Leicester to London ride - Saturday 9th April

[StuAff]

A very special day then!

Congratulations to the soon to be ex Miss Dellzeqq then, and Happy Wedding festivities and all that.

Hear hear!

 

[Aperitif]

All the dedicated riders, doing press ups, taking in extra carbohydrates, filling a bottle, perhaps two, with 'energy' drink.
The others, drinking in a bar, somewhere in London, being led astray by Frank and the 'arch'etypal motely cru...

Meanwhile, serious 'proper' cyclists prepare for a 150 miler or so... (made extremely awkward by my Polish neighbour who insisted on sunbathing under my nose) But hey! I'm a cyclist ok!

 

[frank9755]

Good luck today! Wonderful weather for a long ride.

I've just done a quick 15 miles or so to sober freshen up after last night's drinks. Apologies to Teef for hassling you last night - you were very wise not to go out!

 

[User10571]

Cold.
Tired.
Hungry.
133 door to door miles with only one functioning cleat.

A perfect day.
Thanks Adam, for organising.
Thanks all the others for the very fine company.

 

[steve52]

yes thanks adam, sadley i couldent make it all the way in time for my train so had to catch a train to catch a train? mad but £40 cheaper so 80 miles for me, nice to meet u all and next time im choseing a later train

 

[Aperitif]

Good luck today! Wonderful weather for a long ride.

I've just done a quick 15 miles or so to sober freshen up after last night's drinks. Apologies to Teef for hassling you last night - you were very wise not to go out!

Hey Frank - you weren't hassling me! I like it.

I have just dispensed riding attire to the washing machine, wine into the glass, bread into the toaster and plugged my Garmin into some electricity to find out what was going on.

Sorry that you were 'nailed' by your fare arrangements, Steve - we thought you had a n outside chance and well done for having a go. John had 25 minutes before his train, and he strolled upstairs with Adam, Stu went to Waterloo, User10571 South and me North, riding out of town. I made it with my slow puncture too - I just didn't fancy changing a tube!
So a grand total of 0.5 of punctures. (This thread is hardcore - we talk about punctures like others talk about beer... with gay abandon. We don't get them!

The luch stop was 'spot on'. steve had said 'au revoir' and left us to eat big burgers, sandwiches, vegetable lasagne, chips, chips, chips AND two pints of 'Ice Cold Guinness' each for User10571 and I, along with sundry girly drinks for the others. Oh, and I managed to eat a hot carrot cake with vanilla ice cream. Mmmmmmnm! Tasty. (Steve was heating up nicely, elbows in position on the tri-bars when this ice cream delicacy was being consumed.)

Adam's Amazing Adventures, 2011 series contained the usual guff, with a 'mostly downhill' becoming a single chevron thigh-burner - and there were others.

And we brought the best weather! Sleeves up and shorts raised obviated the tan line fiasco so prominent in ordinary cyclists!

Great fun, a few laughs, fine company and not too many road to$ers, until we got to Barnet anyway, when Mr minicab driver decided to perform a random u turn and aimed for Adam - then we just got into the groove and 'commuted London!

Thanks Adam.

* lunch not 'luch'... luch is a never n ding feast.

 

[StuAff]

Back, made 2130 train. Should have used the sun lotion, somewhat singed now. Brilliant day in terrific company. More to follow tomorrow...

 

[Aperitif]

Back, made 2130 train. Should have used the sun lotion, somewhat singed now. Brilliant day in terrific company. More to follow tomorrow...

User10571 spotted the Polish flag flying above a tower in Gumley, Leicestershire. As we were riding 'sun on the right', you possibly resemble that ensign of endeavour, Stu!
I did ask if anyone needed suncream.
Lie on the other side today - and I hope you are not in too much pain.!
Out of interest, what was the total length of the ride, L to L please? (including Adam's constant wrong turnings ) but obviously not including my 'private sorties' following User10571's call of 'follow the road ahead'. It was just too tempting...
Whatever it was, add 30m, and that will be a total for me.
I'm now going for a walk. I'll see if there is any evidence to post on my return. This is turning into a lovely Polish accented weekend (so far), not forgetting that User10571 commences a new job on Monday. "Go User10571, Go User10571"!
And, it's a shame the 'Tigers' lost in Leinster.

Edit: PS My tyre is as flat as a pancake this morning - a 'crepe' way to start the day. Ho hum - I'll have to take it all outside and repair (+ intensively clean ) while my neighbour lies there sunbathing... ho hum! Cycling is so punishing at times

 

[StuAff]

[/list]User10571 spotted the Polish flag flying above a tower in Gumley, Leicestershire. As we were riding 'sun on the right', you possibly resemble that ensign of endeavour, Stu!
I did ask if anyone needed suncream.
Lie on the other side today - and I hope you are not in too much pain.!
Out of interest, what was the total length of the ride, L to L please? (including Adam's constant wrong turnings ) but obviously not including my 'private sorties' following User10571's call of 'follow the road ahead'. It was just too tempting...
Whatever it was, add 30m, and that will be a total for me.
I'm now going for a walk. I'll see if there is any evidence to post on my return. This is turning into a lovely Polish accented weekend (so far), not forgetting that User10571 commences a new job on Monday. "Go User10571, Go User10571"!
And, it's a shame the 'Tigers' lost in Leinster.

Edit: PS My tyre is as flat as a pancake this morning - a 'crepe' way to start the day. Ho hum - I'll have to take it all outside and repair (+ intensively clean ) while my neighbour lies there sunbathing... ho hum! Cycling is so punishing at times

I had sun lotion myself, forgot to use it....!

