FNRttC Friday Night Ride to the Coast - SuperSpeedy to Harwich 16th September

[TimO]

And what's wrong with red tyres?

... and a red frame, and red brakes, and red bag ....

 

[BigGee]

Thanks to all for what was a great ride, probabably my most enjoyable FNRttC so far, partly because of the weather and also from the satisfaction of knowing that I can now manage this kind of speed and distance fairly comfortably as well as being special as for me it was a bit of a hometown ride.

Apologies on behalf of the people of Harwich and Dovercourt for the pretty poor showing at the cafe. My mum and dad where very unimpressed as well and there is definitely something better on offer in the town. Am very happy to get involved in the organising of that for next year if you would like with the help of the parents. My dad does vaguely know the guy who owns the cafe and assures me he will tell him of what we thought we he next sees him.

I deceided that the queue for food would not be helped by having an extra person in it and so headed back to the parental home for feeding and a bit of TLC.

My cunning plan to have a bit of a kip and then head gently home on the 16.30 train however spectaculerly backfired when someone took it upon themselves to jump in front of the train in front of us at Harold Wood. Ourt train was stopped pretty sharpish and then after a fair wait and a lot of apologies from the guard was backed up to Shenfield where we were kicked out and left to our own devices.

The only sensible option, in fact probably the only option was to cycle home from there and so I had to drag another 20 miles out of my tired body and retrace our steps of the previous night, Brentwood again, though this time fortunately without the drunks. The hills seemed a bit steeper this time as well, or was that just my imagination. I got home at about 20.00 to a slightly annoyed wife, who had come to the resonable conclusion that this was all my fault! Fortunately she forgave me enough to feed me! The only positive was that the extra mileage took me comfortably over the ton, with 115 for the whole trip. I know that is fairly insignificant in the conext of this forum biut it is the furthest I have ever done in one day so am left feeling quite satisfied from the whole affair. A very big respect for those that cycled all the way back, that wind was strong!

Having a bit of a chill now and then heading out to try and remove the rest of the sand from the bike. Thanks to all for a great ride and hopefully will see you all for Whitstable in November.

Hope you all enjoy the Brighton run

best wishes

Grahame

 

[Aperitif]

Well done on the ride total Grahame, and best wishes to your Mum and Dad who 'put out more flags' and offered a little bit of a history lesson as we waited for the tide to come in the jobettesworth to set out her table plan according to Fermat's Last Theorem. This stuff is all part of ride therapy, and luckily 'the usual suspects' didn't flounce off to some other caff in town (ok, the only other café in town had just been towed into position on the 'seafront' and was also unopen - and like me, unhitched ).
Besides, it is good for people like Titus and Stu to control their early-morning appetites.

 

[Aperitif]

I have a complaint to make about two police officers who abused me in the Clerkenwell Road. Being the law abiding person that we all know me to be, I braked hard to stop at a set of lights, even though I was in a hurry and they were just orangeing, only to receive the suggestion that I wouldn't have bothered had these two not been stood on the corner.

Did you flash your 'unwarranted' card at them?

 

[Aperitif]

For personal reasons? Certainly not. I contented myself with telling them that we would never know.

You could have mentioned that you were on last name terms with the new Commissioner of Polis, and that they would 'get both barrels' if there was a problem.

 

[Aperitif]

As they were armed, I could have suggested that it was only the fear of being shot that stopped me. They were sure as hell not going to catch me had I not stopped.

There's no mistaking your identity, mate - even though you were disguised with a helmet...one of those latent criminal devices these days, it is reported. You were safe in their hands...

 

[ianrauk]

In regards to the ride back and the aforementioned bastard headwind. From Harwich to Dartford, which was 75.9 miles. We still managed a thigh burning 16.2mph average speed . No wonder I can still feel the ride in my legs today.

Once myself, Martin and Rimas split at Crayford my average came do to a far more pootly sedate 13.3mph for the last 12 miles...

