FNRttC Friday Night Ride to the Coast - Brighton 3rd August

[srw]

As I understand it, the crank issue was caused by someone swapping out a double for a triple, and failing to remove a spacer. Once the spacer was removed the crank fitted properly. And in the interests of SCiENCE I should observe that a sample of one ride is not a proper experiment - it is entirely possible that the punctures were caused by objects picked up during the dry part of the ride.

What TimO doesn't mention is that he shared all the secrets of the world's Mars missions during our trip from Brighton to Croydon. I may have missed some of the finer points, and as befits a former civil servant working in one of Her Majesty's more secretive organisations he may well have obfuscated a few things, but I think it's like this.

The guiding spirits of missions to Mars are Wallace and Grommit, Wile E Coyote and Nick Park. All of the work is done a top-secret research lab somewhere in the Surrey Hills where they have a big sandpit with red sand. Because Martians are real all the material sent into the sandpit has to be very carefully cleaned. Wallace, Grommit and Wile E Coyote are the brains of the missions - they do things like design big bouncy beach balls and bits of string which unfold unsupported in space. Nick Park then creates them out of plasticine and asks TimO and his colleagues to post their rockets so that the beach balls and bits of string can deliver them safely into the sandpit.

Rereading that, I think I must be a bit zonked. Or perhaps I've misunderstood some key points. Perhaps Agent Hilda, who I know was hanging on Tim's every word, will report back later.

Meanwhile, both User13710 and Wanda2010 had maiden uninterrupted Beacon ascents (chapeaux, ladies); User13710 reports elsewhere a frankly scary 49.7mph maximum (she says rain might have got into her computer, but watching her shoot downhill I believe her); Team Fast left for London soon after breakfast and are probably close to home by now; Team Slow, led by StuartG and Redfalo, and including Wanda2010 and Andrew Br led shortly afterwards. I'm afraid I wimped out - the route was too easterly for me and had very few possible bailout points, and my second cup of coffee didn't revive me. Instead I headed up to Croydon with the rocket scientists, went straight back down to the platform for a London Bridge train, did my regular commute across a bizarrely empty central London and just about stayed awake to home.

 

[martint235]

This bit of team Fast is home. A good ride, I was looking forward to it and it didn't disappoint. Lots of people are a lot better at write ups than myself so I'll will leave them to it.

There were a few visitations but all as far as I know were fixed. I did get to leave a couple of cyclists with matching tops (does that make them a team? It was a Duvel top too) for dust on the way into Croydon. Always good to show you can still go a little quickly even when the milometer has passed 100.

 

[wanda2010]

Team Slow member reporting in before I zonk out . I eventually got home at 2.35pm. Would have been 2.30pm but I got a little lost in the maze that is Croydon. I have to say Team Slow wasn't that slow really. The speed had my little legs spinning like a top but I think I held my own (just about). It was a good ride and whilst the A23 won't be on my list of favourite rides, I do it again just to stop at the post office/cum village shop/cum coffee shop (no idea where it was but I'm sure one of the others will know).

I must have been on a high from my first successful ride up the Beacon without stopping. Only took me 3 years but I don't care. I RODE UP DITCHLING BEACON WITHOUT STOPPING. Did anyone hear me?

Shower then a snooze on the sofa. Must get to the supermarket before it closes so musn't get into bed. As per usual the night ride was what I expected and then some. Never fails to lift my spirits.

 

[swansonj]

Well, I think the joke is on me. I've only done four Fridays, but I confess to a slight complacency about my immunity to mechanicals. Fairy visitations? Rather unlikely with Marathon Pluses. Derailleur adjustment problems and chain tangles? Not with a Rohloff. I may have one of the slowest bikes on the whole ride but it's surely one of the more reliable as well. So I guess I had this coming:

I first noticed a small knocking when applying the rear brake somewhere before 3 am-ses but couldn't work out what it was. Then it got dramatically worse when I set off down from the top of Ditchling and I realised what was happening. By letting out a lot of pressure and using front brake only, I made it not just to Brighton, but another 20 miles with team so-called "slow" (thanks guys, I enjoyed being stretched as well as the company) to Handcross where my wife picked me up. It must have been the extra pressure that did it - I put an extra 10 psi in the tyre last night - but the rim has only done about 15000 miles. Perhaps if I'd put even more in it before starting the ride it would have failed spectacularly then, but I'm glad (and I suspect Simon is glad too) that it didn't fail in the middle of the night.

Postscript: I took the rim off this afternoon and took the Rohloff hub to my LBS to see if they fancied building a new wheel. Yes, they said, their mechanic does sometimes build wheels, but he's busy till the end of August. If I want it sooner than that, they suggested, perhaps I could try Halfords....

Second postcript: thanks Simon as ever for a great ride and thank you all for the company.

 

[Tim Hall]

More details and a few pics later but...

