November ride for food - the Chilterns, Saturday 19th November
- Thread starter frank9755
- Start date
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OP
OP
frank9755
Cyclist
I think we are now going to be a full field of about 20 people.
I've got these names. Please let me know if there are any changes. (GC) means joining at Gerrards Cross.
Ianrauk
Martint235
gbs
jayonabike (GC)
Mark One
Mark Grant
Becs (GC)
StuAff
DavyWalnuts
Topcat1
CharlieB (GC)
AideyM (GC)
RebeccaOlds
Mistral
MisterTea (GC)
stevevw
Kev
Rich P
Eddie
+ me
It's 7:30 for 7:45 at HPC
The Gerrards Cross rendezvous is outside the Wildwood pub at the NE corner of the common. I expect we will be there at 9:30.
Moving on to Rich's question: what time will we get back. With 20 people it's hard to predict what time we would get back. I do remember saying we would meet you on the way to Cardiff back in May and, with a lot fewer people, we ended up being a long time behind schedule. However, I'm sort of assuming that we would be leaving the pub after lunch by 3pm. That should lead to being back in central London by 7, but a couple of punctures and a broken chain could throw that off course. You could ride off ahead if you need to catch a specific train. If I was booking a train I might book it for 7:30ish (but remember I left you waiting ages on the way to Cardiff so don't trust me!)
I've tweaked the route to take out the coffee stop and associated bad right turn. We can have quick stop at a shop in Great Missenden for those who need something.
This is the core route.
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/819129
These rides have sometimes taken a while to get out of London so, to make sure we don't spend all morning reaching the M25, we're leaving at 7:45 - bang on - and going through Hyde Park where there are no lights for the first couple of miles. So, latecomers, please either catch us up on the road or, if you haven't done by Hayes, then this route will get you to the Gerrards Cross rendezvous a bit more quickly, with fewer hills but a bit less scenically. There's a bit of traffic but I've done it loads of times.
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/819150
Some people want to ride a hundred miles and some don't. And some may have a mechanical, or just feel a bit tired on the day. So, we have short cuts!
1. The early lunch option: ride straight to the pub from Great Missenden
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/819157
2. The 'no more hills before lunch, thank-you' option to cut out a gratuitous climb and fast descent right before lunch
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/819159
3. The ' I don't fancy riding up that after x pints; where's the station?' option
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/819161
I was out in the Chilterns last week. The trees are turning nicely but some of the lanes are pretty filthy with lots of mud washed onto the road, deposited by tractors and from rotting leaves. My bike was filthy when I got home (in fact it still is!). It's not big and its not clever to ride without mudguards but, if you do, I won't be riding behind you and you may not be particularly welcome in the pub.
On my ride there were loads of punctures. It's the hedge trimming season so, if you are thinking of getting rid of the summer tyres and putting some tough ones on for winter, it's worth doing before this ride.
We'll be back after dark so lights needed (but no strobes, please!)
See everyone on saturday
Frank
I've got these names. Please let me know if there are any changes. (GC) means joining at Gerrards Cross.
Ianrauk
Martint235
gbs
jayonabike (GC)
Mark One
Mark Grant
Becs (GC)
StuAff
DavyWalnuts
Topcat1
CharlieB (GC)
AideyM (GC)
RebeccaOlds
Mistral
MisterTea (GC)
stevevw
Kev
Rich P
Eddie
+ me
It's 7:30 for 7:45 at HPC
The Gerrards Cross rendezvous is outside the Wildwood pub at the NE corner of the common. I expect we will be there at 9:30.
Moving on to Rich's question: what time will we get back. With 20 people it's hard to predict what time we would get back. I do remember saying we would meet you on the way to Cardiff back in May and, with a lot fewer people, we ended up being a long time behind schedule. However, I'm sort of assuming that we would be leaving the pub after lunch by 3pm. That should lead to being back in central London by 7, but a couple of punctures and a broken chain could throw that off course. You could ride off ahead if you need to catch a specific train. If I was booking a train I might book it for 7:30ish (but remember I left you waiting ages on the way to Cardiff so don't trust me!)
I've tweaked the route to take out the coffee stop and associated bad right turn. We can have quick stop at a shop in Great Missenden for those who need something.
This is the core route.
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/819129
These rides have sometimes taken a while to get out of London so, to make sure we don't spend all morning reaching the M25, we're leaving at 7:45 - bang on - and going through Hyde Park where there are no lights for the first couple of miles. So, latecomers, please either catch us up on the road or, if you haven't done by Hayes, then this route will get you to the Gerrards Cross rendezvous a bit more quickly, with fewer hills but a bit less scenically. There's a bit of traffic but I've done it loads of times.
