickr

Kim · « **Reply #41 on:** 10 August, 2023, 11:40:15 am »

Last year I had the pleasure of riding *down* Chinnor Hill. In daylight. Which was just as well because, while Sonic The Badger is presumably nocturnal, the road surface was shit.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #42 on:** 11 August, 2023, 07:15:13 am »

ISTR the main mental diversion from the unrelenting grimness of the climb on an overgeared Brompton was trying to find smooth bits.

Lightning Phil · « **Reply #43 on:** 11 August, 2023, 05:38:04 pm »

Quote from: Kim on 10 August, 2023, 11:40:15 am

Last year I had the pleasure of riding *down* Chinnor Hill. In daylight. Which was just as well because, while Sonic The Badger is presumably nocturnal, the road surface was shit.

Is this the hill off Bledlow Ridge? Went down it about three weeks ago in rain. Kept it slow, peaking at 71km/h due to weather.

Frank9755 · « **Reply #44 on:** 12 August, 2023, 08:11:08 pm »

I went down it on the tandem last week. Pleased to say it has been resurfaced.

andyoxon · « **Reply #45 on:** 27 April, 2024, 05:31:21 pm »

No FNRTTS ride in August. Reusing thread...

Just to say that it's been 15 years since the 1st FNRTTS AFAIA.

In 2021, for the FNRTTS that didn't happen due to Cafe Covid, train ticket LonPadd back to Oxford was £5, now they seem to be £23-35. Nice bit of 'gouging'.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #46 on:** 27 April, 2024, 06:28:24 pm »

I mean to do one this summer before moving to Shropshire. It's only 67 miles, for goodness' sake.

andyoxon · « **Reply #47 on:** 27 April, 2024, 07:40:58 pm »

I may be interested.

Bus 'n bike back from London also works apparently.

I like Shropshire & 5+ generations of the family come from Clun valley area.

Adam · « **Reply #48 on:** 28 April, 2024, 05:16:41 pm »

But would road-runner come back to host the half-way stop?

andyoxon · « **Reply #49 on:** 28 April, 2024, 08:17:21 pm »

Beaconsfield services was good for a coffee, but off route a tad & knocking on ~2/3rds the way to Paolo's. (Notice there's a 24hr Budgens in HWyc these days.)

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Author Topic: Friday Night Ride To The Smoke (Oxford-London) 27-28 August (Read 13536 times)