The Fridays Tour

[mmmmartin]

EVERYONE? is she mad?

 

[srw]

EVERYONE? is she mad?

Errrmmmm... Everyone staying there!

 

[wanda2010]

Have you enlighted her as to the makeup of Afternoon Tea cyclists-style?

 

[srw]

That was a frustrating afternoon. After abandoning our intended ride this morning because of severe knackeredness (and we hadn't even been out overnight on Thursday) we spent the afternoon learning how to dismantle the tandem.

It took about an hour to take apart, and I reckon we could reduce that to 30 minutes with practice. It then took a further two hours to get it inside its travelling case. Well, all of it apart from the rack (I can feel the suggestion coming) and my nice new Brooks saddle. The rack should be fiddlable-with, but the saddle is probably just too big.

Still, most of a tandem inside a travel case is still easier to deal with than a tandem not in a travel case. We'll go out tomorrow on the other tandem and then spend Monday learning how to reassemble it.

 

[fimm]

Did you decide on a route through Edinburgh? I think at one point you were talking about asking for local opinions? (My apologies if it is somewhere in the previous pages and I've missed it)

 

[martint235]

I still haven't sorted out camping for night one....or a tent for that matter......

hmm, maybe I should put in a couple extra miles to mother's cousin in West Bridgeford.....

Did you sort a tent out? I still haven't been down to the garage yet but if you haven't managed to get one, I'll make sure I do it this weekend and if mine is ok then you're welcome to use it.

 

[ceepeebee]

Did you sort a tent out? I still haven't been down to the garage yet but if you haven't managed to get one, I'll make sure I do it this weekend and if mine is ok then you're welcome to use it.

Blimey - I was just coming back here after remembering I didn't update - great minds etc. Decathlon was utterly devoid of bargain tents in St Quentin so I am a tent light at the moment - if that's ok with you it'd be ace, thanks.

 

[ceepeebee]

If I was going all the way (Mrs) I would indeed, but I'm a single dayer. I mean, I could just turn round and head straight back on Saturday evening, but where's the fun in that?

Am planning on camping Saturday night having a couple of beers in the pub, then taking a flat blast over to Grantham to catch the train back the next morning, but will have to cart stuff back so a tent that's not in a big round bag is ideal. I really want to get myself a Vango banshee or similar but that can't happen until GLW goes back to work post maternity leave.


Other thing is......[whisper it] ..... I may need to put the rack on the kaffenback......

(it is a very nice rack)

 

[mmmmartin]

(My apologies if it is somewhere in the previous pages and I've missed it)

You mean you didn't trawl through 57 pages of waffle? Severe lack of commitment, that shows........

IGMC

 

[martint235]

Blimey - I was just coming back here after remembering I didn't update - great minds etc. Decathlon was utterly devoid of bargain tents in St Quentin so I am a tent light at the moment - if that's ok with you it'd be ace, thanks.

Ok I'll dig it out on Sunday. I need to check it anyway just in case I get the ridiculous urge to use it again (ie for a second time!). I blame school myself

 

[dellzeqq]

Edinburgh being sorted.

Rode day 2 on Wednesday. It's efficient. It has it's nicer moments, and the traffic levels are, by southeast standards, low, but I'd have to work hard to turn it in to a sonnet. The roads, with the exception of a stretch through Bentley, are really smooth. But....the good news is that we have an elevenses stop in Edwinstowe, where Julie of the Ococo Food Emporium will open up speshull - she's really enthusiastic about the ride. And our lunch stop at Askern isn't smart but it's sweet (and by a lake). I got a mega plate of lamb stew with tea for £4.75.

The first fifty miles are pretty flat by FNRttC standards as well - not as hilly as (say) Felpham. The last thirty miles are pan flat - the high points are bridges over railways and motorways. There are some major roads, but they're do-able, and I didn't suffer one close pass along the A614, although I could have done without it being flooded. All in all the two days were a success despite near continuous rain - the York to Hull route is just fine, with the Bay Horse and Cafe Pasaz on side.

 

[dellzeqq]

Re nosh-ups - great idea.
Which reminds me - the nice lady in the B&B outside Bingham where a number of us are staying (who was highly amused at the idea of a bunch of cyclists booking for June on the same day in January) suggested that she provided afternoon tea for everyone. Which sounded like a spiffing idea but one I never followed up. I think she understood what "afternoon tea" ought to consist of after a long bike ride.

I was going to follow that up. I think the sensible thing would be a pasta meal followed by an early night. I've got to meet up with Ian in Bingham at the only cafe in town, but I'd rather eat at EBH.

Did she give an idea of the price? I could sort that if you wanted me to.

 

[dellzeqq]

...talking of which (excuse multiple posts) it looks to me as if we will all be within a few hundred yards of each other in York, which might allow a bit of light socialising.

 

[srw]

I was going to follow that up. I think the sensible thing would be a pasta meal followed by an early night. I've got to meet up with Ian in Bingham at the only cafe in town, but I'd rather eat at EBH.

Did she give an idea of the price? I could sort that if you wanted me to.

No idea of price, I'm afraid - but I suspect the clientele at EBH are not the sort to be put off by a slightly over-priced meal after 122 miles of rolling hills. I'd be delighted if you could sort that out for us.

 

[dellzeqq]

..and for those staying in town there's Yeung Sing and the Picture Cafe - the food at the latter is decent and you can watch Bingham's night life which involves cruising round the town square in tricked out cars.