StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
Another report out a touch later than planned, but I thought I'd better get this written before Kings Lynn rolls around this Friday....
This one almost got canned, due to the rail strike on the 13th. Numbers were limited to those who still had a train to get them home, or were willing and able to make alternative arrangements. For me, it was touch-and-go until LNER confirmed their strike day timetable, and my booked service back from York was on it (and I didn't get the 'your train's been cancelled, here's your options' email). Nick's participation was ended by Hull Trains cancelling his, so Andrew stepped in as ride leader. A van was booked to take him and the rest of the Mancunian contingent back home from Hull. Halfway was, sadly not the lovely people at Garthorpe Village Hall due to numbers making it not worth their while, but the golden arches in Daffodilthorpe. Ho hum. A further pain was being unable to visit the besties (they were planning to go away with their camper van), only then to find they were at home anyway (the weather meant they preferred to keep Nora the dog out of a hot metal box). Hrmph. No brownies for you, fellow riders! Never mind, this ride is always a corker, and an exception was not made this time, despite a couple of niggles.
Originally, I had an early train booked (depart Kings Cross 1506, into York 1728), but I changed that a couple of days before to the 2000 departure, same price (more sense than hanging about on a hot day for hours, or just going for even more miles). So, off from Fratton just before half-five, the usual slog from Waterloo to KX (19 minutes for 2.5 miles!), time enough to refill the water bottle before boarding. And then reboarding. Got on an Azuma at what I thought was the right platform, loaded the bike, got to my seat, it seemed a bit quiet....it was going to the depot! Fortunately, nice LNER employees spotted me, and warned the crew on the actual service. Also fortunately, time enough to rush back to the bike, get it out again, get over to the other platform...phew. Also not good, I was getting my lights out of the bag when I found that though I had all three of my rear lights, I had not brought the QR seatpost mount. A message with Andrew offered one solution- borrowed one of his spares- and by then I had also found that the rack proved a secure mounting (even the gravel section didn't move it!!) for the plastic clip anyway. So I had two excellent rear lights for the ride, which was nice.
Train was bang on time into York just before ten, and after filling the drink bottles (those water refill stations are a thankfully widespread godsend), I took a ride down to the local Tesco Extra for food, before getting back to the Minster at about 10.40. Didn't have long to wait before the first fellow rider turned up, @CharlieB on his SS Brompton (Megabus for his return trip). I wasn't expecting many fellow southerners, but Martin B made it from That Wales and Anton from Sussex (visiting family). @Soltydog and @craigwend were fellow members of Titanium Gravel Club. Eight Manchester peeps I think, including Andrew, and seventeen starters in all, if memory serves.
We set off just before midnight, and early progress was rapid- the roads were quiet & traffic lights definitely not in London mode. Unfortunately, just six miles out, on the Solar System Path, that came to a grinding halt. Andrew's drivetrain had stopped behaving itself. He thought it was a missing screw from the derailleur cage, and we all trooped back and forth along the path in an effort to find it. No joy. It turned out a couple of chainring bolts had escaped (according to his LBS, this is an issue with Ultegra R8000 & 105 R7000 cranks- I, like Andrew, have the latter…oops!!). Either way, this was very much Not Good. His only option was to abandon, and try to hack a singlespeed setup in order to limp back to York. Even that didn't work well, and he ended up walking most of the way, hanging around the city centre before making his way to Hull in the morning to meet us.
All the Mancunians had the route, and Dave switched from TEC to ride leader. Well, he was stand-in to the stand-in ride leader, so that's a title no-one else ever holds! By the time we bid Andrew farewell and got going again, we'd spent an hour or so at a halt, and it felt like Dave decided we needed to hammer in order to make up the time. Charlie reported his average as over 13 mph, and I got A LOT (that needed capital letters) of Strava segment PRs. Fortunately, there were no more mechanicals of note, and everyone seemed up to the pace, though the regroups showed we were still getting strung out. Drax was as magnificently moody as ever, even without the mist that would later envelop us. Through Goole, where we stopped for a breather/food at a 24 hour garage, then on through Garthorpe (sniff), and round to McDs just after five. Breakfast menu was available, thanks to our late arrival. Thankfully, porridge was available (memories of the bacon roll in Winchester are painful). Martin compared it to wallpaper paste…it was at least tolerable, and better than some of their other crimes against food.
On we went into the dawn. The short but steep climb at Thealby. Not long after that, the off-road section. I found that anything but comedy. Nick had decided the climb at South Ferriby, nothing much to write home about, was worth avoiding. I'd have a few words about the alternative he came up with. Here's a polite version. Seriously, ride leaders: if you're thinking of a ferry, Sustrans path, 'comedy off road', section on your route, you should ask yourself: Is there a perfectly good road we could use instead? And, in the name of your deity of choice, just do that. You aren't saving time or effort. There isn't a climb that people can't walk up on our rides. Admittedly, I am a total wuss when the going gets rough, but that stretch to the Horkstow Bridge was absolutely terrifying. I ended up walking most of it (sorry Josh, TEC, for holding you up) because crawling along, with the feeling that the bike was breaking traction every couple of seconds (and this is on 35mm G-One Allround tyres, not slicks) felt like I was at constant risk of crashing. And now, my nice new bike has a couple of (thankfully cosmetic) scuffs on the fork & it was covered in dust. I'm blaming Nick.
