FNRttC Friday Night Ride to the Coast 24th September to Southend-on-Sea 2010

[arallsopp]

Oh pants. Rendered the whole thing without the audio track. And it took an hour to encode. And the map went out of sync....

Right. Simple version being rendered now. Clever and complex version will have to wait until I can run this thing full screen.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Really nice easy ride this one, but a bit chilly.

I knew there was another FNRttCer already on the train when I got on. A Van Nic with enough illumination to shine a beam on the moon was parked in the 'bike zone'. Guessing it could be the guy in the longs and merino I introduced myself, the cyclist in question turned out to be McWobble. We had a quick coffee at Marylebone and then headed off to HPC, arrived early enough to stand around getting really cold before the boss finally called "we're on our way".

The ride through London was actually most of the ride, plenty of idiots, on foot and in cars, to provide entertainment on the way. Once out of London there was a few hundred yards of greenery before we got to the coast! It was really nice to meet some new folk (to me) including ChrisKH and CharlieB and catch up with other people I'd met on previous rides. I had it in mind to ride back to London but after brekkie Origamist said he was off to the station and the thought of him sat on the train all on his ownsome was too much so I decided to hop on the train and keep him company.

Once back in London he very kindly pointed me in the right direction and off I went, a completely gridlocked Euston and Marylebone road meant that for once I was easily the quickest on the road. I hadn't booked a return ticket as there weren't any offers so was unaware that signal works meant there were no trains beyond High Wycombe so I had to hot foot it to Paddington and get a connection via Reading and Oxford to get home.

A late lunch with one glass of Old Hooky and I was sparko on the sofa.

 

[arallsopp]

Here's my efforts, by way of thanks to all those involved.

[media]

]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrrE2-ZCe6E[/media]



The other half... well, that'll come in time

 

[Davywalnuts]

Great Video Mr A!

Alas it captured me doing my stretched at 51secs but it has extended close ups of the 64cm, relaxed thighs encased in shiny lycra at 2:32, boy, do those legs look good.

Quite liking the home footage of a young Jedi at 2:59 and a bit of soppyness at 3:02... bless...

 

[Speicher]

Great Video Mr A!

Alas it captured me doing my stretched at 51secs but it has extended close ups of the 64cm, relaxed thighs encased in shiny lycra at 2:32, boy, do those legs look good.

Quite liking the home footage of a young Jedi at 2:59 and a bit of soppyness at 3:02... bless...

Are the knees encased in shiny lycra as well?
How disappointing.

 

[dellzeqq]

Are the knees encased in shiny lycra as well?
How disappointing.

encased is scarcely the word. Painted would be nearer the mark.

 

[Davywalnuts]

encased is scarcely the word. Painted would be nearer the mark.

*Grins widely*... 64cm widely...

 

[CharlieB]

I had to hot foot it to Paddington and get a connection via Reading and Oxford to get home.

Lordy lordy, that must've taken a while, 3bm.

Nice to meet you too, see you in 4 weeks!

 

[dellzeqq]

I get a fair number of post-ride e-mails which make lovely reading, and this month has brought forth a few that mention the friendliness and the care shown by all of you, and in particular those regulars who take upon themselves a kind of watching brief - looking out for people in difficulty or simply bringing new riders in to conversation.

Susie often reminds me how nice my friends are, and you are, all of you such nice people. It's an honour and a pleasure to know you.

And that's enough of that, thankyou very much..............

 

[Origamist]

I forgot that we also saw a badger on this ride - unusually, it was alive.

 

[dellzeqq]

I forgot that we also saw a badger on this ride - unusually, it was alive.

just

 

[mac79]

Just wanted to say thank you to Simon for organising the ride and also to the folk on the ride. It was my first RNRttc and also my longest distance thus far. :-) As a newbie cyclist I was pleased not to have killed anyone or been killed although it was with trepidation as I watch the loo queue grow at Woodgrange Road and various people disappearing into the church yard!

I thoroughly enjoyed it and am hoping to join another in the future. The hardest parts? Hearing that the dreaded "Bread and Cheese Hill" was on the route, riding past my road (and bed) and then leaving you guys and heading the 4 miles back home...longest, slowest, sorest 4 miles ever. Fact.

Thank you! Gemma

 

[Becs]

Me and Luke got a bit tipsy and deliberated on a London CC pre-Crimbo night out? No lycra or bikes included..

Sounds like a great idea . . . . . .

 

[Mark Grant]

My fourth FNRttC and first time ever to Sarfend.
It certainly remained urban for a long time but that wasn't necissarily bad. I always enjoy seeing places I haven't seen before. The night life was entertaining, be it drunken couples having a raving barney, passengers leaning out of a window to shout abuse or taxi drivers reving thier engines to engulf us in a cloud of black diesel smoke! I always find it quite amusing the effort people put in to insulting us. Water off a ducks back to me .

Whilst waymarking at one junction somewhere way out east I had a drunk but very voiciferous gentleman telling me that everyone else had left me behind because I was too slow. He told me this several times as he approached the corner where I stood and kept turning to tell me again as he left it. Bless!

We thought that we may have hindered a lady from catching a bus at the top of Bread & Cheese hill when we were all standing in the bus stop but fortunately the bus halted just past the stop and she was able to board.

Breakfast was served promptly and was consumed with equal speed. On leaving the cafe I found that I had a puncture (I'm not superstisious, I'll spell it in full!) but with Ian and Luke providing instant assistance it was fixed in no time. (very impressed with Ian's CO2 pump!)
Train to Fenchurch Street then ride home.
Dozed on the sofa for most of the day then went to bed early.

Nice.

Mark

 

[sjt]

Ah so it was, thanks Stu. I got confused as we were talking about Bike Friday folders.

And a delightfully comfortable ride the Moulton is too. If Miki ever joins us you can compare and contrast with her Bike Friday Pocket Sport.

Many thanks for the very warm welcome, good company and conversation. (A particular thank-you to Christophe for the loan of his spare rear lamp.)

Most impressed with the standard of illumination. The rear lamps were everywhere hypnotic and, once beyond street lighting, in many cases actually blinding. I found that once I’d let Andy move up to let a car pass I was unable to approach his rear lamp until we’d reached street lighting again. And some of those front lamps – I must lift my game for night riding. The standard is clearly to convince motorists they’re approaching a motor bike. Or a plane making an emergency landing.

I had difficulty explaining to friends – and myself – why I would want to ride or how I came to enjoy this. Best effort: like a good party but riding bikes instead of standing around.

Such fun. I hope to try Whitstable next month.

Stephen