FNRttC Friday Night Ride to the Coast - Felpham 31st August
- Thread starter dellzeqq
- Start date
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StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
Well, a phone call or two would sort that...
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
Night riding is good for me as it means I'm not screeching to a halt at odd times to look at postboxes, milestones, plaques, coal tax posts and other stuff which makes can make me rather an irritating riding companion.
U
User10571
Guest
Please read the bold and absorb.
Everyone. Yes, that means you, as well.
As an occasional TEC, few things piss me off more.
I like to keep the ride moving.
That is all.
Love & kisses, as usual.
J
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
+1
I have occasionally faffed myself, but I certainly don't try and make a habit of it. The other night I was just heading off into the trees at one point when the peloton started moving off. I turned back sharpish. As a TEC or waymarker you spend enough time waiting around on account of Important Stuff (mechanicals & such like) without waiting around for Unimportant Stuff like people not making those calls of nature when there's time to do so.
Honor Oak is a London Overground operated station. LO have an all day paralympic ban on non-folding bikes on all stations north of Forest Hill. I believe this extends to the platforms. So it probably doesn't matter if you were trying to catch a Southern train. Its got nothing to do with Southern. You could have just walked through the manned gates at Forest Hill. I had no problem catching a Southern train from the next station down the line at Sydenham (also LO operated) and there was already one other cyclist on board the same train you were probably trying to catch who had got on at Forest Hill. Two other retrobates boarded the same train at Balham to Victoria.
If you want to make a complaint about the confusion you need to address it to LO. Might be worth copying it to Southern pointing out LO, as gatekeepers, are depriving them of revenue.
NB to the confused - the Southern train travels south to get to Victoria.
kimble
Veteran
In defence of the faffers, sometimes when you've got to go, you've got to go! The first rule of the FNRttC is that when the peleton stops to regroup, you can guarantee that within 30 seconds of deciding that you've got enough time to do some housekeeping task, the call of "All up!" will come. To this effect, I've invested in a Ventisit seat pad (makes for less sweat-induced hypothermia necessitating layer changes when stopped) and taken to riding towards the back of the group when it's cold.
I don't know about anyone else, but I find an empty bladder can make for better overall progress anyway. Not that it mattered on this ride - I drank about 4 litres of water and was *still* dehydrated. It wasn't even particularly hot...
the general rule with all group rides is that one tries to reduce the risk, the failures and the frustrations. The risks I do my best with, but, while we can foster a culture I can't impose a collective consciousness. People don't react in an organised fashion to particular circumstances unless they get a bit of help.
The roadblocking manoeuvre out of Amberley was deliberate. I blocked the roundabout on the way out of Arundel. We blocked the northern end of Ford Road because it is narrow, there are parked cars and once northbound or southbound traffic gains control of that stretch cars coming the other way have to wait - this is as true when we're not there as it is when we are there. I failed to get hold of the ride when we came to the open bit of the ride, probably because I was too relaxed - and, by the time I started to move forward the police car was on its way....
As for the smaller frustrations, like people stopping for a pee or to change batteries.......stuff happens. As it goes I've said to people 'leave the light until we stop next' but that's on the basis of knowing that there's nothing dodgy in the next few miles, or that dawn is coming our way. I've seen rear lights out and simply positioned a rider with a working rear light to the right of the lightless one until we come to a stop. If the TECs see a light that's fading they can suggest a change of batteries at a convenient time.
I'm always a tad hacked off when people discover they've got a flat just as we start off from HPC or the halfway stop, but that's a rarity and one can sometimes organise a chasing group. But.......it's never going to be perfect.
The roadblocking manoeuvre out of Amberley was deliberate. I blocked the roundabout on the way out of Arundel. We blocked the northern end of Ford Road because it is narrow, there are parked cars and once northbound or southbound traffic gains control of that stretch cars coming the other way have to wait - this is as true when we're not there as it is when we are there. I failed to get hold of the ride when we came to the open bit of the ride, probably because I was too relaxed - and, by the time I started to move forward the police car was on its way....
