FNRttC to Brighton 13th May 2011

[iLB]

Andy

a young man joined us at Beddington. He asked if he could come to Brighton. I'm afraid I said no, but pleaded with him to register for another ride, which he said he would do. He was particularly impressed by the BMX.

I love that you've repeated this on the forum, almost suggesting you don't remember telling me at the cafe

brown beer indeed...

edit: there was a guy who took a photo of me at HPC, are you reading this?

 

[matthew]

You fancied sitting at the station with the least frequent services possible?

To be fair, I didn't know that and my route home took me straight past the station.

Further my knees were sore, and I should not have had the spare waterproof in the Barley. Once I stopped at Lingfield to remove my longs I had to put my overshoes, chocolate cookies and sunscreen in my jersey pockets as my long sleeved top, and coat took the rest of the available space. Oh and the sleep debt was catching up so I was walking the hills between Ardingly and Balcombe.

 

[slowmotion]

It was functional and significantly better than the brown.

Of course it was. To all those sandal and sock CAMRA snobs who dissed my initial choice of Wife-beater....?
PAH

 

[Aperitif]

I came along with my sister who was trying "a bit of the dark side" for the first time. We both had a great deal of fun, and she loved the ride....especially riding up Ditchling without getting out of the saddle all the way, and leaving her older brother miles behind in the dust, gasping beside his bike on numerous occasions at all stages of the ride.

I send my massive respect to Andy. Also, to Simon for offering himself up as some kind of road-kill sacrifice on the South side of Clapham Common. The trucker's shrug of exasperation was priceless when he realised that The Great Leader was not going anywhere.

With only eight days on SPDs, I had my second clipless moment outside the front door of ASDA. Many experts will be able to judge my technique.

After Horley, with the sun rising, it was simply magic. How wonderful the Sussex lanes looked as we weaved along under a beautiful blue sky. Fantastic. I was at the back for most of the time latterly. Ho hum...

Such fun to see all the usual friendly faces, and also a lot of friendly new ones . Good to see that The Comeback Kid has returned. Loved the Yellow stuff on the seafront...

Thanks to Simon, Waymarkers and TECs. Brilliant job.

Where was your sister sitting during the morning RS Martin? A bit 'off' when her bruv only allows half the story to be told...

 

[rich p]

. Then I nobbled Claudine as dawn broke over Horley, .

I nearly fainted till I spotted the 'l'

 

[CharlieB]

Another fabulous night, with stunning organisation given the volume, as ever.

My apologies to Simon for not appreciating or recognising the Beddington variation when asked, as my ken of South London is not as good as it should be by now, and I probably hadn't yet woken up at that stage.

As for the rest of the route, I think all that needs to be said has been said. Echo the Lonesome Lane comments.

A shame about the Planet Sweet stop - someone behind me in the queue commented "is that it for £4.50?" - but the coffee was good. Actually it wasn't a sandwich - it was ½ a sandwich.

Following some noisy arsing about with Andy's wheels while waiting for the off, another beautiful sunrise and some heartbreakingly pretty villages (Lindfield for one), and some real Wheeeeeeeeeeee! stretches.

I found riding a Brompton on one this quite tough, I think because of the non-variation of position available, and had bad shoulder strain by the time we'd climbed Turner's Hill.

Guy with the Rohloff - you sailed past me 2/3rds the way up the Beacon with that winch-like 1st gear!

edit: there was a guy who took a photo of me at HPC, are you reading this?

That was me, innit. Unfortunately, it didn't come out too well, unlike all the other pictures I've seen here so far. Hats off to you, Andy - donation is on its way.

Thank y'all, as ever, and roll on Cardiff-Swansea.

 

[Flying Dodo]

Although I wasn't on this ride, I'm not surprised by the issues at Planet Sweet. I did comment to Dell along those lines after last year's ride, when Stu had his unfortunate tumble. I was almost the last one to arrive there, so at least 45 minutes later, and there was still a massive queue.

However, as mentioned above, with a larger group, these sorts of problems will arise.

