Arthur
Comfortably numb and increasingly fixed.
- Location
- Gillingham, Kent
FNRttC Friday Night Ride to the Coast - Whitstable, 15th August
- Thread starter dellzeqq
- Start date
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sagefly
Veteran
Great video and mixing, thanks.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
Coming over the Graveney marshes I saw Charlie up ahead, and thought I'd catch him to say goodbye. After all, how hard can it be to catch a guy on a SS Brompton, on the flat? I left the shelter of the group I was in and found that the answer was "very hard indeed". I caught the speeding Charlie but I was blowing hard by the time we got to Seasalter, where I left the ride.
I figured that the reason that I've never ridden back from Whitstable is that I can't face going back over the marshes. I have an aversion to going back the way I came, I have to make a loop. So I went back over the Downs. This is a beautiful route, and I really recommend it. True, there's a lot of uphill but there are only a few really steep sections - just lots of constant gradients. As I was on my own there were no worries about getting left behind, or leaving others behind. I trundled through woodland, open fields, and sunken lanes. At one point a kestrel appeared and for some reason flew in front of me for quite a while, very low, flicking from side to side.
A word of warning. If ever you are planning a route and think that this bit of track may be passable. Think again. It starts well enough and has a sustrans bike path sign but it soon requires mountain bike skills that I do not posess. My bike is now covered with mud and I with scratches from falling off into the brambles. I walked the last km or so.
At the end of this I realised that I had now lost so much time that my chances of crossing the Medway on the M2 bridge and getting home by the time I had faithfully promised were gone. A telling off was on the cards. So I headed off to Maidstone & the train.
Here's a pic of Upchurch
I figured that the reason that I've never ridden back from Whitstable is that I can't face going back over the marshes. I have an aversion to going back the way I came, I have to make a loop. So I went back over the Downs. This is a beautiful route, and I really recommend it. True, there's a lot of uphill but there are only a few really steep sections - just lots of constant gradients. As I was on my own there were no worries about getting left behind, or leaving others behind. I trundled through woodland, open fields, and sunken lanes. At one point a kestrel appeared and for some reason flew in front of me for quite a while, very low, flicking from side to side.
A word of warning. If ever you are planning a route and think that this bit of track may be passable. Think again. It starts well enough and has a sustrans bike path sign but it soon requires mountain bike skills that I do not posess. My bike is now covered with mud and I with scratches from falling off into the brambles. I walked the last km or so.
At the end of this I realised that I had now lost so much time that my chances of crossing the Medway on the M2 bridge and getting home by the time I had faithfully promised were gone. A telling off was on the cards. So I headed off to Maidstone & the train.
Here's a pic of Upchurch
Andrij
Über Member
- Location
- Thulcandra
slowmotion
Quite dreadful
- Location
- lost somewhere
I owe Archie a public apology for snaffling his breakfast by mistake.
Here is a weak attempt at a panorama at Upchurch.
Many thanks to the Scarecrows, the TECs and, as ever, Our Great and Glorious Leader, Simon.
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Chapeau!
Good to dine with you ... one day I'll ride back with you!
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Well what a great destination Whitstable is!
I had a great night out, a ride in four movements:
The opening movement was the build-up, the coach down, the rendevouz with @User and @theclaud and a host of others at Victoria, the regular joy that is meeting many others at HPC and the run out along the embankement and out through the East London.
Then there's the second difficult movement, which starts with the semi-industrial wastelands from Dartford-ish, however big wide well-lit roads makes for easy going if nothing else until the melancholy turns to instant joy on arrival at Strood where the team did a most excellent job (and @Mice did her best to eat it all) - Thanks Trickdem and all.
After the (near) obligatory post-snack puncture stop, the 3rd movement revealed a cracking dawn, a real taste of the countryside complete with Medway views, more rabbits than I've ever seen in one field, flat-lands and marshes, shanty towns.
The roads good and I was in such good company chatting away to Charlotte B... that the Harbour cafe came as something of a shock to us both.
This 3rd movement I need to repeat as so engrossed was I that I forgot to fully admire the scenery. The 4th and final movement opens strongly with a cracking brekkie in good companyamongst others@ianrauk @Andrij and more.
All is well, but then I seem to fall into darker company under the spirit of much ale and talk of kittys ....
... after several attempts I manage to break free only to be further provoked into more ale supping on a train with @theclaud @mistral @slowmotion @srw ....
