Author Topic: Solstice rides  (Read 4692 times)

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
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Solstice rides
« on: 27 April, 2008, 10:32:57 pm »
This year's Summer Solstice occurs over a weekend. According to this website the solstice occurs on 2008-06-21 at 00:00, which presumably means that the sun reaches its zenith at the North Pole at midnight on Friday 20th June. I'm not proposing to ride to the North Pole, unless it's the one just north of Wateringbury.

I am aware that the York Rally is on this weekend but have given up on the idea of going because I have missed the cheap fares and I would want to come home on the Monday, but I'm working then.

The key question is: are there any overnight rides on this weekend for express purpose of celebrating the solstice?

Is Simon L21st-June organising a ride to the coast on the night in question?

If there's nothing planned, would anyone care to join me in doing something silly on the shortest night?  :o
Quote from: Dez
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andygates

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Re: Solstice rides
« Reply #1 on: 27 April, 2008, 10:35:28 pm »
This year's Dumb Run is over that weekend.  Dumbarton to St. Andrews, sea to shining sea.  It's not specifically solsticial but there shall be damn hippies present. 
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
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woollypigs

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Re: Solstice rides
« Reply #2 on: 27 April, 2008, 10:36:10 pm »
Since it is a Friday I'm in and I'm sure that FNR will have something on too.
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Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
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Re: Solstice rides
« Reply #3 on: 27 April, 2008, 10:38:31 pm »
This year's Dumb Run is over that weekend.  Dumbarton to St. Andrews, sea to shining sea.  It's not specifically solsticial but there shall be damn hippies present. 

I think I'm pretty well fixed in SE England, as per my comments about working on the Monday.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Chris S

Re: Solstice rides
« Reply #4 on: 27 April, 2008, 10:46:33 pm »
This was an excellent ride from 2006; RR reproduced from the Other Place:

===============
Promenade du Pont du Jour

This was a 200km Audax arranged by Keith Harrison and Sue Gatehouse of the Norfolk CTC DA and run as a Permanent.

The basic idea is this. On the summer Solstice, watch the sun set over the Wash at Hunstanton, and then ride like fury overnight to see the sun rise from Britain's most Easterly point at Ness Point, Lowestoft.

Nine of us set out from Hellesdon on a Balmy Norfolk eve of the Summer Solstice. The weather forecast was grim for the overnight period, but for now - it was summer. We escaped the Norwich evening rush-hour, and rode a leisurely pace to Reepham, Briston and on to Wells. A refreshment stop on the quay, tales of the double century held the previous week in Norwich were told (some involving the Steve Abraham Cycling MachineTM). The sun at this point decided to set early - behind a large, threatening bank of grey cloud.

From Wells, we rode West along the A149, usually a No-Go-Zone for cyclists, but on this night - Ingerland was playing Sweden at some kind of ball game, and the road was completely empty. Hoorah for foozball! We stopped briefly at Holme, where one of our group gave up his house to us for the purposes of refreshment, bladder-emptying, and general fettling (With thanks!).

Rain was in the air as we left, and a fresh southwesterly started to bully us on our way into Hunstanton. By the time we obtained a proof of passage receipt from a Hole in the Wall, the weather showed up good'n proper. No chance of seeing the sunset - we'd just have to take it on trust. At this time, I thought it prudent to don Overshoes, Longs and waterproofs.

From Hunstanton, we climbed up the hill into Sedgeford, and on through Docking into Fakenham. The rain was heavy, and although the wind was a brute, it was occasionally a tailwind. From Fakenham, we headed south to Dereham. The rain was relentless until Beetley - when it finally blew itself out. It was during this stage that two of our group decided to pack and proceed direct to Norwich without passing Go. Bad luck chaps.

We mixed it up with the drunks and chavs in Dereham around midnight (we were mooned at by a youth on the Yaxham Road, and someone was heard to observe "I've seen better" though nobody would later own up to saying it) and obtained Proof of Passage, and Calories at Tescos.

We followed the regular Audax route from Dereham to Norwich (Yaxham, Mattishall, Colton, Colney) and obtained more Calories and another Proof of Passage at Tescos in Keswick. At this point we lost another 3 of the group to Cold and Fatigue, and so we were just four as we struck out Southeast to Loddon. It started to get light as we climbed over the hill at Poringland, and it looked increasingly like we would miss the sunrise. Indeed, it was fully light by the time we reached Somerleyton, but we pushed on to Lowestoft and obtained the final Proof of Passage with an hour and ten minutes to spare to the Audax limit.

We succeeded in the Audax, but because of the weather, we had missed the sunrise at the Ness. The four of us went to the Ness anyway, just to say we had - even if we were a little late. We then rode ( at a most leisurely pace ) back to Norwich (dropping one of our number off at his home in Loddon). Tea and toast back at our hosts in Hellesdon was most welcome, and us final four of the original nine bade our farewells. I rode out of Norwich, tired - but elated that I had achieved several firsts with this ride, and had laid to rest the ghost of a previous Audax I had packed because of rain and cold; this time I got it right - and remained warm, dry (underneath) and toasty despite the weather, and whilst others were suffering with the weather.

