FNRttC Christmas Ride - Olaf's German Christmas Saturday 16th December 2017

[User10571]

Little point in me heading for 'Spoons, then....
I'll opt for staying in the warm.
Possibly under a duvet.

 

[robjh]

Thanks to Olaf for making the effort with the ride, even though some of the elements were against us. We had a nice amble along the South Bank and over Tower Bridge, but hit the black ice out east somewhere near Shadwell.
I got to see the lights at last, in Regent Street on a circuitous 4am ride back to Liverpool Street, where I blagged the bike onto an amazingly busy 05.40 Stansted Express train, and now have just 20 more miles to ride home afterwards. Happy days ( and nights)!

 

[mmmmartin]

Obviously the right decision. I'm surprised there was ice as the forecast was temperatures above freezing and London always warmer than the surrounding region.
Thank heavens for Olaf and his planning and forethought. @AKA Bob and I did the recce, but he had to work and I was due to be there but in the Saturday afternoon I went down with the same lurgy my family have had for several days. GPX tracks were emailed and phone conversations had. None of us thought there'd be ice.

 

[Fab Foodie]

What a shame!
Beaten by a beautiful cold clear night. Sounds like excellent decision making @redfalo .
Is this the first ride postponed (I can’t imagine a good route will go to waste)?

 

[StuAff]

Century mission accomplished. Left St Pancras at about 4.45, headed to Victoria first but it appeared closed. Waterloo train home not until 7.54, which put it at Guildford 8.30 ish. Ride to Guildford it was then....hard work but I wanted the ton out of the way, and got it done, though I needed to go back and forth around the town centre a few times for the last couple of miles. Now in Wetherspoons awaiting many calories. I need them!

 

[ianmac62]

Sorry to have missed all the shananigans and, especially, the company of the Frankfurt section! I had sort of given my apologies via @mmmmartin - I'm not over a bad case of pneumonia yet - although, last week at the chest clinic, my consultant recommended I start cycling again. Beats hibernation, he said, and fitness fights pneumonia better than antibiotics do.

In other news, of interest to @redfalo, it was one of those very rare Saturday afternoons when all three of my teams won. Cobblers beat Walsall 2-1 (to jump out of the relegation zone), Sunderland beat Fulham 1-0 (to jump out of their relegation zone) and Aberdeen beat Hibs 4-1 (to leapfrog Rangers into second place). But I did go to Sixfields on the bus rather than the bike as, away from the main roads, it's very icy.

Anyway, may I wish you all a Merry Christmas and look forward to all the pleasures of 2018's Night Rides and the cider and calvados that may accompany the Lisieux adventure!

 

[mmmmartin]

the cider and calvados that may accompany the Lisieux adventure!

 

[Tim Hall]

More thanks from me and absolutely the right call to knock the ride on the head. There were some well decorated bikes on the ride, all out shone by the Santa dog special. It was also a night for ignoring warnings - we hollered at a bloke on Cable Street, to warn him of the ice, who waved back then went down with a bang. Then at the lights on Euston Road a man was walking along, engrossedin his phone. I tried and tried again to warn him, but he still managed to step in a pile of vomit. Saturday night London I guess. Two mechanicals; a protracted puncture shortly after the off and an ice induced bent mech. I made my 0300 train from Victoria with minute or two to spare, getting home to find I'd been locked out, but thankfully I could get in the back door.

There maybe some pictures later.

 

[mmmmartin]

Email sent only to those on the ride, offering mudflaps with free postage because you were told you could buy one from me at the start. But lurgy stopped me taking part so I wasn't there.

 

[User10571]

I confess to being a tad crestfallen as a result of not hooking up for breakfast.
I was looking forward to seeing a few of you before the end of the year.

 

[kimble]

Gosh, looks like I made the right decision.

 

[mmmmartin]

I was looking forward to seeing a few of you before the end of the year.

Indeed, I was hoping @Trickedem would fix the usual p!ss-up at the Butchers' Hook where pies can be eaten in memory of Vernon.

 

[StuAff]

Thanks and well done to @redfalo for organising what would have been a great ride apart from the ice! I think the decision to call a halt was the right one, having seen that poor guy come crashing down.

GWS @ianmac62, sounds nasty.

Oh, and Victoria wasn't all closed @StuAff. Some platforms were, and one entrance had a locked gate, but the entrance further along was open. There were a couple of kiosks open for coffee etc, but sadly Wetherspoons was not .

Ah, thanks. I was going to keep you company, the entrance opposite the theatre was locked & couldn't see any signs of life though. Probably got me to Guildford quicker though....

 

[wanda2010]

@mmmmartin - how can get hold of a mudflap or two?

Sorry to read about the ride. @redfalo - any chance you could post the route? I'm off work from Friday, so could be tempted to ride a bit of it late Friday night.

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to all and looking forward to the 2018 rides

 

[ianrauk]

Sounds like you made the right call @redfalo
It was bitterly cold, icy and frosty out there early this morning on my own bike ride.