provisional 2013 FNRttC Calendar

[Davywalnuts]

I think we've only done two Whitstable rides in a year before - and one year it was just the one.

I think if I have ever left Whitstable sober, I may have noticed that..

 

[BigGee]

I was hoping to do the Manchester ride as well next year as I enjoy the awaydays and always like to do new rides. I'd be happy to join in any unofficial ventures up north,

Maybe putting a bit of space between the Southwold rides would not be a bad idea in case you struggle to fill both rides, some people might be up for doing it twice if that was the case, but a ride like that is always going to be a weekend killer and might be difficult to sell to my SO twice in a row!

 

[martint235]

If there's any chance chance of an informal Manchester ride, please let me know as my general plan for next year includes riding to Nelson again.

 

[Flying Dodo]

The thing is this. We've sort of cracked it. I don't believe that there are better rides to be had in the southeast.

I've still got an inkling about a longer distance ride out to Folkstone. 60 miles is easy for the hard core night riders. It would be good to push the boundaries a bit by trying a longer distance at night such as 80-90 miles. Also there's a cracking 10 mile section, on the back roads between Canterbury and Folkstone with just 1 junction to waymark, which is either flat or downhill, which had User10571 and everyone else grinning from ear to ear when we went along it. And then fish & chips on the sea front. And you can get the HS1 back from Folkstone!

 

[Andrew Br]

I know. But..........seventeen people came on the last one, and all but three or four were from the southeast. I'd have stuck with it, but the change of ownership at the Carmen Rose didn't work for us.

I'm very sad about the dropping of the Manchester ride but I fully understand why.
I really tried to get all of the cycling groups that I'm involved with interested in it but the response was......................
It's a bitter pill that the "organised, sponsored" Manchester-Blackpool ride seems to be well supported.

My offer to you and Agent Hilda for accommodation chez Brennan should you need it for reccy rides or whatever still stands and if there's an informal ride from Manchester to any farking where, I'm in.

I'll work on my train fu for next year's rides and I hope that Mcshroom's Carlisle-Newcastle ride can make it into the calendar for 2014. I'm on the ride next week and I'm really looking forward to it.

Did I say that I was really sad ? Sniff.

.

 

[slowmotion]

A tasty menu DZ. Thank-you.

 

[Trickedem]

I'm excited!

 

[hatler]

All in the calendar. Thank you.

 

[StuAff]

And all in my calendar as well....
The south-east may have reached the limits of new exciting yet workable options. For example, Bexhill was lovely, I'll go back there shortly I'm sure, but the trains are too small and too few in number whether you're going west or north to be practical, except perhaps for a small group. But rather further west....I'm hoping that Friday night's delights have whetted the appetite for further Hampshire/Dorset frolics- I think more people should experience the delights of the New Forest in the dark, and there's some good riding country in Dorset too. Both Reading (as demonstrated on Friday) and Winchester would be excellent starting points- easy from London, and not terribly inconvenient for me either. I'll be certainly keeping my eyes open for future Reading CTC rides. For the more adventurous, HPC would be equally suitable of course...

 

[Tim Hall]

The Felpham ride has its faults

Au contraire, it has everything a ride should have.

 

[dellzeqq]

The great thing about next year's Reading CTC night rides is that I don't have to do anything - just turn up and pedal. Reading brings a whole new section of coast in to play.

I'm sure that there is a decent Folkestone ride to be had, but I doubt that it would be better than the Whitstable. We can't expect people to open at odd hours for an annual event - we're doing brilliantly to have kept the Cabin Cafe so long on just two a year, and If a new destination makes the roster, then one of the others is at risk.

The more astute of you will point out that Brighton gets four rides, but two of those are cold rides and, for whatever reason, the Brighton rides are always the most popular. I could drop one of the Brighton rides for a new destination, but it would have to be the March or November outings.

I've done the SuperSpeedy thing - it worked for Harwich, but Emsworth and Ramsgate weren't so good. The original intention was to recapture the spirit of some of our recce rides, but I didn't go about it the right way, winding up with an uneasy compromise. If I fancy a lightweight night ride I'll call some people on the spur of the moment and just get on with it.

 

[dellzeqq]

You didn't mark any junctions or TEC? Shocked.

three or four junctions. There wasn't much to do - Simon employed a very simple route and the group stayed in a tight bunch - at most of the junctions I looked over my shoulder and saw the TECs

 

[Dogtrousers]

Just out of interest how far is the York-Hull ride? Do you take a wiggly route? - eg over the Wolds? I ask because I have have family in Driffield, so adding on Hull-Driff after breakfast could make this one to put in the diary - bike logistics & distance permitting. (or even Driff-York-Hull-Driff, depending on my fitness in April)

 

[Tompy]

...

I would, however, look at other start points, but I think that other CTC groups might take up the running, as Simon B has in Reading. Peterborough to Skegness or Great Yarmouth?

I've been wanting to do a night ride from here for ages and I think Pete would be up for helping too but destinations are a problem.

There are no direct trains back to Peterborough from Skeggy or Great Yarmouth. That's a problem right? Or should I be looking at direct trains back to London and let the few who might need to return to the start, deal with a train change?

 

[mmmmartin]

I'd be up for a ride starting at Peterborough and I would guess most of the riders would return to London afterwards, as they do on the York to Hull ride.