FNRttC Friday Night Ride to the Coast - Whitstable 6th June

[EltonFrog]

Oh, and @CarlP thanks for the pep talk about Ride London, I now feel much more up to speed on what to expect. I my even do a quick recce of the 3 big hills as you suggested.

And take sausage rolls.

 

[Beebo]

Which 3 hills does it go over? I'm guessing Box Hill is one of them?

Box, Leith and Newlands.
I've been up Box Hill plenty of times but may need to recce the other two just so I know what to expect on the big day.
OR, just take them as I find them, I have no doubt I can get up them, how hard can they actually be?
I'm not out to smash any records, just enjoy the day.

 

[EltonFrog]

Which 3 hills does it go over? I'm guessing Box Hill is one of them?

Newlands Corner, Leith Hill, amd Box Hill, Leith is a bastard but if you get the gearing right it is doable by most people, and there's a little one in Wimbledon that took me by suprise last year, which got the heart rate going.

 

[martint235]

Box, Leith and Newlands.
I've been up Box Hill plenty of times but may need to recce the other two just so I know what to expect on the big day.
OR, just take them as I find them, I have no doubt I can get up them, how hard can they actually be?
I'm not out to smash any records, just enjoy the day.

Leith is probably the worst of the 3 particularly if there's a large group of cyclists on it all going at different speeds. Newlands is ok, Box Hill is just find a rhythmn and pedal. Good luck

 

[ianrauk]

Agree with that.
Box Hill is nothing special, Newlands is not bad either, leith can be a toughie if you let it, it's also quite narrow so with a good few other cyclists it will be a little crowded.

 

[Dogtrousers]

IIRC the surface of Leith Hill is atrocious. But maybe I went up by a different route to the ride London.

 

[EltonFrog]

IIRC the surface of Leith Hill is atrocious. But maybe I went up by a different route to the ride London.

Yes it is, and going down ain't much better unless it's been fixed since last year. I hit a pot hole and got a blow out going down, I was most vexed.


There's one for @Fnaar

 

[robjh]

Rob, how did the ride to Marget go? Did you just follow the coastal path from right outside the Waterfront? Was it an easy route to follow?

It was a great little end to the ride, especially when the sun came out again. Starting from the Waterfront I stuck to the seafront the whole way, barring a quick foray into Herne Bay to buy flapjacks, and a point a bit further on where you go inland and up the cliffs for a bit before hitting the shore again at Reculver. It was fairly slow as most of it is concrete slabs with big bumpy ridges between them, and a grassy bit before Reculver (though there is a road alternative), then I meandered into Margate along the foot of all the cliffs rather than taking the more direct roads above - but I'd recommend it.

 

[ianrauk]

It was a great little end to the ride, especially when the sun came out again. Starting from the Waterfront I the stuck to the seafront the whole, barring a quick foray into Herne Bay to buy flapjacks, and a point a bit further on where you go inland and up the cliffs for a bit before hitting the shore again at Reculver. It was fairly slow as most of it is concrete slabs with big bumpy ridges between them, and a grassy bit before Reculver (though there is a road alternative), then I meandered into Margate along the foot of all the cliffs rather than taking the more direct roads there - but I'd recommend it.

Its a really nice route... 'when the winds behind you'