FNRttC Friday Night Ride to the Coast - Whitstable 11th November

[Tim Hall]

That's quite enough of the pseudo religious bollocks.

I'm sure I heard John Humphrys say that on the Today programme, as he cut short Thought For The Day. Mind you, I have had a bang on the head.

 

[philk56]

Thanks to all for another great ride. They are becoming strangely addictive! Also seems like their fame is spreading - more than one person we encountered en route knew about them before we said anything.

 

[jefmcg]

Where were we? Bruce's photos show the clock on the church of St Mary of Charity Faversham, where I almost had a Damascene moment, at 8:05 so I guess we would have been just out of Sittingbourne.

Just past here - taken at 7.07am.

I was a fnrttc virgin, and had a wonderful time. Something that quite struck me about the evening was the sound scapes, particularly.

* The calls of "hole" moving down the group like the mating calls of rare wheeled frogs in spring
* At the call to move on, the staccato click of hundreds of cleats engaging: starting slowing, reaching a peak and dying down as the last few errant feet were clicked in.

thanks everyone

joan - Australian on the (I think) only small wheeled upright bike.

(btw, I was running two different tracking programs, and they messed up in two different ways: does anyone have a gpx track of the journey from Chatham to Teynham?)

 

[Mark Grant]

That looks like the top of Stickfast Lane.



EDIT. Adrian beat me to it!

 

[Mice]

That was end-to-end fun fun fun. Clear of rain, full of great company, along a brilliant route and included many supremely hilarious moments. For instance:

• the All Up TEC being introduced as "Davy Walnut Whips" (which I think is a 'Teefism - and even if I am wrong it is a great introduction to an even greater TEC!!);
• the street near Gravesend(?) - residential and still - apart from the silhouette of 80 cyclists lurking silently with their flashing lights - looking like something out of a film - whilst waiting for the All Up Call Up;
• The pavement-party-goers squawking at us and one of them not only touching Dells bike but then trying to ride it (even though he was on it at the time!)
• And as far the most supreme Look Mum No Hands (I'm unpacking my backpack, retrieving my Canon Sureshot, changing lenses, film, sending a few emails etc etc) whilst travelling quite fast down a hill towards a roundabout - I was so gobsmacked I nearly crashed into the pavement just watching (I am definitely a newbie). I am sure many people I cycle with can Look Mum No Hands too (User10571 can eat a banana, Topcat1 can take pics and Adrian can wave!) but I have never witnessed it quite like that. It was - fantastic (and am slightly envious!)

Despite missing familiar-and-friendly-elements-I-know - like User10571, Arallsopp and Teef, to name but three (silently thinking Ianrauk, ttcycle, Mista Preston, Red Jedi, Origamist, TimHall+HMQM, Becs and Andrij to name but nine) there was nearly a full complement of the four PBPers that I groupied in July - it sadly excluded Zigzag but did include Swarm_Catcher, Frank975 and Polepol. Fabulous! And there were several people I havent seen for a while like a Paul I met on a 50 Hilly ride round Kent last year, Martin, User1314 and Its Bruce who I havent seen for a couple of months. And many new friendly faces too.

I had two (thankfully minor) mechanicals - Sheldon thingy research to follow - as the chain keeps coming off. The first time the sky was pitch-black so I couldn't see how to unknot the chain and put it back but luckily Frank975 and Mistral swooped by, threw light and fabulous assistance on said subject so I was on my way in seconds. A couple of hours later it came off again and Polepol kindly helped pick up the back wheel for a speedy recovery. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Breakfast was delicious (and larger than anticipated as I inadvertently ended up with two!) the beer pantone showed its party face and much hilariousness continued through the day. All the way home in fact - and even though User1314 seems unsure of the train journey - it was extremely entertaining and everyone seemed perfectly sober to me.

Thank you for a great time and I look forward to the next one

M




Unfortunately my pics are a bit rubbish - will try harder next time but they are here

Edit for typing error and spacing!!

 

[dellzeqq]

I forgot to introduce PBPtandemistes Joth and Em to the assembled multitude at Hyde Park Corner - apologies.

It turns out there were 90 of us.

Some of the breakfast and subsequent train conversation is coming back to me. Frank claimed that sport is a distraction from the study of economics, neglecting the obvious, which is that both are aesthetic critiques of political structures. I think that one ended Neo-Hegelians 7 (DZ 5, 12, 39, 48, 56, 79, FP og 90+3) Oliver Williamsonites 1 (FP 90+4). Susie told us that Proust was boring - time for a book at bedtime and we'll just see who falls asleep first. There was some confusion about the origins of the beer - Adnams comes from Suffolk. And if you've not heard about Adrian's trip to Mechanics Mate then you're just going to have to ask him.

Oh - Clive. The Watefront jukebox has the entirety of American Beauty on it. I played this...
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9uyMjzmT3k

 

[BalkanExpress]

Lunchtime here so a few further random thoughts



My first Whitstable run. The run out through London is spectacular with all the sights lit up: the London eye and the South Bank Centre were worth the trip alone.