I awoke at some stage to find both kidneys intact and a train ticket (thanks kindly @srw). I even managed to find a coach back to Oxford in order to complete a quiet final ending to the piece as I nursed quite a headache on my ride from Oxford home ....
After a shower and change I managed to take the kids for a Pizza and was in bed for 2130 whereupon I slept like a dead man ... in fact the best nights sleep I've had in months .... I can't think why.
So thanks Simon, Susie, the TEC's the Wayfinders and those whose chatty warmth make for another great night. Once again I realise that in all the fun I failed to make visual acquaintance with many who's company I enjoy on-line. Must do better next time.
Oh, by the way, did I mention that it didn't rain?
FF xx
I had a great night out, a ride in four movements:
The opening movement was the build-up, the coach down, the rendevouz with @User and @theclaud and a host of others at Victoria, the regular joy that is meeting many others at HPC and the run out along the embankement and out through the East London.
Then there's the second difficult movement, which starts with the semi-industrial wastelands from Dartford-ish, however big wide well-lit roads makes for easy going if nothing else until the melancholy turns to instant joy on arrival at Strood where the team did a most excellent job (and @Mice did her best to eat it all) - Thanks Trickdem and all.
After the (near) obligatory post-snack puncture stop, the 3rd movement revealed a cracking dawn, a real taste of the countryside complete with Medway views, more rabbits than I've ever seen in one field, flat-lands and marshes, shanty towns.
The roads good and I was in such good company chatting away to Charlotte B... that the Harbour cafe came as something of a shock to us both.
This 3rd movement I need to repeat as so engrossed was I that I forgot to fully admire the scenery. The 4th and final movement opens strongly with a cracking brekkie in good companyamongst others@ianrauk @Andrij and more.
All is well, but then I seem to fall into darker company under the spirit of much ale and talk of kittys ....
... after several attempts I manage to break free only to be further provoked into more ale supping on a train with @theclaud @mistral @slowmotion @srw ....
I awoke at some stage to find both kidneys intact and a train ticket (thanks kindly @srw). I even managed to find a coach back to Oxford in order to complete a quiet final ending to the piece as I nursed quite a headache on my ride from Oxford home ....
After a shower and change I managed to take the kids for a Pizza and was in bed for 2130 whereupon I slept like a dead man ... in fact the best nights sleep I've had in months .... I can't think why.
So thanks Simon, Susie, the TEC's the Wayfinders and those whose chatty warmth make for another great night. Once again I realise that in all the fun I failed to make visual acquaintance with many who's company I enjoy on-line. Must do better next time.
Oh, by the way, did I mention that it didn't rain?
FF xx
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
All of my leftovers, I think you meant.
You may have done. Don't push your luck
srw
It's a bit more complicated than that...
You were escorted to a cashpoint at Victoria to pay me for it...
Delighted to hear that the ride home passed off smoothly. You do need to train those children of yours to cook.
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
It's not often nowadays I have all 3 at home at the same time so a meal out is time well spent ... and paying is easier than clearing up!
velovoice
Veteran
- Location
- Between the City and the Sea
Yes he has got one and it'll appear in due course but not tonight as he has been chasing Lancasters and it's now past his bed time.
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
As strange as it may seem, including next Friday (
) out of five FNRs since the tour this is the only one I'll have done. Most I've missed since I started. Southend was the same weekend as Sonisphere, Manchester remains on the to-do list, I'm in a minority of one (and perfectly happy to remain so) on Southwold. I couldn't get leave in order to get to Cardiff, thus denying me the chance to have another nice relaxing 220 miler. But, looking on the bright side, Whistable is always a cracker, even when @Fab Foodie's presence threatens a repeat of Wetstable. This was not an exception.
Got out of the door at work nice and early, always a good start as it enabled me to catch the train into Waterloo rather than the later, change at Three Bridges & meet en route option. Trip to HPC was uneventful, though I seemed to catch every red light on the way. Pleasure to see @Andrij and @iLB again, the latter on another familiar but not recently seen 'friend', @ianrauk's Roubaix. @User kindly refused to let me pay for his (mistakenly bought) ticket back from Olaf's Dunwich ride (thanks again).
