THE FRIDAYS TOUR LONDON TO JOHN O’GROATS
15TH-23RD JUNE 2012
Greetings LonJoGgers
Five days to go! As in 5
The start, luggage and loading the van. Some people will be loading their luggage in Streatham Hill on Thursday and Friday. The van will leave my place at about ten o’clock. It will then go to
Grosvenor Crescent which is next to Hyde Park Corner. When you put your luggage on the van make sure that you attach an FNRttC label to it. The labels will have string. If you want to put your own label on
as well, feel free to do so. If you’re going to take more than one piece of luggage then please tell me now.
The van will be a Luton van. I hope to be able to send you the registration tomorrow. Please drop your luggage off before 11.50. If you want to keep food or drinks on the van there will be an open top box kept toward the rear. If you want to bring tools and put them in the van then please put them in with my tools. There will be a track pump on the van, but if you want to bring one along, feel free. Please carry spare tubes, levers and a pump of some description with you, but if you want to hang tyres and tubes in the van as well, please do so.
There will be a
briefing on the next day’s ride each day. The time will vary, but, to take a case in point, the briefing on the second day’s ride will be at Wymondham. The briefing on the third day’s ride will be at Askern. Since there’s not going to much opportunity for a briefing for the first day’s ride, this is it.
It’s going to be
119 miles. I know that this is a long way, but I’m confident that if we take our time then you’ll manage. We will stop at Hockliffe (37 miles) for coffee and toilets, Olney (55 miles) for toilets, Tesco Wellingborough (66 miles) for breakfast, and Wymondham (101 miles for lunch). There are village shops and pubs along the way if you feel the need to top up drinks bottles or buy energy bars. We split up about five miles south of Bingham, with the Vale of Belvoir Inn and Car Colston crew heading northeast and the Bingham and East Bridgford crews heading northwest. The luggage will be dropped off at Yeung Sing and Vale of Belvoir Inn before you get there. The van will wait for the campers at Car Colston, and then go on to East Bridgford. Do please know where you are staying, and do please know the way to where you are staying.
In general I will lead the ride where you need directions from Wayfinders, and where the collection points need sorting out, but I will TEC for some stretches, probably with one other. There will be times when I will keep the ride together (collecting in the normal FNRttC fashion), and times when it will be allowed to stretch out - to take as an example – when we get north of St. Albans you can form up groups and go at your own pace (looking out for each other, of course) for the next fifteen miles, so that you arrive at MaccyDs in Hockliffe over a period of time. BUT bear in mind that this is a club ride. We’ve got to be there for each other. Look around you, and if you see someone who might benefit from a bit of sheltering from the wind, or a word of encouragement……………do the right thing. We’ll all have days that are better than others, so don’t think ‘oh, he or she is fine’ – take time to look. And, if you need a bit of help do please ask.
There will be another letter tomorrow.
Simon
Ps. I’ve inadvertently started up a nationwide search for pipe lagging, which, apparently, is the ideal material to protect your pride and joy on the way home. Anything soft will do – old jumpers tied round the frame are just as good. Sorry for the confusion.
Pps. Locks. Carry one if you have the energy, but don’t if it’s going to be a burden. I’ll probably take one all the way, so that I can lock my bike to two others.