 

[StuAff]

From Leicester station to Waterloo (I went Euston Road-Gower Street-straight down to Waterloo Bridge), my 705 made it 114.31 miles. Moving average speed 13.8, my maximum 32.2. Definitely not flat, elevation gain of 4,103 feet (and as Garmin owners know, the altimeter's a bit dodgy, that's the corrected version from Garmin Connect). But we expected that I gave up and walked on the steepest climb of the day (tight, twisty, lumpy surface, cars coming either way...couldn't be bothered!), and on a couple more I got bogged down in the wrong gear. Otherwise, the climbs were a good work out rather than taxing, of the 'spin away at 5mph' variety.
Another absolute cracker of a day, self-inflicted sun damage in my case notwithstanding. It's throbbing away nicely, but nothing too painful! Nice early start, meeting the train up to Waterloo at 5.32 (a later one didn't allow enough time to get across to St Pancras). At the station in plenty of time for the booked 8.15. Trip up to Leicester was pleasant enough, bang on time and stopped long enough to have no bother getting the bike off. An excellent day's riding followed . Although I frequently fulfilled my usual role on these epics of quite-long-tail-ender, the pace seemed to stay comfortable for all of us. Mike's training for Durness-Dover seems to be paying off nicely, though that's clearly going to be a mega challenge all the same. The lunch stop (The White Horse in Old) proved an excellent choice, good food and a lovely place to eat it.
As Martin's noted, not too many motons out and about at least until we got into Hertfordshire (where I nearly got clipped by one Bentley owner before another gave us much amusement with his seemingly rage-filled parking manoeuvres). Minicabs etc posed the usual hazards, and on my way to Waterloo some braindead passenger expressed the view that I was going the wrong way. He must be a rather underemployed psychic in need to find a new career (I maintained a dignified silence). For the record, on this occasion at least, I took all the right roads, and in the right order. Just missed the 2100 train home by a couple of minutes, but not that long to wait for the next.
Thanks Adam for putting yet another amazing adventure together, and Martin, User10571, Jon, Mike & (all too briefly) Steve for excellent riding company.

 

[Flying Dodo]

Out of interest, what was the total length of the ride, L to L please?

I've found that my GPS will last 9 hours with the backlight on full brightness - which was about 15 minutes too short, as it died. However, after working backwards from Muswell Hill, you would have done 110.5 miles to St Pancras. You would have done less if you didn't insist on racing ahead and/or could hear your phone..........

Anyway, a cracking day out overall. Lovely rolling countryside, lambs bleating in the fields, good company and not too much 4 wheeled hassle. Photos will appear in the next few days.

I'd made the mistake of having my lock cable wrapped too high around my seat post, so that the edges were just clipping the back of my legs, so by the time we got towards Luton, it was starting to annoy me (along with the metallic blink blink sound of one of my broken bottle mounts flexing), as I couldn't stretch my leg fully, so I suffered a bit from cramp in one leg, which eased thanks to a Red Bull in Potters Bar.

Apart from that, and Steve not managing to cycle all the way to get his train, it all went rather well.

 

[Aperitif]

Gently <pinging> User10571 - remember the speculation about dates after spotting the flag? Here might be an explanation.

 

[redflightuk]

Sounds like you had a good day, i certainly did. I decided late on friday night to download the route to my Garmin, woke up early saturday morning and headed off to join the route at the spot i left you on the Loughborough ride. I managed to follow the route (with only a couple of overshoots at junctions) to Holcot and then got caught in traffic for a car boot sale, i carried on to the top of the hill the other side of Holcot and stopped to refuel and take in the view. At that point i had 51 miles on the clock so decide that was a good time to turn back, as on the trike it was going to take a while to get back through the boot sale traffic. I thought if i just pootle along i would soon be swept up by the peleton but i obviously didn't pootle slow enough. When i reached Olney i stopped for some fish & chips and sat watching the world go by(but still no Adam/Martin/Stu & co) While relaxing by the roadside another trice rider appeared and stopped for a chat, he was out on a loop from MK. We wished each other well and he headed off and i went to stock up on more food and drink before heading south. Traffic was really good all day, i seem to get more room when on the recumbent. When i reached Sharpenhoe and the right turn up that hill i thought no way, i'll take the longer and not so steep route up gravel hill instead. Nice route Adam it would have been nice to have met up with you all but i had to be back to feed him in the pic left.


see you all sooon John

 

[StuAff]

Gently <pinging> User10571 - remember the speculation about dates after spotting the flag? Here might be an explanation.

Oh, of course...such a tragic loss of life.

 

[Aperitif]

Sounds like you had a good day... When i reached Sharpenhoe and the right turn up that hill i thought no way, i'll take the longer and not so steep route up gravel hill instead. Nice route Adam it would have been nice to have met up with you all but i had to be back to feed him in the pic left.


see you all sooon John

Yes Forgot that Sharpenhoe business! Naughty Adam! Is that where the hang glider was - or was that yet another bit of 'mostly downhill' action?

I had an eye out for you John - saw a guy on a recumbent, but no bicycles which were tricycles as nicicles. (And I read the thread about 'who was wearing a CycleChat shirt' early this morning - and I wondered if you were out that way! And I took note of when we arrived at Olney (due to youthful memories of traipsing up there to play rugby against seemingly a team of pig farmers) ) Oh well. By the way, when your horse has a birthday, does he get a straight red card?