Highlight of the ride was getting scalped by Hatler Jr. on Ditchling Beacon.

 

[srw]

Two more observations. First, I now understand why people get excited by Lonesome Lane. Previously I've been stuck in the bunch. Last night I was at the front and was able to ride my own ride - tunnel of trees, swooping corners (taken circumspectly) and all. Second, riding a long tour is great training for hills. I actually held my own behind tall Martin on the uphills into Lindfield, only being dropped on the downs. I also did the whole ride except the Beacon on the middle and large rings - on previous outings I've been grovelling in the granny ring up Coulsdon and Turners Hills.

 

[User10571]

Two things:
a) I'm sorry I had to withdraw from this at very short notice. I was returning home under a full moon and ver' starry sky at around 23:30 on Friday - the temptation, the draw, the force of HPC was a difficult one to overcome.
b) I always feel elated when I read of peep's non-stop conquests of The Beacon. It's not so long ago that the same experience was mine - I've not forgotten how it feels. Well done all!

 

[newfhouse]

I've done a few FNRttCs but only just signed up for this forum. This was to be my first full ride back, with the added problem that myself and my colleague Danny had to be at work in London by 3pm. At the cafe we took advice from Ian, who told us that the best route would be via Devil's Dyke, which was apparently completely flat after the Dyke (1). So the two of us decided to set off on our own, only to be caught up by team Fast. We did our best to tag along, and the whole team clearly took pity on me as they stopped periodically to let us catch up, and Martin held back and encouraged me up some of the more demanding hills. This was unexpected but very welcome, and I hope I didn't delay anyone too much. When we separated at Coulsdon I didn't get a chance to say thanks, so "thanks all." Seaside to home in about 4 hours - I didn't think I had it in me at all, never mind after riding through the night. Including the ride up to the start at HPC I logged 118 miles, my personal best, and according to Ian the first century to properly count, so I'm well pleased.

Nick

(1) I'm learning who to trust. The hard way it appears....

 

[TimO]

srw indeed got the secrets of Mars essentially right.

Curiosity will be landing on Mars in just under one day and 12 hours from now, so just after 6am on Monday morning (UK time). There's more info here, including a countdown clock. NASA TV is likely to be a good place to watch for info as it happens. Once "we" (ie NASA) sees the first evidence of the spacecraft entering the upper atmosphere of Mars at 13000mph, because of the 14 minute time delay for reception of the signal from Mars (Mars is currently just over 150 miles from the Earth), Curiosity will have landed (or crashed) seven minutes before that time! The entire landing sequence, including slightly insane Sky Crane, takes around seven minutes. The SpaceFlightNow website is also probably a good place to follow what's happening.

 

[StuartG]

I was very badly prepared for this ride. I had less than 4 hours sleep Thursday night and my attempt of a kip Friday afternoon was frustrated by a client who would not take the hint I didn't really want to talk to them. I should have bailed there and then.

The consequences hit in full as we entered the Badlands. I couldn't keep fully concious. I was all over the place and apologies to anyone who had to take avoiding action or just weep at my erratic steering. I hoped the Ediface stop would cure it - but it didn't. Ditchling did!

I swear that ascent is getting both shorter and sharper. It was great to see TNT get up in one even if she is a liar. She set off just ahead of me and I couldn't catch her. Either that or your computer is truly borked.

Well if Ditchling banished my tiredness than the Maderia breakfast made sure it didn't return. I decided to rescind my sensible decision to return by FCC and dropped in behind Olaf and his friend Marvin for the Slow ride home. Wanda was obviously confused by the term Slow. It referred less to speed than the nature of Olaf's visitations. It certainly did not apply to Olaf's ability to fix 'em from that Aladdin cave that is his Orby's. Even carrying and needing a spare tyre.

As Wanda has explained we took the scenic route just to upset Simon. The A23 cycle path was indeed memorable. I will only do it again with an iPod. Sorry Brad but the noise of traffic was appalling and insufferable. On the plus side the path was (mostly) clear, fast and flat. We made such excellent progress that I too was struggling to keep up at times though I must plead guilty to over egging it on the downhills. You see I'm really quite brilliant at downhills!

We ditched our plan to transfer to country lanes after escaping the South Downs and stuck with the A23 all the way to the Purley Cross gyratory. A bit mad. But it did mean we stopped Hand Cross for a non-alcoholic drinks (why is it the Germans have to be so sensible?) and fell upon the most amazing collection of vintage motor bikes but also including some interesting pedal bikes including an ancient Moulton. The proprietor was Biggles incarnate.

