FNRttC FNRttC Cambridge to Kings Lynn August 30th

[kimble]

I've finally registered.

As have I. Now reasonably confident that my Achilles will go the distance, as long as I use the fast bike. (It's something about the way I pedal on the tourer that seems to set it off. I blame the difference in BB height.)

Girding my loins for an extravaganza of Crosscountry's most hellish trains...

 

[AlexB]

Just signed up, my first for a long time. Looking forward to it.
My colleague Lauren (who rode on the Sunday ride to Brooklands) wants to sign up - I'm assuming this is OK?

 

[Nick Saddlesore]

I'm assuming this is OK?

Of course, all welcome.

 

[Nick Saddlesore]

We've now got 50 riders signed up. Entries will close on Thursday, so for anyone still tempted, please submit the form asap so that I can give numbers to the halfway stop, the ferry and the pub.

 

[LucretiaMyReflection]

The brambles in the double cattle grid loop section were cut back today sometime between my morning and evening commute. Very tidy it looks too. @robjh have you done a spot of community gardening?

I bunged a few of the bigger rocks by the pumping station off the path on my way home.
Between the pumping station and cattle grid up to the tarmac path is overgrown on the left, if we keep on the right it'll be fine.

The railway bridge underpass is pleasingly debris free despite hire van drivers' best efforts.

 

[mmmmartin]

Hey, other cycling clubs: THIS is how you prepare for a ride..............

The brambles in the double cattle grid loop section were cut back today sometime between my morning and evening commute. Very tidy it looks too. @robjh have you done a spot of community gardening?

I bunged a few of the bigger rocks by the pumping station off the path on my way home.
Between the pumping station and cattle grid up to the tarmac path is overgrown on the left, if we keep on the right it'll be fine.

The railway bridge underpass is pleasingly debris free despite hire van drivers' best efforts.

 

[mjr]

Hey, other cycling clubs: THIS is how you prepare for a ride..............

You ain't seen nuffink yet. As well as club members with clippers, Norfolk's council cutting crew have been out with the mini-digger on cycleways and small roads this summer! That said, the results are a bit... well... random. Some stretches have been cleared to reveal the original built width of tarmac, while 100m away they have left the nettles and central grass untouched. It craze me!

And on the down side - Norfolk's contractors chip-bombed some small roads again and then not swept half of the loose stuff up. If you see any roads that look suspiciously light grey and rough, please be careful, but I think you're not going over any of this year's worst so far.

 

[geologycycle]

Hi, first time Friday rider here. I am looking to get a more powerful light for my bike in order to see the road ahead in the dark, but I don't want to spend too much. I was wondering if you had any recommendations for lights that would be suitable?

Thanks in advance!

 

[AlexB]

Question from my friend at work - what's a good light for a FNRttC without going mad or spending a fortune?

 

[Nick Saddlesore]

You don't need to go mad on brightness, but the most important factor is runtime on steady. Most FNRttC include about 5 hrs of darkness (it's light at 6, and there's an hour at the halfway stop), plus time to ride to the start. Most commuter lights can't do this.
Many go with dynamo lighting, but that's not cheap in the short term
The best battery lights are from the Exposure Strada range. Expensive, but check sales and eBay.
No personal experience, but this from Halfords looks good for £50 (run it at half volume to last all night). Seems to get good reviews if you search the web. Also £40 version available.

 

[kimble]

Question from my friend at work - what's a good light for a FNRttC without going mad or spending a fortune?

One that doesn't flash or put too much light into the eyes of fellow road users.

If it's battery powered, make sure you have enough charge to last all night (remember you'll be hanging around more than you would if you rode the same distance on your own, and that lower temperatures can reduce battery life). USB-chargeability is great for commuting, but something that lets you swap batteries may have the edge for overnight rides. Consider the merits of a basic be-seen light with a long runtime in combination with a more powerful light for the really dark bits. Head-torches are useful for rummaging in bags and dealing with mechanical issues.

Dynamo lights Just Work, but hub dynamos can be expensive to retrofit (though Decathlon have some good deals on low-end dynamo wheels), and bottle dynamos are fiddly bastards.

 

[robjh]

The brambles in the double cattle grid loop section were cut back today sometime between my morning and evening commute. Very tidy it looks too. @robjh have you done a spot of community gardening?

No, not me - I've been spinning my wheels up to Scotland this last week, and am now going to sleep until Friday night.

 

[mjr]

Lidl just put their good German spec light pack on a special on Sunday for £13 I think. Check reviews for whether it can run with a battery pack plugged in and the runtime on low or medium (maybe buy two for less than the shoot half-odds sell).

Edit: reviews I've found suggest over 10h on low, 7h on medium and there are mixed reports about whether it works while charging - it may depend if you start recharging it as soon as the low-battery warning light appears (button power symbol goes from green to red on my earlier version).

 

[johnCM]

I'm so tempted by this ride. Never done a FNRTTC before but always read the write ups and enjoy hugely from my armchair. My biggest problem is that's my wife's birthday so may risk divorce if I sign up. Hmmm decisions.

Quick question - I live just off the Lodes Way - assuming that's part of the route, would it be possible to tag along near Lode or the Swaffhams?

Ah, you’ll be fine. It’s my wedding anniversary and I’m going.

 

[johnCM]

Hi, first time Friday rider here. I am looking to get a more powerful light for my bike in order to see the road ahead in the dark, but I don't want to spend too much. I was wondering if you had any recommendations for lights that would be suitable?

Thanks in advance!

Generally you get what you pay for. But if you search ebay for CREE LED bicycle lights, you can buy lights quite cheaply that will melt the skin from your face.

Possibly not much use for tomorrow, but might come in handy for future night rides.