robjh
Legendary Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire - almost Essex
You weren't drunk in charge of a boat I hope
FNRttC Southend Ride Friday 10th March 2017
- Thread starter AKA Bob
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
ianmac62
Guru
- Location
- Northampton
A top banana of a ride!
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
That was, yet again, a good 'un, though the getting there and getting back sucked rather a lot.....great job @AKA Bob!
The evening started off really well. Unlike the rest of the week, we got the all clear at work a little early (9.27), those three minutes being sufficient (combined with having the bike ready to go) to make the 9.38 train to the smoke. Or rather, would have been. Initial elation rapidly deflated as I discovered a broken down freight train at Micheldever (next station north of Winchester) had completely SNAFUd the line. The helpful station guy was arranging taxis to get past the blockage. Unless you had a bicycle, of course. Heaven forbid that. Train eventually left sixteen minutes late, before sitting at Winchester for what felt like an age before proceeding north (they were running a contraflow arrangement on the southbound tracks, so it had to wait for a slot, and then move slowly before returning to the northbound line). 65 minutes late into Waterloo…round of applause under the bridge was nice though.
As for the ride itself, I don't really have much to add to the above. Pleasantly uneventful, apart from the bus thing and way markers deserting their post.
And then the return. Apparently, if someone with a bicycle is walking at reasonable speed to the correct doors on a train to park that bicycle, it's OK to lock the doors and send the train on its way without any warning whatsoever. I could have been injured, you ******* jobsworth idiot. So I had to leave half an hour later. Get to Waterloo, and the next train down was running late too (delayed on its trip north). Only eight minutes, but one of those days....
As I'm sure you appreciate, this (and a few other things) have put something of a dampener on my mood at the moment. It was a great night/morning for the most part though, Pompey won 4-0 as well, and a nice relaxing evening with one of the world's finest metal bands tomorrow night to look forward to. It will be a good week off!
The evening started off really well. Unlike the rest of the week, we got the all clear at work a little early (9.27), those three minutes being sufficient (combined with having the bike ready to go) to make the 9.38 train to the smoke. Or rather, would have been. Initial elation rapidly deflated as I discovered a broken down freight train at Micheldever (next station north of Winchester) had completely SNAFUd the line. The helpful station guy was arranging taxis to get past the blockage. Unless you had a bicycle, of course. Heaven forbid that. Train eventually left sixteen minutes late, before sitting at Winchester for what felt like an age before proceeding north (they were running a contraflow arrangement on the southbound tracks, so it had to wait for a slot, and then move slowly before returning to the northbound line). 65 minutes late into Waterloo…round of applause under the bridge was nice though.
As for the ride itself, I don't really have much to add to the above. Pleasantly uneventful, apart from the bus thing and way markers deserting their post.
And then the return. Apparently, if someone with a bicycle is walking at reasonable speed to the correct doors on a train to park that bicycle, it's OK to lock the doors and send the train on its way without any warning whatsoever. I could have been injured, you ******* jobsworth idiot. So I had to leave half an hour later. Get to Waterloo, and the next train down was running late too (delayed on its trip north). Only eight minutes, but one of those days....
As I'm sure you appreciate, this (and a few other things) have put something of a dampener on my mood at the moment. It was a great night/morning for the most part though, Pompey won 4-0 as well, and a nice relaxing evening with one of the world's finest metal bands tomorrow night to look forward to. It will be a good week off!
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
Nothing to apologise for. They did it to someone on my train as well...seems to be standard operating procedure to be inconsiderate ****s.
mmmmartin
Random geezer
I have a definite recollection of you having a conversation with the bus driver. Followed by a similar one with the gentleman sitting in the Met Police car. And although i was quite a distance away, I could hear what you were saying.
velovoice
Veteran
- Location
- Between the City and the Sea
"gentleman"? He was a disgrace to the Met force and to his badge.
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Journey's end for me is Faversham station to get the 1830 to Ramsgate and to be rescued by @Hill Wimp :-)
It's been a long but good sttempt today to ride from Sarfend to Deal. Good company from @Redlight to Gravesend with a lot of interesting stuff noted for future visits. NCN 1 is like all Sustrans route, a bit if a curates egg. Lots good for sightseeing and pootling, much mostly unsuitable for roadbikes and some simply shocking. As a result early progress was slow. BUT, it was warm, sunny, springlike and the countryside and scenery aquitted itself well. A fine alehouse was found for a pint of coke and crisps to add to the lovliness of the day.
205km on the clock. I'll bank those.
Will read and post more later.
Thanks Titus and mmmartin for looking after us, great to meet new faces...hope you enjoyed the experience. Finally always good to meet old pals, as well as the young pals!
Laters
FF
It's been a long but good sttempt today to ride from Sarfend to Deal. Good company from @Redlight to Gravesend with a lot of interesting stuff noted for future visits. NCN 1 is like all Sustrans route, a bit if a curates egg. Lots good for sightseeing and pootling, much mostly unsuitable for roadbikes and some simply shocking. As a result early progress was slow. BUT, it was warm, sunny, springlike and the countryside and scenery aquitted itself well. A fine alehouse was found for a pint of coke and crisps to add to the lovliness of the day.
205km on the clock. I'll bank those.
