Author Topic: London-Wales-London  (Read 67568 times)

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #150 on: 24 April, 2017, 04:58:50 pm »
The membership fee is actually very good value for what you get - as long as you live the kind of lifestyle that enables you to take full advantage of it. Which I don't.

Though I'm uncertain whether this is such a good deal or not?

Jersey Downsize Offer
If you have purchased a jersey this year and lost weight through riding, Rapha would like to offer you a 50% discount on your new size jersey. Simply download, print, and complete the form below, then send it along with your old jersey back to Rapha. Rapha will then send you your new jersey with free delivery.

So that's effectively a jersey for 150% normal price, as you have to hand over a nearly new Jersey to qualify..

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #151 on: 24 April, 2017, 10:19:24 pm »
http://www.weatherbagel.com/f/272da74b-1b67-4fa2-b83e-200bb7994763

no rain   ;D

but magic headwinds  :'(, no one ever believes you can get headwinds all day, but here is the proof.

Eddington  127miles, 170km

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #152 on: 24 April, 2017, 10:54:14 pm »
Not all bad - bit of a tailwind into Twekesbury

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #153 on: 24 April, 2017, 11:09:41 pm »
The membership fee is actually very good value for what you get - as long as you live the kind of lifestyle that enables you to take full advantage of it. Which I don't.

Though I'm uncertain whether this is such a good deal or not?

Jersey Downsize Offer
If you have purchased a jersey this year and lost weight through riding, Rapha would like to offer you a 50% discount on your new size jersey. Simply download, print, and complete the form below, then send it along with your old jersey back to Rapha. Rapha will then send you your new jersey with free delivery.

So that's effectively a jersey for 150% normal price, as you have to hand over a nearly new Jersey to qualify..

I think that's pretty good TBH - you get a good go on the first jersey and then get a brand new one at half price.  Given that their kit lasts forever I think it's pretty good customer service.

I think the cycle club is quite neat as well - if I could work out how to borrow a Dura-ace loaded Canyon every weekend within my £200 annual subs I'd be in

Redlight

  • Enjoying life in the slow lane
Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #154 on: 25 April, 2017, 07:13:03 am »
http://www.weatherbagel.com/f/272da74b-1b67-4fa2-b83e-200bb7994763

no rain   ;D

but magic headwinds  :'(, no one ever believes you can get headwinds all day, but here is the proof.

Perhaps those who'd prefer a tailwind all day could take an X-rated clockwise alternative - although it would be a shame to miss out on all that fab food that's promised.  How about it, Liam?   ;)
Why should anybody steal a watch when they can steal a bicycle?

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #155 on: 25 April, 2017, 09:01:54 am »
http://www.weatherbagel.com/f/272da74b-1b67-4fa2-b83e-200bb7994763

no rain   ;D

but magic headwinds  :'(, no one ever believes you can get headwinds all day, but here is the proof.

Perhaps those who'd prefer a tailwind all day could take an X-rated clockwise alternative - although it would be a shame to miss out on all that fab food that's promised.  How about it, Liam?   ;)
at least the chepstow control would be open when you got there.

Or maybe the wind will just shift everywhere and to get tailwind would mean starting at Chepstow like the largest ever pursuit track.

Eddington  127miles, 170km

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #156 on: 25 April, 2017, 09:22:23 am »
I remember the 2013 event very well. Headwind all the way into Wales. Back across the Severn and then got hit with a hailstorm and the wind just died. I still dwell over that big push back to London which never materialised.

Eddington: 133 miles    Max square: 43x43

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #157 on: 25 April, 2017, 10:36:06 am »
I remember the 2013 event very well. Headwind all the way into Wales. Back across the Severn and then got hit with a hailstorm and the wind just died. I still dwell over that big push back to London which never materialised.

Bitter experience tells me not to get worked up about the weather until you're in it!  When it's meant to be sunny it's not and when you have wrapped up warmly it invariably turns tropical.  Last Saturday I got a nice tan on a day when it was meant to be cold and very overcast!

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #158 on: 25 April, 2017, 12:08:37 pm »
I have noticed that there is a 24hr Costa @ 287km, 3km after the Esso garage, just off the M4/B4005 RAB.
If you go on the A4 route home then there is a 24hr McDs @ Theale 356km.
If you stay on the A4 to Slough then another one @ 390km.
Going through Slough and then left on the B416 avoids the climb out of Wooburn Green, this was my route last year.

