CANCELLED: Late Late delayed Christmas Night Ride to Bognor 29/01/10

[Aperitif]

Your go, rich...

 

[rich p]

I was going to get the train to Victoria but maybe Paddington would be better

 

[clivedb]

That's a bit rich.

 

[Aperitif]

One thing's for sure, we'll not be losing our bearings...even if there's a storm bruin.

 

[rich p]

Hopefully the new chef at the cafe, Ray Mears, will be able to cook up something on his Bear Grylls

 

[Aperitif]

Let's not forget the statuesque silver bear, 'Lusconi' on this day...(that's enough bears - Ed)



OK - about the cadence we should ride at...and how many watts optimium output? Let's take this ride seriously you lot!

 

[TimO]

It's not forecasting too bad at the moment, around 0 to -1°C at midnight, slowly dropping to maybe -3°C near dawn. Layering is always the trick, lots of layers trapping air between them. If you use anything totally airtight (like plastic bags inside shoes), it'll work to make things windproof, but you'll sweat like a very sweaty thing making any clothing inside the bags damp, which will then be very uncomfortable if we stop for any length of time to solve mechanicals or at Pease Pottage etc

I'll probably wear a Helly Hansen base layer, a Ground Effect Baked Alaska top, and old Karrimor thin fleece, and my more traditional yellow Decathlon yellow fleece on top of that. I can take some of those layers off if we are running fast and hot, and especially at 3am-ses, when I'll doff a lot of it, otherwise I'll overheat indoors.

Likewise with shoes and socks, a thin pair of liner socks, a slightly thicker pair of warm socks, my new Specialized Defroster shoes, and probably some overshoes on top of that.

On the hands, a pair of silk liner gloves, then some fleece gloves, and a pair of water and wind proof outer gloves on top. Luckily with the singlespeed, delicate control isn't necessary, so I don't have to be able to move my fingers much!

Even with the bottoms and legs, which I don't tend to get problems with, I'll go for layering with shorts, bib tights, and baggy three-quarters.

Too much is probably better than not enough, you can always take it off.

 

[Aperitif]

It's not forecasting too bad at the moment, around 0 to -1°C at midnight, slowly dropping to maybe -3°C near dawn. Layering is always the trick, lots of layers trapping air between them. If you use anything totally airtight (like plastic bags inside shoes), it'll work to make things windproof, but you'll sweat like a very sweaty thing making any clothing inside the bags damp, which will then be very uncomfortable if we stop for any length of time to solve mechanicals or at Pease Pottage etc

I'll probably wear a Helly Hansen base layer, a Ground Effect Baked Alaska top, and old Karrimor thin fleece, and my more traditional yellow Decathlon yellow fleece on top of that. I can take some of those layers off if we are running fast and hot, and especially at 3am-ses, when I'll doff a lot of it, otherwise I'll overheat indoors.

Likewise with shoes and socks, a thin pair of liner socks, a slightly thicker pair of warm socks, my new Specialized Defroster shoes, and probably some overshoes on top of that.

On the hands, a pair of silk liner gloves, then some fleece gloves, and a pair of water and wind proof outer gloves on top. Luckily with the singlespeed, delicate control isn't necessary, so I don't have to be able to move my fingers much!

Even with the bottoms and legs, which I don't tend to get problems with, I'll go for layering with shorts, bib tights, and baggy three-quarters.

Too much is probably better than not enough, you can always take it off.

That's what I call 'pudding on layers' Tim!

 

[TimO]

This is the current temperature forecast for Saturday morning, just before dawn (from XCWeather):

The light blue is a range centred on 0°C, and the slightly darker blue is centred on -3°C.

Looking at that, the colder temperatures are only just likely to reach us, and obviously it'll get warmer the closer to the coast we get.

 

[MacB]

Any advice on specific winter gloves? I have had Gore (Goretex) winter gloves, which are not warm. And on Saturday morning with the temp well above freezing I was riding with silk inners and some Sealskin waterproof winter gloves but my hands got quite cold. By plastic gloves presumably you mean the sort people use for cycle repairs? Perhaps my circulation is rubbish...

Clive, mine are rubbish, the key seems to be the totally windproof layer of the plastic glove, yes I mean the cheapo surgical/repairs type. I may get some new outer gloves before Friday. As Tim points out the plastic layer does lead to sweatiness but I'd rather that than fingers and toes I can't feel. I'll probably pack some spare socks just in case.

As for the rest of you, stop wasting all your material pre-ride, I was so looking forward to being cheered by puns all the way to the coast

 

[Aperitif]

There'll be no time for that Al - we'll all be stuffing your birthday cake and guzzling the highland lemonade, celebrating your birthday. If you look at Tim's weather map it looks cold in the middle and warm at the end...sort of Clive finger in reverse.

 

[Tynan]

yikes, too cold for my liking, my hands and especially feet arent good in the cold

and I'm on the razz Thu

you lot enjoy yourselves, natch

 

[Bollo]

This might be in bad taste for all the hardcore m*****teers, but just how icy does it have to be before good sense prevails? Dry and cold is fine, but this evening's weather hinted at sleet and I'm not exactly Torvill and Dean on the vanity bike.

Subject to having the right stuff, what time train MacB?

 

[MacB]

This might be in bad taste for all the hardcore m*****teers, but just how icy does it have to be before good sense prevails? Dry and cold is fine, but this evening's weather hinted at sleet and I'm not exactly Torvill and Dean on the vanity bike.

Subject to having the right stuff, what time train MacB?

I'll aim for the usual 2158 or 2216 from Farnborough to Waterloo, but change at CJ for Victoria. I don't think it'll ne a night for arriving too early and mooching around I think the flask may need to be Drambuie.

Sheet ice conditions and it'll be a non-starter, too dangerous, but anything else should be ok. I'll wear full waterproofs and carry a dry change.

 

[mike e]

Are you lot watching the weather forecast this week?

Snow, ice and very cold, think I might join you...

Bah, humbug. No cheapo train tickets to be had...