Overnighter to Bognor Regis - 18/12/09

[thorny]

A friend and I decided to have a go at getting to Bognor last night as we'd both been looking forward to the cancelled Definitely not a FNRttC ride. Not surprisingly it was mind bug*eringly cold. Started off from Hyde Park Corner at midnight as usual. Our water turned to slush after a couple of hours and had frozen solid after about 3 hours on the road (including a couple of spare bottles hidden away in bags). All plans of following any B roads vanished as anything we ventured on to which wasn't an A road was extremely icy. Ended up going down the A24 and linking on to the A29 above Horsham.

The wind chill was the biggest problem with alternating left and right extremities going numb. I had on a thin pair of thermal liner gloves, lightweight ski gloves and Goretex shell mitts. Could have done with overshoes. It was also a great incentive to not hang about with many non-essential stops. Managed to find an early opening (before 7am) cafe (Rick's cafe) in Bognor, after being directed there by a very helpful station guard. There was also a 24 Tescos/ Asda on the way into town.

Did have some stunning sections through tunnels of frosted trees and stayed in Bognor to see the sun rise from the beach.

I should add the disclaimer that we both have extensive experience bivvying in the Scottish highlands year round and I've had several years of commuting through Canadian winters in Montreal and Saskatoon. We carried spare fleeces, longs, overtrousers and food (plus the usual bike bits).

[teethgrinder]

Looks like you had fun.

Were the roads queit and did you find anywhere to stop for a cuppa? There must have at least been a petrol garage or two selling warm drinks.

[Jurek]

Cannot deny being impressed.

Glad I wasn't with you 

[Pippa]

 

Adamski, Jurek and I were sitting around chez moi last night congratulating ourselves on not being out on our bikes whilst tucking into some nommy food and wine (hic).

Thorny - you and your mate iz tough/mad/words fail me

 

Massif respec'innit

[thorny]

There were a few garages open, but the two we tried wouldn't let us in. One seemed to be a recent crime scene as there was glass all over the forecourt, police charging around and a police helicopter scanning about with a searchlight. Not sure if we were looking particularly trustworthy    a nice, hot brew would have been perfect...thermos flask next time.

Roads were empty until the last 10 or so miles into Bognor, though most of the traffic was going the other way. We kept telling ourselves it would be warmer by the coast, but that turned out to be nonsense.

Usual displays of aggro outside pubs/ clubs en route.

Not long after we started my mate pointed out he'd turned down a night in with excellent food and lashings of alcohol for this misery adventure.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Bonkers 

I just don't possess that level of cold tolerance.

[teethgrinder]

There were a few garages open, but the two we tried wouldn't let us in.

That's quite normal, especially on Friday and Saturday nights when the pissed pot heads pop out for their Rizzlers. They usualy serve you coffe through the hatch though, it it will fit.

[TimO]

The cold doesn't particularly phase me, as several people on here will attest, but after meeting four dodgy patches of ice on my twelve mile commute, getting progressively worse the further south I went from central London, I decided that the Bognor run would have been ill advised, especially on the original largely non-A road route.

I guess you had fun, but I suspect more of us, trying to do it on icier roads would have been foolhardy, but all credit to you for doing it regardless.

[Adam]

 

On Friday morning, I could only get about 1 mile out of our village before having to turn back, due to the snow & ice - and that took about 15 minutes, so you're completely barmy for doing that.

Well done! 

[StuAff]

Heroic effort there! I (along with thirty or so other cyclists, denizens of bikeradar's commuter section) was in a pub on Millbank for the evening. It was rather nicer in there!! The wind chill both in the smoke and Pompey (couple of miles either end) was bad enough, definitely glad the ride got pulled.
How was the nosh at Rick's by the way? I had a bit of a recce round Bognor prior to the August run (it's a nice little 40-odd mile round trip for me), that was one of the cafes I pointed out to Simon (didn't get as far as Felpham).

[Tourist Tony]

Was cold enough coming home at 2330 that night. Ice was scary.....but I WAS on my mtb rather than the road bike.

[thorny]

How was the nosh at Rick's by the way?

Cheap (£3.60 for a fry-up (egg, toast, buttered bread, sausage, mushrooms, odd lump of fried mashed potato with bits of brussel sprout in it) as far as I remember), but not the best. More importantly, the heating didn't seem to have been turned up to any perceptible level.

...but I WAS on my mtb rather than the road bike.

My mate did it on his MTB (Orange P7 with off-road tyres). I'd hassled him about his choice of tyres before the weather turned...