FNRttC Friday Night Ride to the Coast - Felpham near Bognor 22nd April 2011

[Flying Dodo]

Another indicator of Adam's Amazing Adventures - this time, a recent visit to CapeTown - and this swish, sexy safari print cycling jersey, and tan lines!

Some people are always wanting to see the back of me, so you must have got my best side.

 

[Aperitif]

^Ha ha!
Clive - you're too kind. And on drugs.
In my earlier post with photos, I alluded to the noise and a possible cause was linked to... trust you lot not to read! (Disclaimer: I have no idea from whence we approached so it may not be relevant. It was definitely duck noise though, and I think it was prowling foxes, alerted by the chit chat of the FNR, that started getting jumpy from their 'stalking mode' - thereby alerting the ducks. Eider know.

 

[Aperitif]

If I am not nearby at the relevant moment, when a person might be thinking about bailing on Ditchling Beacon, where you can see warning sign for horses you are nearly there and it is just round the corner after that sign.

Adrian is a renowned neigh sayer.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Guess that must have been you lot whizzing past Horsham Station, 100m from my front door, in the wee small hours of Saturday then. Sorry I couldn't join in but family events intervened and rescinded my pass.

 

[Aperitif]

The idea of knocking you up was discussed.

Last discussed circa 1982, at the 'Dog and Bacon', by Mavis Fifield and Hattie Sharpshotts...

(Greg refused all advances apparently!)

 

[Aperitif]

Yeh - obvious 'bad taste' needs to be exported to the badlands toute de suite...

 

[CharlieB]

Thank you all for a most enjoyable night/morning. The night bordered from the balmy at departure time, to bordering on uncomfortably chilly at Faygate, to hot hot hot by the time we got to the beautiful avenue of trees that edged the castle estate on the approach to Arundel.

It was nice to meet and talk en route to some new people, and hopefully the ever-present bonhomie that exists on these rides will encourage and ensure their return.

One piece of spectator dialogue that stuck for me was in the Mitcham/Sutton areas, when we met a couple of fairly totally pi55ed guys, while waiting at a set of lights:
"look at 'im, 'e's not even wearing a f00kin' 'elmet"
"'e don't need one - look at 'is hair"
And this addressed to Tim O.

Thanks to teef for the good wishes and hope that I made my radio show on time. I was due to be broadcasting a 1 hr radio show in the middle of a busy shopping centre at 4 o'clock on Saturday. Plan A was a leisurely trip back to get cleaned up, changed into something more respectable and arrive in good time.
What actually happened was a slightly delayed train meant a frantic dash from Victoria to Baker Street station in a PB of 5½ minutes, to reach where I was supposed to be with 12 minutes to spare, nonetheless wearing the clothes I had been wearing all night.

I had a couple of photos to load here, but still can't get any of the proprietary websites to co-operate with me in uploading. (are they just not Mac-friendly or what?)

 

[Origamist]

Without wanting to sound overly effusive, this was a wonderful ride with some magical moments: a few fugitive meteors in the firmament (the Lyrids) were enchanting, the misty dawn in West Sussex was bewitching, Arundel Castle was a beautiful sight to behold as we homed in on Feplham, but to top it all, Adam's RSA jersey was so sublime (El Greco inspired?) that I was overcome with emotion and had to sit next to him in the cafe in order to feast my eyes at close quarters. Beauty can indeed make you feel nauseous...

Marginalia:

@Mart - the woman who had a week's supply of food in her panniers was Lisa. Her knee was giving her trouble, but she doughtily persisted to the end.

@Sketchley - it was me who bought you the pint. I also recall discussing the merits of a vodka laced, chocolate milkshake with you.

@Becs - thanks for the prosecco and cake - much appreciated. Hope you enjoyed the day in Bognor.

@Wanda - apologies for ignoring you at Stockwell on the way to the ride. See you on the commute.

@Luke - Happy 30th!

@Gareth - the owner of the quietest deep-section wheels I have ever heard.

It was great to catch up with so many people on this ride and I'm looking forward to Whitstable already.

 

[StuAff]

Thank you all for a most enjoyable night/morning. The night bordered from the balmy at departure time, to bordering on uncomfortably chilly at Faygate, to hot hot hot by the time we got to the beautiful avenue of trees that edged the castle estate on the approach to Arundel.

