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Domus
Guru
- Location
- Sunny Radcliffe
My second night ride, both stressful as regards the rail network but the rides themselves have both been fantastic. Drivers cannot ever complain about
those bloody cyclists riding three abreast, oh no. This morning we were FOUR abreast.
Impeccable timings at both refreshment stops do not happen by chance, a good deal of planning and thought is required.
Thanks to all who made it happen.
those bloody cyclists riding three abreast, oh no. This morning we were FOUR abreast.
Impeccable timings at both refreshment stops do not happen by chance, a good deal of planning and thought is required.
Thanks to all who made it happen.
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
Well @mmmmartin I, for one, am endebted to you for your leadership and encouragement, appalling sense of humour, and sheer bluddy common sense, and for everything you've done to keep the world's most angelicate cycling club on the roads.
It's been real and it's been a real pleasure.
(Ed: Right that's enough)
It's been real and it's been a real pleasure.
(Ed: Right that's enough)
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
In case you care there is more to Hull than meets the eye sat outside the Weatherspoon. Not much more but worth an hour or two of mooching. The River Hull sluice gate is very impressive as is the teeny Minster and when it is finished it will be a tidy city.
But the cycling infrastructure in the city centre is shite and the Bike Hub at the station has been closed.
But the cycling infrastructure in the city centre is shite and the Bike Hub at the station has been closed.
Soltydog
Legendary Member
- Location
- near Hornsea
The bike hub was closed at the end of last year as Trans Pennine Express , who 'manage' the station wanted it for retail (more income) & it's since been sat doing nothing at all, along with 3 other retail units they built on the station
Cycling infrastructure is very poor in Hull & the East Riding, luckily there are plenty of quiet roads to enjoy though
OP
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mmmmartin
Random geezer
Forgot to say that we made a special stop and short explanatory talk on the one kilometre square in the whole of the UK ordnance survey mapping that has not a single thing in it.
But I've no doubt that @swansonj will be along in a minute as I'm told he is the leading expert on electricity pylons, of which one bit of a foot protrudes into the square. Possibly.
But I've no doubt that @swansonj will be along in a minute as I'm told he is the leading expert on electricity pylons, of which one bit of a foot protrudes into the square. Possibly.
kimble
Veteran
The bike hub was closed at the end of last year as Trans Pennine Express , who 'manage' the station wanted it for retail (more income) & it's since been sat doing nothing at all, along with 3 other retail units they built on the station
Boo, and indeed, hiss.
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
Couldn't have put it better. Hear hear!
What a night out. It could have turned out so differently. I might not have have made it up at all, just like a few others from That South East ...
As it stood Friday morning, I was booked on the 1257 Grand Central service from Kings Cross. Got the 1024 from Fratton into Waterloo. On that train, I checked the National Rail app....1257 cancelled. Oh ****. Find out about the lightning strike at York and subsequent disruption. I don't know if there will be a train, and if there is if I can get on it with a bike (GC don't do bike reservations at all, first come first served only). Nice LNER person at KX confirms my (advance fare, booked train only) ticket will still be valid on whatever service I can actually find running. The 1127 Sunderland service goes on the board as 1307 departure, first stop York. I head to the platform. Bit of back and forth finding bike storage. But bike goes on, and I find a seat. Standard class is rammed & very hot. There are bottles of water (330ml). I had four during the journey and they barely touched bottom. I was soaked with sweat by the time we made York. The train manager terminated the service there because she was concerned about passenger safety- awful for those going further north but she was right. A bit of a wait to get the bike off and then to get to the main concourse, where friend Daryl was waiting. I wasn't staying with him and Jen this time (she was doing a half-marathon tomorrow anyway, but then they had family up at short notice) so it was a short but sweet meeting with those lovely people, somewhat enlivened by a biblical hailstorm (for which we were handily located in a pub roof terrace, up steep stone steps...duck and cover until it blew over!).
Masterchef Jen had kindly made brownies again (they seemed to go down well, your compliments have been passed on), to go with the cake mountain from the other York domestic goddess I know, our very own @User10119, who plied self @GrumpyGregry @Andrew Br @Ruthie @mcshroom with macaroni cheese and more cake. Top notch coffee mocha cinnamon (if memory serves) fairy cakes, and a most excellent evening with our hostess and cubs. Then to the Minster, where we were in the unusual position of being a little late, but still there well before ride leader. Tsk tsk.
A somewhat depleted peloton of 21 set off at 1220, after birthday greetings for Conrad (a mere 73, and he put self and others to shame on the climbs!) and a wait for someone who didn't show up or answer the phone, plus Peter whose train was held up in the ongoing delays.