As for the smaller frustrations, like people stopping for a pee or to change batteries.......stuff happens. As it goes I've said to people 'leave the light until we stop next' but that's on the basis of knowing that there's nothing dodgy in the next few miles, or that dawn is coming our way. I've seen rear lights out and simply positioned a rider with a working rear light to the right of the lightless one until we come to a stop. If the TECs see a light that's fading they can suggest a change of batteries at a convenient time.
I'm always a tad hacked off when people discover they've got a flat just as we start off from HPC or the halfway stop, but that's a rarity and one can sometimes organise a chasing group. But.......it's never going to be perfect.
Disagree Dell. Perfect is an outcome. Bognor was, for me, perfect.
Perfection can rise above some imperfect inputs. And group rides really help there. Feeble puncture repairists are brushed aside by iron fingered Tecs, failed lights are an excuse to gather a personal bodyguard. And when folks linger too long between trees or wander across the centre line admonitions as above are part of the learning process. We can't all be brilliant, dedicated and selfless cyclists like you Dell but we can inch a bit at a time in the right direction.
Those that do get more, those that don't mostly seem to be frozen out so is there really a problem? If the fuzz on the road out of Arundel is getting to you then I think you wrong again. You, and a few others, spotted it. You took action. It was just bad luck the fuzz got there first. Frankly the only useful change would be to trade in your Colnago for another zippy BMW or get some more aggressive gearing.
The choice is yours
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
Thanks StuartG for explaining the byzantine ins and outs of Southern and LO policy. All ended happily anyway - I caught myy intended train at Forest Hill and the mad dash round the South Circular served to highlight a minor mechanical that I fixed at HPC, which saved me from delaying the ride.
Andrew
Andrew
rb58
Enigma
- Location
- Bexley, Kent
Ouch! I turned my ankle over twice on this ride. Once on the way up to the start when a pedestrian stepped right out in front of me causing an emergency unclipping of the 'wrong' foot, and once negotiating the off road section after the Gurkha Bridge. Didn't think anything of it, and it didn't trouble my journey home on Saturday. However, wandering around London yesterday after a fairly relaxed lunch on a Thames Cruiser it started to swell and become quite painful. Two days on and I can't put any weight on it and my ankle resembles a (small and anaemic) balloon. There are hints of purple. I was planning to commute fixed this week for the first time, so I reckon my body got scared and has done this to stop me. Other than Arallsopp of this parish who is a master at it (and even has a place on his bike for his crutch), does anyone have any tips for one-legged cycling?
I still think it was a great ride though.
I still think it was a great ride though.
martint235
Dog on a bike
- Location
- Welling
Well what arallsopp did was ask me to set the pace on a SMRbtH. It's worth at least 3 visits to the physio 
U
User10571
Guest
Ouch! Sorry to read of this, Ross.
Application of ice immediately after trauma, is the usual fare to reduce swelling - although this far into the story that may be a little late...
When I tore the ligaments in my ankle a couple of years ago, walking was a total pain in the err..... ankle.
However, once I'd managed to clip in, pedalling was actually less painful than walking (because the cleat restricts the arcs through which the ankle can turn).
Clipping in and out took some grimacing, but I'm told that continuing to cycle was probably for the best as it allows the ankle to build up strength while it recovers from the trauma.
My main recollection of this was suddenly noticing how pi§§ed and uneven our pavements are!
Wishing you a speedy recovery!
J
Wobblers
Euthermic
- Location
- Minkowski Space
It's still worth applying ice even now. If that doesn't bring the swelling down and you still can't stand on your ankle, get yourself down to A&E to check it out. Seriously. Not being able to weight bear on an ankle is classed as an orthopedic emergency. Just don't ask me how I found that out...
That said, you've probably just sprained it, but it's best to be sure.
Wobblers
Euthermic
- Location
- Minkowski Space
2018304 said:
You're all jammy sods.
For the benefit of those who had the misfortune of missing this ride, you couldn't at least pretend that it wasn't The Best FNRttC EVER, please?