Thankfully, back on A Proper Road after that, and over the Bridge, as epic as ever, before going through Hessle and into Hull, just after 8.30, 72 miles or so on the clock. With other cafe options falling by the wayside, Wetherspoons it was, and the usual breakfast (and beer for those who wanted it, once it turned nine) was served in the usual efficient fashion. I bade my farewells to the remaining peeps just after ten, and headed back to York- at the risk of stating the obvious, by a rather more direct route. One might ask-why go back to York when I wasn't staying there, why not Hull or Doncaster? Well, Paul S had warned about Hull Trains and the deficiencies of their new rolling stock's bike storage (not that Azumas are much better, but)....Doncaster I don't know. York, OTOH, I have ridden back multiple times, so I'm fairly familiar with the route, it's pretty much flat once you climb out of Hull, and my train was non-stop into KX anyway. I'd booked the 1458 train, to make sure I had enough time.
So, off I went, back down Anlaby Road, through Kirk Ella, West Ella (missed a turn at first, a quick check with the phone put me right), the climb up to Riplingham (much lumpier than anything than the ride into Hull), South Cave, Everthorpe (another missed turn, again quickly corrected), North Cave, South Cliffe, North Cliffe…once I got that far no more map checking was needed. Progress was rapid but steady- I was careful to take breaks for a drink given the weather, and calls of nature needed answering as well- and I even covered some of the Strava segments faster than one Fiona Kolbinger, along with yet more PRs. Once I got through the York city walls, just after one, I walked the last stretch- apart from the left foot swelling a bit in the heat, traffic & rubbernecking tourists made shank's pony the best option. Got back to the station just after 1.30, 115 miles done, and had the first class lounge to myself for an hour so (plenty of tea and biscuits) before the train south. No food, but plenty more tea, and into KX on time, back to Waterloo and home just after seven, surprisingly sentient.
Thanks Nick (despite 'COR'), Andrew, Dave, and everyone else. As there's trains this coming weekend, Kings Lynn next…
EDIT: Forgot, there was one more mechanical. Ian got to the start on his droolsome Wilier, only to find his Di2 gearing had a flat battery, with no way of charging it. Fortunately for him motorised recovery was available. So we were one down before we even started!
This one almost got canned, due to the rail strike on the 13th. Numbers were limited to those who still had a train to get them home, or were willing and able to make alternative arrangements. For me, it was touch-and-go until LNER confirmed their strike day timetable, and my booked service back from York was on it (and I didn't get the 'your train's been cancelled, here's your options' email). Nick's participation was ended by Hull Trains cancelling his, so Andrew stepped in as ride leader. A van was booked to take him and the rest of the Mancunian contingent back home from Hull. Halfway was, sadly not the lovely people at Garthorpe Village Hall due to numbers making it not worth their while, but the golden arches in Daffodilthorpe. Ho hum. A further pain was being unable to visit the besties (they were planning to go away with their camper van), only then to find they were at home anyway (the weather meant they preferred to keep Nora the dog out of a hot metal box). Hrmph. No brownies for you, fellow riders! Never mind, this ride is always a corker, and an exception was not made this time, despite a couple of niggles.
Originally, I had an early train booked (depart Kings Cross 1506, into York 1728), but I changed that a couple of days before to the 2000 departure, same price (more sense than hanging about on a hot day for hours, or just going for even more miles). So, off from Fratton just before half-five, the usual slog from Waterloo to KX (19 minutes for 2.5 miles!), time enough to refill the water bottle before boarding. And then reboarding. Got on an Azuma at what I thought was the right platform, loaded the bike, got to my seat, it seemed a bit quiet....it was going to the depot! Fortunately, nice LNER employees spotted me, and warned the crew on the actual service. Also fortunately, time enough to rush back to the bike, get it out again, get over to the other platform...phew. Also not good, I was getting my lights out of the bag when I found that though I had all three of my rear lights, I had not brought the QR seatpost mount. A message with Andrew offered one solution- borrowed one of his spares- and by then I had also found that the rack proved a secure mounting (even the gravel section didn't move it!!) for the plastic clip anyway. So I had two excellent rear lights for the ride, which was nice.
Train was bang on time into York just before ten, and after filling the drink bottles (those water refill stations are a thankfully widespread godsend), I took a ride down to the local Tesco Extra for food, before getting back to the Minster at about 10.40. Didn't have long to wait before the first fellow rider turned up, @CharlieB on his SS Brompton (Megabus for his return trip). I wasn't expecting many fellow southerners, but Martin B made it from That Wales and Anton from Sussex (visiting family). @Soltydog and @craigwend were fellow members of Titanium Gravel Club. Eight Manchester peeps I think, including Andrew, and seventeen starters in all, if memory serves.
