London to Brighton night ride, March 6th

[User10571]

Sorry to have missed you at the 'spoons breakfast venue, Rob.
Next time....

 

[hatler]

Sorry to have missed you at the 'spoons breakfast venue, Rob.
Next time....

Ah, sorry that I missed you (and everyone else) there. Despite the temptations of the full crowd and beer and all that stuff, I decided not to head that way. Next time ! I promise.

 

[Tim Hall]

Just seen this on the BBC website:

Which would explain the police vehicles in the pub car park after we'd panted our way up Portnall's Lane.

 

[ianrauk]

Just seen this on the BBC website:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-31779339

Which would explain the police vehicles in the pub car park after we'd panted our way up Portnall's Lane.

Not loading for me Tim.. so what's the story?

 

[StuAff]

This linky worky...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-31779339

 

[Fab Foodie]

Just seen this on the BBC website:

Which would explain the police vehicles in the pub car park after we'd panted our way up Portnall's Lane.

Blimey, 3 Police incidents passed in one FNRttC ... Is that a record?
Just as well we hadn't been faster ....

 

[StuAff]

Oh yes, forgot to add....
The excellent photos clearly show masterful work in Photoshop to take out all the street lamps and adjust the lighting to make it look really dark as if we actually needed decent lights, because it's never really dark in the south east.

 

[thom]

Thanks Olaf for a great ride, thanks people for the excellent chat and thanks User482 for the whiskey atop the Beacon.

I think that was the hardest descent off the beacon I've ever done.

A new variation on a classic theme

 

[StuAff]

That really did seem tougher than usual. Was that just the headwind, or perhaps a combination of being a year older and forgetting what it's like ? I wasn't tired in a sleepy sense, just shagged out. I think that's the slowest I've been up the Beacon. Slowest down it as well. Pedalling hard to hold 25mph for a lot of it. That's not normal.

Fantastic to catch up with the regulars, and great to meet FF and gas away for many miles. FF and I appear to have a bit of common ground outside of cycling so there's plenty of material left for the next Ride(s). (FF - you have been warned !!)

Hats off to Jane. That really does display a good deal of grit and determination. I think those with super light bikes who do thousands of miles a year without ever really thinking about it (or even considering that that sort of distance is in any way unusual) possibly don't appreciate how tough that route can be for a first timer, especially at the time we do it.

Thank you all for your company (as ever). These rides take a bit of beating. I can't think of a finer way to spend a Friday night/Saturday morning.

Hoping that the pop-up hatler coffee stall will be able to put in an appearance for the next Brighton ride.

Mini-hatler and little miss hatler asked that I say hi to everyone as well. (I didn't really feel I could subject either of them to any part of a March overnight ride. That would have me up in front of the authorities I would think.)

Looking forward to being Joe's lead-out man again at some point

 

[Fred Simpson]

A really good night chaps .. Simon (first-timer, but done a bit of riding) and I enjoyed it from start to finish.
Great company, mostly conversational pace (if you're not at the front and before the port-side hearing aid stopped working) and incident-free.
An not least - a GREAT job Jane ...

 

[Pale Rider]

Oh yes, forgot to add....
The excellent photos clearly show masterful work in Photoshop to take out all the street lamps and adjust the lighting to make it look really dark as if we actually needed decent lights, because it's never really dark in the south east.

Many a true word said in jest.

You won't believe me, but you might believe your own eyes, so if you get the chance one day take a look at the night sky above somewhere truly dark, such as rural North Yorkshire or Northumberland.

The huge number of visible stars is, er, startling, in comparison to the number you can see above a light polluted location.

 

[StuAff]

Many a true word said in jest.

You won't believe me, but you might believe your own eyes, so if you get the chance one day take a look at the night sky above somewhere truly dark, such as rural North Yorkshire or Northumberland.

The huge number of visible stars is, er, startling, in comparison to the number you can see above a light polluted location.

Do you never have cloud cover, mist, fog, overhanging trees, and such like up north then (the answer's yes, you do)? And yes, I have been in that part of the world. Light pollution is far more of an issue on clear nights. And even then, it doesn't make it light......
http://www.lightpollutionmap.info/ shows there are plenty of darker regions even in southern England...like about eight miles from me.

 

[hatler]

Many a true word said in jest.

You won't believe me, but you might believe your own eyes, so if you get the chance one day take a look at the night sky above somewhere truly dark, such as rural North Yorkshire or Northumberland.

The huge number of visible stars is, er, startling, in comparison to the number you can see above a light polluted location.

I can only but agree. The most stunning night skies I have seen have been in Perth (WA), a freezing night in the middle of Norfolk and 500 miles out into the Atlantic.

 

[hatler]

Oo yes. FF. I have a holed inner tube of yours. I'll bring it with me (patched) when our paths next coincide.

 

[velovoice]

Perhaps you could start a different thread about it.

Aren't there already another 1-2 similarly high jacked? I'm losing count.