FNRttC FNRttC to Brighton 8th May 2009

[Aperitif]

Aperitif, will you get there before Dawn, Bright 'n' early?

Winer! You get the job.

I'll be Hove-to at the restaurant doors - there's nothing like a 'fool, English, vegetarian breakfast' to warm the cockles. (Bet you didn't know that cockles ate breakfast did you <luv> ?)

 

[gbs]

to StuAff: many thanks for the detailed response to my newbie question. As soon as I hit "send" I figured out the acronym!

I see that this is a monthly event in which case I will wait until june because 1) there will be an unmissable birthday dinner that friday 2) my new bike (Pearson Pave if you are curious) will not be available until early may 3) I need to toughen up/test myself

As for 4 hrs time estimate: I guess I was thinking of saddle time excluding r&r - sorry to have been provocative/misleasding/boastful.

Now down to newbie basics.

• what are the recommnended lighting sets?
• what do you do with spare/cold weather clothing? The Pave does not have lugs so racks and panniers are not on. Backpack I suppose.

 

[dellzeqq]

gbs - send me an e-mail at fnrttc@yahoo.co.uk and I'll send you a bunch of stuff back - it's about 3mb. It has a guide to 'the basics' and a 'questions' page.

Lighting needs to be a bit more powerful than urban flashers. I use the Cateye EL530 LED light which runs on AA batteries. I think the Electron (distributed by Madison) would do as long as it wasn't raining. It's sensible to have two back lights - just in case one fails. Clothing is an individual thing, but most people manage with light layers and a light waterproof - which can be stuffed in a back pocket. Panniers and racks are an encumbrance, and I don't bother with a back pack - but some people come along weighed down by luggage.....mudguards are a frequent cause of delay, and aren't popular with the Tail End Charlies.

The June ride won't be for beginners - we're going to Whitstable which is further and tougher. The July ride will be an easier ride (we call it the 'genteel ride'), but this month's may be the best bet because we're confident we can take all of those who want to come. We may have to put a cap on the July ride, as we did in March and April.

May's ride will leave Hyde Park Corner at midnight and arrive in Brighton about seven in the morning. The pace is conversational - and, as you'll see from the brochure that I will send to you, we do look after you. The slowest riders, who will be looked after, will average about 10mph - although that includes stops at traffic lights and so on....

Simon

 

[Sittingduck]

You got mail dellzegg
Hope to see you on the 8th!

SD

 

[Dan B]

Ditchling is a bastard. As hills go (130metres in 1km) it's not particularly steep, but it's those really sharp ten or twenty metre stretches that get you. And the realisation that, no, that isn't the summit - there's another bend - that's hard to take.

Look for the "horses" road sign. If you can't see that, then however much it looks like you're on the final stretch you almost certainly have another bend to go ...

(This advice may not apply in case of really heavy fog)

 

[redjedi]

Lighting needs to be a bit more powerful than urban flashers. I use the Cateye EL530 LED light which runs on AA batteries. I think the Electron (distributed by Madison) would do as long as it wasn't raining. It's sensible to have two back lights - just in case one fails.

Will a Cateye EL 510 be alright? I inherited it from a flatmate but I've never used it.

 

[dellzeqq]

Will a Cateye EL 510 be alright? I inherited it from a flatmate but I've never used it.

To Brighton - on a clear night, absolutely. On an overcast night then yes, but with additional care. On a rainy night....almost. I used to use a Cateye EL500, and that served - but I wouldn't go back.

 

[StuAff]

I've got an EL320- about 1k candlepower at the centre of the beam, 6k total, so rather less powerful than the 530, but still pretty bright, on city streets at least. Think that'll be OK or do I need to go shopping? I've got an old 90s EverReady (two D-cells, like these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/6-Ever-Ready-...14&_trkparms=72:1688|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318 ) which I could pair it with....
For the back I've got another Cateye (TL-LD270) which I'll augment with a cheapy Sainsbury's LED on my rucksack's light loop.

 

[MacB]

stick with other riders, the massed beams create plenty of light. Though there were a couple of rear lights, on the last one, that I tried not to follow, too bright.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

just sent off my email to Simon. see you all May 8th recovering PCL LCL permitting

 

[TimO]

Reading the thread this looks like it should be a good one, with a large attendance. I will not however be doing it, since there's a WARTY the next day, and I missed last months through oversleeping. I really ought to try and turn up to this one.

I'll certainly try and make a Brighton run this year, since I've got a geared bike working at the moment, and I'll actually have a chance at getting up Ditchling, unlike with the singlespeed, where at that time in the ride, I really can't be arsed to utterly kill myself.

There are still two Brighton runs to go, July and November, but I'm looking forward to Whitstable in June, since I enjoyed that ride last year.

 

[Auntie Helen]

There will be some CycleChatters on the WARTY TimO mentions above (myself, Ianrauk, possibly ilovebikes).

 

[Aperitif]

Sorry Auntie - ilovebikes is under contract to FNRttC - he's only a young boy and needs gently easing into the dimension of culture, fords and pubs.
What is a warty anyway - is it like a mini London-Manningtree?

 

[Auntie Helen]

Sorry Auntie - ilovebikes is under contract to FNRttC - he's only a young boy and needs gently easing into the dimension of culture, fords and pubs.
What is a warty anyway - is it like a mini London-Manningtree?

Can't he do both, he's young enough and fit enough, surely!

WARTY stands for 'Wowbagger and Annie Ride The Year', apparently. It's a monthly ride, just like our CC ones, but happens to generally be in my neck of the woods (Essex) and not to clash with the CC rides.

 

[Aperitif]

Ah thank you. I have been trying to work that one out for a while...