January ride for fish n chips

[gbs]

No show decision justifed. I did 127k, 22.0kph average with 1040m vertical today out in Surrey and I feel it. Although these are not impressive stats I am pleased since this was my first signigcant run since a major "off" in early October.

Good luck tomorrow and perhaps next time...

 

[HaloJ]

Yay! Power!

Bike running lovely and pretty clean. Final head count looks like this......

• Fly - unless the duvet wins
• Flying Dodo
• Frank9755
• HaloJ
• User10571 - Joining at Aldgate
• Ianrauk - Joining at Aldgate
• Lukesdad - likely meeting us for lunch
• Mark Grant
• Martin235
• Martok
• mistral
• rb58
• Red Jedi
• SteveVW +1
• topcat1
• zigzag

Changes

• Andrij
• Davywalnuts
• GBS
• User3143
• Origamist

London to Maldon and back for lunch.
Outbound : http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=202090
Inbound : http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=202280
Meet at Wellington Arch, Hyde Park Corner from 7:30, leaving promptly at 8. Halfway outbound break at The Blackmore Tea Rooms. Lunch at The Old Ship. Weather clear and cool with light easterly wind.

 

[Davywalnuts]

Have a great ride everyone, right shame am missing this.

Thanks again halo for all your hard work.

Till next time chums!

 

[martint235]

Well I'm up at a ridiculous hour on a Sunday!!! Bike ready, just need to make me ready then I'll be on my way to HPC!!

 

[topcat1]

buff and armwarmers martin?

 

[martint235]

I might manage a buff, it is a little bit chilly!!

Usual short sleeve top though!

 

[HaloJ]

Bloody hell someone turned the sun off! I'm going for snug overkill. Two pair of socks, overshoes, knee warmers, arm warmers, gilet, montane and a buff to keep my ears warm.

Oh and just in case that's not enough I've got my boil-in-a-bag overtrousers in a little rucksack.

 

[ianrauk]

hmmm 4 egg omelet just demolished.. zero degrees out and very dark..!
So see ya'll at Aldgate Station

 

[redflightuk]

Have a good ride everybody

 

[redjedi]

Too early! Hurry up summer so we can start at a decent time.

See you at HPC at 7.45ish

 

[frank9755]

I'm leaving now - see you shortly!

 

[topcat1]

ok so i got the train back............

wot a great ride, the blackmore tea rooms 10/10 very good choice abs and well done on your first 100
of the year (she's riding back as i write this)

great company today, i have some pics

the others will along shortly with the full storey

 

[User10571]

Great ride. Thanks Abs for pretty much seamless planning and organising.

Chilly to start with - but I can see this being an excellent summer ride - especially with the pub we stopped at for lunch.
I envisage many a cyclist sprawled on the benches outside.

My journey home was a tad exacerbated by the Greenwich foot tunnel being closed, and I didn't fancy a 20 minute wait for a £3.00 boat crossing. So Rotherhithe Tunnel it was, and although the air in there is far from good, I confess to having enjoyed blatting through there with the motors.

A surprising 80 door-to-door miles. (I bottled out of the ton run

) opting for the train return instead.

Cheers all!

 

[martint235]

Cheers Abs for organising this. It was good fun. I got badly lost in Ilford though on the way back (poxy GPS!) so I got 109 miles for the day. I'll post my track up if I can figure out how so everyone can have a giggle at my tour of Ilford, must have taken me 30 mins to find a way out at least. GPS is great so long as you stay on route otherwise it's "We both know there's a pink line nearby but I'm not going to tell you how to get back on it"

Then my GPS got a mind of it's own after the Woolwich ferry, the route I'd prepared was simple up the hill, turn left onto Shooters Hill, straight road home. But the Garmin wouldn't have it, no turn left into Woolwich, no turn left down this unlit alleyway in the pleasant estate.

 

[frank9755]

I've just made it back. 118 miles for me.

Looking forward to beer, hot shower, food, bed + warm feet!

Thanks again, Abs, for flawless organisation, and everyone else for wonderful company and banter!

I really enjoyed the ride. Essex is a bit rolling, and with the headwind it was quite challenging going out. Easier coming back, but the tailwind didn't seem as strong as in the morning - I guess they never do...

We said we were going for fish and chips, and we weren't disappointed! They were not small plates at the pub, and they were oval, but the pieces of cod were hanging over both ends.

Washed down with a pint of the local brew made for a great lunch but probably not the ideal cycling fuel, so maybe no surprise that I had a bit of a low point c.20 miles into the return leg. But that passed, and then the route flattened, and straightened, as we took DZ's recommended Romford Road back into the City.

We were not disappointed by the carrot cake at the Blackmore Tea Rooms either. Highly recommended!

Looking forward to the next one,

Frank