FNRttC York to Hull 27th April 2012

[dellzeqq]

I'm now determined to make the extra 2/3 of the way to at least one of the Brighton runs later this year.

You'd be very welcome, but if you're going to come all this way for a night ride I'd steer you toward Whitstable rather than Brighton. I love all four of our 'standard' rides, but, while Brighton and Southend are long on association, Whitstable is the best bicycle ride.

 

[Mice]

Having thought about that statement, I can imagine Els, Frank, Rimas, etc, rolling on the floor laughing, so some explanation is necessary.

So to sum up: no sleep on Friday night, 6 hours on Saturday afternoon and 22 hours in appalling weather trying to navigate with confusing navigation, exhaustion, hunger, dehydration, gales, torrents. Would I do it again? You bet. It was simply bloody awesome and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Gawdon Bennett mmmmartin and LouiseL. I was ready for a brand new day before I read the whole of your post and now I just want to go back to bed as I am exhausted. That's an awesome trip. You are both clearly nuts tough! Ruddy brilliant marks for perseverance. I'd have called for room service after the second water bottle ran out. I have read Barring Mechanicals twice a la Arallsopp http://www.amazon.co.uk/Barring-Mechanicals-Edinburgh-recumbent-bicycle/dp/1445255103 and followed last years PBP (ahem, from my keyboard) and there is no way I would even consider doing that kind of trip. Serious chapeauses to you both.

And to think LouiseL let me lead her through London from Victoria to Kings X on Friday

Your determination is remarkable and I think it is true to say that being on a bicycle is the very best place to be.

Mice

 

[alans]

In Spalding we lost an hour trying to decypher an instruction that took us up a busy one-way main road against the flow.

That's interesting........I had exactly the same experience in the same town,following a ride leader who was following the route displayed by a Satnav.
Fortunately we had the road to ourselves( because it was 2 a.m. on a night ride from Derby to Skegness) so we adopted the "keep calm,carry on" technique.

One wonders if there is a mapping error ?


Wrt to your Hull/London ...RESPECT

 

[mmmmartin]

I think the roads were changed a few years ago and the satnavs have not yet been updated, and my ride and yours were planned without actually riding the route on a bike. Which only, incidentally, goes to show how much effort Dellzeqq puts in to planning and pre-riding the routes.
As an aside, it seems on closer inspection that we did ride the necesary distance of 300k inside the alloted time so it seems the ride will be validated, although I await the verdict of others.

 

[Andrew Br]

There might be words tomorrow

Only a few days out..................

I think that this was the FNRttC that I enjoyed the most.
After a crappy couple of weeks (when I hadn't ridden the bike at all) it was great to be involved in something with the spirit of FNRttC.

My evening got off to a good start with a visit to Crinkly Lion's Den of Plenty for macaroni cheese and coffee.
I also got to meet or catch up again with quite a selection of yACFers and if I'd had a pound for every time someone said to me "We've met before haven't we ?", I'd have made £4.

I was TECing for the 1st half of the ride, part of a select but not so small group hand-picked by Simon. Well I prefer to think that it was select.
I'd like to thank everyone for maintaining their bikes so well that there were no punctures or mechanicals before the half-way stop.
The only downside was that cruising along on the flat roads made my arse a little sore.

Like last year, the half-way stop came at just the right time and the food on offer was exactly what I wanted. It was also great to hear that the pub was still going and was attracting more visitors; a Harley club was camping there on the Saturday night.
It was a short stop

and afterwards I did a bit of way-marking. Which was nice. Catching up the group again give me a chance to stretch my legs and to take the pressure off, IYKWIM.

It started to rain slightly at one re-grouping stop but strangely, it only seemed to be coming down on me. Julian did comment that I seemed to have my own private rain cloud...........
Strange what the night can do; I knew it was a Class 66 locomotive* pulling the train coming towards us before it came into sight. I realised then that I should get some new hobbies.
Passing over the Humber Bridge on the eastern side seemed more satisfying than last year's western approach and then, suddenly, we were eating breakfast. Almost as quickly, we were washing it down with beer.
And then, sadly, it was time to go.

As ever, a big thanks to Simon for organising something that's so extraordinary, to Kat for the welcome and the refreshments, Jogler for guiding me there (eventually

) and to everyone else for making it a lovely night out.

See you in Morecambe ?

*OK, could have been a Class 67 but unlikely in that area.

ETA: And much respect to Martin and Louise on their efforts riding back to London.

 

[Mice]

Paging Mice. Does that put that one into some sort of perspective?

Paging Mice? Are you sure you are not wishing to use a tannoy system a la concourse? Andrew Br's (Br - I get the picture now!) comment above only confirms my fears - I was cycling with trainspotters*. (And for those that weren't there, just by that railwaybridge at whatsitoclock nearish to Goole, there was a really, really detailed conversation about carriage numbers or somesuch train related stuff with a really, really scary tone of excitement). So in answer to your question Mr Adrian - the only perspective is the fact that Andrew Br must have been the person to whom you were speaking!!

Mice

*Trainspotters - not to be confused with Ewan McGregors Trainspotting

 

[Mice]

I chose not to choose life, I chose riding fixed instead.

I think Bicyclespotting (without the awful violence and grimness) would be an excellent film. Where is Ewan McGregor when you need him?!

M

 

[Andrew Br]

................ (And for those that weren't there, just by that railwaybridge at whatsitoclock nearish to Goole, there was a really, really detailed conversation about carriage numbers or somesuch train related stuff with a really, really scary tone of excitement). So in answer to your question Mr Adrian - the only perspective is the fact that Andrew Br must have been the person to whom you were speaking!!

Mice

I can remember Kim being involved in that conversation as well.
I think she's learned a lot from Rower40.

.

 

[AnythingButVanilla]

I think Bicyclespotting (without the awful violence and grimness) would be an excellent film. Where is Ewan McGregor when you need him?!

M

Probably doing the Tweed Run on Sunday as he did it last year and my friend had some of her wedding pictures taken with him. I'll keep an eye out and run your idea by him