England : Berkshire Reading CTC Night Ride to Brighton Friday April 12th 2013

[AKA Bob]

Sadly I will not be joining you for this one even though I am back in the saddle again as I am marshalling on the Tweed Run the next day. I might come and wave you all off though.

 

[sbird]

Sadly I will not be joining you for this one even though I am back in the saddle again as I am marshalling on the Tweed Run the next day. I might come and wave you all off though.

Marshalling at the Tweed run? Does that require a moustache? A wave off would be nice!

 

[StuAff]

Sadly I will not be joining you for this one even though I am back in the saddle again as I am marshalling on the Tweed Run the next day. I might come and wave you all off though.

That's two Tweed Run marshals I know!

 

[StuAff]

A little bump. The Pompey-Reading train option involves two changes- the change at Eastleigh (for the London service) only has three minutes to spare, bad enough when you don't have a bike to lug across a footbridge, let alone when you do. I have taken that train to get to an FNRttC, and I think all the rail staff are sympathetic to the need to give people time for the change, but it certainly isn't ideal. A much better option has sprung to mind- I can get the 10.30ish London service, get off at Woking (2349), and either ride from there or change for Farnborough Main (arrival there 00.10). Doing that and meeting the Reading peloton en-route would be a lot easier I think.

 

[sbird]

A little bump. The Pompey-Reading train option involves two changes- the change at Eastleigh (for the London service) only has three minutes to spare, bad enough when you don't have a bike to lug across a footbridge, let alone when you do. I have taken that train to get to an FNRttC, and I think all the rail staff are sympathetic to the need to give people time for the change, but it certainly isn't ideal. A much better option has sprung to mind- I can get the 10.30ish London service, get off at Woking (2349), and either ride from there or change for Farnborough Main (arrival there 00.10). Doing that and meeting the Reading peloton en-route would be a lot easier I think.

It's an idea but...we will be passing nearby to Aldershot station further south than Farnborough. And it's 22 miles from the start so we wouldn't be there until around 2am or slightly before. Hanging around for a couple of hours doesn't sound like fun. Why not take the 20:59 or 21:19 trains from Portsmouth Harbour. They don't go via Eastleigh, have plenty of time between trains and get you into Reading at 22:47 or 00:01?

 

[StuAff]

It's an idea but...we will be passing nearby to Aldershot station further south than Farnborough. And it's 22 miles from the start so we wouldn't be there until around 2am or slightly before. Hanging around for a couple of hours doesn't sound like fun. Why not take the 20:59 or 21:19 trains from Portsmouth Harbour. They don't go via Eastleigh, have plenty of time between trains and get you into Reading at 22:47 or 00:01?

Nice thought…just not possible with a 9.30pm finish at work, unfortunately. I wouldn't be hanging around in any case, more heading on an intercept course

 

[sbird]

Our first night ride of 2013 and our third since going to Portsmouth and Lymington in 2012.

This will be the longest so far at 75 miles but the flattest route I could find with a peak of 400 feet over the Hog's Back in Surrey. We head south from Reading, via Shinfield, through Farnborough, Aldershot, roadside 3s at Milford, Ashington, Steyning before riding by the Adur river, and crossing at Shoreham to have breakfast at the Carats Cafe in Portslade-by-sea. Then a final 4 miles along the sea front to Brighton......

Okay, recce ride now done. A couple of tweaks including changing the breakfast cafe. Steyning is sweet, followed by the dominant views of the Cement works and Lancing College providing a contrast between modern and old. Shoreham docks shows brutal functionality but also a potential entertainment for 10 minutes if the lock is in action. Then follows a 5 mile blast along the sea-front to Brighton for which I hope the wind will revert to it's prevailing conditions.

Do let me know if you want to come. We'll be picking up at Reading station (South entrance by the Three Guineas pub) at 12.05am.

 

[StuAff]

Shoreham docks shows brutal functionality but also a potential entertainment for 10 minutes if the lock is in action. Then follows a 5 mile blast along the sea-front to Brighton for which I hope the wind will revert to it's prevailing conditions.

Oh yes, the lock....couple of times I've gone that way with it in use- one of those meant a 15 minute wait. I generally stick to the 259 along that stretch these days for that reason.

