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

[velovoice]

Please can I sign up for this one Simon?

(My knee surgeon says as soon as the wound has healed, I can cycle as much as I want....!)

Cheers

Rebecca O-B

 

[GrumpyGregry]

If it's just shy of the 25 we'll go to the only motorway service station in England that is not actually on a motorway.

Pease Pottage? surely it is no longer unique, plenty of offline service stations these days. My personal favourite being Maidstone. But PP is most likely the smallest MSA in the UK, and probably the only one used as a 'corner shop' by locals on foot.

 

[frank9755]

Pease Pottage? surely it is no longer unique, plenty of offline service stations these days. My personal favourite being Maidstone. But PP is most likely the smallest MSA in the UK, and probably the only one used as a 'corner shop' by locals on foot.

As well as the offline ones there are loads on 'A' roads. For example, Leeming Bar on the A1 (ie not the A1M). I've not surveyed the shoppers but I'm pretty sure you could walk in and buy things.

 

[dellzeqq]

As well as the offline ones there are loads on 'A' roads. For example, Leeming Bar on the A1 (ie not the A1M). I've not surveyed the shoppers but I'm pretty sure you could walk in and buy things.

let this be a warning to you, dear friends. Never ever rely on one source of information when it comes to motorway service stations. There's always a chance that you will encounter Service Station Statto!!!!!!

 

[dellzeqq]

Because you'll be taking a chance

if memory serves

2006 - 3 intrepid souls ride to Bracklesham Bay. Flying Dodo's eye freezes shut. My beard is crisp and white. I am forced to wear longs.

2007 - Six or seven of us ride to Brighton - straight down the A23, the B2036 and the A23 again. It's damned cold. I stop to wait for the others. Ten metres on a pipe had fractured, creating a sheet of ice. If I hadn't stopped we'd have been on our backsides

2008 - mild enough to be May. About 30 of us arrive in Brighton thinking we should have brought the sun cream

2009 - the BBC predicts 5mm of rain. We get 20mm - the wettest FNRttC ever. Rain bounces nine inches off the tarmac. Roads flood. Adrian and I get drenched from head to foot by the bow wave of a passing car. We sustain 12 punctures. The ride is only redeemed by the solicitude of various male FNRttCers of a certain age accompanying Katarzyna on her shopping bike. Competition for TEC places has never been so intense.

Bear in mind, particularly those of you who might be booking long distance rail tickets, that if there is a chance of ice I'll pull the ride.

I intend to have a chat with Mark at the Cabin Cafe. Our arrangement in previous years has been that if we have twentyfive riders then we can stop by - to ask him to get up so early for less would be wrong. If it is a very small ride we'll pop in to our favourite airport. If it's just shy of the 25 we'll go to the only motorway service station in England that is not actually on a motorway. The route will therefore depend on the numbers and on the weather - if it's a clear warm night we might just go for the Lower Beeding Variation. If it chucks it down it's Cuckfield and Haywards Heath.

The ride won't fill, so take your time about registering - I'll close it on the 12th

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 - please get back to me
Davy S
Martin F
Gaz W
Tim D
Scott D - I need Scott's confirmation on the basics - I presume he's under 18
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

I'm quite excited about the trikes. I imagine them zipping about like teenagers on speed, getting under people's feet, and having little trike conversations with each other about wheel sizes and how tall the world is. And can you imagine the three of them racing down Lonesome Lane in flying V formation! That would be one heck of a sight!

And, while I remember, big up Auntie H, trikementoress extraordinaire!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

As well as the offline ones there are loads on 'A' roads. For example, Leeming Bar on the A1 (ie not the A1M). I've not surveyed the shoppers but I'm pretty sure you could walk in and buy things.

Leeming Bar doesn't count, it wasn't built as a Motorway Service Area and still hasn't been upgraded to that happy state of existence. Probably won't ever be.

Point about pukka MSA's is they are technically meant to be inaccessible to casual visitors popping for a pint of milk.

 

[frank9755]

There's always a chance that you will encounter Service Station Statto!!!!!!

He wrote this site:
http://www.motorwayservices.info/


I did a project on motorway service stations a few years ago and it is surprising how much there is to them. However as none of it is very interesting, I'll drop the subject!

 

[andyman]

Me please Simon

Andy M

 

[dellzeqq]

He wrote this site:
http://www.motorwayservices.info/


I did a project on motorway service stations a few years ago and it is surprising how much there is to them. However as none of it is very interesting, I'll drop the subject!

well, here's the thing - I've used that site - it was my first step toward the stop at Junction 31. How sad is that!

 

[Ergle]

I came on the ride to Brighton earlier this year. When we weren't shivering in petrol station forecourts waiting for various mechanical problems to be sorted we were riding into the teeth of a southerly with the occasional downpour. The worst of it was having to pedal down to breakfast from the Beacon instead of the usual glorious freewheel. Character building stuff. Can I come on this one too??

David F

 

[Mice]

I'm quite excited about the trikes. I imagine them zipping about like teenagers on speed, getting under people's feet, and having little trike conversations with each other about wheel sizes and how tall the world is. And can you imagine the three of them racing down Lonesome Lane in flying V formation! That would be one heck of a sight!

Not nearly as excited as I am!

 

[frank9755]

well, here's the thing - I've used that site - it was my first step toward the stop at Junction 31. How sad is that!

Only moderately so - I spent 3 or 4 weeks researching and writing a lengthy report about service stations (and airport and railway station catering). I could summarise the conclusion very concisely: 'rip off'

 

[dellzeqq]

very likely. But are there any which serve decent food? I've been to a few and only the one at the western end of the M4 comes anyway close.

 

[ceepeebee]

the fancy one waaaay up the M6 in the Lake district does great food, but is a bit.... over fancy.


Am deliberating wildly as to whether I can man up enough to brave this, especially as I've been pretty much off the bike for 2 weeks already.

 

[arallsopp]

(My knee surgeon says as soon as the wound has healed, I can cycle as much as I want....!)

Welcome back VintageSteel. So glad to hear this.

I'm quite excited about the trikes. I imagine them zipping about like teenagers on speed, getting under people's feet, and having little trike conversations with each other about wheel sizes and how tall the world is. And can you imagine the three of them racing down Lonesome Lane in flying V formation! That would be one heck of a sight!

Very jealous to think I'll be missing this one. Dad's 65th on that weekend, so cannot atted. Trust you'll keep the assorted ankle biters in check.

Andy.