Heading east, definitely not my manor and my pre-conceptions were happily disabused by splendour of the Maritime museum. Of course, they were then rapidly reinforced by the Hogarthian scenes on whichever high street it was we rolled through soon after.



One big sustained burst of speed from the TECs after repairing Andy's (?) puncture. As I said (gasped) at the time, it felt like I'd brought a knife to a gun fight as I clung onto the tail of the road bikes. I did not get dropped but the lesson is clear: oversized alu frame tubes and conti travel contacts at 80 psi may be a quick(ish) combination but it is not a comfy combination.



Big roads and small roads. I can not recall the last time I went down any roads as large as we did in the early hours of Saturday. This made the contrast with those tiny country lanes all the greater and all the more enjoyable.



Lots and lots of fun. Just the whole thing … you know all that stuff and all the people that makes FNRttC so special

 

[Davywalnuts]

Five punctures, one of which was Davy's failure to repair the first one properly with a patch that just missed the actual hole!

Slander!!

..

..

Anyhow, Whitstable, stuff dreams and brown and yellow beer, bliss.. this time however, I gave my wee liver a rest as I was rather tired and hungover from a Thursday night bogof cocktail exploit and cycled back. What was rather stupid as one, there always seems to be more hills on the way back (ahem, Martin..), and two, I was ignoring my legs appeal for rest.. oh well.

So yes, great ride again so thank you one and all, the half way stop and the River Front.

The ride out from the very back gives a completely different perspective and from the last two chilly outings, where I had to borrow jackets from fellow custodians of the night, of which I am still in beer debt to for my gratitude, I wrapped up a lot more warmer and hence forth, almost regained full turtle appearance once again. This however, seemed to be my downfall, as not only was I too warm and had over heating issues, I was yelled at my some yobs, to the drunken mumbled words of, " c'mon fatty, you can do it, keep up!"... NOT IMPRESSED!! Along with, as Martin235 will affirm, two very close within a foot pass of two numpty motons, I kept my cool... just.

Baring that, as long as I am doing a good job as described and required, I love it being Lantern Rouge, it does give me a power trip.. but is ultimately very rewarding and I am humbled by the thanks and appreciation. However, this is a collective and I am mearly another cog in a well oiled and special group of riders.

The re-kindling of love for these rides became very apparent to me in the latter stages of the ride, where first timers and those suffering battle on on all types of steeds and pushing boundaries never done before. For an experienced night-rider and mile muncher, I wasn't really and haven't been appreciating, nor remembering the physical and mental issues for quite some time and seeing the determination and joy of the last lady pushing on at the very end, was very rewarding and heart warming. Well done and to all the others too, great stuff.

The journey back.. deary me... next time, am going my way, the reverse of the ride and not via these relentless poxy hills. Martin235 is a great, strong rider and so my appreciation goes for putting up with my barrage and coming back for me and waiting when my mechanical occurred. As i've got older, ahem, matured, I am appreciating the joy of cycling more rather than just a A-B route. And so I really wanted to sit back, relax and enjoy the ride home so at Rochester, I let Big M off the leash and pootled my own way home, which, for once, I did not mess up and go around in circles. I took in the sights of London and had fish n chips from a shop next Big M's house, but ate them once over Shooters Hill.. There in, it was just a gentle coast home ignoring the blinkered scalpers on their fixies and enjoying the beautiful sites on Chelsea Embankment.

So home to more fish and chips and tinnies of John Smiths, but my justification was 160.5miles of riding, great riding and memories that I still smile about. Ah, the beauty of a night ride, of which only us really understand and love.

 

[TimO]

btw, I was running two different tracking programs, and they messed up in two different ways: does anyone have a gpx track of the journey from Chatham to Teynham?

I've got a GPX track, which I'll edit, upload and post a link to one of the mapping sites, eventually!

• And as far the most supreme Look Mum No Hands (I'm unpacking my backpack, retrieving my Canon Sureshot, changing lenses, film, sending a few emails etc etc) whilst travelling quite fast down a hill towards a roundabout - I was so gobsmacked I nearly crashed into the pavement just watching (I am definitely a newbie). I am sure many people I cycle with can Look Mum No Hands too (User10571 can eat a banana, Topcat1 can take pics and Adrian can wave!) but I have never witnessed it quite like that. It was - fantastic (and am slightly envious!)

... I had two (thankfully minor) mechanicals - Sheldon thingy research to follow - as the chain keeps coming off. ...

I can cycle "hands off", and certainly do sometimes to eat, drink, or take photos, although it's a skill which should be used very carefully in group rides, because a sudden requirement to brake, when you've got no hands on the handlebars at all is a bit of a recipe for disaster. On last years first Martletts ride I almost came undone when, even though we were near the back with very few cyclists, someone suddenly braked, and I was trying to take a photo. I did manage to get a hand back on the handlebars and brake before I hit anyone (or anyone went into me), but it was close!

This is the article you need to read, on the late Sheldon Brown's website:

Derailer Adjustment

(Sheldon had a bit of a thing about how you spell that, I prefer the French spelling "dérailleur").

