'Totally Wyred' - a flattish imperial century from Whalley on Sunday 1st April.

[al-fresco]

After putting over 60 quids worth of diesel in the car I've reluctantly decided that I can't really justify driving 100 miles there and 100 miles back on Sunday to ride with you chaps - but I will definitely make it to one of your rides later in the year. Have fun!

 

[ColinJ]

After putting over 60 quids worth of diesel in the car I've reluctantly decided that I can't really justify driving 100 miles there and 100 miles back on Sunday to ride with you chaps - but I will definitely make it to one of your rides later in the year. Have fun!

Understandable - we'll catch you another time!

The latest rider list:

• ColinJ
• Steve H
• potsy
• Alun
• Edge705 (from Whalley to cafe at Knott End)
• wormo
• skudupnorth
• bromptonfb + Pennine-Paul from Whalley to Elswick
• aJay + buddy Pete (will meet us at Whalley in good weather, down the road if not, and with us as far as Scorton)
• Littgull
• I like Skol

Possibles:

• italiafirenze (not looking likely)
• oldfatfool (if weather is okay)
• Globalti (maybe?)
• tubbycyclist (if weather okay, and may also ride to and from Whalley!)
• Calum (if he can get a lift)
• al-fresco (fuel costs too high)
• rusty bearing (if weather is okay)
• totallyfixed + Helen (subject to sufficient recovery from injury and illness)
• PaulB (only if he gets other stuff done before Sunday)

So - have any of the others on the list of 'possibles' made a decision yet? Does anybody else fancy joining us - kiwi-sal for instance?

 

[wormo]

Will be there, will download routes tonight. Just have to decide which bike to use. Conlin, do you have an email address I can use to contact you in case of problems on Sunday morning? I will be driving up from Warrington.

Phil

 

[ColinJ]

If anyone has a problem before setting off on Sunday, post below. I'll check this thread one last time at about 08:20 on Sunday morning.

Phil - I have PMd you the number of the phone that I use on forum rides. If you have a problem after 08:20 on Sunday, text me.

 

[Edge705]

Ive not been plumbed into this thread for a while and I notice fellow fylde coast cyclist Italiafrenzie is doubtful. For those of us meeting at Whalley are we meeting at the caf or the picnic area?

Where is the rides scheduled cafe stop Knott End? do you need me to give them a heads up we are coming? - I for one will be making a 30 mile bike trip to Whalley and would 'nt mind getting some toast and tea in my gullet before setting off

BTW whats all this "If the weather is ok?" man Up fellows

 

[ColinJ]

I'm not being funny Edge, but I now try to avoid answering questions on forum ride threads if the answers are already there in earlier posts. This is in response to one particular thread where I'd made long posts with all the required information, then somebody asked questions which showed they hadn't bothered to read those posts. I answered the questions, then somebody asked me pretty much the same questions again which showed that they hadn't read those answers either! I got a bit irritated by this. So ... for the meeting place and pre-ride cafe questions, I refer you to my earlier posts!

I don't think I described exactly where the Knott End cafe was though! It is the same one we went to on our century ride last year. It is very close to where you come off the ferry from Fleetwood, literally opposite the end of the landing slipway - here. (Hopefully the weather will be better than that on Sunday!) I'm not going to try and book places for us at the cafe. I did it at one cafe once and they reserved tables for us. We ended up with less than half the promised number of riders and very late! I'll give them a ring on Saturday though to make sure they are going to be open.

 

[potsy]

Both only at 80% so Potsy will only be a distant blip behind up ahead.

80% Only if Helen has put a stone or 4 on and you have only 1 working leg

Great news, especially since you made an excellent backup navigator last time and I don't necessarily trust potsy! Well, I would let him watch over my bike while I peed behind a bush, I'd trust him with that, but I'm not sure his GPS skills are up to the job!

80% of an athlete beats 100% of a potsy, or a fat, slow ColinJ!

