England : Hampshire New Date! Night Ride Around The Coast 2015 (August 21)

[CharlieB]

Ryde Tescos - who buys cat food, and only cat food, at 2am?

…if you knew my cats, you'd understand perfectly …

 

[StuAff]

First off: If you saw this ride, ummed and aahed, decided two hours (tops) train ride from London and a forty minute ferry ride to get to the start was too much- well, your loss. You don't get views like those in Surrey, Sussex, or anywhere else. And if the lack of a halfway stop put you off, well...(a) Cunning Plan for next year is in its embryonic stages- our new Fridays head honcho @mmmmartin has given his qualified approval but quite rightly wants to give it some thought, which I will wait for before moving forward (no rush, he's been a bit busy recently...). In the event it doesn't pan out, it would still be worth looking for other options , as it would have been this year.... if (b) if enough people had expressed an interest early on, I'd have gone looking for somewhere. No caf or village hall would open up for eight or nine people. But thirty or forty? Yup, I'd stand a chance. So, if you were tempted to join up, perhaps next year you could actually join up? I'd like a cup of tea and some cake somewhere nice and warm at four in the morning too you know....

Secondly, and you'll forgive bias here I hope, that was an absolute peach. I didn't make a bad fist of it last year, but apart from the warmer weather, a few subtle route tweaks worked out very nicely. Further improvement will be sought for next year- even if it's a handful of riders as per versions one and two, I will run this again. Seriously, though the Island is as not flat an area as you will find in southern England, there's nothing too scary, and plenty of nice speedy descents for lots of 'weeeee' moments to compensate for the grinding climbs. Plus clear night skies, several miles between cars in places, wildlife, and the Military Road. Surface somewhat poor in places, but as my fellow riders have already made clear I think, as good a stretch of road for quickly rolling along as on any FNRttC. Think of the Graveney Marshes or the stretch into Faygate. And neither of those have the fantastic sea views. As for the speed- the 7.1 mile Strava segment between Chale and Brook was knocked out at an average of 18 mph....
Further thoughts to follow.

 

[jiberjaber]

Sounds like an ace ride Stu, will certainly try and arrange for attendance next year

 

[HertzvanRental]

If there is room for "old farts", I could be interested!!

 

[Eddie_C]

Thanks Stu for an excellent night's riding, and to all for your company.
The Isle of Wight's a treat.

Mind you, I can't imagine doing the Randonée, as I assume they don't close the roads(?), and that so, the traffic, particularly along the Military Road, would be a bit scary?

Not in my experience. I've done the Randonnee for the past few years and the only time I recall traffic problems was once on the climb out of Bembridge. The Military Road is quiet enough on a Bank Holiday Sunday that there's not an issue.

 

[StuAff]

If there is room for "old farts", I could be interested!!

Well, that's pretty much the demographic

 

[StuAff]

And now, at long last, the ride leader's ride report....

As (un)usual for a night ride, I did this after work, but catching a train wasn't required. The usual powered ride home, then time enough to get ready in no rush at all before making my way down to the Gunwharf terminal (four miles in a mere 15 minutes!) where everyone bar Eddie was waiting. @ianmac62 was absent though- possibly train issues? Rebecca's knee problems were already making themselves known, but she and Adam had made contingencies and would make a decision at Tesco. Ferry problems of the recce night were thankfully absent. Service as quiet as usual (i.e. not!) and as for 'Frozen'- if only they'd let the DVD go......into the sea.

Eddie was waiting at Fishbourne, and we let The Traffic get on its way before I did the safety talk. I made a point of saying the halfway stop was the car park at Blackgang, just over the brow of the hill...might have to say 'repeat after me' for that next year...

And then we were off. The climb out of the terminal and the climb onto Firestone Copse Road were but the first of many. Impromptu retail stop where Eddie got some milk (local dairy has a little stall, payment by honesty box), before we made our way onto Tesco. Rebecca decided to bail there- she was going to spend the rest of the night in McDonalds but was driven out by loud music & ended up going to their hotel in Ryde. After about forty minutes, our bemusement at the retail habits of caulkheads, and saying hello to the constabulary, we moved on. Seaview lived up to its name. The scoot to Bembridge saw an attempt to race us by a young lady on a BMX (that wasn't going to end well for her, was it? ) Sandown and Shanklin were quiet, more lovely sea views, before we joined the Sunshine Trail. Also fab in the moonlight, and a definite upgrade on the Up Grade of Cowleaze Hill. Through Ventnor, Whitwell (as Undercliffe Drive is still somewhat literally named), and then the climb up to Blackgang. And what did I say- halfway at the car park, just over the brow of the hill. I don't know, seemed to go in one ear out of the other, tsk tsk. I was lagging a bit at this point (shades of last year....) and they all went past the car park. Not entirely sure why they'd think it would be somewhere else Phone call to Adam. I assumed they would make their way back up, but the cats did not wish to be herded back up to the nice quiet location with benches and a magnificent view. So after some minutes, I made my way down to them, at the rather less salubrious roundabout down the hill. Following that, the Military Road- do I really need to say how good that was again, no, but it was- and the rather spectacular view from Compton Beach. Grindy climb up to Freshwater Bay, speedy descent down to the town. Epically misty (brought to mind certain horror movie cliches), but that cleared at the Needles to give another spectacular view. Effort up the mini Alpe d'Huez well rewarded. More mist through Yarmouth, before we reached Cowes and the now preposterously expensive chain ferry. Forty pence! For a return! (no single option). After bidding farewell to Eddie and Paul, onwards again, up a nasty little kick I'd forgotten about (the day recce was a few weeks ago...). Traffic levels predictably somewhat higher on the last stretch into Ryde, but no problem for our little group, though Charlie did the walk of no shame whatsoever up one climb.

And then after seventy miles it really was all downhill from there to Wetherspoons where Rebecca joined us. Locals (some already inebriated) enthused and ginormous breakfasts despatched, the ferry contingent made its way down to the pier and the cat back to the mainland, before trains home. Well, apart from me, I had to ride

Thanks everyone. As I stated in the previous post, there will be a 2016 edition, in some form or other. Even if the Cunning Plan doesn't come off, it'll be a cracker. If it does...it'll be a match for the very best FNRttCs. Yes, really.....