FNRttC FNRttC to Brighton 8th May 2009

[tdr1nka]

NB: Aperitif is a man mountain of a cyclist, riding a bike that would cost less to post than a bag of feathers and would merrily head back via Cornwall if it meant dropping off an energy bar to a hungry CC'er or simply because the weather looks promising.

Here is The Terminator(of miles)himself, note a padawan ilovebikes, in the skeleton top just behind.
See how they sneer at the distance ahead of them.

 

[Aperitif]

- where did that come from?
All good fun - hope you can make it rich..welcome back!

 

[rich p]

- where did that come from?
All good fun - hope you can make it rich..welcome back!

Cheers, I'm stil drying out after a surfeit of Belgian 10%ers. What's the form, do I have to register?

 

[Aperitif]

Cheers, I'm stil drying out after a surfeit of Belgian 10%ers. What's the form, do I have to register?

Well - we know you're old enough to be in the CTC so that's a start!
fnrttc@yahoo.co.uk is the address that Simon invites people to use when registering. (He'll need to know which batteries your pacemaker takes so that he and his superb team come well prepared) There is a nice guide to the rides that comes as part of the reply. (You have misssed the first round of dogging BTW)
Hope this helps.

 

[StuAff]

Thanks for the input RE lighting- good job I asked. Follow up questions:
The Hope is a bit pricey for my taste (but if it does the job, I'm prepared to go for it...), but the quoted run time bothers me more (3 hours? sheesh...that bothers me in general, let alone on this type of ride). I assume that you have the option of turning it down when there's more ambient light (and hence extending run time rather dramatically)?....

Follow up to my own follow-up (now redundant). Having read reviews of the Hope on the other place from User10571 and others, my concerns about the Hope's battery life were somewhat eased, though I'll definitely want some rechargeables (plus If there's room on my rather cramped handlebars- big gripshifter, computer mount, Ergon grips...I'll leave the Cateye on as well, that'll be plenty for the smoke & I can leave the Hope for when it's needed). Not to worry, just using the last D-cells on the old EverReady before I switch to the Cateye for my commute, both that and the Hope take AA, so they won't go to waste the rest of the year...
So I've now stumped up for the Hope from Bike Outlet (thanks for the link redjedi, couldn't find it cheaper myself- btw think it comes with the handlebar mount). Anyone going north through Sussex in the early hours of the 9th, please mind your retinas

 

[dellzeqq]

...we do sometimes meet drivers on the B-roads around Turners Hill, and you can sometimes do a kind of imaginary lipreading....'WTF. Aliens! God help me!'...as they slow to a crawl.

 

[TimP]

- where did that come from?

Dunno, but it is also a fine shot of my crotch.

 

[dellzeqq]

I'll definitely want some rechargeables (plus If there's room on my rather cramped handlebars- big gripshifter, computer mount, Ergon grips...I'll leave the Cateye on as well, that'll be plenty for the smoke & I can leave the Hope for when it's needed).

I'm feeling a bit guilty about all of this expenditure. I should have been a little more forthcoming.

We are in streetlights until Coulsdon, indeed until the top of Portnalls Road. There then follows about four miles of dark, overshadowed (in places) narrow minor road which does not have the best surface. We then descend to, and go through Reigate in the light. We then go along Lonesome Lane for about six miles in the dark. This road is open, and the surface is like velvet. We're then in the light until we clear Horley. We won't be taking the wallaby path because it has become a mudbath. So, from Horley to the outskirts of Brighton we're in the dark outside of a few lit village streets - Lindfield being the largest. Some of the roads, such as Effingham Road, are overcast - but, in May we'll be in daylight by the time we reach Slugwash Lane and the road to Wivelsfield which is the darkest by far, and has reverse cambers and holes. That's toward the end of the ride, but, going back a bit toward the tea stop, when people cut loose on the road from Turners Hill to Lindfield we may have a problem. If you're doing 35 or 40mph through Ardingly then you need lights like searchlights - there are a couple of turns that can throw you - hence me screaming 'easy, easy, easy' with half a dozen bikes behind me when I simply couldn't see the edge of the road. But, as I've said, there is no rule that says that you have to bomb down the hills, and, since we regroup at Lindfield, you'll not be left behind. The TECs arrive in Lindfield about seven minutes after the zippier riders, and that's fine.

Later in the year, when it's dark all the way to Brighton or almost all the way to Whitstable, you need the as much light as you can get. There's one particular gravel strewn narrow descent on the Whitstable route that has its moments even during the daytime, and Slugwash Lane has seen any number of offages on the BHF L2B ride - and even one (despite the warnings) on an FNRttC by a rider old enough to know better.....

 

[tdr1nka]

Dunno, but it is also a fine shot of my crotch.

Is that you on the 'bent or the one meditating at the front?

 

[Flying Dodo]

and Slugwash Lane has seen any number of offages on the BHF L2B ride - and even one (despite the warnings) on an FNRttC by a rider old enough to know better.....

Ah yes, I think you're referring to me. The only time a dodo has gone flying.

For younger readers unaware of the unfortunate incident, whatever you do if you're zooming along at the front, close to the edge of the road, don't decide to adjust your light, mounted on the right hand side of the bars, by pushing on it with your left hand, resulting in a speed wobble then causing the right hand STI to dig into the soft steep bank of earth, spinning the back end of the bike vertically in the air and then back down again and going from 25 mph to zero in about 3 feet.

Fortunately

a) only about 4 people saw it, and
no damage was done to the bike (or me).

I stick to the middle of the road now.

 

[Sittingduck]

Ah yes, I think you're referring to me. The only time a dodo has gone flying.

For younger readers unaware of the unfortunate incident, whatever you do if you're zooming along at the front, close to the edge of the road, don't decide to adjust your light, mounted on the right hand side of the bars, by pushing on it with your left hand, resulting in a speed wobble then causing the right hand STI to dig into the soft steep bank of earth, spinning the back end of the bike vertically in the air and then back down again and going from 25 mph to zero in about 3 feet.

Fortunately

a) only about 4 people saw it, and
B) no damage was done to the bike (or me).

I stick to the middle of the road now.

Note to self: stay well clear of this crazy Dodo

 

[StuAff]

I'm feeling a bit guilty about all of this expenditure. I should have been a little more forthcoming....

Don't worry about it. We are of course dealing with that most notorious of variables, British weather. Hail, sleet, freezing fog...in the height of summer. It might be that the weather turns out beautifully for the ride, my EL320 (and other lights of similar power) are perfectly OK.....
But, this is England. Since when does that happen? And it's a Bank Holiday week (might as well do a raindance!). This might be my first long night ride, it won't be the last (I'm still thinking of Bognor- that's going to be another one in the sticks...)- probably only one of two this year (I work a late shift and would like the odd other evening out!), but for the future I'm prepared. If nothing else, there's a light to be loaned to someone else who's brought something too weedy....

 

[Flying Dodo]

Note to self: stay well clear of this crazy Dodo

Don't worry - you'll be safe. I've since got much better lights, and more importantly (being short sighted), I wear my glasses now (which I didn't then).

 

[Flying Dodo]

I'm feeling a bit guilty about all of this expenditure.

If we don't spend money, how will the economy recover??

It's every cyclist's patriotic duty to do their bit to put the UK back in the black. After all, today's Budget won't really help.........

 

[Aperitif]

If we don't spend money, how will the economy recover??

It's every cyclist's patriotic duty to do their bit to put the UK back in the black. After all, today's Budget won't really help.........

At least there's some light relief...