Reggie Ride II: 65 Miles of Flat - 22 August 2009

[Jurek]

A belated thanks to Regulator for what really was a very fine ride.

I cannot really add much to what has already been said, other than to comment on the good choice of well surfaced, traffic- lite and flat route.

Big skies and excellent refreshment stops will always get my vote, and this ride did not disappoint.

Nor did the (at times) hilarious company, or FBOAB's  top quality baking.

Definitely a ride worth repeating.

[Regulator]

Well, that was good fun.  A mixture of the olds lags and some new faces, these being Kim (who was mad enough to do a Basil and come over from Birmingham for a ride  ), Lyndsey and Mrs S.

The ride out was very pleasant, and we made good time from Cambridge to Coveney, where we met up with Roger and Mrs T.  It was then on to Little Downham to pick up Wobbly John and then out into the wilds.

Our ride was marked by a pillar of fire (well, OK smoke from a tyre factory fire) but a tailwind lifted out spirits and meant that we made good time to the Welney Wetland Cente, where our arrival coincided with the arrival of Chris and Mrs S onna tandem. 

We partook of luncheon, accompanied by some smut (I hope Mrs T will forgive me the saddle comment  ) and was then onto Ten Mile Bank and Denver Sluice, where a visit to the Jenyn Arms was considered compulsory.  We arrived just as they were closing at 3.00 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon(well, it is Norfolk) but we managed to get some drinks, whilst Ceiling Cat kept an eye on Lyndsey in the Ladies  .

We then made our way through Denver and on into Downham Market, before turning of to Wimbotsham, Stowbridge, Runcton Holme and Watlington.  A final push combined with a quick stop for Woobly John to sort out some Sustrans signage saw us make our way onto the bank of the river and into Kings Lynn.

Following a brief stop at the quay, it was off to the station to allow those who had chickened out of camping the chance to get a train home.

Wobbly John then took the lead, guiding us through Kings Lynn past the Sealskinz factory (a break in for supplies was considered) to Tesco, where we stocked up on goodies for our forthcoming feast.   It was then on to North Runcton to the camp ground.

Tents were pitched and ladies changed for dining, before we tucked into sausages, burgers and the odd vegetable that managed to find its way onto the barbie.  Wobbly John showed off his LEET camp cooking skills by whipping himself up a little something from Nigella's latest.

A few drinks and we all hit the sack fairly early, only being kept awake by the persistent barking of an Airedale terrier who untimely demise had already been suggested but rejected.

We were awoken by a mixture of traffic on the A47, geese and cockerels having a crowing competition.  After a breakfast consisting mainly of cake, we packed up, mounted our trusty steeds and, eyeing up the increasingly windy conditions, headed off into the "Fenland Hills".

As we rode on through some beautiful scenery, the day got hotter and hotter and the wind got stronger and stronger.  An escaped lunatic Rich Forrest road up to meet us and, having hooked up at Boughton, we headed north briefly to try and get some respite from the scirocco by cycling down the side of Ten Mile Bank to Littleport.

Alas, our plan failed and the wind got worse.  In parts we were reduced to not much more than a walking pace, and both Kim and I found the excessive heat (at one point the thermometer was reading 31.5C) and unrelenting wind very hard going.  We finally made it to Littleport and checked the train times with the view to baling out and getting the train.  However, we were persuaded to carry on as far as Little Downham with the promise of food at John's daughter's pub.

I'm glad we went on as we had an excellent roast dinner, complete with a lovely pudding and coffee for only £5 a head!  Bargain!  Although I think the landlord may have regretted telling Teethgrinder it was "eat all you can"...

We then parted company with Rich and Steve, who were foolishly heroically going to continue cycling into the wind back to Milton Keynes, and we headed the couple of miles to Ely station, where we bade a fond farewell to John and Lyndsey made her way by train to Suffolk, as Kim and I headed for Cambridge.

