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

[martint235]

Derringer/ditch manoeuvre?

Or possibly a shovel. Although I tried to borrow a shovel during the course of the ride but typically no one had thought to bring one along. Where's TimO when you need him?

 

[martint235]

You should have tried asking for a spade.

There are subtle differences though, I prefer the heft of a shovel and also the edges are easier to apply. However, I agree that in the absence of a shovel, a spade would probably have sufficed.

 

[martint235]

Oh yes. One highlight was the thugs/drunks in Woolwich. One appeared about to give Susie a hard time as I rolled up behind her and unclipped. He left with "It's only cos you're big"

To be fair to his courage/alcohol levels he did restart his abuse from what he felt was a safe distance away

 

[Fab Foodie]

Although, on the face of it harsh, @Fab Foodie's permanent exclusion does seem to be for the greater good.

 

[MickB]

I had a lovely time, it's such great fun riding along at night through London amongst the sights, the traffic, the late night revellers. The weather was just right, the headwind wasn't energy sapping and the FNRttC riders were great fun and good company, I laughed a lot. I like that.

It was nice to meet @theclaud , @User13710, @User30090, @rb58, @ianrauk (again) @humbert15, @slowmotion and of course our entertaining and ever patient leader @dellzeqq, apologies if I have missed anyone.

Highlights were

• Riding with great company,
• 3 pi$$ed nobbers
• The two extravagantly fragranced boys who were "camping it" up a bit for our benefit in Chatam.
• The shouty lady in Faversham who failed to see the irony of standing in the middle of the road telling 60 cyclists that we should not use the road.
• The full english breakfast
• And the Rock and Roll experience of having steamed treacle pudding and custard after the full English at 8am.
• The nice man who loaned me his pliers to fix the front mech, Ta!
• Oh yeah...the cycling Banana Man with lazer lights.

I cycled off to my dads in Blean along the C&W way with @humbert15 to arrive through the door just as the heavens opened! Good result.

Many thanks for the company, I had a smashing time.

Entirely agree. I had great time. I haven't quite got used to the glazed look of disbelief that comes over the face of those you try and tell about it

 

[martint235]

Entirely agree. I had great time. I haven't quite got used to the glazed look of disbelief that comes over the face of those you try and tell about it

Sounds like a prime candidate for the Saturday Morning Ride back to Home then. If you think people are disbelieving now, wait till you tell them you did that, had breakfast and then rode home!!

 

[StuAff]

Entirely agree. I had great time. I haven't quite got used to the glazed look of disbelief that comes over the face of those you try and tell about it

You'll get used to it.....

 

[EltonFrog]

My wife has come up with cunning plan with reference to me taking part in future FNRttC, so cunning in fact that if I were to tell you the plan you would think, "aye, that is indeed very cunning".

 

[EltonFrog]

Does it involve riding from the start to the finish?

Oh @User it is far more cunning than that. A plan so cunningly cunning, one might think that that a plan that cunning requires the brains of a very cunning person indeed.

 

[Captain Defect]

Liking only related to the money part, not the absence part. Obvs.

Same with me.

 

[GazK]

Anyone got a GPX track for the ride? Be nice to have one for the scrapbook...

 

[StuAff]

Anyone got a GPX track for the ride? Be nice to have one for the scrapbook...

Here you go http://www.strava.com/activities/150630959/ Missing the first part between HPC and the end of the tunnel (forgot to start the timer on the Garmin) but otherwise complete.

 

[StuAff]

Yet another great night....Notwithstanding the relative proximity of Bognor, the special place in my heart that Brighton has as my first FNRttC destination (particularly when it's via the Beacon- sorry to the hill-phobic, I like that climb..well, more the descent after.....), Whitstable is just about my favourite of the out-of-London rides. Some lovely but not-too-challenging hills, the absolute joy (in the right conditions at least) that is the Seasalter sprint, and one of the finest breakfast destinations. Even Wetstable was fun.....

I'd decided that the Portland was the bike of choice for the evening, as the Viner was back from its pre-tour service in Ian-clean condition. It's getting covered with French road dirt, but at least it'll get the ferry over in the right state...apart from the brief shower I caught between Victoria and Waterloo, that was it, and neither having a bike with mudguards nor a jersey with the words 'Ride the Lightning' on it proved to have tempted weather fate. Which was nice.

Pleasure to see @humbert15 back (another nice bike there, btw)- though as apparently there are no free copies of Simpson, even for the stars of his next issue (i.e. US!) we'll be forced to increase his sales Following the ever-entertaining safety talk and getting on our way I heard possibly The Best Friday Night Ride Heckle Ever on the Mall. Bloke in Cab: 'Get your clothes off. You look ridiculous in lycra!' (I think...). As I was between the lovely @theclaud and the lovely @PippaG at the time I could only assume that it was aimed at myself. Either that or he'd seen @Captain Defect (please, in the name of God/Satan/whatever you want to invoke, leave those tights at home next time. They hurt eyes).....and anyway, doubt he'd have looked better....

Aforementioned grunting idiots jumping into the road apart (at least it wasn't as bad as that incident in Erith a while back...!) the Grand Depart was relatively uneventful, incident with a mudguard notwithstanding. At Strood Mr and Mrs Decker once again implemented their cunning plan to make me eat lots of cake and rolls to support a good cause with brilliant success, and then we had an impromtu architectural discourse thanks to @slowmotion picking that precise moment to puncture. Well timed there, Martin We also got a familiar-sounding (at least to those who were riding to Hull the other week) story about Roddy Llewellyn, Princess Margaret and a crane. That naughty chap must have been terribly persuasive to get her to do that once. Let alone twice......

