FNRttC Friday Night Ride to the Coast - Bognor Regis 12th August 2011

[arallsopp]

Ah, the FNRttC.

The perfect antidote to a week from hell. Yes, going in with less than 6 hours sleep since Tuesday was probably pushing it a little. Yes, getting wet was not entirely brilliant. Yes, trying to do it all on a little 3AAA blinky for a front light was a tad ambitious. I have become decidedly spoilt by the Cyo on my normal 'bent

BUT.

Oh my. What a wonderful ride. So brilliant to see all my friends, and great to meet the first-timers. The loaner Seiran did me proud and more than coped with anything the landscape could throw at it. One of the first timers was particularly impressed with the speed she could move me through the group (though it later transpired he had failed to differentiate between Lee's super low Baron(?), Ian's mid-racer Musashi, and my high-racing wonder steed, so thought we were all the same person).

Now. Please. Anyone that hears me talking of getting a train back, please remind me it just doesn't work the way I think it does. First, I HAVE to leave enough time to get to the station for the train you're catching (oops), and secondly, I ought to accept it is quicker to ride. Mind you, nice to catch up with User10571 and Mice, see Marin awake, and catch few zzzs before getting home.

East Croydon to Hayes was uneventful, but home itself was splendid. Bustled by Evey into a hot bath, I was put to bed around 3:30 and woke up at 8 this morning. There was sleep. Lots of sleep. Ah. Sleep. I may go get some more.

Andy.

 

[Sittingduck]

Well, that was enjoyable stuff.

The foul weather from Faygate onwards wasn't enough to dampen spirits, although the same could not be said of my socks and shorts! At least we were able to bask in the sun a little bit after breakfast, while enjoying some water... of the yellow & brown variety

Apologies to TC, for my scream during a downhill overtake, that almost saw me wipe out into the treeline at speed

Big-up to User10571 for staying with me, as I fixed the flat on the hill... (er, wherever it was?) and pacing me back to the group, although I don't think my 8.5mph uphill into a headwind, for the first mile or 2 was ideal.

My Garmin died half way and instead of packing up quietly it decided to lock up and beep constantly, in an irritating manner. After a few hours of Googling, trying to 'soft reset' and 'hard reset' I gave up but maybe it just needed a good nights sleep and drying out because this morning it appears to be resurrected. I even managed to fashion a spoke nipple into a temporary joystick, to replace the plastic one that popped out and into a puddle somewhere in West Sussex.



p.s. I like the route through Tooting Bec and the backstreets of Saarf London. Preferable to the usual stretch of CS7.

 

[TimO]

p.s. I like the route through Tooting Bec and the backstreets of Saarf London. Preferable to the usual stretch of CS7.

Interesting, I'm curious which way the route went this time. Does anyone have a GPS track?

The comments made earlier about the gazebo and chairs at the Cabin Cafe are useful. In future, we ought to get people to not lean their bikes against those chairs. There's a reasonable amount of space elsewhere, with some careful stacking, and the gazebo and chairs would be really useful for both the overflow from the cafe, and for the smokers who need to stand around outside. It would probably be useful if whoever is at the front of the ride got someone to stop people putting there bikes on the chairs. With the ride the size it tends to be these days, the Cabin Cafe is likely to be more than overflowing!

In some respects I'm not sorry I missed the ride, getting soaked for several hours is rarely that much fun, even if you can look back on it with the typical British "it was only a little drizzle" approach, but it would have been nice to get back into the saddle, literally!

I should be back for some of the next rides, including helping marshalling the Martletts ride, but won't be able to do the more distant ones because of putting the cat and kitten in a cattery. They aren't fully vaccinated yet, so it'll be over a month before they can be temporarily housed anywhere.

 

[deckertim]

Thanks one and all for a great ride.

I only took a few photos due to the rain. In an earlier post Martin mentioned his home made reflective bra and here it is in all it's glory! You can also see how good the spoke reflectors are.

After my ride last Sunday, my 17 year old son Matthew coined a new phrase; "lingering in lycra" to describe my embarrassing (to him, in front of his mates) behaviour of sitting in my kitchen enjoying a post ride cup of tea.

Well, this FNRTTC was the first time I have lingered in lycra after the ride to enjoy some sunshine and beer and very enjoyable it was too. After a respectable amount of beer I meandered back to Barnham to catch my train where I bumped into User13710. After having a coffee and a chat I went to get on the train and in the process dropped my helmet under the train. Not wanting to run the risk of being crushed under a moving train I asked her if she could get someone to retrieve it after I had departed. I am happy to report that she was able to get it rescued for me. Thanks!!

I have put a few more pictures on flickr
See you all soon.
Tim

 

[Sittingduck]

Interesting, I'm curious which way the route went this time. Does anyone have a GPS track?

As mentioned, my Garmin had a bit of a freak out and the overall summary seems wrong, in terms of distance but the route on the map is accurate:

My link

 

[StuartG]

Another tin of FNRttC turning the unthinkable into the enjoyable.

And now the 2011 season is changing my perceptions on wetwear. Like many my idea was to get gear to keep myself dry. This is a lot of stuff to be carried while it is still dry. Rain never starts at a convenient moment to change and so often stops too soon!

That was not an option on my last FNRttC and by choice on this one. And with success!
I went with a light showerprooff (Aldi £9.99) and overshoes (cheap dhb) shorts (lidl), short sleeve jersey (TNRttC) and a long sleeve HH baselayer.