We arrived back at Cambridge station with plenty of time before Kim's train back to Brum, so it was round to mine for something cold to drink and a natter.  Kim then headed back to the station as I showered and changed before making my way back to Elveden Forest Centre Parc (albeit by car).

A big thank you to everyone who came along and made the ride such a success.  A special mention must be made of a few people:

• Mrs S - for her first long ride on a tandem
• Mrs T - for her longest ride to date
• Kim - for coming such a long way for a ride
• Lyndsey - for the cake!*
  

Sorry that the weather was so harsh on the Sunday...



*Marj had better watch out - there is another who may take over the YACF Champion Cake Maker's Crown... 

[Pippa]

Apologies for the tardiness of my post.... 

So a very belated but big thank you to Regulator for a most enjoyable day out on Saturday. It really was quite stunning. The lack of traffic. The long straight roads. Very happy here 

Nice to meet some new faces. Top cake fboab!! Nomnomnom.

Well done to the foolhardy brave souls who stayed on for camping. Sounds like you could have used a couple of geese to tease the barking terrier? 

[Kim]

Slightly late reply from me, but rest assured that I haven't spent all this time on the train back to Brum, though that really is the slowest train in the world, and the toilet (your main source of onboard entertainment when travelling with a bicycle) was in spectacularly grim condition this time.

I think most of it's been said already, but Saturday's ride was superb.  The sheer novelty value of being able to cruise along well in excess of 15mph without putting much effort in, in spite of having the kitchen sink in my panniers really made it for me.

Camping was great, yappy dogs (and footballs that appeared to be yappy dogs without my glasses on) notwithstanding.  That was the first time I'd camped without motor vehicle assistance, so was a huge success in that respect.  I must attempt to obtain a sleeping bag that's lightweight, warm and doesn't restrict my limbs into a spine-wrecking mummy position, though I suspect it may be a case of "pick any two".

The ride back, though only 40 miles or so, is going to be one of those "well, at least it's not like when..." epic events for me.  It started off pleasant enough, the off-road section was enjoyably harmless, and the token hill only really counted as such because of all the luggage.  But once we'd left the tree cover behind, the full force of the headwind made progress tediously slow.  By Midday it was seriously hot, and heat is one thing I've never been any good with.  I'm bad enough lying around uselessly indoors in those kind of temperatures, never mind slogging up a Fenland Hill for hours on end with little in the way of shade.  As we were regretting the Ten Mile Bank detour plan, and in spite of drinking copious amounts of water all the way, I started to feel decidedly Not Well, and was worried that I was going to get dizzy and come off the bike.  Pouring half a waterbottle on my head cooled me down enough to get to Littleport without actual death, where shade, CAKE and half a sachet of low-sodium salt (which I had secreted in the murky depths of a pannier for just such an emergency) made me start to feel a lot more human.

I felt much better after getting out of the sun for a bit at Little Downham, even though I was in no state to eat anything at that point.  Cutting the ride short at Ely was the sensible option, I expect those last 20 miles would have been hellish.

So yeah, many thanks to Regulator and Wobbly John for organising the rides, and to everyone who put up with my mostly useless pace on Sunday.  Special thanks to CrossCountry for the fragrant 30mph sightseeing tour of the industrial midlands, and to the p*nct*re fairy for deciding that it was obviously far too windy and staying at home all weekend. 

My cyclist's tan is looking rather spectacular today   

[teethgrinder]

A nice easy ride to Cambridge, then a leisurely breakfast in a cafe before the meet up at 1030 was the original plan.
And so I found myself, bashing down the A507 at 24 mph at times. Not very often or for very long mind, but still, I was doing an average of 18mph for a couple of hours until I knew I could ease off. Being lazy, having a lay in and not packing early can be such hard work. Getting carried away with my MP3 player and missing the turn for Biggleswade didn't help much either, but never fear. Teethgrinder knows another route which is about the same distance.