I also plead guilty to rather taking over the ride post Purley. Olaf's friend Marvin wanted to expose us to the true delights of the Purley by-pass and the Crystal Palace hill climbs. But I thought us too young and pretty. Anyway I got home in fine mettle and 119 recorded miles - just 3 short of my recently acquired LonJoG record. I really felt like going out for more until as I put the bike away the heavens opened. The final Team Slow Three must have had a soaking. I also realised that I had given precisely the wrong advice to the Northern Two. They should have turned left in Forest Hill and taken Lordship Lane. You get to see St Pauls dead ahead. Keep it in sight and you've cracked the Sarf London passage. You don't even need Marvin. Sorry guys.

So an eventful trip with true highs and lows. To think only 3 years ago I was amazed at doing 10 miles in the light. Dell you changed my life even if you sloped off on some luvvie celebration instead of joining us on the A23 trail ...

 

[rb58]

What a day that was!! Did I tell you I spent the day at the Olympic Velodrome with my new buddies Brad and Vicky? And dashing from there to a FNRttC with many of my old buddies completed an almost perfect day.

The Brighton run has so many signature moments that it is probably the one I look forward to the most. Lonesome Lane, the swoop from Turners Hill to Lindfield and of course The Beacon. And then all of a sudden it was breakfast served by the ever accommodating and efficient folks at The Madeira.

My TEC duties were made simple by virtue of just the one mechanical quickly resolved by Ianrauk who spotted the errant spacer causing the crank arm to come away. So thanks to him.

Suddenly, I was grinding my way over Devil's Dyke once again on the way back with Team Fast. And I cursed the whole way knowing that just a short way to the east was a perfectly flat cycle path alongside the A23 that I could have chosen. It's a cracking route back from Brighton via Handcross to Crawley where I peeled off and made my way home via Edenbridge and, just for a laugh, Toys Hill where I was unceremonially scalped by 5 roadies - although in my defence they probably didn't have 120 miles in their legs at that point.

Another century for me (I haven't checked the actual total yet) but more importantly a night with some lovely folks. Thanks one and all for making this ride what it is and especially to Simon for creating FNRttC.

And did I tell you about the velodrome....?

 

[ChrisBailey]

Two more observations. First, I now understand why people get excited by Lonesome Lane.

One of the highlights of the ride.

Given the Southern rail restrictions I rode my Bike Friday with it's quick fold bag stuffed into my Carradice SQR Wedge. At Brighton station, which was practically deserted, the gate check were done by pink jacketed 2012 volunteers, and the Southern employees ignored me completely, I didn't even bother to fold the bike, wheeled it through and caught the Gatwick Express. Was joined by an MTB (unfolded as an iron bar) whilst listening to the station announcements repeating the blanket ban on unfolded bikes.

Called Simon and repeated the situation, hopefully some of the riders were able to catch a train ride home?

Chris

 

[Dogtrousers]

That was great fun.

I would really like to have joined Team Slow, but I have a lot to do today so I needed to get home quickly and have a kip. And then not get on with any of the things I should be doing. Although I don't know how I'd have felt after climbing up out of Brighton. Another time, maybe.

No drama whatsoever getting a train back into town. By the way, in answer to someone further up the thread, the pedestrian underpass at E Croydon station is not closed. But it was flooded and horrifically slippery, especially in cycling shoes.

Special thanks go to:
Whoever handed my sunglasses to Simon. They are special ones with little magnifying inserts so I can read my handlebar mounted GPS and see well enough to do any on road maintainance. I'd be lost without them.
The coffee suppliers at the bottom of the Alpe d'Huez of the South Downs. That was really very appreciated.
And of course to the wayfinders and the tireless Simon.

If you're ever in Lindfield when the shops are open, and you like sausage rolls, try the sausage rolls from the place opposite where we sheletered.

I've put the route on the web here http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=3158446 . The GPS was actually showing precisely 1000m of ascent as we rolled into Brighton, but due to the mangling of data in uploading it has pinched 164m from that. And shortened it by 1.5 km.

Edit: PS, Chris: yes Simon passed the message on.

 

[rb58]

But it did mean we stopped Hand Cross for a non-alcoholic drinks (why is it the Germans have to be so sensible?) and fell upon the most amazing collection of vintage motor bikes but also including some interesting pedal bikes including an ancient Moulton. The proprietor was Biggles incarnate.

Our traditional stopping point on the SMRbtH, with the traditional request from said proprietor to move out bikes. He must have been quite confused today when team Team Fast had moved on only to be replaced by Team Slow. I bet he did a double take!

 

[martint235]

But it did mean we stopped Hand Cross for a non-alcoholic drinks (why is it the Germans have to be so sensible?) and fell upon the most amazing collection of vintage motor bikes but also including some interesting pedal bikes including an ancient Moulton. The proprietor was Biggles incarnate.

He's a great bloke isn't he? He always comes out to chat to us but never actually remembers us. This morning he was asking if we knew any of the group who regularly stopped outside his garage. Some of us owned up to being part of said group and Ian reminded him of the 'bent that it usually with us. I was just stunned by the attention to detail he must put in to getting dressed on a Saturday morning, spotless shoes, tie et al.