Flying Dodo
It'll soon be summer
And I hope that correspondent noted that the 3 punctures occurred:- before we set off from HPC, at the top of Turners Hill, and whilst waiting for the tail end to appear in Lindfield. That takes planning.
FNRttC Friday Night Ride to the Coast - Brighton 28th September
- Thread starter dellzeqq
- Start date
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And I hope that correspondent noted that the 3 punctures occurred:- before we set off from HPC, at the top of Turners Hill, and whilst waiting for the tail end to appear in Lindfield. That takes planning.
What a fabulous way to spend an evening.
I was in work at 5am on Friday morning so that I could get home early to pack the car with bikes and coffee making kit so that Family Hatler could get on the way to Streat before the evening rush hour. That way I could also get a proper lie down before the off. Needless to say a thousand and one chores got in the way and I sat down to an ENORMOUS bowl of left over curry at about 8pm. By the time that was finished and cleared away and final prep had been done I managed to lie down at 9pm with the alarm set for 10.15.
A gentle pootle up to HPC with that wonderful final leg across Westminster Bridge, around Parliament Square and along Birdcage Walk.
Standard round of hellos, bike inspections, the pre-ride lecture and we were away.
As we set off from the bottom of Portnalls Road a chap (Shadow) I didn't recognise (but should have) introduced himself. He had spotted me in a pub wearing an FNRttC jersey when I was half way along the South Downs Way earlier this year. We chatted around a huge diversity of subjects, and descended Reigate Hill alongside each other still chatting.
Lonesome Lane was glorious.
Scout Hut Spread was, as ever, stupendous.
We texted ahead to Mrs hatler to confirm our ETA at Streat as 7am, which meant the planned 6.15 start for her would be enough to get four thermoses of coffee brewed and two children up, dressed and fed with porridge and hot chocloate.
I love that bit from the top of Turners Hill to Lindfield.
At Lindfield we were a little ahead of schedule and had to ring ahead to wake Mrs hatler up with a new ETA of 6.45.
The little kick at the end of Slugwash Lane always comes as a surprise.
I carried on past the gathering crowd at the end of Slugwash Lane and went as fast as I could to get to the van and help out with coffee and kiddy duties. I love that stretch along Hundred Acre Lane and Streat Lane, but I recognise that I am terribly biased. The sky was lightening, though the colours weren't as vivid as the October run along here last year. Still, very special to have these lanes to myself.
Lu had worked her regular miracle and everything was in place. All I had to do was fix lights to the bikes, load coffee into my panniers and we were off. I sent Family Hatler up the road and waited for the peleton to appear.
Coffee dispensing worked like clockwork and we ran out with the last requested cup.
Little Miss hatler and mini-hatler had set off well before the coffee supplies were exhausted and for Little Miss Hatler in particular this proved a great success. For the first time she got to the top when there was still a sizeable crowd left. She was really really chuffed with the cheer she got, so thank you everyone who cheered her on.
I have no idea who accompanied mini-hatler up the hill (if anyone at all), so thank you, whoever you are, if you did.
Breakfast was as slick and as welcome as ever, and the minis got to go on the Hall's tandem which was a real bonus. Mini used the last 10 minutes to see how fast he could go on his bike on the flat, back and forth along Madeira Drive. He claims to have clocked 25.
Train back to Hassocks, deposit the family in the pet shop (free range kittens and rabbits), and then I headed back to Streat across the 'French Fields' which is a tarmacked bridleway that runs parallel to and north of Underhill Lane. The sun was up, it was more than mild, there was not a human in sight, I was suffused with a warm glow and a deep sense of inner peace.
Perfection on two wheels.
I was in work at 5am on Friday morning so that I could get home early to pack the car with bikes and coffee making kit so that Family Hatler could get on the way to Streat before the evening rush hour. That way I could also get a proper lie down before the off. Needless to say a thousand and one chores got in the way and I sat down to an ENORMOUS bowl of left over curry at about 8pm. By the time that was finished and cleared away and final prep had been done I managed to lie down at 9pm with the alarm set for 10.15.
A gentle pootle up to HPC with that wonderful final leg across Westminster Bridge, around Parliament Square and along Birdcage Walk.
Standard round of hellos, bike inspections, the pre-ride lecture and we were away.
As we set off from the bottom of Portnalls Road a chap (Shadow) I didn't recognise (but should have) introduced himself. He had spotted me in a pub wearing an FNRttC jersey when I was half way along the South Downs Way earlier this year. We chatted around a huge diversity of subjects, and descended Reigate Hill alongside each other still chatting.
Lonesome Lane was glorious.
Scout Hut Spread was, as ever, stupendous.
We texted ahead to Mrs hatler to confirm our ETA at Streat as 7am, which meant the planned 6.15 start for her would be enough to get four thermoses of coffee brewed and two children up, dressed and fed with porridge and hot chocloate.
I love that bit from the top of Turners Hill to Lindfield.
At Lindfield we were a little ahead of schedule and had to ring ahead to wake Mrs hatler up with a new ETA of 6.45.
The little kick at the end of Slugwash Lane always comes as a surprise.
I carried on past the gathering crowd at the end of Slugwash Lane and went as fast as I could to get to the van and help out with coffee and kiddy duties. I love that stretch along Hundred Acre Lane and Streat Lane, but I recognise that I am terribly biased. The sky was lightening, though the colours weren't as vivid as the October run along here last year. Still, very special to have these lanes to myself.