Three hours of continuous rain and I arrived with dry feet and only a slightly damp top (sweat or rain?). Legs/shorts dried in the Beach Cafe queue as did my top in the sun. Pretty much my experience on the previous.

So, and I notice and learn from the 'proper' cyclists, that keeping dry is not important - only keeping warm. On a summer's night that is easily done with very little. Much preferable, to me, than trying to cycle in lots of gear which can keep you drier but creates all sorts of temperature control and discomfort issues. Makes you hate the rain rather than just ignore it.

I'm now a convert to the minimalist camp. Well, apart from mudguards ...

 

[TimO]

As mentioned, my Garmin had a bit of a freak out and the overall summary seems wrong, in terms of distance but the route on the map is accurate:

My link

After some buggering around, the Garmin website decided that it would work with Firefox on Linux ...

Aha, slightly more of the route I use for my commute than we've used before. It looks like it misses out a lot more of the built up areas than "normal", although presumably that also meant no stop similar to the one used previously in the Beddington Lane Asda (which admittedly would have best been avoided, and may have been closed, since I think it was hit earlier in the week when everything happened).

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I, and a few select others were honoured to attend the inaugural Greg Collins Technical Lecture at one stoppage. I think it was entitled 'Giving it the Hard Shell', I forget now - he might elaborate at some point...

I will be revising the text of the said lecture to include reference to my pride, vanity and need to be eating your own dog food in due course.

The case for the defence rests on the following; it was the first visitation I've ever had on FNRttC, the first visitation on that bike, and err, the first visitation on the road since I returned to cycling in 2008. I blame, of course, the shards of broken green bottle glass strewn out side The Black Horse in Amberley in a failed attempt to stop divers cyclists gathering to shout 'Easy' and 'Stopping' and 'Here comes a motorbike' under the sleeping landlady's window at six on a Saturday morning. My hubris I blame on my parents and society at large; they obviously failed to socialise me properly innit?.

My only regrets* are that my splendid F1 style tube swap went unwitnessed, and that I didn't clarify on the 'got a flat' call to Simon as to the lack of future off-roading which gave rise to a few curses of the "where the heck have they gone then?" variety once I got to the George and Dragon. Thanks to Adrian and Martin for coming back to heckle me up Bury Hill

*not quite true. I regret bailing south of Yapton to hit the trains at Barham but I was on a short pass from the lovely Helen and under orders to get back and get some sleep prior to going out, and getting gloriously drunk - one is such a cheap date post FNRttC - in London last night.

 

[Aperitif]

I will be revising the text of the said lecture to include reference to my pride, vanity and need to be eating your own dog food in due course.

The case for the defence rests on the following; it was the first visitation I've ever had on FNRttC, the first visitation on that bike, and err, the first visitation on the road since I returned to cycling in 2008. I blame, of course, the shards of broken green bottle glass strewn out side The Black Horse in Amberley in a failed attempt to stop divers cyclists gathering to shout 'Easy' and 'Stopping' and 'Here comes a motorbike' under the sleeping landlady's window at six on a Saturday morning. My hubris I blame on my parents and society at large; they obviously failed to socialise me properly innit?.

My only regrets* are that my splendid F1 style tube swap went unwitnessed, and that I didn't clarify on the 'got a flat' call to Simon as to the lack of future off-roading which gave rise to a few curses of the "where the heck have they gone then?" variety once I got to the George and Dragon. Thanks to Adrian and Martin for coming back to heckle me up Bury Hill

*not quite true. I regret bailing south of Yapton to hit the trains at Barham but I was on a short pass from the lovely Helen and under orders to get back and get some sleep prior to going out, and getting gloriously drunk - one is such a cheap date post FNRttC - in London last night.

You're the man! You are exonerated my son. Sleep easily. (Wel, I don't mean like that but...) Nice riding along with you Greg at long last.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

You're the man! You are exonerated my son. Sleep easily. (Wel, I don't mean like that but...) Nice riding along with you Greg at long last.

the back is where it is at. end of!

 

[martint235]

the back is where it is at. end of!

+1

Although it could possibly be said that I wasn't at the back for as long as I should have been! However I have introduced a form of roaming TECing cos it's not just the people at the back that need encouragement and a visit from me!

 

[Aperitif]

+1

Although it could possibly be said that I wasn't at the back for as long as I should have been! However I have introduced a form of roaming TECing cos it's not just the people at the back that need encouragement and a visit from me!

That's a lot of words for 'dereliction of duty' on your part, BigM

 

[Aperitif]

A TEC equivalent of total football? You desert your post, someone else drops back to fill the gap.

The voice of reason! Although, in soccer terminology, I would put BigM in the Ron Atkinson/Richard Keys/'Norman Hunter'*(...what's that bloke's name who used to play for Leeds but was commentating on how big his trousers were?) damn......Arggghhh!...................Gray! Andy Gray. Not as a player at all - more a whinger.

 

[martint235]

A TEC equivalent of total football? You desert your post, someone else drops back to fill the gap.

A great invention huh???

 

[Andrij]

What a night!

I promised myself I'd do this ride, regardless of the state I was in. Not surprised that I was too tired, but with my sleep-deprived brain and tired legs I made it through. I think being at the back helped - there weren't many chances for a rest, but it kept me from charging ahead / racing along the peloton and trashing my legs before the finish.

Must admit there were times I was not having fun - mainly when it was raining - but overall it was another great ride to the coast. I really do feel bad when I miss one of these, even when the weather is less than clement.

For the first time in ages I brought my camera with me, but only managed to take photos after our arrival. They can be found here.