Willy Warmer 31st Jan

[Greenbank]

Filthy red Condor fixed with Carradice Barley and a slack chain.

[Phil]

I shall be there.  May I have a place on the floor of the community centre as well?

[Ian H]

We know about your facial hair, the question concerned your bike.

That's the last time I sleep with you.

[LEE]

The weather folks at the BBC, MET and Metcheck are in agreement at the moment.  2C start and then 6C throughout the day.  Sunny intervals and a breezy South-Easterly.

Can't realistically ask for better than that.  No ice and no rain forecast at the moment.  Cakes forecast around Hungerford area.

[phil d]

Given that this is January, hard to hope for much better.  The "shape" of the ride is such that there will be hardly anywhere where a southeasterly will be on our back, but plenty where it will be in our face.

Ho hum.  And still plenty of time for it to change.

I wonder if the new name of the cafe in Pangbourne indicates new owners, and if so whether they are a bit quicker serving than the last lot.  If so I might even stay for a cuppa.  Tutti Pole is always good.  I was there recently, and they are expecting us, so there should be plenty of staff.

[Adam]

Oh dear, what have I done.  After PM'ing Mr M and the transfer of some electrons, I seem to have committed myself to doing 200km on Saturday. 

It's been 25 years since I've cycled that way beyond Reading.  Have the roads changed much?

[Chris S]

Wow - quite a yACF clan gathering it would seem. We'd better wear name badges.

I shall probably bring the Pompino.

[phil d]

It's been 25 years since I've cycled that way beyond Reading.  Have the roads changed much?

No

[Chris S]

It's been 25 years since I've cycled that way beyond Reading.  Have the roads changed much?

No

Hehe - by that, Phil means none of them have been resurfaced in that time  .

[dasmoth]

Look for a pile of mud with some wheels sticking out and that will be my Thorn Rohloff.

That sounds like a pretty good description of mine too.  Although on closer inspection, most of the muck seems to be road-salt rather than actual mud.  In any case, given the state of the roads round here, cleaning looks like a pretty futile effort.

This'll be my first Audax.  I'm not nervous.  Oh no.

[teethgrinder]

It's been 25 years since I've cycled that way beyond Reading.  Have the roads changed much?

No

Hehe - by that, Phil means none of them have been resurfaced in that time  .

Resurfaced?

You mean, they were surfaced once?

[border-rider]

West Berks has some of the most shockingly poor road surfaces in the UK.  When you cross into Wilts there's a sudden improvement.

[LEE]

West Berks has some of the most shockingly poor road surfaces in the UK.  When you cross into Wilts there's a sudden improvement.

I think the steep descent into Ramsbury (I'm sure you know it MV) is just about on the border.  I nearly lost my teeth coming down there once.  The local council probably referred to it as 'in need of resurfacing' but, in Derbyshire, they call them caverns and charge tourists to look at them.

It was one of those "I can't believe my wheels are in one piece" moments.

Trust me when I say, the last thing you need on that descent is great chunks of missing road.

[LEE]

I seem to have picked up a bit of a chesty cough.  I felt OK on my ride this evening (not weak or anything) so I'm hoping it's nothing to prevent me riding this one.

[LiamFitz]

  Tutti Pole is always good.  I was there recently, and they are expecting us, so there should be plenty of staff.

Do they still wear those uniforms that seem designed solely to embarrass the teenage waiting staff?

[Hummers]

  Tutti Pole is always good.  I was there recently, and they are expecting us, so there should be plenty of staff.

Do they still wear those uniforms that seem designed solely to embarrass the teenage waiting staff?

Certainly did last time I was there.

Dreamy.

H

[Charlotte]

Do they still wear those uniforms that seem designed solely to embarrass the teenage waiting staff?

I get the impression that the proprietor of the Tutti Pole thinks that they make the place look authentically rustic in some way.  I can only assume that said proprietor is some form of halfwit because what they actually succeed in doing is making the girls (and did you notice that there are no boys working the tables there?) so surly and pissed off that getting your order taken is an exercise in learning how to communicate in teenage sucky-teethish.

I'd not be surprised if they spit in your beans, flick boogers into tea pots and take the occasional crap in the cake tins, too.

[LEE]

Yes, it's pathetic making teenage girls dress like that.  They should wake up and join the modern, more enlightened, world.

I'm thinking "Hooters"

[annie]

So sorry I won't be able to attend.  Sadly my jim jams won't stay up and until I can fill them again I will have to stay at home.

[Hummers]

Yes, it's pathetic making teenage girls dress like that.  They should wake up and join the modern, more enlightened, world.

I'm thinking "Hooters"

It could be renamed "The Titti Pole"

H

[LEE]

Yes, it's pathetic making teenage girls dress like that.  They should wake up and join the modern, more enlightened, world.

I'm thinking "Hooters"

It could be renamed "The Titti Pole"

H

A typo like that, on a "Willy Warmer" audax and you could be talking PBP-like numbers.

[rogerzilla]

So sorry I won't be able to attend.  Sadly my jim jams won't stay up and until I can fill them again I will have to stay at home.

With giardiasis, you ought to be able to fill your jim jams, the bath and the odd bucket.

[damerell]

With giardiasis, you ought to be able to fill your jim jams, the bath and the odd bucket.

Speaking of suchlike, if I don't get better in a hurry I fear I may DNS.

[rogerzilla]

I don't get better in a hurry I fear I may DNS.

Drench Newbury in Shit?  It won't make much difference.

[Ian H]

Drench Newbury in Shit?  It won't make much difference.

You seem to have gone potty.