It's quite a long article, but quite informative, and some of the rest of the text may not be directly needed at this point, but could come in useful. It's worth reading the whole thing, then look at your bike and make sure that you can match up the bits described with your own bike (they'll be similar, but not necessarily identical), and then go back and look at the article again! You may well then need to ask the odd question in the appropriate forum on here, or another of the bike sites, but I'm sure you'll get a sympathetic response.

Dérailleurs are a bit of a black art, and some of it will end up being a case of fiddling with it, until it works, because whilst your problem seems to be primarily the front dérailleur, occasionally you may need to shift the rear one slightly as well (depending!). I think you've only got a double on the front, which should make things easier, since I always find triples a faff, but with a double the main issue is making sure that you don't overshift, which is what your gears are currently doing. With triples you need to get them to work happily in the middle as well, which invariably they won't (or not whilst working nicely at the two extremes as well!)

One big sustained burst of speed from the TECs after repairing Andy's (?) puncture. As I said (gasped) at the time, it felt like I'd brought a knife to a gun fight as I clung onto the tail of the road bikes. I did not get dropped but the lesson is clear: oversized alu frame tubes and conti travel contacts at 80 psi may be a quick(ish) combination but it is not a comfy combination.

I can't remember exactly when/where any sustained bursts of speed occurred with the TECs, but it's always a bit of a judgement call over whether the puncturee (and anyone else with them) can do a bit more speed, which is useful in an effort to get the ride moving again. We wouldn't leave anyone behind, so the final TEC or two would always stay with anyone else, but other TECs may move up (i) to encourage people in that group to go faster, rather than dawdling along when possibly they can go faster, and (ii) it also allows someone to move up the field and tell any waymarkers that things are happening, and they haven't been left! (and occasionally also find other people dealing with problems).

 

[martint235]

The journey back.. deary me... next time, am going my way, the reverse of the ride and not via these relentless poxy hills. Martin235 is a great, strong rider and so my appreciation goes for putting up with my barrage and coming back for me and waiting when my mechanical occurred. As i've got older, ahem, matured, I am appreciating the joy of cycling more rather than just a A-B route. And so I really wanted to sit back, relax and enjoy the ride home so at Rochester, I let Big M off the leash and pootled my own way home, which, for once, I did not mess up and go around in circles. I took in the sights of London and had fish n chips from a shop next Big M's house, but ate them once over Shooters Hill.. There in, it was just a gentle coast home ignoring the blinkered scalpers on their fixies and enjoying the beautiful sites on Chelsea Embankment.

There aren't THAT many hills on the way back. I did stay awake for a little while just in case you did stop by for a cuppa but sleep beckoned about 4ish. What time did you pass? The fish and chips from that shop are very nice!!!

 

[Mice]

I can cycle "hands off"

Ooooops! Sorry! I didnt mean to imply that whoever-it-was-on-Friday was the only person who could - it was just that I haven't seen it that close up whilst pedalling that fast for what seemed like 10 minutes or more before - so I was somewhat dumbstruck. But now I know you can - I look forward to the next FNRttC!!

This is the article you need to read, on the late Sheldon Brown's website:

Derailer Adjustment

(Sheldon had a bit of a thing about how you spell that, I prefer the French spelling "dérailleur").

It's quite a long article, but quite informative, and some of the rest of the text may not be directly needed at this point, but could come in useful. It's worth reading the whole thing, then look at your bike and make sure that you can match up the bits described with your own bike (they'll be similar, but not necessarily identical), and then go back and look at the article again! You may well then need to ask the odd question in the appropriate forum on here, or another of the bike sites, but I'm sure you'll get a sympathetic response.

Dérailleurs are a bit of a black art, and some of it will end up being a case of fiddling with it, until it works, because whilst your problem seems to be primarily the front dérailleur, occasionally you may need to shift the rear one slightly as well (depending!). I think you've only got a double on the front, which should make things easier, since I always find triples a faff, but with a double the main issue is making sure that you don't overshift, which is what your gears are currently doing. With triples you need to get them to work happily in the middle as well, which invariably they won't (or not whilst working nicely at the two extremes as well!)

This is awesome information. Thank you so much Tim. What a star!

M

 

[Davywalnuts]

Thank you TMNT.. ;-). Always a great talk and loving the new steed. Indeed, I spoke to ALOT of people at the back and new ones too, great fun, even in my hungovered state, so the pleasure was all mine.

No Big M, there was lots of long uphill drags, which I just dont like. Am a Cavendish of these worlds, not a Schleck... keep it flat and am a happy bunny and will certainly moan less...

Passed about then actually as it was getting quite dark, but yes, very nice indeed!

 

[BalkanExpress]

Davy

did you get the grease mark off the new jacket?

 

[Davywalnuts]

Davy

did you get the grease mark off the new jacket?

No... Been told I would need to re-proof it, so will wait a while... if only I had cleaned the chain....

 

[mistral]

Ooooops! Sorry! I didnt mean to imply that whoever-it-was-on-Friday was the only person who could - it was just that I haven't seen it that close up whilst pedalling that fast for what seemed like 10 minutes or more before - so I was somewhat dumbstruck. But now I know you can - I look forward to the next FNRttC!!



This is awesome information. Thank you so much Tim. What a star!

M

M, take a look at this one too, good luck
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