Mid-Essex Mid-Week Nocturnal Series

[Andyf]

Wednesday or Thursday's no good for me. Her indoors is going out two nights in a row(!!) so I'm baby sitting. Might bike it home on Friday if I feel like it.

Mrs Andyf is going to the same thing as MrsChristophe is, so that's me out as well

[Christophe]

Mrs C decided she wasn't going out at the last minute yesterday so got my ride home in last night. Brilliant riding in daylight for a change.
When the sun went down started to get a bit chilly but was tempered by warm wafts of air coming off the fields after the sunny day we'd had. Lots of stars ot as well as a bonus.
From Littley Green took OD's 'much nicer' route back (it's actually a good km further than the other route) and was rewarded with my first p**cture for two years!! just I was coming out of Goodmans Lane so stopped in Gt Leighs church yard to fix. Cheers OD. Would have been a potential record breaking time otherwise.

Got home in 3hrs 38 mins incl. repair stop.

[Oscar's dad]

Mrs C decided she wasn't going out at the last minute yesterday so got my ride home in last night. Brilliant riding in daylight for a change.
When the sun went down started to get a bit chilly but was tempered by warm wafts of air coming off the fields after the sunny day we'd had. Lots of stars ot as well as a bonus.
From Littley Green took OD's 'much nicer' route back (it's actually a good km further than the other route) and was rewarded with my first p**cture for two years!! just I was coming out of Goodmans Lane so stopped in Gt Leighs church yard to fix. Cheers OD. Would have been a potential record breaking time otherwise.

Got home in 3hrs 38 mins incl. repair stop.

You're most welcome!  Come to think of it probably 90% of the punctures I have had to deal with since starting cycling again in 2004 have been associated with the Paulk Hall Lane (where the ford is) and Goodman's Lane area!

[Oscar's dad]

Now then, who's around tomorrow evening?  Yes, I know the forecast is awful but I have a brand new B17 which needs some more battering with my arse, legs that need to be kept moving and most importantly A PASS for the evening!

So, will I drink ride alone???

[Oscar's dad]

PS - if anyone wants any motivational messages sent directly to their text / e-mail / PM / BBM / Facebook inbox please let me know, I shall be happy to oblige.  I have just sent one to Huggy who was pretending to be a fair weather cyclist 

[huggy]

I'm going to be a very wet and cold fair weather cyclist 

[Oscar's dad]

Actually, if you don't mind and aren't too disappointed I'm going to suggest we don't do the off-road interlude as I don't want to get the newly clean Ribble covered in crud. We can still do the new pub get and return down the A12 (cyclepath).

[Oscar's dad]

I'm going to be a very wet and cold fair weather cyclist 

Quite true, but hey, what's the worst that can happen? 

Right folks, here's a plan which you can either join in with or amend. 

Huggy and I have conversed via BlackBerry Messenger and decided the target pub could be The Bricklayer's Arms on Colchester's Bergholt Road.  I've never been but have always wanted to.  It's where the Colchester Cycling Campaign chaps hold all their meetings which is how I know about it.  There are lots of opportunities to use various bits of NCN 1 and Colchester's cycling infrastructure between our patch and Colchester but since I have just spent ages cleaning all my bikes I don't want to get them muddy quite so quickly.  Yeah, I know, I'm just being a fairy 

On the way back, which hopefully be wind assisted, I was planning to use the A12 cycle path which I have done on several occasions and quite like, mainly cos its so different from our usual roads.

I'm not sure what time we're leaving Witham but I wouldn't mind it being fairly early as I don't want to be late back.

Thoughts?

[Auntie Helen]

Would have loved to join you at the Bricklayers but I am currently in Austria!

[Oscar's dad]

Would have loved to join you at the Bricklayers but I am currently in Austria!

G'day AH [waves]

[Sings]

"Tie me kangaroo down sport ...."

[Auntie Helen]

Grüß Gott Stefan!

[huggy]

I'm going to be a very wet and cold fair weather cyclist 

Quite true, but hey, what's the worst that can happen? 

