Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Rides and Touring => Topic started by: Oscar's dad on 14 March, 2009, 11:10:21 am
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I have a free day on Saturday 28th March and thought it an ideal opportunity to fulfill a long held ambition and ride to The Viper, Mill Green, mid Essex (http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/37/3750/Viper/Mill_Green). By all accounts this is an excellent pub with good food and beer, plus it used to have its own cycling club at one time.
I'm not sure about timings yet but the plan thus far is to ride over from Witham in the morning, have a spot of lunch then tootle back home. If you would like to join me on the ride or meet me at The Viper I would be delighted.
What state I will be in remains to be seen as there is the Essex Pub Night Ride the night before. Fortune favours the brave ;D
Hopefully my new bike will be ready :thumbsup:
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that's be a nice day ride from here... Tempting, if I'm free!
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If all goes to plan, I should be hacking round the Essex lanes on my new speed machine, which urgently needs building over the next 11 days as I'm entered on a 25 mile time trial on the 29th! I will happily stop at the Viper for your company, and to show off my new wheels ;), but I should probably refrain from the beer. O:-)
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The Viper is a very good pub, and allegedly the only pub of that name in Britain. There is a group of drinkers there who have had their own "Viper Cycling Club" jerseys made.
28th March sound like a very good day to visit the Viper. I will endeavour to be there, probably approaching from South Hanningfield, Stock and Ingatestone.
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Smashing!
I will inform everyone of timings nearer the time. I have to drop Twinkle Toes off at the station as she is going on a trip with Cubs and I'm not sure what time she's off.
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Depending on your timing, I might ride up to meet you and approach from a different direction.
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Depending on your timing, I might ride up to meet you and approach from a different direction.
Cool, I am anticipating that I will have to drop her off between 9 and 10am so perhaps you could get the train and meet me at Witham station. The route I have picked out is about 28 miles there (round Hanningfield Reservoir) and about 20 back thru Chelmsford. I should know more next Monday which is the next time Twinkle Toes is at Cubs.
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Would love to but Arabella and I have decided to ride out to Lavenham to wave at those on the Stevenage Start of Summertime 200.
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Would love to but Arabella and I have decided to ride out to Lavenham to wave at those on the Stevenage Start of Summertime 200.
That's a shame. It's been such a long time :'(
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Hmmm, this is appealing to me too. I'm starting off in Colchester so would probably have to drive down to Witham unless you're starting later in the morning. I'll keep an eye on this thread.
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Would love to but Arabella and I have decided to ride out to Lavenham to wave at those on the Stevenage Start of Summertime 200.
You'll have a long wait as the SSOS 200 (http://www.aukweb.net/cal/calsolo.php?Ride=09-113) is on Sunday 29th.
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Hmmm, this is appealing to me too. I'm starting off in Colchester so would probably have to drive down to Witham unless you're starting later in the morning. I'll keep an eye on this thread.
The more the merrier. You can park at our house if you'd like. PM me for the address.
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Would love to but Arabella and I have decided to ride out to Lavenham to wave at those on the Stevenage Start of Summertime 200.
You'll have a long wait as the SSOS 200 (http://www.aukweb.net/cal/calsolo.php?Ride=09-113) is on Sunday 29th.
Whoops. Thank you Chris. :-*
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I'd love to join you on this - the Viper is on my TODO list (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=103493605790880807618.000448942174c52a18a12&z=9) ;) - but I'm looking after the kids on the 28th whilst Mrs O does some NCT volunteer stuff.
Cheers,
Mark
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The Viper is my favourite pub in the world and I practically live in there during the summer months :P
I'm in!
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The Viper is my favourite pub in the world and I practically live in there during the summer months :P
I'm in!
Excellent. We can firm up times next week, our lives are in bimbo and dependent on a Cub Scout trip. How does that work? The Cub leaders are our next door neighbours so if I see them in the next day or so I will get times before the weekly meeting on Monday.
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I'm in! :thumbsup:
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I'm hoping to be there. Erron I was too late with my entry for hardriders so I can have a couple of scoops.
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Have a nice time, peeps. I'd love to be with you, but I'll be at work. :(
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I was there yesterday :) It was very busy (as it always is when the weather is fine) and food took some time to arrive. But that wasn't a problem as it gave time to sink a few pints of "Jake the snake". The food was, as always, superb. I had the chilli. They do it in mild, medium and hot. If you order hot and they don't know you, they will point out that it really is hot! And boy was it!
May I suggest trying to arrive in reasonable time? Around 12:30? Any later and getting a table may prove difficult. (Assuming glorious weather of course)
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I was there yesterday :) It was very busy (as it always is when the weather is fine) and food took some time to arrive. But that wasn't a problem as it gave time to sink a few pints of "Jake the snake". The food was, as always, superb. I had the chilli. They do it in mild, medium and hot. If you order hot and they don't know you, they will point out that it really is hot! And boy was it!
