I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
In Manchester now with wife and friends, I think I can see a gap in the clouds.... No, wait, I was mistaken. It is still grey and pishing down 
FNRttC Manchester-Blackpool 7th June 2019
- Thread starter Andrew Br
- Start date
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middleagecyclist
Call me MAC
- Location
- Prestwich, Manchester
Character forming i think would be good way to describe. Sand blasted would another...
sagefly
Veteran
Andrew a great ride, thanks to all involved.
A little bit or rain most of the way, but the Blackburn deluge was epic. The temperature held up well all night.
Note to Northerners, no gloves required!
Hope to catch up with all of you on another FNRttC and continue Mr Leggs great initiative.
A little bit or rain most of the way, but the Blackburn deluge was epic. The temperature held up well all night.
Note to Northerners, no gloves required!
Hope to catch up with all of you on another FNRttC and continue Mr Leggs great initiative.
OP
OP
Andrew Br
Still part of the team !
- Location
- Chorlton Cum Hardy
This. With (buckets and) spades.
middleagecyclist
Call me MAC
- Location
- Prestwich, Manchester
James uploaded his ride from where we met you in Prestwich. This is fly along of the route.
https://www.relive.cc/view/2432495099
https://www.relive.cc/view/2432495099
Bazzer
Setting the controls for the heart of the sun.
- Location
- On the edge of reality
Many thanks Andrew for organising and leading this ride.
At least Noah's reprise arrived after the food and warm drinks at Blackburn, rather than the moors beforehand. The streams of water running down some of the lumps and bumps once we left Blackburn could have floated small model boats.
At least Noah's reprise arrived after the food and warm drinks at Blackburn, rather than the moors beforehand. The streams of water running down some of the lumps and bumps once we left Blackburn could have floated small model boats.
- Location
- Manchester
Well done, you mad lot.
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
Sensible, I think you'll find. Some insensibility may have occurred at Wetherspoons, but not on my part....
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
The FNRttC toughometer gets another work out. Not sure if it's in the top one (courtesy of Mr Clough, deceased) of hardest night rides ever, but certainly a strong contender.....
Booked on the 2100 service out of Euston, a well-rehearsed routine to get there. Half-six fast(er) service into Waterloo, obligatorily slow crawl between there and Euston, where Greg, Jenny and Chris (the latter two on Bromptons) found me. I was in a different carriage, so I got to be kept awake by some young women across the aisle who seemingly stopped talking for about ten seconds in over two hours...thank god I'd brought earphones. Very slightly late into Piccadilly, where we met @Bazzer and we wondered if the fully kitted out rider who walked past was one of our number. Well, yes, @Alan7 answered our question by being there at the meet! On leaving the station, managed to lead the other three on an extended route to the town hall (navigation fails between the ears and by Garmin) instead of just following Barry. Oops. No harm done.
A somewhat depleted peloton awaited, Kim and Nas having both decided a nice warm bed was a better option, and the ChorltonCH massive wasn't quite as large either. We might, from time to time, have agreed with their sentiments during the night. @Zee cut it a bit fine, turning up during Andrew's safety talk, but better late than never, and great to see & ride with you again after all this time. Introductions/reintroductions made, and then we were off. It has to be said, though it was wet, it was more 'gentle rain in mild temperatures' than particularly unpleasant. That would come later. Early stretch was thankfully dull in a good way- some lights needed fettling, there was some annoyingly bad cycling infrastructure (as in, 'making a situation worse not better for riders') and that was about it. @middleagecyclist and chum joined us at Prestwich. Some pleasant mild off-roading. Terrible surfaces that never brought to mind the thought 'I shouldn't have brought a titanium bike with 35mm tyres, because I'm far too comfortable'. As on the 2017 edition, the Litespeed was the right bike for the job. Ten thousand holes in Blackburn? That few? Having ridden Chutney the folder on two of these, I have a rough guess Jenny and Chris were wishing for something a bit less twitchy and rattly under those conditions, not that it stopped them keeping pace.
Exciting new route alterations aside, most of the first part was identical to the Morecambe variant. The traditional pause at Bury to remember the late Alan S. Lots, and lots, and lots, of holes. That epic climb up towards Blackburn. McDonalds still the best/only option for a not-even-near halfway stop. And, famous last words, both self and Andrew decided to tempt fate by posting the weather hadn't been that bad so far. Fate was indeed tempted. Bugger. By the time we left the golden arches, the biblical taps had been turned up a bit. A lot, from time to time. As had the biblical fan....
