# 'Whacky' bikes for Suffolk ride



## OliverAmoros (19 May 2010)

Any one with an 'interesting' bike fancy entering a fundraising ride in Suffolk?

It would be great to have a number of - how can I say - 'funky' bikes on the circuits. 

Full details here:
Suffolk Villages Charity Bike Ride 2010

Cheers
Oli


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## Riding in Circles (19 May 2010)

So in order to encourage participation you are referring to the superior recumbent style bikes and trikes as "whacky"? 

Hmmmmm, nope, I don't feel inclined to be part of that.


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## arallsopp (20 May 2010)

I'm guessing the OP means 'wacky' as in 'bizarre' rather than 'comical' or 'foolish'. We are bizarre, to be fair.

Mind you, why assume a recumbent is any more foul smelling than an upright?


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## BigSteev (20 May 2010)

Oh come on, you're a bunch of freaks admit it.


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## 4F (20 May 2010)

BigSteev said:


> Oh come on, you're a bunch of freaks admit it.



Having met arallsopp it would be hard to disagree with that statement


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## Norm (20 May 2010)

Catrike UK said:


> So in order to encourage participation you are referring to the superior recumbent style bikes and trikes as "whacky"?
> 
> Hmmmmm, nope, I don't feel inclined to be part of that.


Funny, I thought the OP was firstly looking for "interesting" and "funky" bikes (which would encompass recumbents, IMO) and, secondly, it didn't actually mention recumbents anyway, so you are categorising yourself as such. 

Maybe it's a call to get peeps out on their penny farthings (yes, I'd call them whacky), an attempt to get a couple of dozen Bromptons (yes, I'd call them funky) riding together as well as gathering a group of 2- and 3- wheeled 'bents (yes,I'd call them interesting). 

Having glanced at my reflection in a few shop windows, any upright with me on board looks as whacky as a gorilla humping a football anyway.


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## arallsopp (20 May 2010)

Lol! Mental image burned into my cortex...

Anyway, if its a call to get peeps out on their penny farthings, why post it in the 'recumbent & HPV' section? Darn. That would be whacky. A recumbent penny. I can't imagine why Charlotte hasn't bought one yet. 

And for the record, I'm with 4F on this.


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## Riding in Circles (20 May 2010)

Norm said:


> it didn't actually mention recumbents anyway,



Can you see the section title at the top of the page?


No? Oh never mind....


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## Arch (20 May 2010)

It's one of those things. When I worked in cycling promotion, doing tryout roadshows, we'd get asked for 'whacky' bikes for photo ops etc. But bear in mind that 'whacky' often means 'not a BSO or a racing bike', so what they really mean is 'unusual' (which is a fact), rather than 'daft'. Although we could supply any number of daft bikes too. Remember when micro-bikes were all the rage? We had a micro tandem...

Two academics at a university once approached my colleague and asked what the transport rationale behind the micro-bike was. When he said "fun!", they looked quite bemused at the idea that a thing could be made purely for fun...


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## Norm (20 May 2010)

Catrike UK said:


> Can you see the section title at the top of the page?
> 
> No? Oh never mind....


No, that's a good point and I hadn't spotted which section it was in because I use the "show new threads" option rather than going through the sections, so I apologise for that.

Although my other points still apply.


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## Riding in Circles (20 May 2010)

If the OP has just asked if some of us superior recumbenteers would like to come along and show the upwrong riders what real cycles look like then he would have had a multitude of takers.


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## Arch (20 May 2010)

Now, now. I try to rise above such things. (Not easy, three inches off the floor!)


I bet it's a nice ride though - I think I'll still be holiday lagged then though, and in need of a weekend just sitting at home (or doing my laundry!)

Let us me magnanamous (sp?) and consider it a nice invitation.

Even if we are freaks...


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## Riding in Circles (20 May 2010)

They are giving out free bananas, I don't know if that is just for the monkey's on upwrongs though.


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## OliverAmoros (20 May 2010)

May I ensure all those in doubt that no offense was intended in my initial post but glad to have inspired such lively chat. 

