FNRttC Friday Night Ride to the Coast - Southend on Sea June 29th - the Genteel Ride

[StuartG]

This applies to all trains​

travelling towards London, Kensington
(Olympia) or Brighton, and trains leaving
London, Kensington (Olympia) or
Brighton between 27 July - 9 Sept 2012.

This is ambiguous or worse. The correct name for Kensington (Olympia) is Kensington (Olympia) KPA and not 'London, Kensington (Olympia)'.

Hence I read it that non-folders are banned for all Southern trains arriving/leaving 'London' as well as Olympia. I hope I'm wrong and no station staff read it that way. Otherwise your diversionary tactics could fail. Alternatively why don't we just declare this ride 'D-(itchling) Day for Brommies' and have done with it?

 

[StuAff]

That wording says trains to or from Brighton. Presumably that means services going west and east as well..or if not they're giving themselves the opportunity to be a PITA to even more people. If I needed to get a train west I'd be screwed....

 

[StuartG]

That wording says trains to or from Brighton. Presumably that means services going west and east as well..or if not they're giving themselves the opportunity to be a PITA to even more people. If I needed to get a train west I'd be screwed....

Yes I read it that Brighton is a non-biking zone except for FCC. Of course that means FCC would be swamped and would turn us away anyway. The weird thing is if we went to Southend (again) then C2C would have no problem bringing us back within spitting distance of that dammed stadium.

I think the situation is not helped by some companies having to donate rolling stock from other services to the expected Olympic hotspot routes.

 

[Tim Hall]

Getting to the start of the ride will also present problems for some.

 

[dellzeqq]

well, I've spoken to Southern and they don't know. So there.

 

[Tim Hall]

I'm just going by the text of the Southern announcement. No bikes on trains from Brighton or to London Town Devine (I paraphrase slightly). No mention of it getting easier by the time I leap on the Pasty Special at 2232 at Three Bridges.

I shall remain optimistic.

 

[clarion]

we cannot accommodate ordinary
cycles on some Southern services
during this time.

s'OK. I've got a Safety.

 

[CopperBrompton]

s'OK. I've got a Safety.

Please video your education of Southern staff.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Seems I won't be joining you on this one, as Simon has decided I'm unwelcome as I'm a 'controversialist'. I assume this relates to the fact that we fairly frequently disagreed with each other in Politics & Life (as was) threads two years ago, though personally I always debated the issue not the person.

Obviously I could take the view that the ride takes place on public roads and Simon doesn't actually get to say who can & can't ride on them on any particular night, but meeting pettiness with pettiness isn't really my thing, so I shall leave it be.

 

[srw]

My social secretary has confirmed that I'm available and that by that stage of June she'd really rather be anywhere than on a bike, so I'll be Bromptoning. Which may or may not turn out to be an interesting challenge.

http://www.justgiving.com/LonJoGforCityBeat

If you fancied supporting my stoker-cum-social-secretary as she raises money to buy a studio for hospital radio* on the way to the frozen north, I'd be grateful. And would encourage my inclination to dress up for the ride - which may turn out to be an error of judgement if the weather's like it was last weekend. And if I dress up, the redoubtable Greg MacCollins of Clan Collins has also promised to dress up - in a kilt.

*other LonJoggers are also raising money to buy studios for hospital radio!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I will let my celtic alter-ego loose; Gréagóir O'Coileáin. But whilst in a kilt I won't be wearing tartan.

Oh yeah, and I'm a Stewart of Appin/MacLeod on my paternal great grandmother's side.

 

[robgul]

I'm interested in this BUT can't make any sense of the info on the website as far as the destination/route etc is concerned ... I know the area pretty well*, my interest in the route is for selection of machine - fixed or geared - what do I need to do?

I'm CTC & BC so I assume that covers the insurance bit

Rob

* I first cycled to Southend (from Buckhurst Hill) in about 1962 IIRC on a Scouts outing, aged 15 ... there was a tarmac cycle path either side of the A127 dual carriageway from about Gallows Corner to Rochford - it was a regular haunt of "clubmen" wearing plus-twos and argyle socks.

 

[StuAff]

Rob, the final route is always Simon's choice- variations are sometimes made to allow for conditions (and the condition of riders) that night. We might well be going up Bread & Cheese hill again, but otherwise pretty much as flat as the proverbial pancake.

 

[srw]

The most important thing to do is to drop an email to the address on the website, and be patient - both in waiting for a reply from someone who's organising a week-long tour and in waiting for 100-odd riders to catch up with wherever you happen to be.

 

[TimO]

... I'm CTC & BC so I assume that covers the insurance bit ...

If you're a member of the CTC, then you're insurance is covered, any BC membership is irrelevant. You'll also need to pay Simon your £2 annual Fridays membership, but he's normally happy to accept that after the ride (so he doesn't have to carry lots of pound coins!)

The route of last months Southend Ride shows a potential route, although Simon may change it slightly or a lot, as he chooses. The Southend Ride is typically the shortest and flatest of the routes. This one, in particular, is likely to be easier than any other ride (hence the "Genteel Ride"). I've done all the rides (using their routes of a few years ago) on a singlespeed of around 65", and the only bit I walked was part of the way up Ditchling Beacon. None of the rides (excepting some of the Superspeedy ones) are really difficult, so you're unlikely to have any problems with the Southend one.

This image shows three Southend Routes used over the last three years, and you can see the somewhat different southerly one that used to be used, vs the one which has been used more recently (with a quite different halfway stop however).