FNRttC Friday Night Ride to the Coast 19th November - Brighton 2010

[dellzeqq]

average speed is very misleading. I've been on group rides where the average speed was 15mph and, though I was in great shape, I was pretty much at the limit - getting a mixed group through junctions can take for ever. Equally I've been on club runs where we do 60 miles in three hours, and it doesn't seem an effort - in fact I've used the 13 miles from the end of the run to home as a bit of speed training. FNRttCs aren't really speed, they're about being able to keep a steady rhythm over the distance, and to relax at points where you have to stop - as you do, and, on the Brighton ride, to be able to get up small hills.

To take Nigel's figures - if he's travelling at 12.5 mph then that's only five and a half hours to Whitstable. We'd be doing very well to finish the ride by 8 a.m. When I ride down to Whitstable with Susie we do it in six hours including stops, and when we go as a big group it takes eight hours including stops. The speed at the front of the Whitstable ride last Friday was in excess of 16mph, but we didn't get there any faster because of it.

 

[Wobblers]

Yes please !
Need to work the trains out as i booked them much too late from the Martletts run and ended up having to buy a new ticket.
Cheers

Paul

The simplest solution is to go by Chiltern Rail to Marylebone. Their walk-up fares are about the same as the advance fares for Virgin, but with the flexibility of being able to travel whenever you want (at the weekend). You don't need to book a space for the bike either. Since I'm never quite sure when I'll get back to London, I find this the best solution with the least hassle. The trains are slower, but I'm usually asleep on the way back anyway!

 

[dellzeqq]

and they're nice trains, going through the nicer coutnryside!

 

[marinyork]

The average speed is a bit misleading. In 2009 I did 3x10 mile stints at about 9mph average rolling speed, didn't get there very much earlier than Whitstable this year despite that being above 12mph nearly all of the way.

 

[Wobblers]

and they're nice trains, going through the nicer coutnryside!

It's just a shame it's usually too dark or I'm too asleep to see it!!

 

[CopperBrompton]

The front is more like 13mph +, the back can be as slow as 9 or 10mph especially later in the ride.

That sounds feasible. My moving average tends to be around 11mph on a 40-50 mile ride. (With some variation within that average: last time I did Ditchling, I was down to 1.8mph at one stage uphill and up to 54mph down the far side ...)

 

[marinyork]

That sounds feasible. My moving average tends to be around 11mph on a 40-50 mile ride. (With some variation within that average: last time I did Ditchling, I was down to 1.8mph at one stage uphill and up to 54mph down the far side ...)

My long term average is about 10.5mph. I was worried about the averages before I started doing them from time to time. Whitstable the first was horrendous, Cleethorpes was dead easy, Bognor was stretching things a bit but enormously enjoyable, Whitstable the 2nd was fine apart from 15 through to 7 miles from the end where I was holding people up a bit. I've not done Brighton though, always managed to miss it. Not sure what the magic formula is, I think the travelling is a fair portion of the stress and exhaustion.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Part of the trick for me is to find a group I can hang onto and sit in, amongst and behind them. As a solo-ist sort of rider, I never realised what a huge difference riding behind someone makes.

Oh yeah, and don't ever try to race Charlotte...... you'll go very fast during but your average will be way down afterwards.

 

[dellzeqq]

My long term average is about 10.5mph. I was worried about the averages before I started doing them from time to time. Whitstable the first was horrendous, Cleethorpes was dead easy, Bognor was stretching things a bit but enormously enjoyable, Whitstable the 2nd was fine apart from 15 through to 7 miles from the end where I was holding people up a bit. I've not done Brighton though, always managed to miss it. Not sure what the magic formula is, I think the travelling is a fair portion of the stress and exhaustion.

no you weren't.

We had a cyclist along once called Angela-Marie. I think she only came the once, but she's one of my all time favourites, and she said something that stuck in my head. I asked her how she was doing, and she said 'I'm cycling slowly, but I'm cycling with purpose'. And then again, there's the 'Genteel' ride. No speedy stuff, but we get there in good time. It's not about speed, it's about attitude.

 

[Tim Hall]

Look you lot. Here I am using an unsecured wifi point in Brittany just to make sure there's room for me. And registration only just opened too. Simon, please can you add me and Mrs. Hall to the list?

 

[Aperitif]

Look you lot. Here I am using an unsecured wifi point in Brittany just to make sure there's room for me. And registration only just opened too. Simon, please can you add me and Mrs. Hall to the list?

You poser! Hello from a warm London, Tim!

 

[dellzeqq]

Simon C
Joe R
Jef C
Fahd C
Nicholas G
Matt C
Trevor L
Karen F
Susie F
Ian A
Stuart A
Matt L
Martin N
User S
Paul McN
Clive P
Nigel W (who will presumably wear a t-shirt, whatever the weather)
Luke C
Peter L
Davy S
Martin F
Gaz W
Tim D
Scott D
Marcus C
Ross C
Martin T
Rebecca T
Jonathon T
Frank P
Hannah L
Lee T
Steve vw
Charlie B
Andrew B
Edmar G
Abdikani A
Clive B
Mick D
Marilyn B
Greg C
Adrian C
Miranda S - which makes, if I'm not mistaken, a trio of trikes! We have a convoy!
David W
Rebecca O-B - good news about the knee
Richard R
Andrew K
Andy M
Dave J
David F
John E
Andy H
Martin W
Simon A
Chris B
M. Le Tim H de Bretagne Wifie-sans-Securite
Mme. La Anne H de Bretagne Wifie-sans-Securite
Anthony Mc
Christophe P
Adam B

 

[Aperitif]

M. Le Tim H de Bretagne Wifie-sans-Securite
Mme. La Anne H de Bretagne Wifie-sans-Securite

What - no hors de combat on this ride then? Oh sorry, Davy is coming... (In Brighton, he might end up 'combatting for the other side...' I suppose )

 

[CopperBrompton]

I won't know my work travel schedule until a couple of weeks ahead, but it's looking very likely that I'll be around for this piece of madness, so please sign me up. <Gulp>

 

[Sittingduck]

Simon, looks like I'm not on the list. Could you please add me? Ta muchly!