FNRttC July 22 - Friday Night Ride to... Newhaven

[TimO]

Time for a roll call. Will also send an email to riders soon. Looks like it's going to be a nice, small group:

...Tim O (I don't have you mobile and email - can you bother filling in the form)

Oops, I thought I'd done it already, since you included me in the list !

 

[martint235]

Have considered riding from home rather than HPC- pros being saving rather a lot of money on train fares, leave bike and kit at home, not having to rush out of work, no lugging the uniform around until Friday, etc, but the cons outweigh it- not least missing out on the vast majority of the ride with you lovely people. It's a pleasant enough ride, but dull in the daytime, let alone at night. The forecast westerly wind means (assuming I don't have any mechanicals) I'd probably make it by six, if not earlier, so I'd only end up kicking my heels or heading north to meet up with you anyway.

If we get there a bit early for Luna Rossa that would give the option of going shopping at the Co-op (right round the corner) or Sainsbury's (just up the A259) before breakfast- both open at 7. Supermarket sandwiches (etc) definitely preferable to DFDS catering...

IIRC their Stella Artois was pretty much the same as everyone else's.

 

[redfalo]

IIRC their Stella Artois was pretty much the same as everyone else's.

not really sure if I would trust your memory with regard to this, though

 

[martint235]

not really sure if I would trust your memory with regard to this, though

Nah this bit is ok. And I re-sampled on the Sunday just to make sure. The bit I wouldn't trust is any memory after the Ricard started on the Friday evening. (Although any postcards that fill in the gaps would be appreciated)

 

[TimO]

Damn, I just noticed Olaf's email, a few hours after I could usefully reply to it!

I'm not doing very well with the organisational aspects of this ride, am I.

 

[TimO]

For those who are not continuing onwards to France, this is the route that I'll try along the coast to Brighton. If the first bit along the Cliff Path from just outside Newhaven turns out to be impractical, it's just a bit further along the A259. If that section doesn't require an impossible descent of the staircase, there's less than 1.5 miles of the A259 involved.

 

[TimO]

On reflection, "The Highway" was pretty poorly surfaced the last time I used it, and the more recent Google Streetview images suggest it hasn't got any better in that time, so an extra 0.7 miles of the A259 is probably a far better option at the Newhaven end, after going up Gibbon Road.

 

[StuAff]

Been busy getting the gear ready this morning, GPX file for Sunday's ride to Le Havre on both Garmin and phone and carefully checked (it sticks to something called 'roads' ). If the rest of the week is anything to go by I almost certainly won't make the 9.38 train of choice, it'll probably be the 10.08 which gets into Waterloo at 11.23.

 

[rb58]

Met Office has issued a weather warning for London tonight - heavy thundery showers - at just the time I would be cycling up to the start. I may break with tradition and get a train in.

 

[TimO]

Met Office has issued a weather warning for London tonight - heavy thundery showers - at just the time I would be cycling up to the start. I may break with tradition and get a train in.

I thought that was the forecast yesterday, but today it looks more promising.

Heavy showers and thunderstorms will break out during the late morning and afternoon before slowly fading this evening. ...

Even should the worst occur, the lowest temperature is forecast to be 16°C around sunrise nearer Newhaven. It's forecast to be nearer 22°C at London when we leave, with the precipitation probability at 10%. Wet clothes will dry quite rapidly.

A night for fairly light clothing, I think.

 

[StuAff]

Made a couple of minutes, enough to catch the 2138. Yay! Will go to Victoria.

 

[TimO]

I'm just leaving, I will see you all at HPC, in about an hour.

 

[ianrauk]

Nice and mild out there.No sign of rain by the looks of things. Have a great ride peeps.

 

[rb58]

Well, that didn't end the way I expected. Warm, calm night heralded perfect conditions for a night ride. And a small group meant lengthy re-grouping stops were not necessary and we made good progress through south London and out into the dark lanes. We went over the top of Farthing Down and that's where the fun started . I was way marking a junction and a fellow rider had a puncture and stopped by me to fix it. Which he did very efficiently. Off we went, then within 100 metres my rear mech parted company with the frame to a sound track of expensive parts being trashed. Clearly it couldn't be repaired, so all I could do was shorten the chain and ride it as single speed the 25 or so miles home again. The chain slipped quite a few times and the bike had started to rattle quite alarmingly after an hour (this morning I can see that the force of the break had somehow impacted the chainrings, as one bolt was missing and another loose). But I made it safely home and got a few hours sleep. Now to inspect the damage and find a Cannondale dealer.

Seeing some of the early pictures it looks like I missed a cracking ride. Big thanks to @redfalo or organising, and to @Gordon P and @TimO and the chap who's name I've forgotten already who leant me the quick links (identify yourself Sir so I can re-pay you).

And to those of you going on to Paris - behave.

 

[redfalo]

The France contingent has safely disembarked on the continent. A lovely tailwind blew us 25 miles to Saint Sarns, where we'll have dinner soon. I take the fact that we were lingering around in two cabins rather than the bar as a sign that the Fridays are getting more mature.

For me, the night ride was one of the best in a long time. A balmy night, bone dry, a nicely compact group and a stunning dawn, followed by good and efficient breakfast in Newhaven. Even managed to avoid Seagull attacks. Only downside was that the McD at Gatwick wasn't serving coffee. And obviously Ross' mechanical. Good effort to ride all the way home though.

Will post pictures later.