 

[boybiker]

Forecast is looking OK for this ride now - dry and cold. I should be one of those waiting at Reading station, barring unforeseen circumstances.

Ditto, I should be there

 

[StuAff]

And I'm still in, should be seeing you on the road some time after midnight. I assume the tweaks don't involve the stretch between Reading and Aldershot/Farnborough?

 

[sbird]

And I'm still in, should be seeing you on the road some time after midnight. I assume the tweaks don't involve the stretch between Reading and Aldershot/Farnborough?

Nope, no tweaks, same as agreed. Hope you get off work and there on time of course!

 

[boybiker]

Thanks for organising this ride Simon I had a really good time and completed my first night ride with no major dramas .

 

[sbird]

We had 10 adventurers on the first of 3 Reading CTC night rides, this one to Brighton which, although not especially timed to arrive the day before the marathon, did follow the last 5 miles of it's course along the seafront.

No major, or indeed as far as I'm aware, minor mishaps thankfully. Skirting to the west of the North Downs and straight through the middle of the South Downs following the valley of the River Adur from pretty Steyning to functional Shoreham we barely went over 400 feet in elevation. Passing 3 working airports (Blackbushe, Farnborough and Shoreham) and 1 Top Geared one at Dunsfold provided some interesting chats and our stops at Tescos in Aldershot and a 24 hour garage at Milford worked well. At Shoreham I let the speedy ones stretch their legs and head off to the 24 hour cafe, Buddies, in Brighton whilst the rump of Reading CTC brought up the rear arriving just as the others we finishing their breakfast.

Highlight for me was the stretch from Alfold after Dunsfold, south of Billingshurst, Ashington, Steyning and Shoreham which was a long gradual downhill stretch as the dawn broke with the birdsong intense around us, showing that spring really has started if they are keen to get on with it.

Thanks for those who turned up; it was good to meet new faces and get to know familiar ones from previous FNRttCs I'd done.

More on Reading CTC night rides on 20th June to Stonehenge and 20th September to Lymington at http://www.readingctc.co.uk/rides/.

 

[sbird]

Thanks for organising this ride Simon I had a really good time and completed my first night ride with no major dramas .

Thanks for joining in. It was a pleasure. And the tyre tips were good too!

 

[StuAff]

That was a good 'un for sure. The getting-the-train-to-somewhere-in-the-middle option worked out very well (Eddie said there were problems around Reading that might have prevented me making the start, so that was handy!). Got the all-clear at work in plenty of time to allow a not-hammering trip home, change of clothes, bite to eat and then up to Hilsea station for the London-bound train. It arrived in Woking on time, as did the onward connection to Farnborough Main, actually early there (nine past midnight). From there, it was a fairly straightforward trip (barring a couple of roundabouts where the Garmin decided to give me misleading instructions about which exit to take, just went round again on those) out to Fleet and then northwards, 'enlivened' by a few boy racers (one attempt at abuse, I think, the doppler effect meant it was even more incoherent...). Smooth and reasonably rapid progress meant I saw nine cyclists coming the other way in Eversley, at a quarter to one or so, whereupon I tagged on the back. Despite my greeting and the two Hope Vision Ones lighting my way most effectively, Simon managed to miss my joining for a bit . Never mind. Onward progress remained pleasingly speedy (well, for the faster among us), and the scenery was splendid. Milford stop proved amusing thanks to a somewhat inebriated petrol station customer who was somewhat bemused by our arrival (there was a missed retail opportunity there, the clerk was serving only through the window...). Apart from my rides there from home that's about as flat a route to Brighton as you could find, made a change from the London-starting options. From Shoreham I led Team Faster into the metropolis, where the Buddies welcome was warm and the portions huge. I'm not entirely sure how some of the menu options are considered suitable for one (yes, even with my appetite)
Intended riding home to get another ton in, but bailed and got the train at Worthing as my right knee was throbbing in somewhat worrying fashion, impairing my speed somewhat, and I didn't want to aggravate it further. Felt rather better (still there, more of a sensation though) today so should be no bother for Friday's excursion, and hopefully further mileage in this week off. So a mere 85 miles or so....

Thank you, friends old and new. September is in the ride diary (riding through the New Forest in the dark is fab)...