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

[Pat "5mph"]

Gws @Cubist!
PS: not lurking, @potsy told me about your off on this ride

 

[StuAff]

Well, been fettled. Feeling a bit sleepy now, had a Sunday lunch and ice cream.... Yayy!
They've just taken xrays to confirm the meccano is all in the right place, and Mrs Cube can fetch me at six, all being well.

GWS soon.
Sounds like it was one hell of a day for everyone.....

 

[david k]

Well done everyone, sounds like a tough ride

@Cubist, hope you mend quickly

Hats off to you all, particularly nickyboy for organising

 

[Leaway2]

Thanks @nickyboy, we bailed at Prestatyn. Sorry we didn't make it to the end.

@Cubist I hope your on the mend. GWS.

 

[Cubist]

Back home in the bosom of my family. The hospital were great, concerned that the bang on my hip may have further damaged the hip joint, the surgeon asked for further x Rays but all is well. Very bruised down the right hand side of my chest, but now it's plated I have the use of my arm back. The an aesthetic has worn off nicely and I was discharged at 6pm. The contusion spreads now from the crest of my hip all the way into my groin, and down to the top of my quad. I reckon that's going to take on some spectaclier colours. Tired now, I'm just going to thank everybody for a great ride (up to a point) and for all the kindness you have shown.

 

[Cubist]

Mrs Cube says that as this is fracture number 14,I've probably had my money's worth out of the NHS.

 

[potsy]

Steve Skol cheerfully and skilfully giving me a push up the hills;

That is one of his specialities, he even tried to help me that way when I had a 'race' with dr_pink up the final hill of one of Colin's rides.
Either he wasn't pushing hard enough or I'm a lot heavier than you though as I didn't win

 

[Wobblers]

Well, that was a splendid ride, wasn't it? Even though there were times when I doubted my own sanity - mostly around Flint...

I bumped into someone who turned out to be Pubbrunner the instant I got to the Eureka Cafe. We were soon joined by Crackle, Rickshaw Phil and Mike 3121. Then it was a matter of waiting for the ride to turn up whilst drinking tea and eating cake. Or at least, I did, Pubbers seemed to spend most of his time jumping out his seat and rushing over to the road to see if anyone was in sight. We were worried he'd tire himself out before we left Eureka.

I joined Team Slow But Steady who were the last to leave, expertly guided by Andrew Br and his Garmin. Much has already been said about the ride itself, so I'll pass swiftly over the bits involving Flint, the A548, that caravan park and Rhyl. Some memories are best left alone... Adrian and User13710 rather sensibly decided to catch a train at Flint, with beautifully timed as it started to heave down before we'd even left. By the time we'd reached Rhyl it was obvious we weren't going to make Llandudno any time soon, so some rest and succour was found in a Macdonalds (we're class, we are ). And then a funny thing happened - it stopped raining! The sun even came out as we left Rhyl (obviously it wasn't going anywhere near Rhyl itself) which made the coastal path very pleasant indeed.

There was disappointment when we finally reached Llandudno, when I realised I had to go and get my train NOW. Sod it, I'd come all this way, there was no way I wasn't at least going to have one celebratory pint. Which soon became two. On the face of it, cycling back to Birkenhead may have seemed inadvisable, especially as I like Skol had kindly offered me the spare bed in his hotel room, but I never sleep well in hotel rooms, so thought it better to make the journey now when the roads were quiet rather than in the morning when I'd be even more tired, and have to deal with hordes of impatient motorists angrily squeezing past. It was the right decision: road works at Connah's Quay meant I would have had to take the long way (and probably get lost) which would not have been great. But it did mean going through Rhyl, again - which seems gratuitously long - and with the added insult of an entirely unnecessary nagging head wind to boot. So, home with 118 miles on the computer and after five hours. A bit further and longer than I'd planned!

Thanks to @nickyboy for organising: that my direct road route back was only two miles less than your route out shows just how much planning went into it. @I like Skol, your offer of a bed for the night was much appreciated, hopefully I'll buy you a pint (of Skol) in a future ride! Hope you heal quickly, Cubist.

Nutcase.