And on we went. In agreement with @GrahamG that that's a great part of the ride, some gorgeous scenery on that stretch. Faversham saw an argument with Rude Probably Drunk Woman Who Doesn't Know The Highway Code Or Much About Seemingly Anything But Thinks She Does, before my very, very favourite bit, the Seasalter sprint. Which I will never win in a fair fight, but the exercise does me good....After my last stint waymarking, I'd worked my way back through to the leading group, when I had the thought that the pace seemed a bit sedate. Whoops. About ten seconds later, the @martint235 @User30090 @rb58 sprint train sped past us and I (unsuccessfully, of course) attempted to give chase. As ever, a nice bit of exercise that did at least ensure a decent place in the breakfast queue. Service at the Waterfront was as exemplary as ever. Back to the station with @PaulRide @Tacey and others- for future information, Groupsave discount is now the same as with a Network Railcard. Boo. Usual crawl back to Waterloo from Victoria (umpteen roadworks and seemingly caught at every junction) before home and the obligatory nap.

Report from @rb58 that @PippaG is nails comes as no surprise, her efforts on her LeJOG (report on YACF) were inspirational. That 300km audax is going to be well within her capabilities.


Thanks all. And to those who'll be going to Bordeaux, see you next Friday

 

[Dogtrousers]

I'm recovered now.

That's the second time I've seen barging by drunks in the London bit of Whitstable. Last time Eddie was brought down I think, I collided with one but stayed upright. Me+bike probably weigh well over 110kg. Happened to me on the way to Newhaven last year too, but I saw him coming and accelerated so he missed completely.

I had a great route planned for the return, over the Downs, but I just felt awful and a bit sick on arrival and couldn't keep my eyes open. Maybe espresso and breakfast would have fixed it but I went straight to the train. Thanks to the gent in a wheelchair on the train. The door beepers woke me, I saw him and got up to move my bike from the wheelchair spot and he said: "Don't worry, I'm getting off here. I didn't have the heart to wake you up".

 

[Captain Defect]

Yet another great night....Notwithstanding the relative proximity of Bognor, the special place in my heart that Brighton has as my first FNRttC destination (particularly when it's via the Beacon- sorry to the hill-phobic, I like that climb..well, more the descent after.....), Whitstable is just about my favourite of the out-of-London rides. Some lovely but not-too-challenging hills, the absolute joy (in the right conditions at least) that is the Seasalter sprint, and one of the finest breakfast destinations. Even Wetstable was fun.....

I'd decided that the Portland was the bike of choice for the evening, as the Viner was back from its pre-tour service in Ian-clean condition. It's getting covered with French road dirt, but at least it'll get the ferry over in the right state...apart from the brief shower I caught between Victoria and Waterloo, that was it, and neither having a bike with mudguards nor a jersey with the words 'Ride the Lightning' on it proved to have tempted weather fate. Which was nice.

Pleasure to see @humbert15 back (another nice bike there, btw)- though as apparently there are no free copies of Simpson, even for the stars of his next issue (i.e. US!) we'll be forced to increase his sales Following the ever-entertaining safety talk and getting on our way I heard possibly The Best Friday Night Ride Heckle Ever on the Mall. Bloke in Cab: 'Get your clothes off. You look ridiculous in lycra!' (I think...). As I was between the lovely @theclaud and the lovely @PippaG at the time I could only assume that it was aimed at myself. Either that or he'd seen @Captain Defect (please, in the name of God/Satan/whatever you want to invoke, leave those tights at home next time. They hurt eyes).....and anyway, doubt he'd have looked better....

Aforementioned grunting idiots jumping into the road apart (at least it wasn't as bad as that incident in Erith a while back...!) the Grand Depart was relatively uneventful, incident with a mudguard notwithstanding. At Strood Mr and Mrs Decker once again implemented their cunning plan to make me eat lots of cake and rolls to support a good cause with brilliant success, and then we had an impromtu architectural discourse thanks to @slowmotion picking that precise moment to puncture. Well timed there, Martin We also got a familiar-sounding (at least to those who were riding to Hull the other week) story about Roddy Llewellyn, Princess Margaret and a crane. That naughty chap must have been terribly persuasive to get her to do that once. Let alone twice......

And on we went. In agreement with @GrahamG that that's a great part of the ride, some gorgeous scenery on that stretch. Faversham saw an argument with Rude Probably Drunk Woman Who Doesn't Know The Highway Code Or Much About Seemingly Anything But Thinks She Does, before my very, very favourite bit, the Seasalter sprint. Which I will never win in a fair fight, but the exercise does me good....After my last stint waymarking, I'd worked my way back through to the leading group, when I had the thought that the pace seemed a bit sedate. Whoops. About ten seconds later, the @martint235 @User30090 @rb58 sprint train sped past us and I (unsuccessfully, of course) attempted to give chase. As ever, a nice bit of exercise that did at least ensure a decent place in the breakfast queue. Service at the Waterfront was as exemplary as ever. Back to the station with @PaulRide @Tacey and others- for future information, Groupsave discount is now the same as with a Network Railcard. Boo. Usual crawl back to Waterloo from Victoria (umpteen roadworks and seemingly caught at every junction) before home and the obligatory nap.

Report from @rb58 that @PippaG is nails comes as no surprise, her efforts on her LeJOG (report on YACF) were inspirational. That 300km audax is going to be well within her capabilities.


Thanks all. And to those who'll be going to Bordeaux, see you next Friday

Will the tights hurt your eyes less in lime green? as thats the colour they are now thanks to the wife washing them!