England : Kent Charlotte's Summer Sprint - 19th August 2017

[ianrauk]

A really lovely ride and a lovely day through great Kent lanes including some new to me. 11 peeps on bikes on a nice social pootle. A great halfway stop at the White Horse pub in Headcorn. Thanks for organising Charlotte.

 

[fatjel]

Great ride , excellent company and a pint. Is there a better way to spend a Saturday morning.
90 km by the time I got home.
Thanks to Charlotte for organising it

 

[Stephen Piper]

Great ride Charlotte, nice to ride some new roads (to me) that lead to Headcorn. 'It's like Wacky Races', someone said, a fat bike or two may add to the wackiness for next time . Worth considering for any future rides: arrange pub stops for after 12 noon, as they tend to be closed before then. We also had a little, post ride, tour of the scenic cycle paths of Ashford.

 

[User10571]

I'm very much liking Ashford for its network of traffic-free cycle routes to get you out to the leafy lanes.
Thanks everyone for your collective company, and Charlotte for organising.
The full English brekky at Ashford International has, I'm sad to say, not improved.

 

[fatjel]

Have to say I'm impressed with the cycle routes in Ashford too.

 

[Stephen Piper]

They are very good paths but not easy to follow where they go.

 

[User10571]

Indeed. They seem to meander with few memorable landmarks which for a non-native such as me, my in- built compass struggles to keep up with.
ETA - Ausra - you are very discreet with your use of camera - Either that or I am blissfully unaware of what is going on around me...

 

[Cold Snail]

Many thanks Charlotte for organising todays ride, it was nice to meet some great company and also discover some new lanes around Ashford.
Next time, I could bring a fatbike, possibly a postie bike or even a vintage bike to add something different.

 

[User10571]

[QUOTE 4924059, member: 21629"]@User10571

Maybe that English breakfast wasn't so bad if you didn't notice me taking photos. [/QUOTE]
The breakfast was very necessary following my ~9 mile ride across London to STP and the subsequent harrowing train journey

 

[StuAff]

[QUOTE 4923867, member: 21629"]2 posh road bikes[/QUOTE]
Three, surely

 

[sagefly]

Great day out with terrific company, well organised and extra marks for making the rain stay away!!

 

[StuAff]

Rail journeys back proved rather easier than the one going out....but more on that anon.

Another nice early start. 3.45 alarm, rolling to Fratton at 4.30 for the 5am train east. As on previous trips to Itsnotinternational, instead of changing at Hove for the Brighton service, I did the sensible thing and rode along the front, which also allowed for buying the second breakfast. As noted upthread, the direct Brighton-Ashford service seemed to have strangely disappeared (at least for this weekend) and therefore I'd have to change at Hastings. Four minutes allowed to change trains. And services not on neighbouring platforms. Oh, and this is Southern of course...That was going to work out OK, wasn't it? Not to my surprise, the train pulled into Hastings late, and the Ashford train had gone. If only I had set up a GPX with a route to Rye and hence Ashford...of course, I had. After early agonisingly slow progress (climbing out of Hastings was a real grind, and some atrocious road surfaces) the speed picked up nicely and I made Rye station (12 miles) in 55 minutes. Opted to wait for the next Ashford service rather than riding on (I'd have made it just after ten, and I didn't want to keep people waiting, as much as I like that stretch of road) and after negotiating the station (lift broken, grr) I joined User10571, who was just starting on that somewhat dubious breakfast.

After our little gang were gathered, we left not long after ten. And what followed was very nice indeed. Gentle pace, lovely scenery, great company, what's not to like? Nothing, that's what! Even us imperial century fiends like a pootle Lunch was very nice, most excellent sausage and mash (in my case) in Headcorn, though as the photo shows, I forgot the No Wasps sign...

After nosh and alcoholic carb loading, more gently paced pootling followed. Eventually We made it back to the station at 2.31. Next train to Hastings was 2.35…no, that wasn't going to happen! So the next one (one an hour, of course)...it was. Thankfully, there was no bother whatsoever making the connection at Hastings- time allotted, you guessed, four minutes- service on time, Brighton train, praise be, on neighbouring platform. And that too ran to time, giving me enough time to buy food before the Southampton service at half six (sardines until two or three stops west, but enough room for me and the bike). Back home at eight.

Fine job @Charlotte Alice Button (what was your guy's name again? ) and thanks one and all!

 

[Lavender Rose]

Omg you guys. Thanks so much for all the lovely comments. Makes me very happy!!

My boyfriend's name is Aaron. Both him and I have sore bums!!

I am so glad to have enlightened you with new routes. We definitely should so this again!

@Salty seadog ....I did miss you! Although it was windy at times. ;-)

 

[Bollo]

Rail journeys back proved rather easier than the one going out....but more on that anon.

Another nice early start. 3.45 alarm, rolling to Fratton at 4.30 for the 5am train east. As on previous trips to Itsnotinternational, instead of changing at Hove for the Brighton service, I did the sensible thing and rode along the front, which also allowed for buying the second breakfast. As noted upthread, the direct Brighton-Ashford service seemed to have strangely disappeared (at least for this weekend) and therefore I'd have to change at Hastings. Four minutes allowed to change trains. And services not on neighbouring platforms. Oh, and this is Southern of course...That was going to work out OK, wasn't it? Not to my surprise, the train pulled into Hastings late, and the Ashford train had gone. If only I had set up a GPX with a route to Rye and hence Ashford...of course, I had. After early agonisingly slow progress (climbing out of Hastings was a real grind, and some atrocious road surfaces) the speed picked up nicely and I made Rye station (12 miles) in 55 minutes. Opted to wait for the next Ashford service rather than riding on (I'd have made it just after ten, and I didn't want to keep people waiting, as much as I like that stretch of road) and after negotiating the station (lift broken, grr) I joined User10571, who was just starting on that somewhat dubious breakfast.

After our little gang were gathered, we left not long after ten. And what followed was very nice indeed. Gentle pace, lovely scenery, great company, what's not to like? Nothing, that's what! Even us imperial century fiends like a pootle Lunch was very nice, most excellent sausage and mash (in my case) in Headcorn, though as Aušra's photo shows, I forgot the No Wasps sign...
My one and only photo, of two of my favourite people....
View attachment 368910
After nosh and alcoholic carb loading, more gently paced pootling followed. Eventually We made it back to the station at 2.31. Next train to Hastings was 2.35…no, that wasn't going to happen! So the next one (one an hour, of course...it was). Thankfully, there was no bother whatsoever making the connection at Hastings- time allotted, you guessed, four minutes- service on time, Brighton train, praise be, on neighbouring platform. And that too ran to time, giving me enough time to buy food before the Southampton service at half six (sardines until two or three stops west, but enough room for me and the bike). Back home at eight.

Fine job @Charlotte Alice Button (what was your guy's name again? ) and thanks one and all!

Always enjoy your write ups @StuAff. I'm a bit disappointed at the lack of smashed avocado though.

 

[Salty seadog]

Omg you guys. Thanks so much for all the lovely comments. Makes me very happy!!

My boyfriend's name is Aaron. Both him and I have sore bums!!

I am so glad to have enlightened you with new routes. We definitely should so this again!

@Salty seadog ....I did miss you! Although it was windy at times. ;-)

another time Charlotte and the cakes on me.