IOW Randonee 2010 Sunday 2nd May

[ufkacbln]

I got same e-mail as Cunobelin.

Preregistration sounds like a good plan (assuming the organisers are able to match up pre-registrations efficiently)

Pre-booking the ferry certainly is a must, I would say.
Let's make sure we all book the same one !

Given that bikes travel on car deck of the ferry, and passengers have to go upstairs, I'd take some bungee cords/a small cable lock to secure your bike to a bulkhead.

Absolutely no need to prebook - we all just embark, as for bungees etc, there are simply too many bikes to do this - accept that your pride and joy will be in a carefully constructed pile of bikes that require the sort of espirit de corps that only cyclists on a mass event have to assemble and disassemble.

The first few frames of this will show what I mean

 

[2PedalsTez]

Did this ride last year.
I pre-registered from Wootton and to be honest the system worked very well.. Just gave the person my number and was on my way in no time.

I crossed via the Ports-Fishbourne ferry and I agree with the bungee idea... there were loads of bikes on deck so no chance with securing.

It does give you a good feeling when the cyclists vastly outnumbered drivers and when you are stuck on a boat for half an hour, you get to chat to fellow riders which is really good (some from other countries!!)

I am booked again this year and can't wait (I hope the sun is out again). I think the clockwise route will be better too..

Oh.. the crew on the ferry were far far nicer than grizzly adams on the floating bridge!

 

[johnnyh]

heading across to Yarmouth this year, so will be seeing the nice friendly chap on the Cowes chain ferry early doors!

 

[Bollo]

On the Soton-Cowes ferry last year we were asked to lie the bikes down on the car deck rather than rest them against the bulkheads. Bikes far outnumber the cars and there's plenty of space so it's really not a problem.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Hmmm....

 

[ufkacbln]

Hmmm....

Whom I met at the Yarmouth checkpoint!

Half the fun is spotting who is who from the internet, and having the courage to go up to a complete stranger who fits "YOUR IMAGE" of a forumite and asking if they are who you think they are!

 

[ufkacbln]

On the Soton-Cowes ferry last year we were asked to lie the bikes down on the car deck rather than rest them against the bulkheads. Bikes far outnumber the cars and there's plenty of space so it's really not a problem.

Never lie mine down!

 

[ufkacbln]

More constructively, and credit must go to a poster on YACF, who I hope does not mind me passing it on:

Portsmouth 2 for 1 offer

 

[PpPete]

Bugger, looks like my pass for that weekend has been revoked.

Seems SWMBO is planning to be off training for the LDWA 100 (Now that is mad.... 100 miles in the Highlands .... on foot)

I will have to do the Lymington 160 on the 9th instead.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

I'm starting to think Iwill do this..and this year I may even eat something

 

[yoyo]

Can anyone please tell me if I need to book the ferry from Portsmouth to Fishbourne if I go as a foot passenger with a bike?

 

[StuAff]

yoyo, no need, most people just turn up on the day. Bags of room for bikes on the car deck. I might actually buy mine in advance, but purely to avoid queueing.

 

[yoyo]

Thank you for that StuAff. I may buy in advance too as I will have to drive from Newbury and I am not great on early mornings.

 

[automatic_jon]

Gah! (That's pretty much the noise I made when I realised) this is only a couple of weeks away and I've been using it as my reason to get fit and start riding further but I'm really not sure if I'm ready, I was exhausted after 36 miles last week. I have done 50 in a day but I'm having trouble stretching that after damaging the meniscus in my knee. And work has picked up again after Easter so I'm not going to get the chance to train much more.

I'm also not sure if I should attempted it on my own, I keep meaning to get involved with a local club but the rides are always when I'm busy so I'm trying to motivate myself to ride solo all the time.

Do I chicken out or do I go it alone and potentially break myself but having saved face?

 

[ufkacbln]

One of the great things about this ride is the camaraderie.

You tend to pick up groups and drop them (or they drop you) as you go round. More often than not you tend to find yourself in a group with a similar speed and just drift along together.

There is also a "broom wagon" service, all you need to do is get to a checkpoint.