Manchester - Llandudno 25 April 2015 featuring the Inaugural Hill Climb Sausage Challenge

[pubrunner]

Plenty of time yet.

Oi, there's not plenty of time - all the accommodation will be taken . . . unless, that is, you intend to share with @rich p

That's hilarious !

@nickyboy - get the Southern nobber signed up - asap !

 

[Wobblers]

They have two bookable spaces per train. Once they're booked you either have to book another train or turn up and hope the train manager will use his discretion in letting you on with a bike.

Certainly when I rode this train there were at least 8-10 bikes onboard

I'd seriously advise getting that bike reservation rather than throwing yourself on the mercy of the conductor. On my last jaunt to the Wales FNRttC, the conductor was all for throwing me off the train - until I pointed out that I was the only cyclist with the reservation. I have to confess that it took some self control to refrain from a Nelson Muntz "Ha Ha!" at his look of disappointment when I then produced said reservation...

 

[nickyboy]

Train Ticket info.....but I'm not expert on these so please check yourselves

Quick heads up that train tickets for April 25/26 go on sale in the next few days (13 weeks maximum booking period is this weekend).

Cheaper Advance tickets should go on sale the following weekend (ie 12 weeks). The savings on these are large Llandudno - Manchester but I don't know for other routes. Bike spaces, according to Arriva Wales will become bookable 12 weeks in advance - not this weekend, next weekend

 

[nickyboy]

National Rail booking horizons is the page to look at.

Thanks. I played around with the booking system for Llandudno - Manchester to see what it was like now.

Today you can book up to April 23 - that is exactly 13 weeks so presumably the April 25 tickets will go on sale on January 25

The cheaper Advance tickets today are only available up to Sunday April 12. They seem to be released in 1 week blocks at the weekend so this weekend they will release up to April 19, next weekend up to April 26

 

[pubrunner]

I'm finally sorted for this ride - I'll deffo be starting from Marbury Country Park . . . so apart from @User3094 & @User who else might be starting there ?

 

[nickyboy]

I'm going to Wilmslow Saturday pm and have a couple of hours to kill so I'm planning to ride out to Marbury CP and recce the tea van. If anyone fancies meeting up there for a cuppa* PM me and we'll try to sort timings

*The suggestion of a cuppa of course presupposes that the tea van is actually there, which is the purpose of the recce

 

[pubrunner]

I can promise, fairly confidently, that I won't be doing that.

Ah! . . . You'll be starting at Piccadilly ?

 

[DiddlyDodds]

After telling the wife I am going to Llandudno , she has decided she want to visit also, so I am planning to drive there on the Friday and have a day out with the wife and daughter and get the train back in the evening, and so the car will hopefully still be there when we arrive on Sat eve.
The only down side is having to cycle to Manchester in the morning making it a 120mile ride in total.

 

[nickyboy]

After telling the wife I am going to Llandudno , she has decided she want to visit also, so I am planning to drive there on the Friday and have a day out with the wife and daughter and get the train back in the evening, and so the car will hopefully still be there when we arrive on Sat eve.
The only down side is having to cycle to Manchester in the morning making it a 120mile ride in total.

I'd train it into Mcr on Saturday morning. That's what I'm doing from Glossop, 97 miles is enough for me and, like for you, the ride into Mcr isn't particularly pleasant. You'd get into Victoria but it's only about a mile ride to Piccadilly from there

 

[DiddlyDodds]

I'd train it into Mcr on Saturday morning. That's what I'm doing from Glossop, 97 miles is enough for me and, like for you, the ride into Mcr isn't particularly pleasant. You'd get into Victoria but it's only about a mile ride to Piccadilly from there

Your right about the not to pleasant a ride into Manchester, it is all down hill (Literally).
Will no doubt train it in as its 20mins on the train and 1hr and 15mins to cycle in.

 

[nickyboy]

Marbury Country Park tea van recce completed. Two hours into the ride from Mcr so we'll be ready for a bit of a breather there I think

Edit - they do snacks as well; paninis, muffins and the like if you're an early starter and getting peckish

 

[mike3121]

I would be very interested in joining this ride at the Eureka Cyclist Café which I believe would be the half way point? This ride would be very helpful for my training.

 

[nickyboy]

I would be very interested in joining this ride at the Eureka Cyclist Café which I believe would be the half way point? This ride would be very helpful for my training.

You're now on the "Expressions of Interest" list which is on post #1 of this thread.
Eureka is indeed about half way so there's about 50 flat miles to Llandudno from there. We'll be having a stop off at this place in Rhyl to break it up, have a cuppa etc

http://www.bikehubrhyl.uk/

Which is a bike shop with a café attached. It's also staffed by adults with learning disabilities so I would like to give it a bit of support as we cycle past anyway.

 

[fossyant]

I assume the bike hub has just opened. Wasn't there in October. Oh gonna be too handy when our caravan reopens in march. Family ride to the cafe and bike bits for me.

 

[nickyboy]

I assume the bike hub has just opened. Wasn't there in October. Oh gonna be too handy when our caravan reopens in march. Family ride to the cafe and bike bits for me.

It looks like @400bhp stopped off there when he rode to Llandudno recently
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/manchester-llandudno-25-april-2015.168795/page-13