England : Isle of Wight Night Ride Around the Coast 2016 (June 3)

[StuAff]

As he just posted @PaulRide was on an earlier train than I thought, made it down to the terminal in time for boarding. Five on the ferry. Greggs shut, Costa open thankfully.

 

[Eddie_C]

At Fishbourne

 

[StuAff]

Tesco, after unscheduled detour (ride leader forgot to load up first part of route & missed a turn....whoops). Weather fine, hills still lumpy.

 

[StuAff]

Blackgang car park. First light, birds singing, great views emerging.

 

[StuAff]

In Wetherspoons demolishing breakfasts. Excellent weather, zero mechanicals. More to follow later.

 

[Bollo]

I didn't get any hash browns with my breakfast. Does that count as a mechanical?

 

[ianrauk]

Good stuff chaps. I hope the weather was as mild overnight as it was here.

 

[StuAff]

Good stuff chaps. I hope the weather was as mild overnight as it was here.

It was- bit headwindy on the Military Road, otherwise perfect conditions.

 

[Shadow]

Buggerbuggerbugger. Well done Paul, I dont know how you did that. I was stuck at Ford, one stop back from you at Barnham. I calculated that the train would not get to the harbour and therefore get me to the terminal in time. So bailed and rode back home. Fun going up Bury Hill from Arundel at that time of night - seemed shorter than usual.
No doubt it was a spiffing ride and am quite envious. Look forward to reading the reports.

 

[StuAff]

Just back home after an additional thirty miler to get this month's imperial century done. 103.4 miles since 1 am or so....

 

[PaulRide]

Buggerbuggerbugger. Well done Paul, I dont know how you did that. I was stuck at Ford, one stop back from you at Barnham. I calculated that the train would not get to the harbour and therefore get me to the terminal in time.

I did that calculation as well, and right up until the moment I got on the bike outside Cosham station, I felt pretty sure there was no hope of finding my way through an unfamiliar 6 mile maze of roads in the 12 minutes before they closed the gates on the ferry. But then I just gave it some welly, and imagined the other riders watching from the departing ferry as I arrived too late. I improvised a route past the A27/A3 and associated roundabouts of doom and found a road that seemed to be pointing in the right direction (even though it didn't have any signs for Pompey). I rolled up to the gates and asked the chaps in fluorescent tabards if I'd missed the boat, and they said, "No, there it is, that big boat-shaped thing. Go and buy a ticket over there." It seems I'd been saved by a combination of lucky guesswork, fast riding and a slight delay in the ferry turning up. Meanwhile I slowly became aware of some frantic shouting behind me, and there were David, Charlie, Bollo and Stuart trying to attract my attention. It's a massive understatement to say I was pleased not to be facing the prospect of waiting around for three hours or riding home alone.

Did others see all the stonechats sitting on teasels along the Military Road?

 

[StuAff]

I did that calculation as well, and right up until the moment I got on the bike outside Cosham station, I felt pretty sure there was no hope of finding my way through an unfamiliar 6 mile maze of roads in the 12 minutes before they closed the gates on the ferry. But then I just gave it some welly, and imagined the other riders watching from the departing ferry as I arrived too late. I improvised a route past the A27/A3 and associated roundabouts of doom and found a road that seemed to be pointing in the right direction (even though it didn't have any signs for Pompey). I rolled up to the gates and asked the chaps in fluorescent tabards if I'd missed the boat, and they said, "No, there it is, that big boat-shaped thing. Go and buy a ticket over there." It seems I'd been saved by a combination of lucky guesswork, fast riding and a slight delay in the ferry turning up. Meanwhile I slowly became aware of some frantic shouting behind me, and there were David, Charlie, Bollo and Stuart trying to attract my attention. It's a massive understatement to say I was pleased not to be facing the prospect of waiting around for three hours or riding home alone.

Did others see all the stonechats sitting on teasels along the Military Road?

Thing is, Cosham is in Pompey (the northernmost bits that aren't on Portsea Island itself, basically). Very confusing for non-natives, understandably! Phenomenal effort to make the ferry, and very glad it worked.

 

[User10571]

I did that calculation as well, and right up until the moment I got on the bike outside Cosham station, I felt pretty sure there was no hope of finding my way through an unfamiliar 6 mile maze of roads in the 12 minutes before they closed the gates on the ferry. But then I just gave it some welly, and imagined the other riders watching from the departing ferry as I arrived too late. I improvised a route past the A27/A3 and associated roundabouts of doom and found a road that seemed to be pointing in the right direction (even though it didn't have any signs for Pompey). I rolled up to the gates and asked the chaps in fluorescent tabards if I'd missed the boat, and they said, "No, there it is, that big boat-shaped thing. Go and buy a ticket over there." It seems I'd been saved by a combination of lucky guesswork, fast riding and a slight delay in the ferry turning up. Meanwhile I slowly became aware of some frantic shouting behind me, and there were David, Charlie, Bollo and Stuart trying to attract my attention. It's a massive understatement to say I was pleased not to be facing the prospect of waiting around for three hours or riding home alone.

Did others see all the stonechats sitting on teasels along the Military Road?

I did!
No, I didn't.
But I did want to say Kudos to you, for your Percy Vearance!

 

[Bollo]

Did others see all the stonechats sitting on teasels?

Are they like Mumford and Son?

 

[PaulRide]

Are they like Mumford and Son?

Not really, more like the Watersons played at 78.