It has to be said that the lack of mechanicals was a blessing, because we got cursed by the weather. We somehow got, and stayed, well ahead of anticipated pace. Which, when your waterproof gear is increasingly not waterproof, is bringing that 'somewhere warm and dry' thankfully nearer. After the Longridge climb, I took a straw poll and I think only 100% of those sampled had wet socks. I did have my Sealskinz, but they were in the pannier, and I think they'd have delayed the inevitable not prevented it. And waterproof boots are sadly good at holding water once it gets inside. My Shimano MW7s are superb in most conditions. In those conditions, they were overwhelmed, and I ended up with a puddle of water in each shoe for the duration. This is as unpleasant as it sounds. Hopefully, they'll be dry in a day or two…
The ETA of 8am for breakfast at Fleetwood proved utterly accurate. And what a splendid breakfast that was. Nom. Splendid value for money to boot. Then, suitably renewed, we went on to Blackpool…
Oh
My
Word
That
Sucked
Well, it blew, but you get my drift. Our route took us on a westerly loop around the coast of the Fylde, before following it south to our final destination. At times, it seemed like that finality was going to be a bit literal. The wind forecasts were inaccurate, as we struggled along, and aside, in a brutal, gusting head/crosswind. At one point, self and @Helenb (yes, that is a nice bike) were blown clean off the bike path and needed a breather before continuing. As it was, every time there was a break in the sea wall, we were at risk of getting blown into someone or something. Having made the turn south, we then had a tailwind, but when it's that strong it doesn't exactly make controlling your line easy....
Didn't stick around at the (heavingly busy) Wetherspoons for too long as that 1054 train beckoned. Aforementioned jobsworth train manager dealt with, the rest of the London-bound journey was very pleasant. Ridiculously quiet 1st class carriage (three people in it when we left BPN, there were barely more in the other carriages I walked through, and only a few joined en route), decent nosh, three cups of tea served by pleasant steward. Back to Waterloo, where Ms Jobsworth delayed my homeward departure. Complaint to SWR filed last night. By the time I got to Fratton, the lighter bits of clothing had dried out, which was nice. As was the strange warming orange thing in the sky. Home just before five, restorative nap much needed.
And relax…before starting the Charging of The Batteries today for Friday's installment to Cambridge.
Thank you Andrew and all the northern contingent. Hopefully back for the next one. Can't be as bad as that again, surely? It was fun though, not just the type two kind....
Booked on the 2100 service out of Euston, a well-rehearsed routine to get there. Half-six fast(er) service into Waterloo, obligatorily slow crawl between there and Euston, where Greg, Jenny and Chris (the latter two on Bromptons) found me. I was in a different carriage, so I got to be kept awake by some young women across the aisle who seemingly stopped talking for about ten seconds in over two hours...thank god I'd brought earphones. Very slightly late into Piccadilly, where we met @Bazzer and we wondered if the fully kitted out rider who walked past was one of our number. Well, yes, @Alan7 answered our question by being there at the meet! On leaving the station, managed to lead the other three on an extended route to the town hall (navigation fails between the ears and by Garmin) instead of just following Barry. Oops. No harm done.
A somewhat depleted peloton awaited, Kim and Nas having both decided a nice warm bed was a better option, and the ChorltonCH massive wasn't quite as large either. We might, from time to time, have agreed with their sentiments during the night. @Zee cut it a bit fine, turning up during Andrew's safety talk, but better late than never, and great to see & ride with you again after all this time. Introductions/reintroductions made, and then we were off. It has to be said, though it was wet, it was more 'gentle rain in mild temperatures' than particularly unpleasant. That would come later. Early stretch was thankfully dull in a good way- some lights needed fettling, there was some annoyingly bad cycling infrastructure (as in, 'making a situation worse not better for riders') and that was about it. @middleagecyclist and chum joined us at Prestwich. Some pleasant mild off-roading. Terrible surfaces that never brought to mind the thought 'I shouldn't have brought a titanium bike with 35mm tyres, because I'm far too comfortable'. As on the 2017 edition, the Litespeed was the right bike for the job. Ten thousand holes in Blackburn? That few? Having ridden Chutney the folder on two of these, I have a rough guess Jenny and Chris were wishing for something a bit less twitchy and rattly under those conditions, not that it stopped them keeping pace.