May I suggest trying to arrive in reasonable time? Around 12:30? Any later and getting a table may prove difficult. (Assuming glorious weather of course)
I am seriously looking forward to the ride.
Can't see 1230 being a problem for me. Will know more about my timings tomorrow.
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12:30 is fine!
More time to drink!! Drink in the atmosphere is what I meant of course. ;)
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12:30 is fine!
More time to drink!! Drink in the atmosphere is what I meant of course. ;)
So what time shall we set off?
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10:30ish should do it, n'est pas?
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Are we still doing Friday night as well? Hope so.
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I'm intending to do both.
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I'm intending to do both.
Splendid. Me too.
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Bugger, bugger, bugger and treble bugger and bugger again >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
I have just found out that the Cub trip is off cos of engineering work on the railway. So, no free day anymore. Bugger, bugger.
The trains round here are really pissing me off, I had to go into London yesterday evening. I had to take a bunch of customers to the Paul Weller concert at The O2 (he was shit but then I'm no music fan). Had to go on a bus not a train and a boat cos the Jubilee Line was closed. Had a nightmare getting home - it literally was nightmare. Got to bed an 1:30 this morning.
I will probably blast over to The Viper in the car for a quick half a shandy just so I can see what the place is like and say hello to everyone.
Bugger >:(
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This train problem at weekends has been pissing me off too. It's affected where we decide to go on WARTIES. We were supposed to be riding throughout E. Anglia but so far have been restricted to Essex. Lovely though Essex is for cycling, we need variety.
I actually wrote to National Express complaining about their weekend service, which has made East Anglia out of bounds for train-dependent London cyclists throughout March and April, and very inconvenient for ordinary passengers. They haven't had the courtesy to reply.
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Yeah - I really wish they'd do their "Engineering works" during the week. That way I could go and cycle where I wanted to at the weekend and have a good excuse for being late for work during the week :thumbsup:
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It's completely messing about a ride I've got organised in May for the CycleChatters from Manningtree. Looks like the only people who will be able to come are those who drive. It's so annoying!
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By the way, is there a definitive start place and time in Witham for this ride, as I've not managed to locate one in the thread so far...
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By the way, is there a definitive start place and time in Witham for this ride, as I've not managed to locate one in the thread so far...
No, until the Cub trip was cancelled my plan was to ride to The Viper either on my own or with anyone I met along the way or who turned up at my house. Others would descend on The Viper from all points of the compass.
Not quite sure what the plan is now!
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Couldn't you bring Twinkletoes on the tandem? Then you've at least got an insurance policy: if you get too pissed she can stick you on the back and steer you home! :thumbsup:
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Couldn't you bring Twinkletoes on the tandem? Then you've at least got an insurance policy: if you get too pissed she can stick you on the back and steer you home! :thumbsup:
I thought of that but rejected the plan ...
It might be a bit too far, and as the Cub trip got cancelled she is either off to a birthday party or out with her dad.
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The current jar of pickled eggs they've got on the go at the moment are most excellent. I was there again on Sunday :P
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I think we just need a time to be at the pub, and any sub meet ups can be arranged around the given time.
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Let's say 12:30 onwards then. Assuming it's not tanking it down with rain, I'd suggest a table or two in the beer garden to the right. Bikes can be leaned up against the hedge within eye shot and away from those light of hand. Not that you'd have to worry about that around there anyway, but it's nice to be able to keep an eye on one's stead...
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I've just seen the weather forecast for this.
At the moment they are forecasting 8°C, 39mph N wind, pissing rain and me staying at home.
It could change, of course...
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Yes, they're only predicting 22-25mph NW wind now. :-\
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I'd love to come but I have to work the 1 to 11pm shift :'(
See you on another ride soon.
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Is anyone coming on this ride from the Witham/Colchester direction? I'm not sure I want to do it on my own really...
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Is anyone coming on this ride from the Witham/Colchester direction? I'm not sure I want to do it on my own really...
I am certainly not but you are still most welcome to park here.
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I guess this gathering is cancelled or are people driving and 'popping in'?
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I was wavering about doing this but now can't as I have an appointment tomorrow in Colchester at 10am. Have fun though, I'll try and visit this famed pub some other time.
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Mrs. Wow has requested my company at home tomorrow, so I'll not be there. The weather forecast makes me quite relieved that I don't have to make a decision.
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My M-i-L has taken a turn for the worse so it's unlikely I'll be attending. :(
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The weather around these parts is truly awful today, I guess a postponement is in order until a sunnier weekend comes along.
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Indeed, the weather is crap. Another time......
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Indeed, the weather is crap. Another time......
It was a fortuitous happenstance then that I fell asleep and have just awoken! It seems to have rained here but things seem to be brightening up.