 

[Aperitif]

In regards to the ride back and the aforementioned bastard headwind. From Harwich to Dartford, which was 75.9 miles. We still managed a thigh burning 16.2mph average speed . No wonder I can still feel the ride in my legs today.

Once myself, Martin and Rimas split at Crayford my average came do to a far more pootly sedate 13.3mph for the last 12 miles...

Yeh well...that's because 'Shorty the arm warmer' was $iping about at the back for the business part of the ride, and when it came to setting off for home - he was away! (Must have been under orders ) It's really tiresome bashing back at 20 - 19 - 18 - 20 - 17 - 16 - 18 etc. My average was about 12 I reckon, after we parted, with one or two 'relieving' downhills!
The liberty to 'tank it' along unlit roads in the dark is something special though, innit?!

Edited to say that my legs were a bit tight first thing (yeah - I felt a touch 'Northern'...) but surprisingly pain-free at the moment. With a (nearly) nice clean bicycle and the open road beckoning...

 

[StuAff]

The liberty to 'tank it' along unlit roads in the dark is something special though, innit?!

That it is, though I was flagging a little when we got to the cyclocross part of the evening (at least big Martin and Mark had some company at the back...)- I certainly wasn't over the rest of the trip, and eyeballs stayed exactly where they should be. Pleasantly rapid and not over-strenuous. My moving average- bear in mind I didn't stop the Garmin at all between HPC and the caff, so including the trudge across the sand & the ferry crossing- was 13.8 mph, so Adrian's estimate of 15-17 sounds about right. Carrying the bike across was definitely the right option, it stayed a lot cleaner than last year (!).

The caf might have taken their time getting their act together when we arrived, as last year, but, again as last year, the food was good when it arrived. Worth the wait? Yup. The early-morning appetite might have been controlled, but not the mid-morning one And certainly at least a little more welcoming than that bloke at that hotel over the road....But if Grahame finds a better option for next year, fair enough.

Chapeau to the four of you for riding back, I certainly didn't fancy it with that headwind. Total mileage for the day just under the ton. Thanks one and all for yet another cracking night out.

 

[User10571]

So why did the train arrive in Harwich with so many people who didn't get off?

Those people are always on that train.
Always.

You should never question why that is so.

 

[martint235]

We still managed a thigh burning 16.2mph average speed .

Believe me, my whole body knows about it. I'm exhausted!! I kept looking at the Garmin and seeing 14mph so I'd just push that little bit harder. I wish I lived in Maldon!!

 

[Aperitif]

Believe me, my whole body knows about it. I'm exhausted!! I kept looking at the Garmin and seeing 14mph so I'd just push that little bit harder. I wish I lived in Maldon!!

I slept like a log last night - woke up in the fireplace...yeh yeh - my shoulders are happily achy this morning! Ba$tard wind.

 

[CharlieB]

Congrats to those four brave souls who that countered that wind. I'd have attempted it, too, were it not for the fact I needed to be back in Harrow by two to put together and present an Alternative Eighties radio show. I think that show ran on autopilot when it came to it. My new day record of 135m seems a bit lame compared to Ian, Rimas, 'Teef and Big Martin, but it's a start.

A ride I totally enjoyed - more rural than I'd expected, and some good pedal-to-the-metal bits in the last sections. My rolling average was 14.5, which I guess seems about the same as everyone else.

Harwich seems to possess a multiplicity of lighthouses and light ships, the history of which I must look up. Is the one by the pier open to the public?

Thank you all, as ever, for another fine night out.

 

[StuartG]

So why did the train arrive in Harwich with so many people who didn't get off?

Why do you assume they were people?

Harwich, that morn, was infested with even stranger beasts. Those that could pedal into the wind even faster than than with the wind. It is dangerous to inquire too much. They are not like us.

 

[martint235]

Yay! My local Polish shop sells those coffee sweets! Result!