Will read and post more later.
Thanks Titus and mmmartin for looking after us, great to meet new faces...hope you enjoyed the experience. Finally always good to meet old pals, as well as the young pals!
Laters
FF
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
Chapeau! A long ride after an FNR is always hard work.
EltonFrog
Legendary Member
@User21629 lovely photos.
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Not quite....
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Not quite....
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
…but posting duplicates
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
I'm still seeing double.,,,…but posting duplicates
Nigel182
Guru
- Location
- Chafford Hundred,Essex
Nice to get out and chat with Familiar Old faces and Friends
even managed a few miles from Leigh to Shoeburyness then back on the train to the car.
The Beaches Cafe seems a real 'Find' and Food,Service ,Location and Staff are all Top 'Notch.
Hopefully with you all on the Whitstable Ride but may do to Halfway then gently head home.
even managed a few miles from Leigh to Shoeburyness then back on the train to the car.
The Beaches Cafe seems a real 'Find' and Food,Service ,Location and Staff are all Top 'Notch.
Hopefully with you all on the Whitstable Ride but may do to Halfway then gently head home.
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
[QUOTE 4717624, member: 21629"]My report.
First uphill was few seconds after we leave the train - slope at Waterloo East to get out of it.
ok ok, no more complaints about hills and mountains (but I was born in a country as flat as Belgium and my first ever seen hills were Surrey ones 7 years ago).
Easy (even for me!) ride to J31 and the best part of this part - wc !!!
food and drink then and a relax watching others trying to sleep 
(I've got some photo evidence, haha 
).
Left J31 and got into different ride. Dark and bye-bye-flats (it's not a complaint...not yet).
Light bollocking from @mmmmartin IIRC him coz we left some of us on our way.
Brainless lorry driver nearly hitting few of us. One of those "we don't have a phrase "to overtake cyclists" in our vocabulary".
Poor fox. Didn't dare to take a photo of it.
Good morning the morning.
My bottom screaming of pain (wrong cycling shorts...)
Last on-way meeting somewhere about 8 miles from Southend. My ears caught some Titus words "..... 8 miles" oh no no no, I'm gonna die. No, my ass will die first.
8 miles to go, hang on, I've got 85 km now according to Garmin ... hmmm, let's die but I will have beautiful looking numbers "100km".
Cycling - walking - speed record achieved - walking - bottom crying
- CAFE !!!!! 
Best part of this part - wc !!!
Food, drink, chat, more chat, time to go home.
Train Southend to Tilbury, ferry Tilbury - Gravesend (I didn't stand a chance to resist that), train Gravesend - Ashford.
A lesson learnt - always use my usual cycling shorts. New ones may surprise in bad way. Won't be able to sit on my bike for a week. At least.
This ride was the first time in my life when I wasn't freezing at every stop which is an absolute wooooooow for me.
It's always nice to ride in a large group of cyclists.
So despite of all my complaints and tears and more complaints I give 10 points out of 10 for this ride. Looking forward to the other ones.
100 km done.
[/QUOTE]
Large parts of Belgium are emphatically not flat. Plenty of nasty climbs in Flanders, average height of 1500ft in the Ardennes...
Well done. It won't get easier, but you will get faster
First uphill was few seconds after we leave the train - slope at Waterloo East to get out of it.
ok ok, no more complaints about hills and mountains (but I was born in a country as flat as Belgium and my first ever seen hills were Surrey ones 7 years ago).Easy (even for me!) ride to J31 and the best part of this part - wc !!!
food and drink then and a relax watching others trying to sleep (I've got some photo evidence, haha ).Left J31 and got into different ride. Dark and bye-bye-flats (it's not a complaint...not yet).
Light bollocking from @mmmmartin IIRC him coz we left some of us on our way.
Brainless lorry driver nearly hitting few of us. One of those "we don't have a phrase "to overtake cyclists" in our vocabulary".
Poor fox. Didn't dare to take a photo of it.
Good morning the morning.
My bottom screaming of pain (wrong cycling shorts...)
Last on-way meeting somewhere about 8 miles from Southend. My ears caught some Titus words "..... 8 miles" oh no no no, I'm gonna die. No, my ass will die first.
8 miles to go, hang on, I've got 85 km now according to Garmin ... hmmm, let's die but I will have beautiful looking numbers "100km".
Cycling - walking - speed record achieved - walking - bottom crying
- CAFE !!!!! Best part of this part - wc !!!
Food, drink, chat, more chat, time to go home.
Train Southend to Tilbury, ferry Tilbury - Gravesend (I didn't stand a chance to resist that), train Gravesend - Ashford.
A lesson learnt - always use my usual cycling shorts. New ones may surprise in bad way. Won't be able to sit on my bike for a week. At least.
This ride was the first time in my life when I wasn't freezing at every stop which is an absolute wooooooow for me.
It's always nice to ride in a large group of cyclists.
So despite of all my complaints and tears and more complaints I give 10 points out of 10 for this ride. Looking forward to the other ones.
100 km done.
[/QUOTE]Large parts of Belgium are emphatically not flat. Plenty of nasty climbs in Flanders, average height of 1500ft in the Ardennes...
Well done. It won't get easier, but you will get faster
Similar threads
