FNRttC FNRttC York-Hull 30th August, 2024.

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Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
I've done this ride and crossing the Humber bridge after a (nice flat) night ride from York was unforgettable. Highly recommended if you have half a chance. (I can't this year :sad: )

The lack of a published route is a feature of FNRttCs, not a drawback. It's fantastic to have no route in your GPS, and no navigation concerns at all apart from always following the way markers.
 

Moodyman

Legendary Member
Talking of getting oneā€™s arris in gear, Iā€™ve booked me train tickets to and from York.

Iā€™d been pondering bringing my tent and sauntering back from Hull, but settled for a Saturday morning ride. Even thatā€™s a bit optimistic with post holiday fitness and weight gain.

Still, thereā€™s 3 weeks to get in shape.
 
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Andrew Br

Andrew Br

Still part of the team !
Email that went out to all the riders this evening:-

Hello again.
I'm hoping that this will be the last formal email before the ride.
Please read it all and take note of the various points

Thanks again for signing up.
At the last count there were 13 of us on the ride and I hope that you're all able to make it. Please let me know asap if you're going to have to drop out.
Because of the low numbers we shan't, unfortunately, be using the village hall in Garthorpe for the mid-way food stop. Instead, we're going to the 24 hour McD's on the west side of Scunthorpe.
The stop is at about 75km so please make sure that you have enough food and drinks to get you there. We may make a quick stop at the 24 hour services at Airmyn, just before Goole, but I'd like us to be stationary for no more than 15 minutes.
Similarly, the low numbers mean that we'll be going to the Admiral of the Humber for breakfast. It's a Wetherspoons and it's very near to Paragon Station. I'm hoping that we'll get there around 08.00.
I'll ask the Friday's "treasurer" to refund the deposits direct to you.

Some "safety" points:-
When we stop to regroup, please get off the road as far as you can.
Point out hazards (gravel, hole, bollard, glass etc) by pointing and shouting. Please continue this through the group.
If you're not used to group riding, please leave a gap between you and the rider in front.
Be aware of the riders around you (front, back, side).
Don't overlap wheels: either ride side by side (but be aware of riders passing on your outside) or leave a gap of at least half a wheel diameter.
Only pass on the RHS and, if necessary, let the rider know that you're there. Saying "On your right" works for me.
Leave even more room on the off-road section around Horkstow Bridge.
As I said below, please walk across the bridge.
No flashing lights and angle any particularly bright rear lights down.

As usual, please check your bike over before the ride to reduce the likelihood of unnecessary breakdowns. Pay particular attention to the tyres.

If you want a copy of the gpx file, please let me know.
I'll happily send it out but there are two things to bear in mind:-
The route can change on the night.
We shan't chase you down if you miss a turn.

I hope this doesn't sound too draconian: after being safe, having fun is the priority on Friday's rides.

As ever, please ask if you have any questions,

Andrew
 
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Andrew Br

Andrew Br

Still part of the team !
Just sent out to tonight's riders:-

Good evening everyone.
Before I go for a lie-down some last points:-

In case it wasn't clear, please meet in front of York Minster, preferably by 23.45 for the safety briefing.
If everyone is there early, we'll set off since there's no point in waiting until mid-night and it will allow more time en route.
FWIW, my train is due into York at 23.06 and it's no more than 10 minutes to the start from the station.
The weather looks pretty much perfect: little chance of rain, gentle wind and not too cold.
Having said that, please bring an extra layer: experience suggests that it's cold out in the wilds and, particularly, when we set off after the food stop.

Please make a note of my mobile number in case you need it.

Hope to see you all later,

Andrew
 
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Andrew Br

Andrew Br

Still part of the team !
And we've made it to Hull about 07.55, 5 minutes ahead of schedule. Great route, great group, great weather. I'll write more later in the week.
 

Domus

Guru
Location
Sunny Radcliffe
It was blooming cold, :cold: :cold::cold::cold::cold: :bicycle:
Only started to warm up on the two long drags as the sun came up. Cracking clear, dark sky, very few cars, one suicidal Badger, one skulking Fox and nine (then eight) shivering riders. Good route and leadership, most excellent "All upping" and a good craic at breakfast. What more could you possibly want (apart from warmer clothes)

Maldon, prepare for Michelin Man. :eek:
 

Moodyman

Legendary Member
I concur with all of the above and thank @Andrew Br for his great leadership and @Domus for TECing. A bit nippy in the lanes but no mechanicals. Thatā€™s the third successive Fridays ride (that Iā€™m aware of) thatā€™s been trouble-free.

The sun started to rise soon after we set off from McDs and it changed everything. One could see the mist in the fields, the birds started to natter and cars started appearing on the roads as people started their day. It was the start of a new dawn and tired riders were rejuvenated.

A large breakfast in Hull and several coffee refills later, I said my goodbyes to start the Saturday morning ride back to York for the 14:23 train home. The section between Hull and Beverley was dull and slow going (urban/suburban bike paths).

After Beverley I followed the Yorkshire Wolds Way. Very quiet, scenic and a little up-downy. I knew it was coming but still, it was a shock to the system after the flat night ride.

