Thursday Night Ride to the Coast - 17th April to Felpham

[Captain Defect]

Nice to have met many off you on this ride. Thanks to all those who gave me very helpful advice. Thanks to simon for organising. Im home now safe and well although a little tender and sore and aching abit. Hope to met you all again on the next ride. Cheers. Paul

 

[Dogtrousers]

The fantastic four topped the mileage up to a century by riding toHorsham at a brisk but not punishing pace. In my addled sllep deprived state I've buggered up the groupsave by leaving the party early at a station that doesn't have any trains for me. Hope you don't meet a pedantic inspector.

 

[User10571]

That was fun.
Pretty much text book stuff.
Full moon (nearasdammit). Check.
Dry forecast. Check
Temperatures above those forecast. Check
Tailwind. Check
Dead sexy descents on traffic free roads. Check
The Lobster Pot's menu having scored 11 on the salivation-o-meter. Check
The wonderful company I had all night. Check
I appear to have acquired another bike on my return to Londres today (that's another story)
Until the next time, thanks all.
Especially the organiser.

Oh! And much respect to Mini Hatler, Rob.
It'd be nice to think that it's a night he'll remember - in a good way
As an aside... was he up for more?

JB

 

[srw]

That was fun! Don't forget to watch out for the cows

Very amoosing.

 

[kimble]

I failed to say that it was fantastic to be back on the road with the Fridays again.

This, in spades.

 

[kimble]

That was fun! Don't forget to watch out for the cows

Dammit, that's almost worth signing up for Strava for, given how effective the sight of a recumbent at ramming speed was at shifting the herd...

 

[kimble]

What's the bird that makes a noise uncannily like a wet rubbing disc brake? We've got one in our back garden...

 

[kimble]

Actually, while we're on the subject of birds, never before on a ride have I had so many deliberately land just in front of my bike and then fly off again at the last second. They seemed to be trying to avoid the beam of the light, and kept finding the patch directly below it.

 

[theFire]

And to think that some people are critical of Strava because it encourages reckless behaviour.

I have to admit. It was me that created that segment. After going that way on a non-FNRttC ride and coming across the grass bank bit full of cows.... which refused to mooooove!

 

[ianmac62]

Brilliant night out! Meeting so many old friends, making so many new ones. Kippers for breakfast at The Lobster Pot were an added bonus, together with all the things User10571 listed. Happily home now having done 87 miles door-to-door. Many many thanks to DZ, to the TECs who repaired my puncture with such efficiency, and to Claud (and Charlie) who led me astray to a public house.

 

[mmmmartin]

It may well be some time before the achievement of Mini @hatler sinks in. We mere mortals can only gasp at his riding, at such a tender age, such a distance at night. I'll bet a whole point of beer that no one at his school has ever done such a thing. In years to come he will no doubt look back on such escapades and be astonished. Chapeau.
In other news, it was a great night with super weather and I always enjoy the bollards and dark variation to avoid the punch-up capital of London - Tooting.
Great to see so many old friends again. Alas I shall miss the next ride as I'll be on Le Recce.
Thanks, as always to Dellzeqq.

 

[Mark Grant]

A great ride , and as has been said a wonderful dawn.
A fab breakfast and then the train back to the Smoke. There was just @topcat1 and I for our journey but he had a Railcard so a saving was had.
The train was packed by Gatwick, from Victoria I took a long and winding road home in order to get a ton. So 101 miles for me.
Thanks all.

 

[rb58]

That was a cracker. I especially liked the bit where three of us became separated from the main peloton just before Newdigate when we took a wrong turn. Once we'd realised we'd gone the wrong way, we set off on a high speed chase down to re-join the ride. A 30 minute dash that warmed us up nicely just before we arrived at The Cabin. We should make that a 'feature' of all future rides.

There wasn't too much for us to do at the back. A handful of punctures - probably more than could have been expected on a dry night; a couple of errant chains; some stubborn gears; a couple of occasions when we pondered whether it was a puncture or not when we probably should have just got right on and changed the tube; and a piece fell off @Michael Adu 's bike - a piece that probably shouldn't have been there in the first place. One mystery remains though - does @Trickedem 's pump actually work or not?

The smells, the sounds, the views, the ambiance, the sunrise. And The People. Lovely.

Big thanks to DZ and our 'all-up' gal @Agent Hilda for keeping things moving along apace. Impeccable.

Felpham is probably the longest SMRbtH, so I sit here typing this with 158 miles in my very tired legs and the knowledge that I shall sleep very well, and very long tonight. This is good.

See you all on the road to Brighton.

 

[hatler]

Mini-miss hatler has just assured me that she wants to emulate mini's doings in two years time. Great news.

Plus, she also tells me that she is desperate to join the next FNRttC to Brighton.

 

[hatler]

It may well be some time before the achievement of Mini @hatler sinks in. We mere mortals can only gasp at his riding, at such a tender age, such a distance at night. I'll bet a whole point of beer that no one at his school has ever done such a thing. In years to come he will no doubt look back on such escapades and be astonished. Chapeau.
In other news, it was a great night with super weather and I always enjoy the bollards and dark variation to avoid the punch-up capital of London - Tooting.
Great to see so many old friends again. Alas I shall miss the next ride as I'll be on Le Recce.
Thanks, as always to Dellzeqq.

Seeing this has really inspired mini-miss h.

I think mini-h is pretty unflustered by last night. He woke up. He cycled. He went as far as he could, and then stopped.

For me, the remarkable thing is that he isn't as grumpy as I thought he was going to be.

And yes, I think it safe to assume that no-one at his school has done anything like this.