Author Topic: 12 October - Friday night Oxford to London (Acton) (Read 11860 times)

rogerzilla · « **on:** 23 August, 2018, 08:02:08 pm »

Other way round, and longer (presumably not as stupidly hilly) route!

Is anyone up for a real FNRttS before the weather goes crap? The October ones were always my favourites. Not sure about the Beaconsfield services route, I've never done it.

JBB · « **Reply #1 on:** 23 August, 2018, 08:13:52 pm »

Quote from: rogerzilla on 23 August, 2018, 08:02:08 pm

Other way round, and longer (presumably not as stupidly hilly) route!

Is anyone up for a real FNRttS before the weather goes crap? The October ones were always my favourites. Not sure about the Beaconsfield services route, I've never done it.

Could be, suggest where and when and I'll check the calendar.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #2 on:** 23 August, 2018, 08:33:06 pm »

Friday 12th October?

Kim · « **Reply #3 on:** 23 August, 2018, 08:33:34 pm »

Quote from: rogerzilla on 23 August, 2018, 08:02:08 pm

Is anyone up for a real FNRttS before the weather goes crap? The October ones were always my favourites.

I'd probably be up for one, dates permitting.

ETA: 12th October works for me *pencils into calendar*

Quote

Not sure about the Beaconsfield services route, I've never done it.

It's a bit more A40 and a bit less Beaconsfield. Couple of Big Scary Roundabouts™ with no traffic on them. Not really much in it. You have to do that climb out of Loudwater on an empty stomach and full bladder, but that can't really be helped.

The other option appears to be a 24 hour Asda up by the A404/M40 junction. IIRC that's at the top of a bastard hill.

gerwinium · « **Reply #4 on:** 23 August, 2018, 08:43:10 pm »

Oh, this sounds good, I'd be up for it.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #5 on:** 23 August, 2018, 10:18:30 pm »

Might be fun to do it the same night as the Fridays and have a get together half way (and possible swapping of train tickets, riders, half-eaten sandwiches, etc).

rogerzilla · « **Reply #6 on:** 28 August, 2018, 11:10:45 am »

This is now a thing. It will be off if wet, so book train tickets early and cheaply if you need to, and be prepared to write them off. Only one was ever cancelled due to weather from 2009-2012. We did the March 2009 edition in snow near road-runner's house

Kim · « **Reply #7 on:** 28 August, 2018, 11:29:52 am »

Tickets booked.

For the benefit of anyone who hasn't done one before:

Start: Oxford railway station, 23:59^[1] on Friday 12th October.
Finish: Cafe Paolo, Acton (would like to be Shepherd's Bush) W3 7RU, 7-8am (ish, depending on conditions, mechanicals, etc) Saturday. Allow a bit more time for breakfast and the onward ride into central London than you think you'll need.

100km or so, one serious climb at Chinnor Hill, various smaller lumps and the legendarily short-and-steep Smalldean Lane (where Teethgrinder once had to get off and walk^[2]). Ride may feature wowbadgers, lasers, cows, drunken zombies, bus shelters, and red-light-jumper-racing^[3] down the Uxbridge Road.

A search of YACF for "FNRttS" should trawl up reports of previous rides.

_{[1] This is a lie to avoid off-by-one errors. We actually start a whole minute later.
[2] Admittedly only because his handlebars had broken.
[3] Where we set our sights on a likely looking RLJing commuter cyclist and attempt to get to Acton before them while obeying all traffic laws.}

rogerzilla · « **Reply #8 on:** 28 August, 2018, 12:36:06 pm »

Wasn't it an October ride when we lost someone off the front at Chinnor Hill, he had a boring and lonely (although flatter) ride all the way to London on the A40, and then he spotted us hurtling along The Vale and tagged back on? We wondered where he'd been

Moral: don't go off the front unless you know the route!

Jurek · « **Reply #9 on:** 28 August, 2018, 12:50:39 pm »

Charlotte & Stoker missed the turning for Smalldean Lane, on the tandem one year.
I tried to catch them.
That took some doing.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #10 on:** 28 August, 2018, 08:36:18 pm »

It looks as if it has to be the M40 services, as Tesco is no longer 24 hours (possibly due to mad knifemen and girls in pyjamas buying Stella at 3am).

Unless anyone lives on the route and fancies an adventure*?

