The Fridays Tour

[dellzeqq]

ah - the boy in the bedroom. Little Matt. He's been hanging around here for years, waiting to inherit. He's still waiting.

Yes, Davy, really.

 

[mistral]

ah - the boy in the bedroom. Little Matt. He's been hanging around here for years, waiting to inherit. He's still waiting.

So not a pharmacist

 

[ianmac62]

So 1 Wick-Cape Wrath = 25 Ditchlings

And, for collectors of such things, the Cape Wrath peninsula contains eight Marilyns.

1 Marilyn = 1 Hill with a drop of at least 150 metres on all sides (i.e. a point surrounded by 15 contour lines) regardless of absolute height or topographical merit.

The number of Marilyns in an area may be seen as one measure of the peakedness or undulating nature of the area. This is its kurtosis. A perfect dining table has a kurtosis quotient of zero; while a perfect egg-box has a kurtosis quotient of plus (or minus) one.

Cycling to Cape Wrath, although one reaches no great absolute height, is like cycling across an egg-box. In comparison, cycling across large areas of land well above sea level can be fairly flat. Compared to Cape Wrath, Dartmoor and the Peak District are like dining tables.

I am indebted for all of this to a book of lists written twenty years ago by Alan Dawson, "The Relative Hills Of Britain". I think his modesty prevented him naming the unit "the Dawson"; his sense of humour suggested naming it "the Marilyn".

 

[AKA Bob]

If we are redefining altitude in terms of ‘Ditchling’s’ then can I suggest we redefine distance as ‘slices of Victoria Sponge cake’ we are allowed to consume based on calories burned.

 

[srw]

actually I make it the entire fourth day 6.8 Ditchlings, taking Ditchling as 433 feet, and Chris's map showing 2982 feet. Now think that one through..........

According to our GPS record, as trasnferred onto MapMyRide, the genteel FNRttC was 4.2 Ditchlings. So the Road of Death is only 60% Ditchlinger than gentility, over the same sort of distance. Tain to JOG is 6.1 Ditchlings, over 20% more distance.

(Greg - sorry, I can't cope with a two-dimensional unit.)

 

[GrumpyGregry]

According to our GPS record, as trasnferred onto MapMyRide, the genteel FNRttC was 4.2 Ditchlings. So the Road of Death is only 60% Ditchlinger than gentility, over the same sort of distance. Tain to JOG is 6.1 Ditchlings, over 20% more distance.

(Greg - sorry, I can't cope with a two-dimensional unit.)

see my sig line...

 

[srw]

Careful guys, all this talk of Ditchlings, Marilyns, and The Road of Death is starting to cause a wobble in the target market

Yes - I began thinking "London" "Nottingham". "South-east" "North Midlands". "That's quite a long way".

But the "Road of Death" thing is, I think, over-cooked - it's not actually all that much hillier than L2B.

 

[dellzeqq]

Well, I'm telling you now - the road to Corbridge is tough, but the road from Corbridge to the A697 junction is horrible. Thirty years ago I cycled along it with my brother Tim - a hard man, who rode the Pyrenees with me. Ten miles out of Corbridge he got off his bike.

Tim 'this is nuts - I'm not doing it any more'
Me 'what are we going to do then - stay here and starve or freeze to farking death? Look at the sheep. They're lying down in the ditches to keep out of the wind'
Tim 'this road is mad'
Me 'get on your bike'

The next year I had to push one of my other brothers up Carter Bar - by which time he was a broken man, taking the train the next day. And in 2003 when, honestly, I was like a butchers dog, at least a stone lighter than I am now, with legs like anatomy lessons, the haul up at West Woodburn beat me. I had to get off and think about life.

Now, to be fair, I was on my own, and travelling at a pace with the usual corncob gears, but I don't get off often. All i can say is that there are stretches of this ride, on other days, that are so lovely you'll not want to be anywhere else, and that on the third day the van will be there for any of us who decide it's all a bit too much.

 

[mcshroom]

So I should keep the 22x32 on the bike then?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

So I should keep the 22x32 on the bike then?

Sounds like a plan... as does a course of spinning classes!

 

[dellzeqq]

if that's 32 on the front and 22 on the back - that should do it, yes. The other way round might be overdoing it a fraction!

 

[velovoice]

if that's 32 on the front and 22 on the back - that should do it, yes. The other way round might be overdoing it a fraction!

Well I have a 26 on the front and 32 on the back... not taking any chances!

 

[dellzeqq]

latest letter on its way to you

as of now we've got a bit over 80 people joining the ride at one point or another with 38 going 'all the way'

 

[StuAff]

Is there anyone else considering flying back from Inverness? Wick-Edinburgh-Southampton still looks like the best option for me at the moment, unless there are a few people to share a taxi, make the fare rather less horrendous, and if we were there for the 1345 Gatwick flight, that would mean I can get home two or three hours earlier, and for slightly less money. I'm sure the coach will be fun, but having time to make it back to Waterloo in time would be a concern.

 

[SaLQ83]

From previous bookings made I recommend the following websites (if you are not aware of them): -

http://www.booking.com for booking B&B's and Hotels (not sure if you are aware about it). There are 3 main reasons why I choose it.

1. Shows the availablity and the cost of accomodations
2. Has a great map that shows where the accomodation are in the area (the maps also shows what accomodation is available)
3. Allows free cancellations up to at least 2 days prior to arrival (some accomodation offer free cancellation up to 4pm on the day of cancellation.

There is also www.laterooms.com but this one doesn't offer much flexibilty as booking.com does. However I have noted that laterooms.com may show accomodations that bookings.com doesn't and it also offers discounts in some of the accomodations.

Try http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk for booking campsites. It shows how many campsites are in the area, and at times it will direct you to the campsites' websites.

We booked in the following acoomodations with booking.com

• Bingham: The Vale of Belvoir £60 doubleroom. (5 rooms single ensuite left for £40 avg, and there are some double rooms available)
• York: The Syncamore Guest House. This one is sold out but there is 1 triple room available in Hotel Noir for about £176.(based on 3 sharing)
• Castleside: We booked in Anchor Inn for £80 double room which is 5.6 miles in Whittonstall from Castleside enroute to Jedburgh. There are 4 rooms available and it is way cheaper than Derwent by at least %40 less! rooms cost £80 for double and £65 for one person staying in a double room. On the map this is on the B6309 off the A68.
• Jedburgh: The Royal Hotel. Still rooms available.
• Kinross: The Roxburge Guest £65, but there are only few rooms available now. The Kirkland Hotel nearby has a few available.
• Newtonmore: The Glenhouse Hotel has rooms available, and there few availble B&Bs nearby according to Booking.com
• Tain: Mansfield Castle Hotel (£90 for double room!) thought we will treat ourselves. This one is now sold out and Morangie House Hotel nearby available.
• Wick: Neathercliffe Hotel still has a few rooms available.