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #159 on: 25 April, 2017, 01:10:56 pm »
I have noticed that there is a 24hr Costa @ 287km, 3km after the Esso garage, just off the M4/B4005 RAB.
If you go on the A4 route home then there is a 24hr McDs @ Theale 356km.
If you stay on the A4 to Slough then another one @ 390km.
Going through Slough and then left on the B416 avoids the climb out of Wooburn Green, this was my route last year.
climbing out of Wooburn green avoids going though slough ;)

Eddington  127miles, 170km

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #160 on: 25 April, 2017, 04:40:25 pm »
Turning left just before the railway bridge at Taplow and going through Farnham Royal avoids both the Wooburn Green climb and Slough!!

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #161 on: 25 April, 2017, 04:48:01 pm »
Slough seems a long way off route just for the sake of avoiding a silly little hill!

I think I remember the 24hr Costa from last time, except it wasn't a 24hr Costa then - it was an already-closed-by-1am-when-I-passed-through-and-really-could-have-done-with-some-caffeine Costa.  ETA: I misread that as 387km, so I must be thinking of a different Costa. Good to know of other options for late food stops though - thanks Bagman.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #162 on: 25 April, 2017, 05:52:29 pm »
Good idea to go via Farnham Royal and avoid Slough - thank you

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #163 on: 25 April, 2017, 08:00:24 pm »
Anyone know if Gerrards Cross station is on Oyster or not?  It's features in my present plan to get home
Regards,

Joergen

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #164 on: 26 April, 2017, 09:19:16 am »
Anyone know if Gerrards Cross station is on Oyster or not?  It's features in my present plan to get home

I would assume not as most Chiltern Line Stations that don't share with LUL seem not to be.

However Rickmansworth Station on the Met Line is only 8km away https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Chalfont+St+Peter/Rickmansworth/@51.6299401,-0.545757,13z/am=t/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x487668a01215f1d7:0x50eae2da2ec6b40!2m2!1d-0.5561674!2d51.6123242!1m5!1m1!1s0x4876697fffc59a11:0xbbcd8b648b2d6a8d!2m2!1d-0.4734819!2d51.6401709!3e1 - you can kip down until the first train.  There don't seem to be engineering works on Sunday.


jiberjaber

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Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #165 on: 26 April, 2017, 10:13:37 am »
Cheers - Looks like I've got a number of options, kipping down is one, and also riding to South London is another plus a few in between.   :thumbsup:
Regards,

Joergen

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #166 on: 26 April, 2017, 10:44:41 am »
Anyone know if Gerrards Cross station is on Oyster or not?  It's features in my present plan to get home

West Ruislip is the last station on that line that is Oyster.

http://content.tfl.gov.uk/london-rail-and-tube-services-map.pdf

Why the requirement for just Oyster though? A train ticket to/from Gerrard's Cross is cheap and easy...
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #167 on: 26 April, 2017, 10:47:33 am »
Anyone know if Gerrards Cross station is on Oyster or not?  It's features in my present plan to get home

West Ruislip is the last station on that line that is Oyster.

http://content.tfl.gov.uk/london-rail-and-tube-services-map.pdf

Why the requirement for just Oyster though? A train ticket to/from Gerrard's Cross is cheap and easy...

I'm heading over to Carshalton so rather than buy a train ticket that includes a tube I can't use, I was thinking Oyster would be easier and cheaper...  though I'm probably 80% likely to just ride at least as far as Vic and hop on a train..  I quite fancy teh Grand Union Canal as I have never ridden along there...
Regards,

Joergen

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #168 on: 26 April, 2017, 12:19:32 pm »
Ah, playing around with it I see that starting from inside the Oyster zone is considerably cheaper.

Avoiding the tube you could always do Willesden Junction to Clapham Junction on London Overground (it's a train) and then to Carshalton from there, may take a bit longer though.

Hmm, no trains from Willesden to Clapham Junction this weekend, you'd have to go Willesden to Richmond and then change to get to CLJ (at least the Richmond to Clapham trains are fast).

Getting to Willesden you could cycle (16 miles) or train from Gerrard's Cross to Wembley Stadium (£15.10!) and then cycle the 3 miles to Willesden Junction.

Using the Oyster single fare finder: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/fares/single-fare-finder?intcmp=1660

Willesden Junction to Carshalton is only £2.60 with Oyster (off peak) if you avoid Zone 1 (which you would going via Clapham Junction).

But if you're going to cycle 16 miles then I wouldn't head to Willesden, I'd probably head South to somewhere like Whitton (still 16 miles) and then Oyster the train to Clapham Junction and then Carshalton.

Alternatively cycling all the way in and then London Victoria to Carshalton on the train is £3.30 with Oyster (off peak) and far less faff.