Exciting new route alterations aside, most of the first part was identical to the Morecambe variant. The traditional pause at Bury to remember the late Alan S. Lots, and lots, and lots, of holes. That epic climb up towards Blackburn. McDonalds still the best/only option for a not-even-near halfway stop. And, famous last words, both self and Andrew decided to tempt fate by posting the weather hadn't been that bad so far. Fate was indeed tempted. Bugger. By the time we left the golden arches, the biblical taps had been turned up a bit. A lot, from time to time. As had the biblical fan....
It has to be said that the lack of mechanicals was a blessing, because we got cursed by the weather. We somehow got, and stayed, well ahead of anticipated pace. Which, when your waterproof gear is increasingly not waterproof, is bringing that 'somewhere warm and dry' thankfully nearer. After the Longridge climb, I took a straw poll and I think only 100% of those sampled had wet socks. I did have my Sealskinz, but they were in the pannier, and I think they'd have delayed the inevitable not prevented it. And waterproof boots are sadly good at holding water once it gets inside. My Shimano MW7s are superb in most conditions. In those conditions, they were overwhelmed, and I ended up with a puddle of water in each shoe for the duration. This is as unpleasant as it sounds. Hopefully, they'll be dry in a day or two…
The ETA of 8am for breakfast at Fleetwood proved utterly accurate. And what a splendid breakfast that was. Nom. Splendid value for money to boot. Then, suitably renewed, we went on to Blackpool…
Oh
My
Word
That
Sucked
Well, it blew, but you get my drift. Our route took us on a westerly loop around the coast of the Fylde, before following it south to our final destination. At times, it seemed like that finality was going to be a bit literal. The wind forecasts were inaccurate, as we struggled along, and aside, in a brutal, gusting head/crosswind. At one point, self and @Helenb (yes, that is a nice bike) were blown clean off the bike path and needed a breather before continuing. As it was, every time there was a break in the sea wall, we were at risk of getting blown into someone or something. Having made the turn south, we then had a tailwind, but when it's that strong it doesn't exactly make controlling your line easy....
Didn't stick around at the (heavingly busy) Wetherspoons for too long as that 1054 train beckoned. Aforementioned jobsworth train manager dealt with, the rest of the London-bound journey was very pleasant. Ridiculously quiet 1st class carriage (three people in it when we left BPN, there were barely more in the other carriages I walked through, and only a few joined en route), decent nosh, three cups of tea served by pleasant steward. Back to Waterloo, where Ms Jobsworth delayed my homeward departure. Complaint to SWR filed last night. By the time I got to Fratton, the lighter bits of clothing had dried out, which was nice. As was the strange warming orange thing in the sky. Home just before five, restorative nap much needed.
And relax…before starting the Charging of The Batteries today for Friday's installment to Cambridge.
Thank you Andrew and all the northern contingent. Hopefully back for the next one. Can't be as bad as that again, surely? It was fun though, not just the type two kind....
Last edited:
middleagecyclist
Call me MAC
- Location
- Prestwich, Manchester
Domus
Guru
- Location
- Sunny Radcliffe
My Shimano boots were exactly the same, only ever seen water pouring out of boots on cartoons, until yesterday. 
Very good write up Stuart.
Planning a return to Blackpool............................. to return the sand from my brakes and my right ear.
I suspect I will have dried out fully for the York to Hull excursion, however I will be alone as John is away and Alan said NEVER again.
Very good write up Stuart.
Planning a return to Blackpool............................. to return the sand from my brakes and my right ear.
I suspect I will have dried out fully for the York to Hull excursion, however I will be alone as John is away and Alan said NEVER again.
middleagecyclist
Call me MAC
- Location
- Prestwich, Manchester
I will return...probably August/September and will choose a dry day. Plan to to do most the route but get the ferry over to Fleetwood then carry on home to Prestwich via Preston, Chorley and Bolton on a flatter route. Should be able to make it 200km DIY audax. Will post pics of the ferry.
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
Yup, I got a facial scrub from some of it, found myself rubbing bits off on the train.
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