Lu had worked her regular miracle and everything was in place. All I had to do was fix lights to the bikes, load coffee into my panniers and we were off. I sent Family Hatler up the road and waited for the peleton to appear.
Coffee dispensing worked like clockwork and we ran out with the last requested cup.
Little Miss hatler and mini-hatler had set off well before the coffee supplies were exhausted and for Little Miss Hatler in particular this proved a great success. For the first time she got to the top when there was still a sizeable crowd left. She was really really chuffed with the cheer she got, so thank you everyone who cheered her on.
I have no idea who accompanied mini-hatler up the hill (if anyone at all), so thank you, whoever you are, if you did.
Breakfast was as slick and as welcome as ever, and the minis got to go on the Hall's tandem which was a real bonus. Mini used the last 10 minutes to see how fast he could go on his bike on the flat, back and forth along Madeira Drive. He claims to have clocked 25.
Train back to Hassocks, deposit the family in the pet shop (free range kittens and rabbits), and then I headed back to Streat across the 'French Fields' which is a tarmacked bridleway that runs parallel to and north of Underhill Lane. The sun was up, it was more than mild, there was not a human in sight, I was suffused with a warm glow and a deep sense of inner peace.
Perfection on two wheels.
Shadow
member
- Location
- edge of the south downs
Not at all...I looked somewhat different at the bottom of Portnalls than at the pub with pint and chips, without bike and bike kit!
Thanks for the company, most enjoyable.
2073652 said:
I have a friend, now in Aus who is, sadly, an unrecognised singer/songwriter.
He wrote a song called Time and Money, and if you can stand it, here are some of the words.
Oh the money comes and goes
And the time it rolls away
And which one to you is more important ?
Oh there’ll always be time later to get some money for whatever’s had
But which one to you is more important ?
For no matter how much money you can salt away my friends
You’ll never buy back one lost minute of the time you had to spend getting richer
Oh there’s been times in my life when all the money’s been piled up high
And the more I had the more it seemed important
Oh yes and when I wasn’t working I’d get drunk without a care
Because to get away from it all was so important
And the weeks and months they slipped away
And nothing ever changed
Just talk about the mortgage and house prices on the gain and getting richer
But then it slowly dawned on me that this was all my life would ever be
Just look forward to the weekend and the next big spending spree
My time on earth would all be spent in earning money I didn’t need
My dreams would all remain as dreams and not fulfilled in two weeks leave
So I got out, oh yes I ran
So now the money comes and goes, and the time it rolls away
And each day that I get given to me is important
And some times I just sit back and let the whole world buzz through my mind
'cos it's easy then to see what’s important
Oh yes and soon I will be travelling and there’s so much I want to see
I want to feel it all understand it all most of all I want to be free
Won’t life be richer
DogTired
Über Member
- Location
- Floating on a sea of vimto.
2073652 said:
Such as the Specialized shop that sold me my bike. Riding a bike is lovely and free. Getting the bike out of their shop window without them noticing is the trick.
DogTired
Über Member
- Location
- Floating on a sea of vimto.
I'd forgotten all about that (more likely masked by forking out £50 for the train ticket home). In retrospect I did feel a bit guilty about only paying £3.50 to a bunch of good humoured people who got up at whenever to feed us at the edifice and put the money to good use buying new woggles. Shoulder-angel said tell 'em to charge a fiver, shoulder-devil said shut yer face, eat yer lemon-drizzle cake and have a kip.
I just have to learn how to feign sleep when the bill comes and my FNRTTC induction will be complete!
Just recalled that I had a novel thing happen on the ride. At the bottom of Reigate Hill it felt like my front brake had adjusted itself, there being less travel of the lever required. Now, was I imagining this ? It was gone 2 in the morning and I had been involved in a deep conversation with Shadow from the bottom of Portnalls to the bottom of Reigate Hill so was I fnally losing it ?
Checked the brakes over and nothing seemed to be out of place.
Finally (many miles later) worked out what had happened. On the way down Reigate Hill I was braced on the hoods and the right lever had moved ever so slightly forward, thereby taking the lever away from the cable. A quick wobble back and forth and all was sorted. Properly fettled when I got home and tightened the lever clamp up.
Checked the brakes over and nothing seemed to be out of place.
Finally (many miles later) worked out what had happened. On the way down Reigate Hill I was braced on the hoods and the right lever had moved ever so slightly forward, thereby taking the lever away from the cable. A quick wobble back and forth and all was sorted. Properly fettled when I got home and tightened the lever clamp up.
DogTired
Über Member
- Location
- Floating on a sea of vimto.
Great the mini-hatlers enjoyed things - here's another youngster who loves his cycling...
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qmQrEM5rVA
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qmQrEM5rVA
mmmmartin
Random geezer
A chap, possibly the same one but anyway Swedish and with a very pronounced Scandiwegian accent, walks into a pharmacist's and says: "I'd like to buy some deodorant." Pharmacist asks: "Ball or aerosol?". Swede replies: "No, for under my arms".
ianmac62
Guru
- Location
- Northampton
Presumably it's the pharmacist who has the strong Swedish accent.
DogTired
Über Member
- Location
- Floating on a sea of vimto.
So a Norwegian bloke takes his snow-mobile to the garage and says its misfiring, the mechanic has a quick look and says "It looks like you've blown a seal" to which bloke replies "No its just some frost on my moustache".
I'm here all week - try the beef!
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