(Actually 27% of an athlete probably beats us so you'll have more than 50% in reserve!)

Aw, I was looking forward to being back-up navigator too, oh well
Come on Colin, be positive, I reckon we can lull them for 99 miles then take 'em on that last drag

 

[I like Skol]

Really looking forward to Sunday. I reckon all the doom mongers that are predicting the arrival of a second ice age by weekend are wrong and I am confident we will enjoy a continuation of the current Mediteranean weather, so don't forget your suncream!

 

[tubbycyclist]

Where is the rides scheduled cafe stop Knott End? do you need me to give them a heads up we are coming? - I for one will be making a 30 mile bike trip to Whalley and would 'nt mind getting some toast and tea in my gullet before setting off

I am riding to Whalley as well but it looks like there are no cafes open early on a Sunday. I am not all that keen on this idea, but I think my plan is to arrive early and go to the McDonalds about a mile down the road on the A59.

 

[ColinJ]

Aw, I was looking forward to being back-up navigator too, oh well

I do have an opening for a back-up back-up navigator!

Come on Colin, be positive, I reckon we can lull them for 99 miles then take 'em on that last drag

The only problem being that it is uphill! If we were coming back via Spring Wood and the cars were parked down in Whalley, I'm fairly confident that Steve H and yours truly would be among the frontrunners down the hill!

I still think we might form two groups on the run back. There should be enough fit riders to form one decent-sized group and enough, er, more relaxed riders to form another. Only thing is ... would any of said fast group be confident of following the official route back to Whalley? (It wouldn't be hard to get back directly via Longridge and Ribchester, but I chose a meandering route to bring it up to a full century distance. Going the direct route would knock quite a few miles off that.)

 

[oldfatfool]

I do have an opening for a back-up back-up navigator!

The only problem being that it is uphill! If we were coming back via Spring Wood and the cars were parked down in Whalley, I'm fairly confident that Steve H and yours truly would be among the frontrunners down the hill!

I still think we might form two groups on the run back. There should be enough fit riders to form one decent-sized group and enough, er, more relaxed riders to form another. Only thing is ... would any of said fast group be confident of the relaxed riders following the official route back to Whalley? (It wouldn't be hard to get back directly via Longridge and Ribchester, but I chose a meandering route to bring it up to a full century distance. Going the direct route would knock quite a few miles off that.)

ftfy

 

[potsy]

I do have an opening for a back-up back-up navigator!

The only problem being that it is uphill! If we were coming back via Spring Wood and the cars were parked down in Whalley, I'm fairly confident that Steve H and yours truly would be among the frontrunners down the hill!

I still think we might form two groups on the run back. There should be enough fit riders to form one decent-sized group and enough, er, more relaxed riders to form another.

I seem to remember sprinting up that hill the other week and catching big Steve near the top
You were 'sight-seeing' a little further back

Who does this 'relaxed' group comprise of then?

 

[ColinJ]

Who does this 'relaxed' group comprise of then?

Me! (Plus anyone else who either can't keep up with a fast group, or is happy to keep me company. Hopefully Steve H will be one of them because he is giving me a lift home!)

 

[Steve H]

With 99 miles in our legs, I'm not sure there will be any racing left in us for the final hill.

This will only be my 2nd ever century ride, so suspect I'll be in the 'relaxed' crew.

You will also be pleased to hear that I have eventually got round to booking my bike in to get the creaky bottom bracket serviced (being done tomorrow). I will then be back to just being an annoying clickety freewheel on the downhills rather than an annoying creaky bottom bracket on the uphills as well!

 

[ColinJ]

With 99 miles in our legs, I'm not sure there will be any racing left in us for the final hill.

This will only be my 2nd ever century ride, so suspect I'll be in the 'relaxed' crew.

We will actually hit the 100 mile point just before that hill, if my mapping software is accurate, which it is! The route is about 100.5 miles in length.