Anyway, arrive early at the train station to be greeted by FBOAB, who turned out to be a lady, not what I was expecting.
Breakfast came in the form of a M&S pasta from the train station as team YACF assembled for
(fanfare)
Reggie Ride II

The man himself soon arrived and was quick to poke fun at my nomming prowess. Bloody cheek, I'd just ridden 52 miles and hadn't eaten since yesterday at midday!
Our most fabulous host was feeling jolly pleased with himself because he had managed to get all of his camping gear into a saddlebad and just one pannier. Alas, it transpired that he had actually forgotten to pack a few significant items, such as his beloved coffee.
Soon off into the sunshine with a helpfull breeze and a relaxed pace and making good time.
As mentioned above, cafes and pubs were explored. The tone was lowered by the smutty nature of our humour.
A significant reason for my attending the ride came near the end. To cycle alongside the Ouse on the Sustrans route. I've glanced at this many times while crossing the river in Audax mode and had vowed to try it out. Not anywhere near as good as I hoped, but now I know. Not a loss to me though. The fun gained on this weekend more than made up for it.
Enter Kings Lynn for a brief stop, then on to the train station to split into the camp and the uncamp. Then on to Tescos to load up with supplies.
Regulator seemed to only be buying communial food for the appropriate number of peope. I saw a pack of 10 sausages and protested that I could eat all those myself. (I wasn't joking)
So, in defiance, I did some back up shopping to ensure that my skeletal remains weren't all that would be left in my tent the next morning.
Then on to the camp site. Tents pitched, tea brewed and barbeque commenced. Somewhere in the midst of that, we washed and changed for our evening barbie. Regulator was very keen to offer hot water via his super duper "Jet hot water making device thingy" which boiled water much quicker than my bargain bucket Tesco kettle and Gaz stove. I'm not one for all this flash super technology. But on the other hand, Regulator did point out that his super duper jet hot water thingy was very efficient and easy on the fuel consumption of his stove, so I could well be convinced there.
FBOAB did a good job of observing the cremation of our dinner and ensured that our pitch was easy to find from the shower block, by sending a prolonged smoke signal.
Wobbly John was showing extreme trust in me, by placing his very tasty looking salmon meal right in front of me When I was feeling hungry   (in spite of having just devoured a large pot of yoghurt)
I somehow restrained myself from taking even a teeeny tiny nibble of WJs veeery tasty looking meal with the promise of babequed goodness.
Slowly, the barbeque took place until we only had two raw burgers left and no fuel in our fire. In vain hope, we put them above the formerly firey coals in hope that they would cook, but to no avail.
Perhaps they'll be ready for breakfast?
Then, after standing around yakking, playing with torches and looking at stars, it was time to hit the hay.
A good night a-snooze for me and I was a bit surprised that nobody else seemed to sleep as wll as I did.
Tea and biscuits for breakfast. Oh, and some cake, obviously.
No luck with the burgers though.
Tents packed ahead of schedule then on the road and shortly off road to cross a bridge.
Back on road again investigating pubs in vain hope for cooked breakfast and coffee for a de-caffeinated Regulator in need of his fix.
Meet up with Rich Forrest then onto a pub for drinkies.
The headwind took it's toll. Dehydration set in as well because of the nice warm weather (well I enjoyed it) not helped by the aforementioned headwind.
It was decided to have lunch then go our separate ways. It was one of those delightfull eat as much as you like affairs, so I was pleased. I should point out, that Regulator and Rich went up for seconds and I did not, yet I still got all the stick for eating the most. But I won't go into details about how much food I'd managed to pile onto my plate on my one and only visit to the carvery. Well, why waste eating time walking backwards and forwards to get your food? I was tacken aback by the fact that the roast carvery, cheesecake desert and coffee cost us a fiver! Less than it cost us to erect a tent on a piece of land.
I rode back to Milton Keynes with Rich Forrest who had allready done a good few miles today. The ride became more leisurely near the end as Rich was getting thirsty and hot.
Stops were made for drinks and an ice cream. We had a chat with two locals who'd ridden London-Cambridge about Rich's recumbent then my fixed wheel.
Then as night began to fall the wind dropped and it cooled down, which must have been some relief to Rich. I had a farie visit, but my Panaracer prevented it being serious and I could limp home by pumping up my tyres twice.
A good weekend

