Thursday Night Ride to the Coast to Felpham 5th April

[PippaG]

I love this ride, but I can't make it. So I cycled there today instead, which reminded me just how great a ride it is. I hope you all have a lot of fun.

 

[deckertim]

Has anyone noticed the colour scheme of the Syrian Rebels Flag?

Friday Jerseyesque? A coincidence? surely not

 

[kimble]

Chiltern?

None of this Virgin hassle about having to book bikes, and I think advance singles are £5, walk up off-peak fares £25 or less if you've got a railcard.

Edit:

London Midland are even cheaper, but you do need to exercise some patience ( l-o-n-g journey... )

Prior experience suggests that Virgin is infinitely preferable for getting back after a FNRttC, as both Chiltern and London Midland take forever, and mean sitting on the uncomfortable fold-down seats by the bike spaces, being constantly woken by people asking if there's an idiot who doesn't understand the door controls in the toilet. By the time I get across London I'm thoroughly knackered, and an hours snooze on a half-decent seat in the quiet coach (with minimal poo smell and the bike safely away from meddlers) wins hands-down.

I'll happily use London Midland after an overnight ride *to* London. I'm less exhausted at that point.

Virgin bike hassle can be mitigated by use of the eastcoast website to book bike spaces at the same time as advance tickets, and pirate carriage keys provide a form of insurance against failure of train managers to appear to open the door.

Luckily I've managed to get the fare down to something relatively sane by splitting the ticket at London (usually it works out much cheaper not to, at which point it becomes a question of how quickly I can wheel a bike through the crowd at Victoria and ride to Euston), but they seem to have stopped doing bike reservations on the Bognor-Victoria train.

And I should now be on the list...

 

[GrumpyGregry]

but they seem to have stopped doing bike reservations on the Bognor-Victoria train.

southern themselves don't ever issue bike reservations, and I don't think they, or BR stouhern region before them, ever have in my memory. other toc's will issue rail reservations for travel on southern services but the southern train crews won't recognise their validity. so if you buy a ticket from southern you can't get a cycle reservation and if you get one from another toc it isn't valid.

none of the above causes problems when travelling by bike off-peak with southern where the vast majority of train crews simply ignore southern's cycle policy limiting the number of bikes on trains, particularly true on the bognor/chichester/littlehampton - london route.

 

[redflightuk]

You have mail Simon..
Changed my mind Stu, i missed the last Felpham ride and things have changed so i can make this one..

 

[dellzeqq]

Adrian C
Alan L
Alastair MacD
Andrew By
Anne H
Bruce R
Cate R
Charles B
Chris By
Christophe P
Claudine C
Clive B
Connie G
Daniel B
Darren H
Dave J
David C
Eddy H
Gail G
Grace W
Grahame D
Greg C
Ian A
Ian MacS
Jenny M
Jim G
Jocelyn C S
John E
User10571 B
Kai N
Ken M
Kim W
Kristjan K
Marilyn B
Mark G
Martin B
Martin L-S
Martin T
Miranda S
Nick L
Nigel C
Nigel C (yes, there's two of them
Nigel W
Paul R?
Peter L
Pippsy G
Rachel M
Rebecca O-B
Rob H (+0.5 +1)
Ross C
Ruth H
Sandra S
Selena M
Sian J
Simon A
Sonia W
Steve R
Stuart A
Susie F
Thom F
Thom H
Tim D
Tim O
Titus H
William C
Xi C

 

[Rube]

So jealous that I am not good enough for another one of these rides yet. Hope you guys enjoy yourselves.

 

[ttcycle]

So jealous that I am not good enough for another one of these rides yet. Hope you guys enjoy yourselves.

It really is just getting over the psychological barriers. What type of cycling do you do? It's less of an ordeal than it seems - great company and a pace that makes it enjoyable.

What's holding you back? Maybe we can allay those fears?

 

[StuAff]

It really is just getting over the psychological barriers. What type of cycling do you do? It's less of an ordeal than it seems - great company and a pace that makes it enjoyable.

What's holding you back? Maybe we can allay those fears?

+1. No better way to get into bigger mileage riding than (another) one of these.

 

[Rube]

I would love to go on another ride, but haven't got enough miles in yet...do not have a cycling buddy to go out enough. But, appreciate the encouraging messages though...lifted my spirits actually. Thank you..,will keep the Southend one in mind, as originally recommended to me...thank you

 

[ttcycle]

I'm sure there will be people knocking about here who may be able to encourage you to up your mileage - maybe start a thread with where you'd like to cycle and free times - I can admit now I am terrible...I can totally understand the whole thing around psychological blocks as there's been so many rides I say I'll go on and then I bow out for all sorts of reasons.

Southend is always accessible - haven't done one for a few years but I have fond memories from the one I did a few years ago.

 

[Rube]

thank you ttcycle - but who am I talking with! Only met you guys once and I didn't know about all the pseudo names and chat forum at the time! I'll try to get out and ride out to Walton/Shepperton way today, if I can get company, else laps around Richmond Park again!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

So jealous that I am not good enough for another one of these rides yet. Hope you guys enjoy yourselves.

Take the plunge. If you own a bike you're good enough. If you can ride 10 miles you can ride 60.

Southend has the answer.

 

[martint235]

thank you ttcycle - but who am I talking with! Only met you guys once and I didn't know about all the pseudo names and chat forum at the time! I'll try to get out and ride out to Walton/Shepperton way today, if I can get company, else laps around Richmond Park again!

If you suggest times and dates you'll always get people willing to come out to Richmond Park to ride with you. There's also a ride goes out that way that follows the Olympic Route, you'll always be welcome to tag along from Richmond.

[I'm the taller guy who was hanging around at the back on the Brighton ride]

 

[dellzeqq]

thank you ttcycle - but who am I talking with! Only met you guys once and I didn't know about all the pseudo names and chat forum at the time! I'll try to get out and ride out to Walton/Shepperton way today, if I can get company, else laps around Richmond Park again!

I think you'd enjoy the Sarfend ride. If you're free on the Sunday before, think about coming on the recce ride - you can catch a train up to Waterloo and join me and Susie there.

Your membership card is WRONG by the way and a corrected one will be sent to you.