slowmotion
Quite dreadful
- Location
- lost somewhere
Happy night, Saline Canine.
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Salty seadog
Space Cadet...(3rd Class...)
RoubaixCube
~Tribanese~
- Location
- London, UK
Thank you for the great ride even though i decided to bail at the halfway point. My legs just didn't have it in them to push the last 30 or so miles. Found my way safely to the station and just awaiting my train
Redlight
Senior Member
- Location
- Blackheath, London
Well, my night went horribly awry...
Picking up on my earlier inquiry, Ross had suggested that I, along with two other riders, met the group at the Cutty Sark at 1.40. I arrived there at about 1.10, just in case they were early and hung around until 2. No sign of group or other couple. So I rode up the river path back towards the city, as far as Deptford, and then back again along the main road. Still no sign. I then decided that I must have got the time wrong and that I'd missed the group, so I thought I'd head out through Woolwich and try and pick up the Thames Path to Dartford, as I assumed that's the way the ride would go.
I was fine as far as Erith and setting a good pace, but then the signposting became somewhat erratic and I lost a bit of time trying to get back on the route. When I did, it was a horrible piece of single track and, of course, I managed to get a rear wheel puncture. After replacing the tube, I carried on until the path turfed me out onto a main road with, of course, no signs for the Thames Path. Somehow I managed to work my way to the bridge and go under it, presumably using the same cut-through that the group would have taken. It was now about 3.30 and I was conscious that Tim was expected the group to arrive at about 4am. At that point, I had to admit defeat. I had no idea which route they would have taken to Rochester, nor where they were stopping in Strood. So I turned back.
Hoping to find the quiet route back, I tried following some signs for NCN1 to Greenwich, but that proved hopeless and by the time I got to Thamesmead I had had enough of bl--dy Sustrans. I decided to make do with the main roads and headed for home, getting in at about 5.30.
So not the best of nights, although still nice to be out on the bike on such a pleasant evening. Hope you all had a great rider and I may see you next time.
Picking up on my earlier inquiry, Ross had suggested that I, along with two other riders, met the group at the Cutty Sark at 1.40. I arrived there at about 1.10, just in case they were early and hung around until 2. No sign of group or other couple. So I rode up the river path back towards the city, as far as Deptford, and then back again along the main road. Still no sign. I then decided that I must have got the time wrong and that I'd missed the group, so I thought I'd head out through Woolwich and try and pick up the Thames Path to Dartford, as I assumed that's the way the ride would go.
I was fine as far as Erith and setting a good pace, but then the signposting became somewhat erratic and I lost a bit of time trying to get back on the route. When I did, it was a horrible piece of single track and, of course, I managed to get a rear wheel puncture. After replacing the tube, I carried on until the path turfed me out onto a main road with, of course, no signs for the Thames Path. Somehow I managed to work my way to the bridge and go under it, presumably using the same cut-through that the group would have taken. It was now about 3.30 and I was conscious that Tim was expected the group to arrive at about 4am. At that point, I had to admit defeat. I had no idea which route they would have taken to Rochester, nor where they were stopping in Strood. So I turned back.
Hoping to find the quiet route back, I tried following some signs for NCN1 to Greenwich, but that proved hopeless and by the time I got to Thamesmead I had had enough of bl--dy Sustrans. I decided to make do with the main roads and headed for home, getting in at about 5.30.
So not the best of nights, although still nice to be out on the bike on such a pleasant evening. Hope you all had a great rider and I may see you next time.
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Just waved as we zoomed the opposite direction down the A2....
Looks a fab morning, who won the sprint?
Looks a fab morning, who won the sprint?
Are you sure it was 1.40 and not 12.40? They would have cleared Cutty Sark way before 1.40.
Salty seadog
Space Cadet...(3rd Class...)
Redlight
Senior Member
- Location
- Blackheath, London
With hindsight, I should have queried that, but the message definitely said 1.40 and I know from past rides that it can sometimes be very slow getting everyone out of central London. Still, I got a decent 50 miles in and I'll be able to say hello to Faversham and its surrounds on tomorrow's Audax ride :-)
GM
Legendary Member
- Location
- North of the river
Well... modesty prevents me from saying....
Do I get a prize for coming last !!!
..... After all, it was the longest ride I've done since the Whitstable one last August.
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
Top 10, BTW…which shows the relative paucity of the field 
OP
OP
rb58
Enigma
- Location
- Bexley, Kent
Actually, I think it was me :-)No. Adrian would have had that honour, surely? But chapeau, naturally
Salty seadog
Space Cadet...(3rd Class...)
Do I get a prize for coming last !!!
No. Adrian would have had that honour, surely? But chapeau, naturally
I think @User was holding out to be last out of the bar.
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OP
OP
rb58
Enigma
- Location
- Bexley, Kent
Well, that was fun. I think we got away with the weather, just a sprinkling of rain towards the end. [When I left The Waterfront to ride back to home it was pouring down, but when I turned right to head up towards Seasalter it stopped and it was a very pleasant ride from there on].
Of the 50+ riders, we had 16 first timers with us. And most of those I spoke to really enjoyed themselves so hopefully will be back. From the front it was relatively incident free, and even the mechanicals we had didn't really delay our progress. We were slap bang on time at both the half way stop and The Waterfront. Waymarking seemed to work well, so a big thanks to @CharlieB who organised everything at the front. Also to @User, @GrumpyGregry, and @sagefly who made up the ace team at the back.
Highlight of the ride was the time spent in the company of a magnificent barn owl as we cycled alongside the marsh on Raspberry Hill lane. Enchanting. And what about that Victoria Sponge - how good was that!
What did people think of the new exit from Fridays Central? From my perspective it worked well, but I'm not sure how long people were kept waiting at the traffic lights further back in the ride, which could put a damper on it.
See you all soon.
Of the 50+ riders, we had 16 first timers with us. And most of those I spoke to really enjoyed themselves so hopefully will be back. From the front it was relatively incident free, and even the mechanicals we had didn't really delay our progress. We were slap bang on time at both the half way stop and The Waterfront. Waymarking seemed to work well, so a big thanks to @CharlieB who organised everything at the front. Also to @User, @GrumpyGregry, and @sagefly who made up the ace team at the back.
Highlight of the ride was the time spent in the company of a magnificent barn owl as we cycled alongside the marsh on Raspberry Hill lane. Enchanting. And what about that Victoria Sponge - how good was that!
What did people think of the new exit from Fridays Central? From my perspective it worked well, but I'm not sure how long people were kept waiting at the traffic lights further back in the ride, which could put a damper on it.
See you all soon.
sagefly
Veteran
Ross thanks for leading the ride, the route out of Southbank was good, central London has too many traffic lights so any route has the opportunity for hold ups. Many riders don't anticipate the lights changing green and that causes further splits, difficult balance to achieve.
The new waymarking routine seemed to work very well, no one left their post early, Charley B must be persuasive.....
Quiet TEC night Grumpy Gregory had everything covered from his saddle bag of equipment!
The new waymarking routine seemed to work very well, no one left their post early, Charley B must be persuasive.....
Quiet TEC night Grumpy Gregory had everything covered from his saddle bag of equipment!