*you provide warmth and tea and receive, in return, that blessed feeling of relief, as you wave us off, that you yourself are not out in the cold being attacked by badgers.

Adam · « **Reply #11 on:** 29 August, 2018, 02:22:15 pm »

Quote from: rogerzilla on 28 August, 2018, 11:10:45 am

We did the March 2009 edition in snow near road-runner's house

I remember that. Started snowing at the bottom of a hill. And by the time we got to the top, it was quite thick.

Sorry can't do this, as I'm leading the Shoreham FNRttC that night!

Fab Foodie · « **Reply #12 on:** 29 August, 2018, 03:14:34 pm »

Hi Rog
Hope you are well?

Good to see this back on the agenda. As am now based in Deal rather than Abingdon I shan’t be doing this, but will spread the word. However, for the future, Oxford-london-Deal has appeal!

The frosty March ride to Roadrunners was my first taste if night-riding and I’ve been an addict ever since.

Like Adam, if anything I might ride to Shoreham that night and then onto Deal, weather and legs permitting.

Have a good night!
Cheers
Fabbers

Jaded · « **Reply #13 on:** 29 August, 2018, 03:17:50 pm »

rogerzilla · « **Reply #14 on:** 29 August, 2018, 04:27:59 pm »

FF looks about 15 in that photo. I suppose it was 9 1/2 years ago.

Adam · « **Reply #15 on:** 29 August, 2018, 04:36:45 pm »

And I still had some hair...……….

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #16 on:** 29 August, 2018, 04:44:15 pm »

The thought of dealing with a Dangly Bike Space^TM in a sleep-deprived state is what's putting me off. Could always ride all the way home I suppose, it's only 120 miles...

Jaded · « **Reply #17 on:** 29 August, 2018, 10:22:52 pm »

You also need to remember that rogerzilla will steal your booked bike space.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #18 on:** 30 August, 2018, 06:35:11 am »

He who hesitates is lost.

Ticket booked. Only gone up a quid in 10 years!

Andrij · « **Reply #19 on:** 30 August, 2018, 11:26:51 am »

Earlier commitments mean I can't do the ride, but I may be able to ride out to meet you for breakfast. That'll be at least 50km on the books and home by 10:00 - not a bad start to a day.

DuncanM · « **Reply #20 on:** 30 August, 2018, 12:50:12 pm »

I've been curious about these for years. What gear is required (other than bike, human, waterproofs)? Lights that last 8 hours?
Getting to the start (and home again after) would not be a problem, but having 2 feet that work might be a requirement I fail on, depending...

rogerzilla · « **Reply #21 on:** 30 August, 2018, 01:34:15 pm »

Warm layers of clothing. Badger repellent. A willingness to suffer.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #22 on:** 31 August, 2018, 02:08:08 pm »

Interesting facts:

Smalldean Lane is 24% at its steepest, as measured by the legendary Steve Kish.

Beaconsfield services has the largest filling station forecourt in the UK.

We go past Benjamin Disraeli's and Ozzy Osbourne's former homes.

The Cream album "Disraeli Gears" is allegedly a mishearing of "derailleur gears".

The record for Chinnor Hill (from the new roundabout to the very top of the ridge) is 3 min 45 sec. That was by the national hillclimb champion. Anything under 20 mins is good.

All the gravel from the Chilterns ends up just where you need to brake for the roundabout at West Hyde, like the terminal moraine of a glacier.

There is a heavy metal band called Terminal Moraine.

Cafe Paolo used to be called Fat Boy's Cafe.

Paul is not Italian.

andyoxon · « **Reply #23 on:** 31 August, 2018, 04:12:33 pm »

I'm in, and train booked*

*£5.40 Padd->Oxf, through Nat'Rail Lowest ever for me.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #24 on:** 31 August, 2018, 05:39:02 pm »

There is an option to go up Cryers Hill, past road-runner's old house in Hazlemere, through Penn, into Beaconsfield from the NW and then to the services. It misses out High Wycombe and the A40, which aren't all that nice to ride. This is basically the original FNRttS route but with an extra 2-3 miles to dip down to the services and then back up Pisspot Lane or whatever it's called to Jordans. Compared to the modern route, there's little difference in total distance. The road from Hazlemere to Beaconsfield is fast and generally slightly downhill all the way.