I finally rolled into the drive just before midday, with 361km on the clock, very tired, but with a Big Grin on my face.

The plan is to run this event as a Calendar ride next year. I'll be there for sure Smiley
============

In the end, I don't think it was run last year. Keith will probably be unable to organise it this year, but if there were enough appetite hereabouts - perhaps we could ride something similar?

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
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Re: Solstice rides
« Reply #5 on: 27 April, 2008, 10:53:02 pm »
That sounds too hard-core for me, Chris: I still haven't recovered from the Blue Moon ride.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Chris S

Re: Solstice rides
« Reply #6 on: 27 April, 2008, 10:57:40 pm »
That sounds too hard-core for me, Chris: I still haven't recovered from the Blue Moon ride.

Well, of course - you can't choose the weather...

Viamichelin puts Hunstanton -> Lowestoft at 115km; so it might work as a 100 as well. Anyone wanting the full fat 200 version could start at Norwich and meet up with the 100'ers at Hunstanton for a collective ride across to Lowestoft overnight.

Re: Solstice rides
« Reply #7 on: 28 April, 2008, 07:52:23 am »


Is Simon L21st-June organising a ride to the coast on the night in question?



There's a FNRttC planned for June @20th at the mo.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
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Re: Solstice rides
« Reply #8 on: 28 April, 2008, 08:06:45 am »


Is Simon L21st-June organising a ride to the coast on the night in question?



There's a FNRttC planned for June @20th at the mo.

That may be the option - as long as it isn't one of the fast ones!
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Basil

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Re: Solstice rides
« Reply #9 on: 28 April, 2008, 08:25:28 am »
This year's Summer Solstice occurs over a weekend. According to this website the solstice occurs on 2008-06-21 at 00:00, which presumably means that the sun reaches its zenith at the North Pole at midnight on Friday 20th June. I'm not proposing to ride to the North Pole, unless it's the one just north of Wateringbury.


Or one minute to, according to Heavens Above.

I'd hate you to be a minute late with your celebrations, Wowbagger.   :)
Admission.  I'm actually not that fussed about cake.

Re: Solstice rides
« Reply #10 on: 28 April, 2008, 08:38:43 am »
There's always the Midsummer Madness ride, which is only a pootle from Cutty Sark gardens to Primrose Hill to watch the sun rise there - great fun though! :)

Re: Solstice rides
« Reply #11 on: 28 April, 2008, 10:36:22 am »
This year's Dumb Run is over that weekend.  Dumbarton to St. Andrews, sea to shining sea.  It's not specifically solsticial but there shall be damn hippies present. 

I'm still on for this one. I was looking at train prices last week in fact and scheduling time off work for recovery and travel back to the South East. Will you be starting a new thread for this one, Andy?

Re: Solstice rides
« Reply #12 on: 28 April, 2008, 10:44:55 am »

I am aware that the York Rally is on this weekend but have given up on the idea of going because I have missed the cheap fares and I would want to come home on the Monday, but I'm working then.

They've only just released reserved tickets for that weekend - they were waiting for details of engineering work. I got 3 tickets including bike reservations for £75 and could have been cheaper leaving earlier on Friday. :) That was with a family railcard, but  it wasn't too bad anyway.  I could have done all 3 of us for £25 if I could have been more flexible with times. :D (Can't miss work or be back too late on the Sunday.)

Quote from: Kim
^ This woman knows what she's talking about.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Solstice rides
« Reply #13 on: 28 April, 2008, 04:16:46 pm »
This year's Summer Solstice occurs over a weekend. According to this website the solstice occurs on 2008-06-21 at 00:00, which presumably means that the sun reaches its zenith at the North Pole at midnight on Friday 20th June. I'm not proposing to ride to the North Pole, unless it's the one just north of Wateringbury.


Or one minute to, according to Heavens Above.

I'd hate you to be a minute late with your celebrations, Wowbagger.   :)

You are right, Basil. The website I quoted included the following Health Warning:-

"As noted above, the time calculated by this program is ephemeris time (a.k.a. terrestrial dynamic time or TDT). To get an estimate of GMT to within about fifteen minutes adjust by the appropriate value of delta-T (which is currently about one minute, so no modification is needed for years in the 20th or 21st centuries)."

That, especially the reference to delta-T, is all Greek to me, so I decided that I would take an unfair advantage of the fact that my life, for what it's worth, has spanned the 20th and 21st centuries and not bother with the calculation, settling for being a minute out. Since my bike computer is probably about 2 minutes out, I figured it wouldn't matter very much. :)
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Re: Solstice rides
« Reply #14 on: 29 April, 2008, 12:17:42 pm »
I'm still on for this one. I was looking at train prices last week in fact and scheduling time off work for recovery and travel back to the South East. Will you be starting a new thread for this one, Andy?
Since Andy doesn't seem to have spotted this, I'll refer you to this thread and this thread.