It was nice to meet and talk en route to some new people, and hopefully the ever-present bonhomie that exists on these rides will encourage and ensure their return.

One piece of spectator dialogue that stuck for me was in the Mitcham/Sutton areas, when we met a couple of fairly totally pi55ed guys, while waiting at a set of lights:
"look at 'im, 'e's not even wearing a f00kin' 'elmet"
"'e don't need one - look at 'is hair"
And this addressed to Tim O.

Thanks to teef for the good wishes and hope that I made my radio show on time. I was due to be broadcasting a 1 hr radio show in the middle of a busy shopping centre at 4 o'clock on Saturday. Plan A was a leisurely trip back to get cleaned up, changed into something more respectable and arrive in good time.
What actually happened was a slightly delayed train meant a frantic dash from Victoria to Baker Street station in a PB of 5½ minutes, to reach where I was supposed to be with 12 minutes to spare, nonetheless wearing the clothes I had been wearing all night.

I had a couple of photos to load here, but still can't get any of the proprietary websites to co-operate with me in uploading. (are they just not Mac-friendly or what?)

Tried Flickr? Their Mac uploader software works OK for me, if somewhat slowly.

 

[mmmmartin]

I thought that noise coming from The Countryside* was coming from my front wheel, then the derailleur, then possibly my knees. I decided in the end it was a load of ducks squaking. Probably because we had woken them up.*formerly a synonym for the murder of Piers Morgan.

 

[User10571]

That reminds me - just what on earth was making that weird noise in the bushes on Rusper golf course? There were an awful lot of them. Demented ducks, frolicing frogs, humping hares? Anyone know?

North American Bullfrogs - from what it sounded like to me.
I have also heard them on the Thames & Medway Canal between Gravesend and Higham, where I know they're rife at this time of year.
They are, apparently a nuisance and a threat to our amphibious wildlife.

 

[Wobblers]

Thanks for a fantastic night.

It had everything:

Strange noises from the undergrowth.

Davy Walnut's thighs.

Locals bedazzled, nay, mesmerised, by our array of lights.

The sky lit up by meteors.

Marvelous drifting mist banks at dawn.

Arundel in all its early morning fairy tale glory.

Our very own knight of the road, Aperitif (I may consider forgiving you for your wholly unjustified threats to my person with that plastic sword. Applications, accompanied with the requisite cash, to be sent to P.O. Box 1001, please).

Old friends and new faces: it's always nice to meet the person behind the avatar. Having Mice and Becs turn up at the post-ride piss up debrief was a very nice surprise. Hope the shoulder heals quickly, Miranda. Happy birthday, RedJedi (well, alright, it was yesterday now, but you know what I mean)!

To cap it all, not merely did I manage not to get lost on the mad dash from Victoria to Paddington, but I even caught my train! I must be getting better at this navigation lark!

 

[arallsopp]

Huzzah! Video up (at last) at youtube.


[media]

]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u38dVN9_3-Y[/media]




Had forgotten all manner of things re compression formats and file sizes and ways and whatnots, but got there in the end! Phew.

Great riding with you all,

Andy.

 

[redflightuk]

Great vid Andy. Same goes for all the piccies and write ups of the ride. Thanks to all for a very enjoyable trip to the seaside, i missed the strange sounds from the birds or ??. The bit i wasn't looking forward to on the Vortex was the offroad part, but that was fun in the end. Got zapped by the leccie fence at the second gate and had an inch clearance over the narrow bridge. Almost slid off the track through the wood getting around the tree(right wheel on the edge) and managed to somehow get the trike over the gate at the end of the track on my own. Next came my favourite part of the ride, the up and down the left then the right and that tree lined run to the bridge in Arundel. After breakfast i headed off with a group to the station(thanks Charlotte for sorting the groupsave and gaurd)Got back to London then decided to ride home, 2 1/2 hours later with a couple of refuelling stops i arrived at the stables, went and sat on a straw bale and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

see you all soon . john

 

[martint235]

Huzzah! Video up (at last) at youtube.


Andy.

I did say that the garage at Gatwick would make for a rivetting part of the video and how right I was!!!