The two times I've done the SA400 I wasn't interested in riding any further and so I got the train from Gerrard's Cross to Marylebone, cycled down to Paddington and plonked the bike on the tube all the way back to East Putney. I wasn't that worried about the cost of the train ticket at that point.

This is the other map that may be useful: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/bicycles-on-public-transport.pdf although it annoyingly doesn't have all of the trains on it, so you have to try and combine that with the one I linked to above but careful to avoid the deep tube lines where bikes are not allowed.

tl;dr from here

If I didn't want to cycle all the way in to Victoria what I'd probably do is:-

ChStP to Chorleywood Rail station is ~4 miles cycle. Oyster from there to Carshalton "Avoiding Zone 1 via West Hampstead (or Kilburn/Brondesbury), Willesden Junction and Clapham Junction" is £3.10 (off peak).

So that's Metropolitan line (fine with a bike) from Chorleywood to Finchley Road, short cycle (or train/tube if lazy) to West Hampstead or Brondesbury, then train to Richmond (because Willesden to Shepherd's Bush is closed this weekend so you can't get to CLJ directly), quick train to Clapham Junction, then train to Carshalton.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #169 on: 26 April, 2017, 12:40:26 pm »
Finchley Road, short cycle (or train/tube if lazy) to West Hampstead or Brondesbury

According to this: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/out-of-station-interchanges there's no out of station interchange between Finchley Road and either West Hampstead or Brondesbury. Attempting any of that would mean you get charged for two separate journeys. The only way to keep that bit at one journey would be to tube between Finchley Road and West Hampstead, bikes seem to be ok on that bit of the Jubilee line.

Another search is suggesting Chorleywood to Northwick Park on the Metropolitan Line, then exit and walk 12 minutes to Kenton station, then Bakerloo line to Willesden Junction. All still ok on those tubes with a bike. Obviously you can just cycle the walking bit, and (according to the spreadsheet above) you get 20 minutes for the Northwick Park to Kenton OSI so you shouldn't be charged twice. From Willesden you continue to do Richmond, Clapham Junction, Carshalton on the trains.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #170 on: 26 April, 2017, 02:09:34 pm »
Thanks for all that Greenbank  :thumbsup:

I've got a bundle of options there, I don't mind the route in to Vic via the Canal (path - not water!) and that is a straight journey up to CB, but at 45 mins, I could just cycle there, however the plus points of not having to interface with South London traffic whilst tired might sway me to letting the train take the strain...

All this depends on how I feel in the latter part of the ride of course!  Though an extra 30-60km at the end of the ride in nice weather doesn't phase me too much at the moment, good for LEL and all that...  if it's raining I'll probably just get my head down for a couple of hours and then catch the train from GX and cycle to Vic for the connection :)
Regards,

Joergen

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #171 on: 26 April, 2017, 02:37:24 pm »
If I lived near a Rapha Clubhouse, I would sign up just for the free coffee - if you went in for a coffee twice a week, it would work out cheaper over the course of a year than Starbucks. And it's better coffee too.

That's pretty much what I do; I currently work less than 10 minutes walk from a clubhouse and I'm in there at least once a week for a hot chocolate (I'm a rare breed of cyclist that detests coffee); I just put £10 a month aside for my yearly subs so I don't really notice it.

As I tend to move every couple of years I like the idea of being in a club that isn't tied to a location.

There seem to be quite a few RCC audaxers.

Would there be a possibility of doing L-W-L as a Perm? I couldn't make the Calendar event and it starts quite close to home.

jiberjaber

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Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #172 on: 27 April, 2017, 10:46:13 am »
Current WX looking like a crosswind outward and headwind on the return

http://www.weatherbagel.com/f/b21dd9ca-9d47-4dd0-ac22-5bb99c035bc4
Regards,

Joergen

Phil W

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #173 on: 27 April, 2017, 10:56:37 am »
I remember the 2013 event very well. Headwind all the way into Wales. Back across the Severn and then got hit with a hailstorm and the wind just died. I still dwell over that big push back to London which never materialised.

Plus the freezing fog after Membury services when I'd left my arm warmers (at home) in my panniers.  I was looking forward to the uphills to keep warm that night.

LMT

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #174 on: 27 April, 2017, 12:10:06 pm »
Current WX looking like a crosswind outward and headwind on the return

http://www.weatherbagel.com/f/b21dd9ca-9d47-4dd0-ac22-5bb99c035bc4

Take heart:

a) It's not raining

b) Those numbers are in kph and not mph.