Seems like the weather forecast has changed overnight (what a surprise - a Met Office forecast changing  ) , we may only be slightly damp for a short time before being blown dry!

Actually, if you don't mind and aren't too disappointed I'm going to suggest we don't do the off-road interlude as I don't want to get the newly clean Ribble covered in crud. We can still do the new pub get and return down the A12 (cyclepath).

Don't mind, whatever plan you come up with - you can be navigator this evening 
I'll make a call closer to departure time about which of the Milano or Crosstrail steeds comes out to play.

[Old Git]

Would have loved to join you at the Bricklayers but I am currently in Austria!

G'day AH [waves]

[Sings]

"Tie me kangaroo down sport ...."

****** AUSTRIA ....YOU FOOL

[Oscar's dad]

The sun is shining and I've just been over to Colchester by car and can confirm its still there.  I'm wondering weather the whether will buck up sufficiently for me to wear my new bib shorts.

[Christophe]

I'm a no for tonight. Have parents staying for the evening and a kitchen to paint!

[huggy]

I'm a no for tonight. Have parents staying for the evening and a kitchen to paint!

Sound like good reasons to get out 

[Oscar's dad]

I'm going to be a very wet and cold fair weather cyclist 

If this weather keeps up I think your reputation as a fair weather cyclist could remain intact.  Given we will find ourselves in a more urban environment than we're used to I shall be taking a decent lock. 

I will enter via your back gate as planned 

[huggy]

I'm going to be a very wet and cold fair weather cyclist 

If this weather keeps up I think your reputation as a fair weather cyclist could remain intact.  Given we will find ourselves in a more urban environment than we're used to I shall be taking a decent lock. 

I will enter via your back gate as planned 

If this totally unforecast fair weather continues we shall need sun block rather than waterproofs!  However, if we were to ventrure further North then Helen Skelton's artic challenge bike would be more in order!!
I shall prepare my back gate for your entry 

Are you planning a rural route to Colchester or an arterial one?

[Oscar's dad]

Our route to Colchester is a lovely mix of rural and urban.  North Hill also features!  There won't be any off-roading but I will point out where you can go off pissed for future reference.

[Oscar's dad]

Huggy and I had a top night last night.  We didn't end up at The Bricklayer's Arms but instead went HERE.  The circumstances behind our change of plan and what happened next are described in the post I have just put on the pub's Facebook page ...

My mate and I cycled over from Witham last night, we were going to The Bricklayer's Arms but were uninspired after sticking our noses in the door so ended up at The Victoria as my wife and I popped a few months back. We were immediately impressed by the range of "proper" beers and the sofas. We asked Emma behind the bar if you did food as my mate hadn't had his tea. She said you didn't but we were welcome to bring in a takeaway and she's supply the cutlery. We were gob smacked! Why don't more pubs do this!?! Emma had a full range of menus so we popped out and ordered a curry. The Red Diesel was excellent and complimented the food brilliantly. Thank you very much for for a superb night, we will be back. The Victoria, it's beers and Emma are top notch!

Naturally you'll be wanting a food and beer shot:



I can't remember the name of the Indian Huggy went to but the food was delicious.  We were having such a nice time we didn't leave until last orders so consequently arrived home today, not yesterday - oops 

Our route is HERE

[huggy]

Our excellent takeaway was from The Raj Palace a couple of doors down from The Victoria pub.
There was a smattering of people enjoying a sit down meal in The Raj and it seemed a comfortable restaurant to be in with quick enough takeaway service.  I can vouch for the Chicken Jalfrezi as being very nice 
Ditto to everything else OD said 

We decided we would consider this curry & beer as a practice run for the Green & Yellow Fields 

[Canardly]

Does that explain the straight route out and the wobbly one back?

[Oscar's dad]

Does that explain the straight route out and the wobbly one back?

It was the other way round, we came back straight down the A12 cyclepath 

[bloomers100]

I'm not forward planning or owt like, but is anyone about this week? I may be stir crazy by then being at home all week wiv da saucepans.

[Oscar's dad]

Can't do Wednesday but possibly Thursday. I'll let you know.