Thursday Night Ride to the Coast April 9th

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TimO

Guru
Location
London
Just grabbing a cold drink in work, before I meander up to HPC, which is all of five minutes cycle from here.
 

arallsopp

Post of The Year 2009 winner
Location
Bromley, Kent
Damn.

Less than ideal start. Suddenly and violently ill! Ack! Oh well. Delivered the boys to the arch, and took the train back.


From London...

Boo sucks.
 

TimO

Guru
Location
London
The ride was quite excellent.
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We had fantastic weather, dry, and a bit of a southerly breeze, which helpfully blew me North to HPC for the start. The wind didn't cause too many problems since we weren't directly against it. We had a bit of cloud, but mostly the moon shone through all night, which is possibly a record for me on a FNRttC (even if it was a Thursday).

The traffic seemed much lighter than is usual for a FNRttC, so maybe doing it on a Thursday immediatley prior to a holiday weekend is a good idea.

I had a tiny bit of rain on the cycle back from Fenchurch Street to Croydon, but the sun is out again, so hopefully the rain has just buggered off entirely, rather than being delayed.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for doing a fine job with the ride. Impeccably organised as ever.
 

topcat1

vintage Mercian 2012
Location
here
Well it was a quiet night, not much happening down essex way last night.
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catch up point
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?
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said hello to charlotte (check the back page of this months ctc mag)
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tt
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it's flat all the way
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leigh on sea
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almost there
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southend
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he pulled up at the cafe
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I was very tired from the off so i stayed mostley near the back and got the train back.
Once again a big thankyou to simon, User10571 and co for leading us on a merry ride all the way to southend.
 

topcat1

vintage Mercian 2012
Location
here
Also a big thankyou to Brian and the tail end charlies who stopped to help when i had a pu****er.
 

clivedb

Guru
Location
Milton Keynes
So does the cat control the weather or merely predict it? Quite astonishing, whichever it is. I don't know whether that was the night of the actual full moon, but it was a near as makes no difference and was quite a sight through the ride - first looming in the sky as I cycled to get the train in Milton Keynes at 9.00 pm.

Otherwise, thanks of course to Simon and all the support team - I was so relieved not to have had a puncture this time - and so ought they to be - Italian rims and German tyres anyone? And to everyone else for their companionship and conversations - what truly makes the rides what they are. And more thanks to those who made up the discount party on the way to Fenchurch Street. I think I have a couple of 50ps that ought to be redistributed but I'm not sure who is owed.

So now I have done Southend I can look forward to a second visit to Brighton next month. Hope to see you then!

Now to see if there are any HotX buns left in the shops...
 

ChrisKH

Guru
Location
Essex
Yes, thanks to all the organisers and people who made it happen on the day (or night). It was very enjoyable, so much so, that the draw of my house and a warm bed 500 yards away at 6.00 am was discarded in favour of the only big hill on route. Most other CC posters returned the way they came by bike (me included, albeit only ten miles) and I hope they all had good trips home and Davey kept his second breakfast down. :laugh:
 

Radius

SHREDDER
Location
London
Great ride indeed, some brilliant bits, one bad bit (well, it was good experience, one could say, having your chain break in the middle of nowhere [but luckily at the halfway stop point]). Many many thanks to MacBlugeon for the powerlink (and Aperitif for the offer of one, plus everything else of course!), that saved my er....bacon (and chain...).

Before this, I didn't understand quite how hilarious it could be to make someone come back up a descent they just did, solely for the purpose of laughing at them when you tell them they're going back down again....and I still don't. :biggrin: (it was funny, actually, and helped towards my mileage total, which today [well, sort of today] was 117 miles). Well done to all the other centurians too!

Great to have ilovebikes to keep me company from the old people, too (Davy tried to claim he was one of us... :biggrin:) :bicycle: :hungry:

A huge thanks to Simon et al for organising the ride so well (and getting lost xx(), I look forward to the next one!
 

MacB

Lover of things that come in 3's
Well, more pics to come no doubt, but my little take on this as a first timer:-

The Ride - Simon, the other helpers, especially tail end Charlies and all the other folks/stuff in the background that I'm not aware of. This was a ride organised professionally, with humour and class. The idea that you have people waiting to direct you at every junction(doing this by hoofing up and down field at speed) and people at the back ready to help with mechanicals. Could a ride put you more at rest and leave you any more able to relax and enjoy? I think not.

The People - failed to meet/introduce myself to so many, but there's only so much you can achieve in one ride. Simon, genuine pleasure to meet you and you're actually a really nice guy! Mike from Hull, how the hell is it cheaper for him on the train than for me?, top bloke, chatty and knowledgeable. Tom(another first timer), Peter Bentley, nice guy and lovely hair:biggrin: The various folks I chatted to on the ride, without getting/remembering names, though Dave from Tunbridge Wells in particular, what a nice person. Then you've got the usual suspects, Radius/Ilovebikes, yeah I like them, but I do hate how easy they make it look, and I found the 'let them do the descent twice' very funny. Big plus for them, it didn't phase them at all, took it well and just kept on riding. TopCat, tired my arse, this man can ride and looks the part as well, great chatting again. Sig and Chris, great to meet them, quality CC'ers and patient with a novice like me. Davywalnuts, despite his unsubtle drafting the fat guy(me) up hill, I love this guy, lifts any ride, just irrepressible. Finally you have the GOVERNOR, Aperitif, man of muscle, irritatingly deceptive riding style(can pull away from you at any time like you're standing still). But most of all, generous of nature to a fault, this guy has done more to boost my confidence and morale than I thought was possbile over the 2 rides I've been on with him. Plus he looks after whoever's with him, guards you from traffic(one suspects a car may come off worse if it hits Aperitif), leads you up when you're tired and keeps spirits up with positive reinforcement.

Me - got my CENTURY, despite knee problems, due to my inept positioning of my new saddle. Chris, Sig, Radius, Ilovebikes, Davywalnuts and Aperitif, all worked to lead me on the return leg to London. Aperitif sorted out my saddle position, got me some painkillers and they all got me through a very rough 10 mile patch. No way could I have completed without them dragging me along, really tells you the difference good company makes. After the departure of Chris, then Sig(both tired from carrying the fat bloke), the rest toiled to take me all the way to the door of Waterloo Station. Amazingly I woke up on the train when the guard announced 'next stop Farnborough', very lucky, think I'd have cried if I'd missed it. Have had a snooze, a bath, and feeling pretty good, knee is much better. Clearly damage was on ride out to Southend and start of return. Please to realise that nothing lasting done and improved riding position is working.

My thanks to all, it was a top night/day, Radius/Ilovebikes, wait til I'm fully fit. I might even ride a bike minus the kitchen sink on the back:biggrin:
 

ChrisKH

Guru
Location
Essex
MacB
Had I known, I would have slowed down a bit on the first part on the way back. :laugh: I was suffering with my knee and had assorted pain killers I could have sold given you as well. :blush:
 

MacB

Lover of things that come in 3's
ChrisKH said:
MacB
Had I known, I would have slowed down a bit on the first part on the way back. :laugh: I was suffering with my knee and had assorted pain killers I could have sold given you as well. :blush:

thanks Chris, the knee didn't get that bad until about 10 miles after you'd gone. It was sore but I could still accelerate and push, then it got to the point where I could only spin. Pulling away and accelerating were agony and my attempts to pedal, left side only, were proving futile.

Maybe your first 100 miler isn't the time to break in a new saddle andbe tweaking ride position:blush:
 
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