We set off just before midnight, and early progress was rapid- the roads were quiet & traffic lights definitely not in London mode. Unfortunately, just six miles out, on the Solar System Path, that came to a grinding halt. Andrew's drivetrain had stopped behaving itself. He thought it was a missing screw from the derailleur cage, and we all trooped back and forth along the path in an effort to find it. No joy. It turned out a couple of chainring bolts had escaped (according to his LBS, this is an issue with Ultegra R8000 & 105 R7000 cranks- I, like Andrew, have the latter…oops!!). Either way, this was very much Not Good. His only option was to abandon, and try to hack a singlespeed setup in order to limp back to York. Even that didn't work well, and he ended up walking most of the way, hanging around the city centre before making his way to Hull in the morning to meet us.
All the Mancunians had the route, and Dave switched from TEC to ride leader. Well, he was stand-in to the stand-in ride leader, so that's a title no-one else ever holds! By the time we bid Andrew farewell and got going again, we'd spent an hour or so at a halt, and it felt like Dave decided we needed to hammer in order to make up the time. Charlie reported his average as over 13 mph, and I got A LOT (that needed capital letters) of Strava segment PRs. Fortunately, there were no more mechanicals of note, and everyone seemed up to the pace, though the regroups showed we were still getting strung out. Drax was as magnificently moody as ever, even without the mist that would later envelop us. Through Goole, where we stopped for a breather/food at a 24 hour garage, then on through Garthorpe (sniff), and round to McDs just after five. Breakfast menu was available, thanks to our late arrival. Thankfully, porridge was available (memories of the bacon roll in Winchester are painful). Martin compared it to wallpaper paste…it was at least tolerable, and better than some of their other crimes against food.
On we went into the dawn. The short but steep climb at Thealby. Not long after that, the off-road section. I found that anything but comedy. Nick had decided the climb at South Ferriby, nothing much to write home about, was worth avoiding. I'd have a few words about the alternative he came up with. Here's a polite version. Seriously, ride leaders: if you're thinking of a ferry, Sustrans path, 'comedy off road', section on your route, you should ask yourself: Is there a perfectly good road we could use instead? And, in the name of your deity of choice, just do that. You aren't saving time or effort. There isn't a climb that people can't walk up on our rides. Admittedly, I am a total wuss when the going gets rough, but that stretch to the Horkstow Bridge was absolutely terrifying. I ended up walking most of it (sorry Josh, TEC, for holding you up) because crawling along, with the feeling that the bike was breaking traction every couple of seconds (and this is on 35mm G-One Allround tyres, not slicks) felt like I was at constant risk of crashing. And now, my nice new bike has a couple of (thankfully cosmetic) scuffs on the fork & it was covered in dust. I'm blaming Nick.
Thankfully, back on A Proper Road after that, and over the Bridge, as epic as ever, before going through Hessle and into Hull, just after 8.30, 72 miles or so on the clock. With other cafe options falling by the wayside, Wetherspoons it was, and the usual breakfast (and beer for those who wanted it, once it turned nine) was served in the usual efficient fashion. I bade my farewells to the remaining peeps just after ten, and headed back to York- at the risk of stating the obvious, by a rather more direct route. One might ask-why go back to York when I wasn't staying there, why not Hull or Doncaster? Well, Paul S had warned about Hull Trains and the deficiencies of their new rolling stock's bike storage (not that Azumas are much better, but)....Doncaster I don't know. York, OTOH, I have ridden back multiple times, so I'm fairly familiar with the route, it's pretty much flat once you climb out of Hull, and my train was non-stop into KX anyway. I'd booked the 1458 train, to make sure I had enough time.
So, off I went, back down Anlaby Road, through Kirk Ella, West Ella (missed a turn at first, a quick check with the phone put me right), the climb up to Riplingham (much lumpier than anything than the ride into Hull), South Cave, Everthorpe (another missed turn, again quickly corrected), North Cave, South Cliffe, North Cliffe…once I got that far no more map checking was needed. Progress was rapid but steady- I was careful to take breaks for a drink given the weather, and calls of nature needed answering as well- and I even covered some of the Strava segments faster than one Fiona Kolbinger, along with yet more PRs. Once I got through the York city walls, just after one, I walked the last stretch- apart from the left foot swelling a bit in the heat, traffic & rubbernecking tourists made shank's pony the best option. Got back to the station just after 1.30, 115 miles done, and had the first class lounge to myself for an hour so (plenty of tea and biscuits) before the train south. No food, but plenty more tea, and into KX on time, back to Waterloo and home just after seven, surprisingly sentient.
Thanks Nick (despite 'COR'), Andrew, Dave, and everyone else. As there's trains this coming weekend, Kings Lynn next…
EDIT: Forgot, there was one more mechanical. Ian got to the start on his droolsome Wilier, only to find his Di2 gearing had a flat battery, with no way of charging it. Fortunately for him motorised recovery was available. So we were one down before we even started!
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