The Fridays Tour de Normandie 2015

[mmmmartin]

Southern have announced that if the rail strike goes ahead there will be no, nacht, zero trains on Tuesday.

Have they? The Southern homepage says, as of this moment (my bold)
Industrial action may affect National Rail services on Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 May
Members of the RMT and TSSA Unions that work for track and infrastructure operator Network Rail have announced that they are planning to take industrial action on Bank Holiday Monday 25 May and Tuesday 26 May. However, further talks between Network Rail and the Trades Unions are currently taking place, which may still lead to resolution of the dispute.
Should the industrial action go ahead there is likely to be severe disruption to rail services on Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 May, although this is likely to vary considerably by route, so you are strongly advised to check with the relevant train company before travelling.
More information on the timetables that will operate on the 25 and 26 May will be available on this page of the National Rail Enquiries website from the afternoon of Thursday 21 May onwards. Please note, that as the planned industrial action will affect routes differently (because of differing rail signalling systems, for instance), it is likely that more information will be available on some routes than others. Full timetables for the 25 and 26 May are currently expected to be available from Saturday 23 May onwards.
So they seem to be saying the trains might run - the strike is due to finish at 5pm. We're supposed to dock at 3.30pm so it is quite possible that a ride to Brighton, where the trains should start about 5pm, might be the best bet.
Some staff will work through the strike so there will be some trains all day (though not many, I think.)

 

[StuAff]

I am unable to help on the accommodation front, and my place is in the wrong direction for most of you anyway. Hope it all gets resolved..
What I can help with, should you need it, is those last minute emergencies for those of you going via Pompey. List of bits I've got to hand follows:
Inner tubes: Lots of 700c 18-25mm, a few 28-37mm, and a solitary 26" one. Don't think any of you are on 20", but if you are, sorry, I'm taking them all to Brussels.
Tyres: 700c 23mm and 25mm, a couple with light use, and a pair of each BNIB (Schwalbe One 23mm, Durano Plus 25mm).
Should anyone manage to forget bottles, I have quite a few brand new ones.
Tools, obviously. Two track pumps, and no, they're not covered in dust. Just checked the bikes over today, thank you very much.
Anything I don't have and you need buying, there's a Halfords round the corner and two decent bike shops within a couple of miles.

 

[wanda2010]

@User - I might need to have a chat if the strike goes ahead.

@StuAff - very generous of you.

 

[CharlieB]

Anybody interested in riding back to London if the weather is fair? I plan to take a little more than 'commuter' lights as contingency as I would be unlikely to make London before nightfall. A reverse GPX of the Friday Night ride might also be useful to have. Anybody?

Quite possibly, Stuart. I've to be at work without fail on Wednesday.

 

[StuartG]

Have they? The Southern homepage says, as of this moment (my bold)
Industrial action may affect National Rail services on Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 May

They tweeted this ....

 

[mmmmartin]

blimey, where is that? I just took the above quote from its very own web page.

 

[velovoice]

@mmmmartin 's recommendation is our Plan A i.e. cycle along to Brighton where Thameslink and Southern trains start and hope something will be running.

@User - if that does not work out, we may be asking at very short notice if your kind offer is still open! (@Flying Dodo did suggest a Plan C: cycle home...! Er, no.)

 

[Andrew Br]

We need to be home by Tuesday night so we can't risk the strike and we've hired a car from Brighton. The cost of the hire is 1/2 of what we paid for the trains. By the time we've put fuel in, it'll still end up cheaper.
I only hope that Virgin are true to their word and we can get refunds.

 

[StuartG]

blimey, where is that? I just took the above quote from its very own web page.

https://twitter.com/southernrailuk

 

[Andrew Br]

The feeling of the extra weight up high makes riding interesting - it'll take a few miles to get used to the higher centre of gravity, and honking is ... Interesting.

Like Stu, I've got an SQR Carradice (Tour in my case) but I don't like what it does to the bike when it's full, especially when I'm out of the saddle.
I'm taking the Disco (baby !) on this tour so (look away now Simon) I've fitted a rack . It mounts on the QR and a new seatpost clamp and my gear goes in an Orleib Rackpack. Tools and bike clothing will be in a Decathlon handle-bar bag.
I tried this set-up on the recent CC Manchester-Llandudno ride and it worked very well, even when I was grimping up that last bastard hill into Llandudno.
Mud guarding is taken care of by part of a crud-catcher supplemented by an ass-saver. It doesn't help following riders but it stops me getting a grit and cold water enema. No front guard so my legs and feet will get wet if it does rain.
Which of course it won't .

We're looking forward to seeing you all .

 

[srw]

Depending on the goodwill of @rvw acting as taxi driver (while I drink beer) or on your own navigation skills we can offer a couple of rooms in Guildford on Tuesday evening for those going West, and can certainly take @CharlieB back to Chesham (wivva Brommie) if he wants.

I wonder if pooling resources to hire a van or a minibus, or both, would be worth contemplating.

For once, I suspect the RMT will press on with the strike - as someone upthread points out there's more political mileage to be gained by the government standing firm than compromising. That's the trouble with the labour movement these days - more strategic thinking would save them from a few pyrrhic victories. Not that I think Davey C has a great deal of strategic thinking either...

 

[StuAff]

Depending on the goodwill of @rvw acting as taxi driver (while I drink beer) or on your own navigation skills we can offer a couple of rooms in Guildford on Tuesday evening for those going West, and can certainly take @CharlieB back to Chesham (wivva Brommie) if he wants.

I wonder if pooling resources to hire a van or a minibus, or both, would be worth contemplating.

For once, I suspect the RMT will press on with the strike - as someone upthread points out there's more political mileage to be gained by the government standing firm than compromising. That's the trouble with the labour movement these days - more strategic thinking would save them from a few pyrrhic victories. Not that I think Davey C has a great deal of strategic thinking either...

I've had that thought- not that Labour ever wielded much influence over industrial action, but Dave certainly doesn't, and the more militant sections of the union movement see his government as one to be challenged not worked with. Both sides want to make a point, when they're both trying to make the wrong point, unfortunately.

 

[srw]

Actually, thinking further, given @User482 and @theclaud to (say) Reading or Slough, @velovoice and @Flying Dodo to Bedfordshire and @CharlieB and me to Buckinghamshire, hiring a van for the bikes and a large car for the bodies - or putting the bodies in a cab and hiring a van for the bikes - might not be a bad idea. We can put the Western Britons up in Bucks for the night if necessary - the only downside (for all of us) is that I need to be in Central London for 8am on Wednesday, but the first Great Western train of the morning is unlikely to be that busy.

Have I forgotten anyone going elsewhere in the same sort of direction?

 

[StuartG]

BBC London News tonight said the talks were positive and Network Rail was hopeful. I shall be delighted to be proved wrong.

Watch your Twitter feeds ...

 

[theclaud]

I'm struggling with this 'travelling light' objective. Aiming to take my Carradice longflap and a bar bag, but having doubts. It's not the amount of clothing that's the problem, it's the 'other stuff' that's bulking out the bag. Will repack a few more times tonight and do a test ride.

I intend to bring a lock, which you are welcome to share if that helps.