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

[Fab Foodie]

Sadly, have just done an Oxford to London night ride (no rain!) this weekend plus lead this mornings Freewheeling 40 miler, am away all week in Toledo (Sp) and Orleans (Fr) including supporting a 17hr overnight production run on Thurs night so frankly will be dead-beat come Friday and in no position for another sleepless night. Apart from have promised to take the lad Skateboarding in London on Saturday and .... need an exit pass for the WNB the following weekend
Hopefully though I'll get another in before too long.
Shame, Whitstable sounds interesting.

 

[PippaG]

Return travel, the one and only downside to Whitstable.

I have a secret plan to cycle back home. It's secret cos if I don't tell anyone, then if I decide not to cycle back, no-one will know that I bailed.

 

[robjh]

... to catch the HS1 from Faversham or Canterbury West to St Pancras.

A (possibly) little-known fact is that advance tickets on HS1 from Kent into London can be significantly cheaper if you book a through ticket to Rugby Coventry or Birmingham. Of course once you arrive at St Pancras, no-one forces you to travel on to the West Midlands should you not want to, and even better, the HS1 part is not restricted to any particular train. Still available from Whitstable and Canterbury for the princely sum of £16.50. Just saying, like.

 

[theclaud]

Tell me about this "Crab & Winkle Way" thing. I see @mmmmartin is going that way - it's nothing to do with a "tackle-out" policy, is it? Would it be a sort of sensible, tarmac affair where one might point one's bike in the right direction, note the odd blue sign for reassurance, and arrive somewhere within sight of Canterbury West station; or is it some sort of wiggly alternative to getting anywhere, dreamed up by Sustrans in homage to a Paul Auster plot, but with worse things happening to the characters? If one were to ride it when a little tired and emotional, would disaster ensue?

 

[ianrauk]

Tell me about this "Crab & Winkle Way" thing. I see @mmmmartin is going that way - it's nothing to do with a "tackle-out" policy, is it? Would it be a sort of sensible, tarmac affair where one might point one's bike in the right direction, note the odd blue sign for reassurance, and arrive somewhere within sight of Canterbury West station; or is it some sort of wiggly alternative to getting anywhere, dreamed up by Sustrans in homage to a Paul Auster plot, but with worse things happening to the characters? If one were to ride it when a little tired and emotional, would disaster ensue?

It follows an old railway line so is pretty flat. But a lot of the surface is that compacted chalky stuff.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I've done it at night, in the freezing cold. It's not all tarmac but the bits that aren't are hard packed stuff. I think it would be fine on skinny tyres unless it has been raining heavily. @Flying Dodo can give you more info.

 

[velovoice]

I am tempted to try this Crab & Winkle Way of which you speak, but not sure of timings as @Flying Dodo's daughter is due back from the USA that day, arriving Heathrow around midday.

 

[mmmmartin]

Tell me about this "Crab & Winkle Way" thing...... it's nothing to do with a "tackle-out" policy, is it?

Nope, no "tackle out-ness" needed. I have not ridden it, but I have ridden the road alternative, which is horrid.
For "tackle out-ness" you need to ride to Tunbridge Wells:
http://www.courier.co.uk/Video-Nake...ponse-public/story-19908775-detail/story.html

 

[Beebo]

I have walked the crab and winkle way, it does have one hill, the railway used to go through a tunnel, which is now closed, so the route goes over the hill now. The path is well signed and is either tarmac or compacted gravel. It would be fine with sensible puncture protected tyres. The start is close to whitstable station.
Once you are up over the hill and through the university campus it is straight down the hill to canterbury west.
If i don't cycle back i would be happy to lead a party along the route.

 

[User10571]

I rode Crab & Winkle Way from Vista Belle to Canterbury West last bank hol.
It is NOT flat.
There's at least a couple of hills - probably more like three - none of which are killers.
One of which was a lungbuster given that I did it on fixed riding a 69" gear on 25's.
I had no need to walk (just)
Surface throughout varies between decent tarmac and hard packed silica / sand / gravel.
No idea what the latter is like following rainfall.
Without rainfall, anyone with gears on 23's should be fine.
Trust me. I don't do $h!t surfaces as a rule.
And enjoy.

 

[theclaud]

I rode Crab & Winkle Way last bank hol.
It is NOT flat.
There's at least a couple of hills - probably more - like three.
One of which was a lungbuster given that I did it on fixed riding a 69" gear on 25's.
I had no need to walk (just)
Surface varies between decent tarmac and hard packed silica / sand / gravel.
No idea what the latter is like following rainfall.
Anyone with gears on 23's should be fine.
Trust me.
And enjoy.

Rainfall? As if!

 

[Wobblers]

A (possibly) little-known fact is that advance tickets on HS1 from Kent into London can be significantly cheaper if you book a through ticket to Rugby Coventry or Birmingham. Of course once you arrive at St Pancras, no-one forces you to travel on to the West Midlands should you not want to, and even better, the HS1 part is not restricted to any particular train. Still available from Whitstable and Canterbury for the princely sum of £16.50. Just saying, like.

I'm actually fine with the "travel on to the West Midlands" bit, personally...

 

[Captain Defect]

I'm actually fine with the "travel on to the West Midlands" bit, personally...

Maybe i can ride it some way to Beaconsfield?

 

[Wobblers]

Really?

Well, I use the word "fine" to mean "I won't object hugely"...

 

[martint235]

Out of interest is the Waterfront opening specially for us or will we be surrounded by some big ugly types who have gone in for a beer and to watch a small rugby game that I believe is occurring?