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/819150
Some people want to ride a hundred miles and some don't. And some may have a mechanical, or just feel a bit tired on the day. So, we have short cuts!
1. The early lunch option: ride straight to the pub from Great Missenden
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/819157
2. The 'no more hills before lunch, thank-you' option to cut out a gratuitous climb and fast descent right before lunch
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/819159
3. The ' I don't fancy riding up that after x pints; where's the station?' option
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/819161
I was out in the Chilterns last week. The trees are turning nicely but some of the lanes are pretty filthy with lots of mud washed onto the road, deposited by tractors and from rotting leaves. My bike was filthy when I got home (in fact it still is!). It's not big and its not clever to ride without mudguards but, if you do, I won't be riding behind you and you may not be particularly welcome in the pub.
On my ride there were loads of punctures. It's the hedge trimming season so, if you are thinking of getting rid of the summer tyres and putting some tough ones on for winter, it's worth doing before this ride.
We'll be back after dark so lights needed (but no strobes, please!)
See everyone on saturday
Frank
Davywalnuts
Chief Kebab Taster
Looks great Frank, so, many thanks in advance for all your work.
I shall see you at HPC at 7:30am....
I shall see you at HPC at 7:30am....
OP
OP
frank9755
Cyclist
No, I can't see that being an issue for a sensible person like you!
If you find yourself wanting to go a bit slower then it is dead easy to do one of the short cuts, get to the pub and be first in the lunch queue.
Then, if you wanted, you could get a flyer and have five mins head start on the big hill. After that, the route back is pretty direct and there is only one other hill, which is a bit long but not steep, before Harefield.
Mark Grant
Acting Captain of The St Annes Jombulance.
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
Thanks Frank. Had been thinking the Portland (28mm Marathons, triple with an 11-32, disc brakes and full guards) was going to be the right choice for this one anyway. Bit heavier than the Italian bikes, but not much slower. In the event that I can't manage Whiteleaf I'll walk it without shame anyway. Still up for the full ton. Will be at HPC at 7.30 or so, train into Waterloo gets in 7.13.
CharlieB
Junior Walker and the Allstars
Now I'm going to need serious psychological counselling. Two highly respected people with a dichotomy on mudguards, and us mere mortals trying get to grips with it.
martint235
Dog on a bike
Frank, I'll confirm tomorrow. My rear wheel is currently in the LBS and if I don't get it back before tomorrow, it's unlikely I'll get time to collect it before Saturday. I'm really, really hoping I get it back as I've been looking forward to this ride for ages, I rarely get out to the west of London.
martint235
Dog on a bike
Ok ignore most of that. While I was typing it my phone was quietly ringing away downstairs. I now have my wheel back and am definitely there on Saturday!
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
Ok ignore most of that. While I was typing it my phone was quietly ringing away downstairs. I now have my wheel back and am definitely there on Saturday!
Yay!
gbs
Guru
Frank, I have just returned from a glorious day in Wiltshire - great autumn colour this year.
To my dismay I found the ride quite demanding - 110k and 1170m vertical gain. Obviously significantly shorter and only slightly more hilly than yr route. Ave speed was 22.6kph on my fast bike, everything is relative, with slicks Schwalbe Ultremo ZX. That ave is almost identical to the Ealing Swindon ride that I did with you and others in May. Am at risk of being a laggard with sensible tyres and mudguards? I am not sure I wish to be a halfway bailer out - the shame, the shame....
What ave kph do you expect?
To my dismay I found the ride quite demanding - 110k and 1170m vertical gain. Obviously significantly shorter and only slightly more hilly than yr route. Ave speed was 22.6kph on my fast bike, everything is relative, with slicks Schwalbe Ultremo ZX. That ave is almost identical to the Ealing Swindon ride that I did with you and others in May. Am at risk of being a laggard with sensible tyres and mudguards? I am not sure I wish to be a halfway bailer out - the shame, the shame....
What ave kph do you expect?
OP
OP
frank9755
Cyclist
Geoffrey,
Good to hear you have been enjoying the glorious November! Given that we weren't waiting for you on the way to Cardiff, I don't see why you wouldn't fit in fine on Saturday.
To answer your question, it's hard to say. The main determinant of average speed will not be how fast we go but how much we stop for. But what I have in mind is that I'd like to get to the pub by 1pm. That gives us 5h15mins to do the 60 miles. Without doing the maths, I can see that is less than 20kph.
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