So possible solutions. One thing to put in emails and for the safety talk would be to remind the gentlemen that they don't have to wait until the half way point to use the toilets. Plenty of the stopping points out in the countryside afford enough cover to protect everyone's modesty. That would ease some of the pressure (as it were).

On the answer of alternative solutions for a halfway point, a wacky idea did spring into my head overnight. If someone has access to a big tea urn type of container, I'd be up for loading my trailer with large water containers, bananas and other edible stuff along with a portable stove and gas cylinder and a small table and then heading off to a suitable layby or similar area, for around 2.30 - 3 am and start boiling water, so that there was then sufficient quantity available to make tea/coffee. I could then join the ride for the rest of the trip and by having the greatest mass, see what terminal velocity is possible heading down the hill to Brighton.

Or I could be boring and volunteer to bring the big car instead and set up a full BBQ..........

 

[Aperitif]

A 'dinkle' (Greek for portion) of Baklava was, apparently 50p. Double expresso 1.80.

Re: Stu's comment about 'chewing the fat' (is that really wot you carnivores do? ) Des and I were talking about a) getting a quickly served drink and b) the temperate conditions, allowing folk to stand around outside the premises. Had it been a bit of a nasty weather ride, then my cosy little doorway would have had 'No Vacancies'. Something hot, either tea or coffee will do for me until breakfast, although I realise that there are those with insatiable appetites. (For food, Rich, for food... ) Now that supermarkets are involved also, maybe the emphasis will change..?

Anyway, the rides are getting too competitive. Poor little me, making my way carefully and steering a line around Sloane Square, I was jostled, bumped and barged, nearly losing my balance and getting pile-driven into a traffic island. This really has to stop. I was so distressed that I forgot all about it until this morning. If that's what it is going to be like in the future then 'I'm out'.

 

[AlexB]

That was deliberate to singe off any bristles. They damped the fire down for the long slow cook.

The guy I've been riding with the last few rides, Mark, was a butcher by trade. His opinion was that the fat in the skin was burnt and that the whole thing would probably taste of paraffin because you could certainly smell it!

 

[dellzeqq]

I think that the halfway stop is being sorted. I hope to have news tomorrow morning. Respect to the TimH!

Adam - I found a perfectly good hedge just a few hundred metres along the road, and went up and down the queue advertising it. There weren't many, if any takers. Surmise away!

I've one report of bad riding that enables me to identify the miscreant - in this case a new rider. I'll have a quiet word. If any of you can finger any others, do so. I'm not aware of anything so out of order that it merits a ban or partial ban (and I've done both before now) but it does help when I know who to talk to. I did take people to task on their rear lights, and the response was gratifying.

 

[Aperitif]

The guy I've been riding with the last few rides, Mark, was a butcher by trade. His opinion was that the fat in the skin was burnt and that the whole thing would probably taste of paraffin because you could certainly smell it!

Well, I'm not chewing the fat with that then! Paraffin?

 

[dellzeqq]

Paraffin???? Yeeuuchhh!

 

[AlexB]

Well, I'm not chewing the fat with that then! Paraffin?

The bristles should be seared off with a blowtorch and then scrubbed away with boiling water before the roasting starts if my memory serves me well from assisting with a hog roast about 20 years ago.

 

[theclaud]

Someone nearly barged you over - they must have been huge! Very bad news if they put our Aperitif off attending in future!

Ahem! A little too fond of beer and pies, perhaps, but I wouldn't say "huge". And it might well have been more of an affectionate nudge...

 

[GrumpyGregry]

To be fair, I didn't know that and my route home took me straight past the station.

Further my knees were sore, and I should not have had the spare waterproof in the Barley. Once I stopped at Lingfield to remove my longs I had to put my overshoes, chocolate cookies and sunscreen in my jersey pockets as my long sleeved top, and coat took the rest of the available space. Oh and the sleep debt was catching up so I was walking the hills between Ardingly and Balcombe.

If you bail going north Burgess Hill or Haywards Heath or Three Bridges are the way to do it.