Mid-Essex Mid-Week Nocturnal Series

[Andy C33]

Sorry, looking after kids as wife not back in time from hospital.

[Tomsk]

Ah well....better luck next time everyone

[Oros70]

 I have turned to the dark side.I now have mudguards with flaps on all of my bikes(not home made flaps). So i should stay a bit dryer now and those that are behind me   

[Oros70]

OD The night rides you are planning sound like a good plan would like to tag along on a couple of those.

[The Retiree]

(*) I have been giving this some thought as well and ran a plan past The Current Mrs R yesterday evening.   Perhaps every 2 or 3 weeks I'm thinking of setting off at about 7pm on a Friday evening and aim to get back by 11am on Saturday morning for a couple of hours in bed then continue with our normal weekend.  This should mean I can get c200k under me wheels and not completely bugger the family weekend.  There might even be the chance to snuggle up under a hedge in my bivvy bag and even tick off a few outlying Good Beer Guide pubs by sinking a cheeky pint around closing time.  I wasn't planning on doing these rides as audaxes, I just want to keep the miles kilometres rolling in plus have a bit of fun in the process.

Of course some company would be lovely.  Routes could be craftily constructed to pick folks up along the way or meet at some point.  NB: these overnight rides will be in addition to my normal routine of getting out mid-week and at the weekend for a 50 to 100k ride.

Any thoughts?

Same as Oros, I would be interested in joining you on a few of these rides OD! If it holds any interest as training for the PBPer's I also have a 120 kilometer route around the Isle of Wight, the idea I had was to catch an early ferry as a foot passenger and complete the ride in a day.

[Oscar's dad]

That's an interesting idea. Were you going to float the IoW up the Crouch so it was easier to get to from mid-Essex???

 

[The Retiree]

That's an interesting idea. Were you going to float the IoW up the Crouch so it was easier to get to from mid-Essex???

 

Haha I wish OD  the final part of the jigsaw was deciding whether to drive down and park up, or look at jumping on the train but not sure how this would work on timing!

Or we could do an epic audax from Witham round the IoW and bac...........

[tippers_kiwi]

I like the idea of the night rides although I am not sure how much of it I will get away with! I have made it known that I need to do the qualifiers and also stay fit post that so I should be able to get out a couple of times.

I do want to keep riding through the end of the year and although I am going to be slowing down a little I want to keep my RRTY in flow and I think aiming for 1 ride of 200km per month will be a good way to really keep the base fitness in place without committing to too many rides.

The Cheque for the Bryan Chapman entry was debited from my account on Monday  so I think I will be a regular North Hill and surroundings visitor in the coming months. The ride in Wales on Monday gave a good idea of what can get in the way (3.75 AAA points I had not noticed were on offer) and I can categorically say that although I can get up the hills OK it could be a hell of a lot better!

[trainmanbri]

Anyone who wants a lift on the 6th December are welcome. Be leaving Witham 13.30 approx., can take 5 people if necessary, oh hang on I don't have that many friends !!

[Oscar's dad]

Anyone who wants a lift on the 6th December are welcome. Be leaving Witham 13.30 approx., can take 5 people if necessary, oh hang on I don't have that many friends !!

You've got lots of friends here   

By the time you hit Maldon we'll probably be at the Blue Boar.  I'm sure Mrs trainmanbri would love to join us for a spot of lunch 

[The Retiree]

Anyone who wants a lift on the 6th December are welcome. Be leaving Witham 13.30 approx., can take 5 people if necessary, oh hang on I don't have that many friends !!

Indeed trainmanbri I may well take you up on the offer if diary commitments allow me to attend on the 6th  I'm hoping they will work in my favour as Mrs DL thought OD was a lovely chap when he delivered my Rose bike order this morning despite initially mistaking him for a courier 

[Oscar's dad]

Can I point out that riding to and from Maldon is an opportunity to hoon along the Blackwater Rail Trail. The BRT is not compatible with 23c tyres except in the driest conditions but is great fun nonetheless!

[Oscar's dad]

Leather mudflaps!  Kinky, no self respecting dogger should be seen without one.