The hills also expended my energy stores and every pedal stroke became a chore. Sleep deprived, low on fuel and with some 90 miles in the legs I dragged myself to Pocklington where I grabbed some sugary snacks from Aldi.

High on sugar and with one eye on the clock, I got my second wind for the remaining 25 miles. The night layers came off and I was making sufficient progress to get to the train with 10 mins to spare. But, then came a huge inner dilemma. In the middle of agricultural fields on the Way of the Roses, I approached a young girl struggling with her bike. ā€œYouā€™ve not got time for thisā€, ā€œHow would you feel if it was your daughter?ā€. The latter won by a mile (sic). I unjammed her chain from the seat stay/sprocket juncture and she was on her way. So was I with oily hands.

All went well until York centre which was heaving with tourists on a Saturday afternoon. The clock was ticking and I was compelled to ride through a pedestrianised street. One do-gooder said ā€œIā€™m not sure if youā€™re aware but you canā€™t ride your bike hereā€, to which I replied in Yorkshire, ā€œGo f**k yourselfā€.

Anyhow, Iā€™m not proud. But I was tired and couldnā€™t think of anything more refined to say.

All ended well though. The train left at 14:23. I got on with 2 mins to spare.
 

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Andrew Br

Andrew Br

Still part of the team !
Well that was a great ride, thanks to everyone who came along.
There was no way we were going to make the numbers to enable us to use the village hall at Garthorpe so it was always going to be the McD's on the Western outskirts of Scunthorpe. This was communicated to the group well in advance.
The evening started off, as usual, with the ride into MCR to get the train. DaveL (part of the Chorlton(CH) Massive) and I arranged to meet at the bus station in Chorlton(CH) to ride in together. It's not the quickest/shortest route for either of us but, by riding together, we could assist with any mechanicals/punctures and, hopefully, save time. Luckily there were no "incidents" either going into town or, indeed on the FNRttC itself. Result !
Into York on time, everyone showed up before midnight and we set off a few minutes early. Many thanks to those intended riders who had let me know that they weren't going to make it well ahead of time. It saved me having to make the "'phone call of shame" to see where you were ! Seriously, it saves a lot of stress just when the ride leader doesn't need it.
We got out of York very quickly with DaveL riding near me in case my Garmin started being "difficult" as it had on the route check. The route check was, actually, a really, really miserable day out.......
Thankfully there were no issues and we (I) even managed to get to the end of the Planets Path without my transmission disintegrating as it did 2 years ago.
As we got to Drax, one of the group decided that they were too cold and headed back to York. In retrospect, I and another rider should have escorted them at least part of the part of the way back to York and then blasted back to catch the group up: DaveL could have lead the ride (as he did 2 years ago....). It was a relief when the rider was able to let us know that they'd got back safely.
I'd factored in a stop at Airmyn services and, because we were ahead of schedule, we were able to have a leisurely coffee break.
On again through Goole and past the Vermuyden pub, we were soon onto the Isle of Axholme which, in my opinion, is the defining area of this ride: it's pan flat as it twists at the side (and below) the river. We stopped at one point to look across to Gunness and the route towards Hull about 500m across the river but several km along the road before we could get there.....
Arrival at the McD's was at 04.00, around an hour earlier than last year (my mechanical issues had held the group up for about 60 minutes) and it was getting really cold by then.
Mobile again after an hour's stop it really was cold when we set off but dawn was beginning to break and moral was high.
After very little time (or so it seemed) we were at Harkstow Bridge and everybody followed the instruction to walk across. There are large gaps between some of the planks and it was very, very slippery.
Heading on towards the Humber Bridge, several of the group opted for the road route rather than the COR section. The COR was delayed by a group of dog walkers (at 06.00 !) coming along the narrow section of the route but we were soon reunited with the others and, because we were still ahead of schedule, we went to the Humber Bridge viewpoint to the East of the bridge itself. Photos were taken and then we commenced the climb up to and over the bridge.
After that, it was a reasonably fast schlep into Hull and the Admiral of the Humber pub for breakfast. We arrived at 07.55, 5 minutes ahead of the hoped for arrival time.
After a reasonable breakfast the group started heading off with most respect going to Moodyman and his ride back to York. Great effort mate and well done on helping out the stricken rider. Loose a few points for being rude to the pedestrian though.....

Particular thanks are due from me to Domus for TECing so effectively, DaveL for helping keep me on the correct route and the group for their great company.
I was having doubts about organising this ride next year, it seemed a lot of effort, but I'm now having second thoughts. We'll see.

I mentioned it on the night:-
If you want a refund on your food deposit or if you would like the Fridays to donate it to the village hall, please let me know.
If you want a refund, please email me your bank account number, sort code and name and we'll process it asap.
 
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mmmmartin

Random geezer
One do-gooder said ā€œIā€™m not sure if youā€™re aware but you canā€™t ride your bike hereā€, to which I replied in Yorkshire, ā€œGo f**k yourselfā€.

Anyhow, Iā€™m not proud. But I was tired and couldnā€™t think of anything more refined to say.
It's not unknown for similar comments to be heard down south. The response is often similar. I know this.

Great ride report Naz. Real Life got in the way of plans for me to take part. šŸ¤¬
 
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