I'm surprised it's taken you this long to realise

 

[I like Skol]

Where do I start? Most of the ride highlights(?) have been covered but it really did turn into a ride against adversity. My prediction of a arctic conditions and cruel headwind came true unfortunately so we were all a bit jaded by the time we got to Prestatyn. It was a real shame that @User13710 had a puncture when she did, just after we crossed that tiny foot bridge (just fitted with the panniers). I think you were the one person that really needed not to have a puncture if you were going to enjoy the ride . I would have gladly pushed you up more of the hills but there were so many contenders requiring assistance (not just the girls!). By the way Tiny, I suggest you get the valve checked out in that new innertube. The core came out when we removed the dustcap and we only screwed it back in finger tight so it may depart of its own accord at any time!
I puctured with a small shard of orange or brown glass as we crossed Presthaven caravan park and got horribly cold while fixing this so then bailed to the clubhouse for some food and a coffee before completing the ride. I RODE THE LAST BIT TO THE KINGS HEAD A FEW TIMES WHEN I ARRIVED SO I SHOULD GET THE SAUSAGE!!!
Ride home the next day was better as at some times the wind wasn't against me so I managed to roll along at 18-20mph for some of the journey. Had to call out the home recovery service after passing through Knutsford (so close to home it broke my heart) but I was needed home for mealtime and had just reached the point where I would have to stop and eat if I was going to manage the final 20 miles. I just ran out of time Just short of 80 miles on Sunday and 108 on Saturday so not really a failure but would have glady done the last 20 to be able to say I rode to Llandudno and back.
Some quick pictures, I'll pop back later to add some words...

 

[I like Skol]

And this is amazing! View from the room at 8am the next morning, fully refreshed and ready to ride

Not so sure the bike felt the same though?

 

[Leaway2]

Jon, Leaway2, Paul at Marbury park.

 

[nickyboy]

So, finally home last night about 2130, too knackered to post anything at that time

I can plan for any eventuality except the weather it seems. Thanks very much to everyone who came along and made the ride what it was, you are what made the ride. We seemed beset with problems; TMN's puncture gave her too much work to catch back up. Poor old Cubist's injury was a real nasty one. The weather along the A548 and then Prestatyn-Rhyl was rubbish. After that it was freezing.

However......it was lovely to finally meet so many CCers. Managed to have a chat with most so apologies if I didn't manage to talk to you. I was clucking around like a mother hen at times. Fish and Chips were great, a good laugh in the pub (we were last to get chucked out). Thanks to Ootini for persuading me to go to a dodgy pub for one last beer, that just about saw me off.

Then, would you believe it, Sunday morning was sunny. Chilly but really nice conditions. Skol and I had a monster breakfast in Weatherspoons and parted company. He to home, me to Holyhead.

Having had chance to mull over in my mind following the ride;

I'll probably run this ride again at some time. But I'll have an earlier start and/or shorter ride. I hadn't correctly calculated everyone's comfortable pace. The headwind of course made life much harder but it was too hard a ride

I don't think I will be organising another, different, ride in the future. Maybe someone else could pick up the ball and run with it? There seems to be appetite for these sort of rides. It's just that it took a lot of work to get it planned and I don't know if I can commit that sort of time again.

Cheers, Nick

 

[Ootini]

@nickyboy Gotta give you full credit and respect for organising the ride! Sorry I couldn't actually join you guys for the ride but it seemed daft riding out to get soaked considering I was pretty much already at the finish line! It was great to meet you guys and have a chat, hopefully we can do it again soon.

p.s. I don't remember you needing much persuasion to hit the last pub!

 

[david k]

Maybe the key is to do the same ride as much of the work is done? As you say not your fault the weather, would it have worked out easier with an earlier start in summer months?

 

[I like Skol]

Nick, did you get to Holyhead? I was gutted to cut my ride short so close to home but I had a deadline and just wasn't going to make it

I'm off to pick up @Cubist 's bike now, hope it is still there where we locked it up although I can't see anyone wanting to steal such a rusty old clunker. Poor Cube can barely remember anything about the day before the accident. Apparently he thought he thought he had a wallet stuffed full of cash and a shiny red road bike

I felt guilty having to phone back to the ambulance service to tell them we were no longer where we had originally reported and were now in the pub. That Mushroom Strog I had was superb and the 2 pints to wash it down was just what the doctor ordered. Unfortunately for Cube, the medical advice for him had been nil by mouth! It really was a lovely pub