Oh hangon, we have something similar on the back of Tina the Tandem 

[Oaky]

...despite initially mistaking him for a courier 

To be fair on Mrs DL, when people turn up at your door carrying a package and dressed like a traffic cone, they usually are a courier.

[Oscar's dad]

...despite initially mistaking him for a courier 

To be fair on Mrs DL, when people turn up at your door carrying a package and dressed like a traffic cone, they usually are a courier.

 

I can confirm Mrs DL knows she's known as Mrs DL and seems OK with it 

[The Retiree]

...despite initially mistaking him for a courier 

To be fair on Mrs DL, when people turn up at your door carrying a package and dressed like a traffic cone, they usually are a courier.

 

I can confirm Mrs DL knows she's known as Mrs DL and seems OK with it 

She mentioned this had been brought up in conversation 

Leather mudflaps!  Kinky, no self respecting dogger should be seen without one.

Oh hangon, we have something similar on the back of Tina the Tandem 

I think I have an old leather shoe that I can butcher the tongue from that will do the job 

[tippers_kiwi]

Leather mudflaps!  Kinky, no self respecting dogger should be seen without one.

Oh hangon, we have something similar on the back of Tina the Tandem 

What exactly are you saying here OD?

[delthebike]

I'll be off in a little while to Tomsk's exhibition at Chappel. 
There's a handy sign post outside the gallery to lock the bike to. 

[delthebike]

And I'm back!
Train to Marks Tey and then a five mile ride to Chappel Gallery.
Some nice scenery and walls on the way.




Tomsks' art is pretty damn good and, if I had the spare cash, there were two I would have bought. The biggest one on display, that included The Bike of Tomsk!


And the smallest picture.
The back room of the gallery was the one that had the most sunlight and that's were the pictures came alive. The gallery could do with some better lighting as it was really quite dull inside except where the sun shone through!
Worth a viewing if you're in the area, available online too but only thumbnail sizes! 

Tomsk in his Sunday best and his name in lights! (even if it was just a 15W CFL in a dodgy looking lamp post!  )


Post exhibition, a five mile ride back to Marks Tey, and Abellio (sp?) have been installing these two tier, Dutch stylee, bike racks at some of their stations. I used the lower racks when I went for a cuppa in the station while waiting for a train. I suspect it would have been easier to use a top rack, no bending or hitting head! 
Any hoo I got a train to Chelmsford and rode the rest of the way home. 

[Oscar's dad]

We'd of gone had we not been in Leeds. Hope to pop in soon.

[delthebike]

We'd of gone had we not been in Leeds. Hope to pop in soon.

Take a daylight white LED tube strapped to the top of your head as the lighting is really a bit meh! and doesn't really do the work any favours! 

[Tomsk]

Good to see Del at the opening day - Herman Ramsey came along too [but not by bike]. As Del arrived, Edna [gallery co-owner] said 'oh someone on a bike, must be a friend of Tom's!'

As well as my name in lights, I've had a fan letter from Sister Wendy Beckett, who got an early peek at my stuff last month!

[delthebike]

As well as my name in lights, I've had a fan letter from Sister Wendy Beckett, who got an early peek at my stuff last month!

Quick paint a cricket pitch for Tuffers! 

[Tomsk]

^ 

I phoned Brian Taylor to re-arrange this Weds in Billericay - 12th is out, but the next possible date is 19th Nov: Is that ok OD and others?

Meanwhile there's the current mid-week's outing to arrange.....

[Oscar's dad]

I phoned Brian Taylor to re-arrange this Weds in Billericay - 12th is out, but the next possible date is 19th Nov: Is that ok OD and others?

Assuming our monthly sales ordeal meeting really is cancelled, and the expectation is that it will be (our sales director and key members of the sales team are fooking off to Vegas with customers), then I should be OK for the 19th.

A REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE ...

I am in the process up upgrading Son of Oscar the Ribble's lighting system.  I need to crimp a pair of 2.8mm female spade connectors onto the end of a dual core wire and heat shrink the connectors.  Does anyone have a crimping tool and more importantly know how to use it?  Thanks in anticipation