Apocalyptic weather failed to show up. Given the strength of the headwind I was glad of my jacket but the temperature was pleasant and the rain stayed off. Zero mechanicals of note, though one of our number had a cramp-induced clipless moment during a comfort break stop/regroup. Given our pace, we quite easily made Garthorpe at the scheduled ETA of four, where Jiggy and helper had laid on their usual quality spread. Though smaller than expected in number, we made a pretty decent dent in it. As per usual, I loaded plenty of carbs!
Then onwards and upwards (no, this ride is not flat) into the dawn. Humber Bridge was reached just after seven. Crossing that is always a pleasure. And no silly speed signs on the shared paths, unlike on the Severn....We reached Wetherspoons in Hull, final destination, pretty much on the dot of eight. @Soltydog left us there to ride home (and should have reached 150 miles for the night on that splendid Enigma), the rest of us mostly went for variations on the full English. Apart from ride leader's scrambled egg and avocado combo (no, me neither).
After my own refuelling and caffeination, I decided to head NW. It had just started to rain, so on with the over trousers...which soon went back in the bag as a most pleasant morning developed. Any thoughts of bailing for the delightful and overpriced Northern Fail service were soon quashed. Route was play it by ear as the Garmin failed to find the GPX file I'd used before to get back to York, even though it was sitting in the right folder...(and I lost one of the side buttons as well, grr).
That aforementioned GPX file loaded on Osmand on the phone, off I went. Instead of the intended quieter roads, I ended up going on the A164 and then the A1079. Trunk roads, but not too busy, ornery drivers were absent, progress rapid. By the time I reached the outskirts of York 38 or so miles later, average speed had reached 13.5 mph. That collapsed as I walked through to Petergate ( easiest way to negotiate those crowds) but still back at the B&B just before one. And then a nap. 113 miles done since the Den, century number 13 of 2018 not unlucky.
Thanks one and all, this was a cracker as always. Fingers crossed trains are back to normal (ish) tomorrow for my return south.. .
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Soltydog
Legendary Member
- Location
- near Hornsea
Thanks again for sharing the brownies, very nice indeed they were
I was still full from the stop at Garthorpe on arrival at Hull, so no need to fuel up for the ride home, which I did extend to manage 150.7 miles, my longest ride to date, cheers all. Was happy with the Enigma, first ride of note & can't fault it, been out this aft & given it some deserved TLC
My GPS (Leyzene) also played up last night, tried to pause it on arrival at York, but it just kept flashing & no buttons seemed to work
Luckily it carried on recording the ride & downloaded the ride home at 2nd attempt, but think it's done for now
Domus
Guru
- Location
- Sunny Radcliffe
Can't believe you mentioned my clipless moment. First time ever, unclipped left as always but a sudden cramp in the toes took me off balance and down I went. Mirror left hanging by a thread and a slight pain in right knee were the least of my worries. A new noise/click then developed which was only diagnosed in daylight. I suspected the worst, bent crank, bent hanger, but no, my pump had dislodged and was kissing my crank every rev. An easy fix for once.
Avacado and eggs on toast is the bees knees.
Avacado and eggs on toast is the bees knees.
OP
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mmmmartin
Random geezer
We'll definitely try to run this ride again next year - it has everything! Flat, interesting, good halfway stop, and reasonably cheap train fares. And it's good, as a matter of principle, to get out of That London now and again.
For anyone interested in copying this ride - here's the track on RidewithGPS. Feel free to use it.
good luck.
View: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/26050598
(By the way, it's raining there today. We dodged quite a few bullets on Friday night.......)
For anyone interested in copying this ride - here's the track on RidewithGPS. Feel free to use it.
good luck.
View: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/26050598
(By the way, it's raining there today. We dodged quite a few bullets on Friday night.......)
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mmmmartin
Random geezer
Oh dear...... The CycleChat discussion as to the merits or otherwise of the "bleakest Ordance Survey Sqaure" has, it seems, been rumbling for years. @Wowbagger (no longer OTP I believe) has commented.
Here we go:
Finally,
Here we go:
Finally,
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OP
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mmmmartin
Random geezer
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
Yup, it's been a touch moist in Yorkshire this morning. Why I bought the kit for the job. Went for a short bimble to buy a sandwich, I'm still dry. Now on platform, train running on time.
Nick Saddlesore
Über Member
- Location
- London
I'm sure we are all relieved that this has been settled. I've been unable to sleep with the tension. I noticed you too were contemplating the matter deeply on the journey south.
