FNRttC FNRttC to Brighton - November 27th 2009

[ianrauk]

Sorry mate, I am missing the ride already...

 

[Sig SilverPrinter]

No Mike E, no Ianrauk, no Ape... Am I the only one heading on to box hill afterwards?

I think there are others and you know me ...always up for a challenge although i reserve the right to change my mind tomorrow , as i said have been up since 5

 

[arallsopp]

Up since 5? Good... You should easily have the hang of tired by tomorrow

 

[rchomba]

Good ride to one and all. Another one I am going to miss.Becoming a veteran of poor excuses for not coming!!

 

[beatleandrew]

No Mike E, no Ianrauk, no Ape... Am I the only one heading on to box hill afterwards?

I'm still keen! There must be a couple more at least...

 

[redjedi]

No Mike E, no Ianrauk, no Ape... Am I the only one heading on to box hill afterwards?

I'm still up for it. At the moment anyway

The official ride was called off, but as it's on my way home, why not.

Just been out to fit lights and oil chain.....it's very cold already

 

[arallsopp]

Good lads. Good lads.
Jedi. It'll be good to catch up with you again.
Beatleandrew. It'll be good to meet you.

Oh yay!

 

[theclaud]

shoot! I hope you lot are having better weather than we are. It looked calm enough at midnight but crazy winds just came out of nowhere and now there's a furious hailstorm.

Yours worriedly...

 

[MacB]

shoot! I hope you lot are having better weather than we are. It looked calm enough at midnight but crazy winds just came out of nowhere and now there's a furious hailstorm.

Yours worriedly...

still calm and pleasant here, this isn't the hinterlands you know!

 

[theclaud]

still calm and pleasant here, this isn't the hinterlands you know!

Thunder and lightning now! I must move somewhere where the weather is less provincial...

 

[ianrauk]

the preverbial cats and dogs in bromley at mo.. not nice out there

 

[MacB]

Thunder and lightning now! I must move somewhere where the weather is less provincial...

might one suggest avoiding any flood plain areas? though I accept that's becoming harder

 

[arallsopp]

Wet. Very wet. Faygate. Brrrr!!

 

[TimO]

Well, I'm back now. The first half of the ride was very wet. We had rain from around Tooting onwards, getting progressively wetter and worse. Some left the ride after the Cabin Cafe, but the majority stayed on. Strangely enough, the second half, after the Cabin Cafe was almost entirely dry. We had a few spots, when it was threatening to start up again, just after sunrise, but that was all. It was pretty dry from the sky, although the roads were pretty puddled, and in places quite deep.

Aside from my shoes and socks, which despite overshoes, were utterly soaked (not helped by stepping into a muddy hole in the ground when helping out with a fairy visitation), and my gloves which whilst wet were still fairly warm, most of my clothes are dry. I did swap over to mitts which were dry, and a bit warmer than the gloves, during one of the many fairy visitation stops.

I think this ride probably now holds the record for holes. The man himself had three, and at least one other unfortunate soul had two. I was there for five repairs, passed two others who didn't need any help. I suspect we had multiple repairs being undertaken simultaneously.

All of that makes it sound bad, but actually it was a great ride, grinning in the face of adversity. It was also quite a novel route, for me, not going over Ditchling, and coming into Brighton from a different direction.

I am however knackered now. The guys planning on cycling west along the coast are going to be utterly thrashed, if they manage it. Just cycling a few hundred feet from the cafe to the roundabout, along Brighton front was very hard work, there were some big breakers on the sea front, and the wind was blowing in.

 

[redjedi]

Just got home, very tired.

It is one ride I won't forget in a hurry.

I might write more later, first shower, and bed. Night all!