YES! Penny farthings, Unicycles, Trikes, Recumbents, No-wheeled bikes... (ok that last one is 'pushing' it.) Y'know the interesting man powered vehicles is what i'm looking for.

"upwrongs" - like it...


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## Riding in Circles (20 May 2010)

OliverAmoros said:


> May I ensure all those in doubt that no offense was intended in my initial post but glad to have inspired such lively chat.
> 
> YES! Penny farthings, Unicycles, Trikes, Recumbents, No-wheeled bikes... (ok that last one is 'pushing' it.) Y'know the interesting man powered vehicles is what i'm looking for.
> 
> "upwrongs" - like it...



No offence taken, just joking around, except about upwrongs of course.


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## Arch (20 May 2010)

OliverAmoros said:


> May I ensure all those in doubt that no offense was intended in my initial post but glad to have inspired such lively chat.
> 
> YES! Penny farthings, Unicycles, Trikes, Recumbents, No-wheeled bikes... (ok that last one is 'pushing' it.) Y'know the interesting man powered vehicles is what i'm looking for.
> 
> "upwrongs" - like it...



I did see a lad on the local estate a couple of weeks back on a bike with no tyres. Just bare rims. You can imagine the noise that made on a concrete road...

(as a girl, I will pass over the 'man powered vehicles' bit... HPV, or Human Powered Vehicle is the standard term...)


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## Hilldodger (20 May 2010)

_upwrongs_

Yeah, they've only been around for 125 years and still going strong. 

Can't believe you lot still have a chip on your shoulder 75 years after a nasty French man said you couldn't play with the big boys


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## Arch (20 May 2010)

Hilldodger said:


> _upwrongs_
> 
> Yeah, they've only been around for 125 years and still going strong.
> 
> Can't believe you lot still have a chip on your shoulder 75 years after a nasty French man said you couldn't play with the big boys



No chips on my shoulder mate, I ate them all!

Come on, you have trouble coping with the modern concept of same sized wheels!


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## OliverAmoros (20 May 2010)

Arch said:


> (as a girl, I will pass over the 'man powered vehicles' bit... HPV, or Human Powered Vehicle is the standard term...)



Christ on a bike... it's a bloody minefield - Please pardon my continuing ignorance


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## BenM (20 May 2010)

OliverAmoros said:


> Christ on a *'bent*... it's a bloody minefield - Please pardon my continuing ignorance



Fixored. No extra charge.

B.


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## Hilldodger (20 May 2010)

Arch said:


> Come on, you have trouble coping with the modern concept of same sized wheels!



They're just a passing phase


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## Auntie Helen (27 May 2010)

I'm vaguely interested in doing this but can't find a map on any of the links (I'd probably do the 75km). Do you have a link to a GPX file, OliverAmoros?


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## Fiona N (27 May 2010)

arallsopp said:


> Lol! Mental image burned into my cortex...
> ...That would be whacky. A recumbent penny



I'll believe anything now I've seen the tandem unicycle


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## ufkacbln (28 May 2010)

Fiona N said:


> I'll believe anything now I've seen the tandem unicycle



There is a recumbent unicycle:





[/IMG]


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## ufkacbln (28 May 2010)

BigSteev said:


> Oh come on, you're a bunch of freaks admit it.



I believe the polite phrase is "Eccentric"


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## summerdays (28 May 2010)

Arch said:


> It's one of those things. When I worked in cycling promotion, doing tryout roadshows, we'd get asked for 'whacky' bikes for photo ops etc. But bear in mind that 'whacky' often means 'not a BSO or a racing bike', so what they really mean is 'unusual' (which is a fact), rather than 'daft'. Although we could supply any number of daft bikes too.



I assumed he did mean daft... I've had a go on a few of them in my time ... from ones with a joint in the bike between the saddle and the handlebars, a reverse steering one (couldn't cycle that one), and ones that sort of spin ... can't describe it properly.


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## OliverAmoros (29 May 2010)

Auntie Helen said:


> I'm vaguely interested in doing this but can't find a map on any of the links (I'd probably do the 75km). Do you have a link to a GPX file, OliverAmoros?



Hello Auntie Helen. That's super that you're 'vaguely interested' ...

