Chasing the Sun ride - late June 2014?

[Flying Dodo]

There's a thread on Facebook which referred to this mad cap idea, about riding from an eastern point, heading west until the sun sets on the longest day.

As a) I'm on holiday then, b) quite a few others will be riding in France, how about doing something similar a week later? After all, there's only 3 minutes less official daylight. Although in any event I wouldn't start from the dump that is the Isle of Sheppey (even if there's no fog risk), and it's also been suggested to have a detour around Stonehenge.

Anyone else interested?

 

[rb58]

I'm interested Adam.

 

[AKA Bob]

Sounds like a fun idea.

 

[AKA Bob]

Here is the link for the event taking place the week before.

http://www.chasethesun.org/

 

[ianrauk]

yup....

 

[redjedi]

I'll be doing it on the day with a few others. I'll probably still be crawling home when you do it though.
Here is the version I quickly adjusted to take in Stonehenge. It will need tidying up but I can't seem to export it.
http://connect.garmin.com/course/5570609

 

[Flying Dodo]

I'll be doing it on the day with a few others. I'll probably still be crawling home when you do it though.
Here is the version I quickly adjusted to take in Stonehenge. It will need tidying up but I can't seem to export it.
http://connect.garmin.com/course/5570609

Good for you! I had a brief look at the original route and noted that there were a number of roads I wouldn't want to touch with a bargepole, such as the A30 from Bagshot to Blackwater, as I disliked riding on that 30 years and having driven it more recently, it's certainly not got safer!

Also, as noted above, I wouldn't start from Sheppey, and Weston-super-Mare seems a much better ending point (a pier, and a decent train service seem to make sense). I'll look at a route in due course.

 

[StuAff]

Interested, definitely. Great potential to have a safer and more interesting route here though. Apart from Stonehenge, we could do Avebury as well (for example- haven't seen the stones but there's a nice village shop ).

 

[martint235]

I may do both. Have a couple of other rides to fit in around that time.

 

[Flying Dodo]

Interested, definitely. Great potential to have a safer and more interesting route here though. Apart from Stonehenge, we could do Avebury as well (for example- haven't seen the stones but there's a nice village shop ).

Avebury and Stonehenge together could be a problem, as you'd be adding on an extra 25 miles heading due north/south. Avebury's more accessible. I have noticed that Margate to Weston-super-Mare is around 235 miles.........but that might be a bit hard core.

How about Southend to Weston-super-Mare? A pier to pier ride. About 185 miles, and I'll through in a spin around the stones at Avebury. The last train to Southend arrives there about 2 am. If we set off as it gets light, we'd be out past Heathrow before 8, so London traffic wouldn't be a problem (especially not on a Saturday).

 

[martint235]

I make it that we've got around 17 hours to cover close to 200 miles, it's going to be fun!!!

Plus @ianrauk will finally get his 200 .

 

[Andrew Br]

I shall be watching this thread with interest.
Would it be possible to count it as a 300km DIY audax do you think ?

.

 

[martint235]

I shall be watching this thread with interest.
Would it be possible to count it as a 300km DIY audax do you think ?

.

ooh it's a close one. If you get to 188 miles though, I don't see why not

 

[User10571]

Without wishing this to come across as a thread derail..... how about, the following night, a short night, doing the opposite?
Start at sunset, on the coast, facing west. Ride east into the night. Catch the dawn on an east facing coast.
Huntstanton to Lowestoft is what I have in mind. Clockwise round the Norfolk coast, with the shoreline never too far away.

 

[Flying Dodo]

Without wishing this to come across as a thread derail..... how about, the following night, a short night, doing the opposite?
Start at sunset, on the coast, facing west. Ride east into the night. Catch the dawn on an east facing coast.
Huntstanton to Lowestoft is what I have in mind. Clockwise round the Norfolk coast, with the shoreline never too far away.

Mmm - interesting. Huntstanton to Lowestoft is 86 miles. Trains to Kings Lynn are easy enough which is another 16 miles on top. And the route has comedy potential, as you go through quaint places like Stiffkey, Horsey and you could go down Hungry Hill. It would be a nice, easy ride.

The downside is that there's nowhere for a halfway stop, as there's only the 24 hours open Asda in Great Yarmouth, which is nearly at the end. There might be a 24 hour petrol station in Sheringham though. I'm away anyway for the shortest night. We could look at it for another time, so it's the "Almost shortest night ride".