[teethgrinder]

 Fenland Hill

Eh?

half a sachet of low-sodium salt (which I had secreted in the murky depths of a pannier for just such an emergency) made me start to feel a lot more human.

Ahh! sneaky! A very good move that.

Cutting the ride short at Ely was the sensible option, I expect those last 20 miles would have been hellish.

It was a good idea. It would have been very miserable in your state.
You did good.

[Kim]

 Fenland Hill

Eh?

A colloquial term for an unrelenting headwind m'lud.

half a sachet of low-sodium salt (which I had secreted in the murky depths of a pannier for just such an emergency) made me start to feel a lot more human.

Ahh! sneaky! A very good move that.

Yeah.  I'm of the opinion that while potassium chloride tastes pretty disgusting, it's a shortlived disgusting that doesn't compare to the general lingering unpleasantness of bananananas (I probably lose a zillion Real Cyclist points for hating the things, I know).  One day my partner came home with a handful of those little lo-salt sachets that she'd snaffled from some eatery or other for me to stick in the bike bags along with the space blanket and puncture repair kit for humans, which seemed like an excellent idea.  I must get some more.

[teethgrinder]

 Fenland Hill

Eh?

A colloquial term for an unrelenting headwind m'lud.

OK, I'll let you off.
But just this once.

Yeah.  I'm of the opinion that while potassium chloride tastes pretty disgusting, it's a shortlived disgusting that doesn't compare to the general lingering unpleasantness of bananananas (I probably lose a zillion Real Cyclist points for hating the things, I know).  One day my partner came home with a handful of those little lo-salt sachets that she'd snaffled from some eatery or other for me to stick in the bike bags along with the space blanket and puncture repair kit for humans, which seemed like an excellent idea.  I must get some more.

I'll tell you a little secret then.
I'm none too keen on bananas myself.
I remember being handed up nothing but bananas in a 24 hour TT. I was starting to wonder if I looked like a monkey, but decided against askng incase they said that I did.
Tomato juice is handy. In fact, anything tomatoe-y is good in hot weather.
I also use diahorrea re-hydration stuff too, which is pretty good. Just put it in with your water in your bottle. Follow the dosage instructions though.

[Kim]

Tomato juice is handy. In fact, anything tomatoe-y is good in hot weather.

Funny you should mention that, I was just gulping a bowl of tomato soup and noting how unusally lovely it was.

I also use diahorrea re-hydration stuff too, which is pretty good. Just put it in with your water in your bottle. Follow the dosage instructions though.

Excellent idea, especially in weather like that.

[Wobbly John]

I was tacken aback by the fact that the roast carvery, cheesecake desert and coffee cost us a fiver!

Twas a special rate for men in lycra   'friends of Wobbly John'

[Morrisette]

That ride sounded really cool - sorry to miss it. I did think of you guys cycling through the fens in that heat, especially as I have some impressive sunburn lines on my shoulders from, erm, sitting in a field drinking cider and listening to 80s music on the Sunday. Cycling would have been way too much effort!

Hope to be able to join the next East Anglian excursion!! 

[Jurek]

I also use diahorrea re-hydration stuff too, which is pretty good. Just put it in with your water in your bottle. Follow the dosage instructions though.

Excellent idea, especially in weather like that.

Another vote here for Dioralyte in the bidon. 
Especially when the sun is relentless and you're clocking lots of miles.
The lemon one doesn't taste at all bad and doesn't have the claggyness of PSP22 IMO