A few people have asked for a route to which I usually say it's a fully way-marked route with reguar marshal points and security points. I believe there is a map of the routes on the Stow Lions site but I think the route may have changed slightly. You are also given a map of your chosen route on the day.

Do you think there would be significant advantage in publishing a GPX prior to the ride? I could talk to the powers that be.

Thanks


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## Fiona N (29 May 2010)

Cunobelin said:


> There is a recumbent unicycle:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Are there no limits to human ingenuity ?


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## Auntie Helen (29 May 2010)

OliverAmoros said:


> Hello Auntie Helen. That's super that you're 'vaguely interested' ...
> 
> A few people have asked for a route to which I usually say it's a fully way-marked route with reguar marshal points and security points. I believe there is a map of the routes on the Stow Lions site but I think the route may have changed slightly. You are also given a map of your chosen route on the day.
> 
> Do you think there would be significant advantage in publishing a GPX prior to the ride? I could talk to the powers that be.



Yes, a GPX is a pretty good idea. Firstly, when I did the Suffolk Sunrise there were some places where the route signage wasn't very good but because I had the GPX I knew which way to go (I occasionally met some bemused-looking cyclists). Secondly, it will help people like me decide on which route to do as there may be places we particularly want to visit or hills we would like to avoid; seeing the route enables us to make up our mind. The route on the Stowlions site was only the shorter one, IIRC, and wasn't a GPX so we couldn't see it on the mapping software of our choice.


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## OliverAmoros (3 Jun 2010)

*Maps of the routes*

Maps of all three routes are available on request from the organisers, Lions of Stowmarket - for those that would like a copy prior to the event:

Email: bikeride@stowlions.org.uk
Tel: 0845 8335114 (Brian Rowson)


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## BentMikey (3 Jun 2010)

Arch said:


> Now, now. I try to rise above such things. (Not easy, three inches off the floor!)




...and that's when you're standing up.


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## OliverAmoros (13 Jun 2010)

Just 2 weeks to go! Still time to get entry forms in if you're up for it!!!


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## mcd (15 Jun 2010)

Sorry, I can't make it - not on the mainland 'til end of July - but good luck with yer event!


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## OliverAmoros (15 Jun 2010)

mcd said:


> Sorry, I can't make it - not on the mainland 'til end of July - but good luck with yer event!



Cheers MCD, maybe next time!


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## Riding in Circles (15 Jun 2010)

I have the entry form but have no idea if I can make it yet.


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## OliverAmoros (15 Jun 2010)

Catrike UK said:


> I have the entry form but have no idea if I can make it yet.



Hope so! Still time to get last minute entries in! 

Can't believe i've agreed to do the London to Brighton this weekend too


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## Arch (16 Jun 2010)

BentMikey said:


> ...and that's when you're standing up.



Oi!



I got a fair bit of ribbing on my recent holiday about my titchy little trike. I was laughing the day we were offered a hotel reception room as the only storage option for the trikes - on the first floor, up a flight of stairs that turned 90 degrees. Mine went up easy.

We even got the tandem trike up there!


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## OliverAmoros (19 Jun 2010)

*Late entrants for the ride can register on the day for £15... Just turn up!*

Get all the info here:
http://www.facebook.com/SuffolkVillagesCharityBikeRide


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## Riding in Circles (19 Jun 2010)

OliverAmoros said:


> *Late entrants for the ride can register on the day for £15... Just turn up!*
> 
> Get all the info here:
> http://www.facebook.com/SuffolkVillagesCharityBikeRide



I may get there then.


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## OliverAmoros (19 Jun 2010)

Catrike UK said:


> I may get there then.



Fantabulous!


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## OliverAmoros (24 Jun 2010)

Here are the start times for riders who are registering on Sunday - Recommend you arrive 30mins early to get signed in!!!
75k = blue 8:30-9:30
45k = red 9:30-10:30
25k = green 10:30-11:30
See you there!


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## OliverAmoros (28 Jun 2010)

Thanks to all riders this year. The day was great with record numbers turning out!

There's some photos up on the facebook page here... www.facebook.com/SuffolkVillagesCharityBikeRide


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