Early pace was positively frenetic- at one point my overall average was 12 mph! Not too many mechanicals (well, after the puncture at the Arch...) and a helpful tailwind the reasons for that. Gravesend was reached at 2.30 or so where @Trickedem surprised/alarmed his good lady wife with the news of our more than likely early arrival. Further punctures delayed us a little, though not much, and the front of the ride reached Strood at 3.30 or so. As ever, Angela (Mrs D) and team laid on a cracking spread. My donations came to two teas, two rolls and four bits of cake. Blessed are the cakemakers. Thanks again to @srw for the unwanted gels etc. Basser Hill came as a shock to at least a few, I ended up in bottom gear. Angry Woman of Faversham denied us a repeat performance of her incoherent ranting by being elsewhere. The Seasalter Sprint Challenge was slighly unusual in that the front of the peloton remained pretty much intact as overall speeds stayed high, no leadout train as last time. I fell back a bit, as always, but still fairly early into the queue at the Waterfront. Breakfast was cracking as always, and delightful to be joined by @PippaG (who had slept well, glad to hear it) and @User10571. Made my way back to the station (for the first time tried a route back to the westbound side, worked out perfectly well), and the usual Bike Tetris, expertly played by @kimble and @Charlotte. Ride back to Waterloo was tedious due to diversions and yet more red lights, and blighted by an undertaking numpty in Team Sky replica kit on a Team Sky replica Dogma (truly all the gear no idea). Missed the next train to Waterloo by a minute or two (arrived at the dot of noon), but not long to wait for the next one. Home just after two, napping not long after that.
Thanks everyone!
) out of five FNRs since the tour this is the only one I'll have done. Most I've missed since I started. Southend was the same weekend as Sonisphere, Manchester remains on the to-do list, I'm in a minority of one (and perfectly happy to remain so) on Southwold. I couldn't get leave in order to get to Cardiff, thus denying me the chance to have another nice relaxing 220 miler. But, looking on the bright side, Whistable is always a cracker, even when @Fab Foodie's presence threatens a repeat of Wetstable. This was not an exception.Got out of the door at work nice and early, always a good start as it enabled me to catch the train into Waterloo rather than the later, change at Three Bridges & meet en route option. Trip to HPC was uneventful, though I seemed to catch every red light on the way. Pleasure to see @Andrij and @iLB again, the latter on another familiar but not recently seen 'friend', @ianrauk's Roubaix. @User kindly refused to let me pay for his (mistakenly bought) ticket back from Olaf's Dunwich ride (thanks again).
Early pace was positively frenetic- at one point my overall average was 12 mph! Not too many mechanicals (well, after the puncture at the Arch...) and a helpful tailwind the reasons for that. Gravesend was reached at 2.30 or so where @Trickedem surprised/alarmed his good lady wife with the news of our more than likely early arrival. Further punctures delayed us a little, though not much, and the front of the ride reached Strood at 3.30 or so. As ever, Angela (Mrs D) and team laid on a cracking spread. My donations came to two teas, two rolls and four bits of cake. Blessed are the cakemakers. Thanks again to @srw for the unwanted gels etc. Basser Hill came as a shock to at least a few, I ended up in bottom gear. Angry Woman of Faversham denied us a repeat performance of her incoherent ranting by being elsewhere. The Seasalter Sprint Challenge was slighly unusual in that the front of the peloton remained pretty much intact as overall speeds stayed high, no leadout train as last time. I fell back a bit, as always, but still fairly early into the queue at the Waterfront. Breakfast was cracking as always, and delightful to be joined by @PippaG (who had slept well, glad to hear it) and @User10571. Made my way back to the station (for the first time tried a route back to the westbound side, worked out perfectly well), and the usual Bike Tetris, expertly played by @kimble and @Charlotte. Ride back to Waterloo was tedious due to diversions and yet more red lights, and blighted by an undertaking numpty in Team Sky replica kit on a Team Sky replica Dogma (truly all the gear no idea). Missed the next train to Waterloo by a minute or two (arrived at the dot of noon), but not long to wait for the next one. Home just after two, napping not long after that.
Thanks everyone!
velovoice
Veteran
- Location
- Between the City and the Sea
Really?? We were at Headcorn and waited and waited (through shower after shower and the occasionally thunder clap) only to be told the Lancaster flyover was cancelled due to weather!
velovoice
Veteran
- Location
- Between the City and the Sea
?? I was parked up and inside at 3.20am and was by no means the first to arrive... In fact, I locked up with Adam who was TEC'ing so it's possibly more accurate to say the REAR of the ride reached the Church at 3.15 or so...
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
I stand corrected (wasn't keeping notes...). I was one of the first in so must have been a bit earlier.?? I was parked up and inside at 3.20am and was by no means the first to arrive... In fact, I locked up with Adam who was TEC'ing so it's possibly more accurate to say the REAR of the ride reached the Church at 3.15 or so...
