England : London A November Night Ride, anyone? CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER FORECAST

[StuAff]

Fancy a night ride in November? So do I, so I'm offering to run a ride. I must emphasise this will not be an official FNRttC, and it'll be longer and with more climbing than any of the regular Fridays rides. However, it will be run firmly in the same spirit. If you think you're up to it, you're welcome to join me.

My suggestion: Pompey, night of November 3. We didn't get the planned Hayling Island ride, the Flagship of Maritime England is handier for trains back north/west/east in any case, and I'll have ridden most of the route on Hummers' run in a week and a bit. I have the week off so any last minute checks will not be a problem.

Usual place, time either midnight (in which case the halfway stop would be the 24 hr Tesco in Guildford) or 11pm (which opens up the possibility of making Guildford in time for the Subway that closes at 3am). Route will largely be the canonical one H & I have used multiple times, though Richmond Park is out of the question as the deer cull is on next month. So, South Bank-Westminster Bridge-Knightsbridge-Putney Bridge-Richmond-Kingston-Esher-Guildford-Petersfield (possible second stop at the Golden Arches). Then, instead of the nasty climb of Kiln Lane, which your legs will not enjoy one little bit with all the earlier ascending in them, the thing is a *******, a detour adding about four miles west towards East Meon and a gentle grind or two before the glorious view from Portsdown Hill. Then down to Southsea seafront before breakfast, I have the Spinnaker Cafe on Broad Street in mind (food is up there with the Lobster Pot, Cabin Dairy etc). Mileage will be about 85 or so, and lumpier than a lumpy thing. No Beacons or Devil's Dykes, but lots and lots and lots of ups and downs. Something like 4500-5000ft of climbing in total.

Run will obviously be weather dependent. Any risk of ice, high winds, torrential rain etc will all mean cancellation. Have checked the National Rail site, no problems with trains back north and east.

Any takers?

Edit: Rough route outline here.

 

[StuAff]

I'm free that night. At the moment at least.

The only thing that concerns me would be if it is a more hardcore affair, I won't be able to lazily trundle along inside my comfort zone. And people might have to wait for me occasionally.

What are the (unbooked) trains like on a Saturday Morning back towards London? I'd probably want to ride at least 15 miles back up the line to get my 100 in before getting the train.

Absolutely, positively, definitely not hardcore. Lazy trundling welcome. Zero issues getting bikes on trains back to the smoke. No bother on SWR, if you go via Southern you'll have nabbed the bike space before the trolley case zombies join at Gatwick. For the ton, Havant station is a flat few miles away.

 

[rb58]

Sorry Stu, that's the weekend of the veteran car run.

 

[StuAff]

Sorry Stu, that's the weekend of the veteran car run.

Indeed. Might do both, might do neither, weather depending....

 

[sagefly]

Stu, cant do the 3rd will be away backpacking but sounds a good route to be commended to the "committee" for possible inclusion in next years running list

 

[StuAff]

It was rejected in the past as just too challenging for the Fridays' inclusive ethos. I hope that has/will not change.

That's the last thing I'd want to do. No doubt about it, this is a hard one, pushing some people's limits, but Hayling was only abandoned because Titus couldn't fit it in (and no, that ride definitely wouldn't be easier). There is lots of climbing but absolutely nothing that's not a short walk up, rolling rather than two or three biggies. I'll stick with the second stop as per Hummers' ride (even hardened audaxers need breaks....!!!).

 

[StuAff]

For a rough idea, here's the ride data from Hummers' ride last year (couldn't make Westminster for 11 so left the train at Clapham and joined the ride at Richmond Park). Long way, lumpy, but not that bad (Friday's ride to Brighton was around 3,000ft climbing in considerably shorter distance).

 

[User482]

Perhaps that just reflects the direction the Fridays is moving in as a club these days.

There's always been the occasional further/ faster ride...

 

[User482]

Yes, the ones to Southwold. They were challenging in that they were long and required a slightly brisker pace, but relentlessly 'lumpy' they were not.

I was on the Emsworth ride in 2012.

Anyway, some may dislike further & faster just as much as others dislike hillier.

 

[sagefly]

Perhaps that just reflects the direction the Fridays is moving in as a club these days.

Hi Jenny, Missed you on the night rides this year.

I don't agree with you that the longer or more challenging rides is a direction the club is moving in, the club still has the same ethos as when I started in 2011, no one gets left behind and we ride at the pace of the least fast rider. I'm not involved the inner workings of the Fridays but I can't see that will change anytime soon.

.....and anyway they cant really move the regular destinations any further away from London!

 

[Flying Dodo]

It was rejected in the past as just too challenging for the Fridays' inclusive ethos. I hope that has/will not change.

This is not a Fridays ride and not something we'd run.

 

[Flying Dodo]

My Kent ride wasn't done in the context of "plugging a gap in the Friday Night Ride calendar".

So I just wanted to make it clear, this isn't anything to do with the FNRttC.

 

[User482]

Of course, I have not said otherwise. I just express an opinion that perhaps rides like this one should not have the Fridays link. The same point that dogtrousers has also made.

You also suggested that the Fridays is moving away from its original ethos. I think that's not true, because there have always been a few exceptions to the rule, and a glance at my average speeds for this year tells me that they are the same pace as my first rides back in 2010.

Anyway, apparently there were 18 new riders on the Brighton ride, all of whom seemed to be enjoying themselves.

 

[User482]

People do enjoy themselves, I haven't said otherwise. I do think the new rides are more challenging. You are a much stronger rider than me, so perhaps you don't notice it so much.

I think it's a familiarity thing. Brighton is quite a hilly ride, for example, and that's the original FNRttC.

There's nothing in the total climbing, distance or speed that supports the idea that the newer rides are more challenging than the classic rides. It's actually very useful, when assessing new routes, to have Garmin data from a longstanding suite of rides deemed to be acceptable.

 

[Flying Dodo]

People do enjoy themselves, I haven't said otherwise. I do think the new rides are more challenging. You are a much stronger rider than me, so perhaps you don't notice it so much.

It's a valid thing to raise. However Shoreham has about 100 ft less overall climbing than a Ditchling Brighton route, and Bristol to Barry was less than Cardiff to Swansea. York to Hull is the flattest of course. I can't see we'll get anything else as flat as that, but will see what turns up for 2018.