What a cracker, great job
@Flying Dodo. Work on sorting out those sacrifices to the weather gods though, still room for improvement
Work's moved twenty miles down the road, but the whole FNRttC after work train problem has (mostly) changed for the positive. Making the (slow) train of 'choice' from Pompey was dependent on making a few minutes' time on a Friday night. If the timetable for Southampton was the same I'd never make a ride. But it's not, thankfully, and the trains are much faster. Made a whole two minutes on Friday night (woo!) which was enough, combined with having lights and bottles on the bike ready to go, to mean I was on the platform at the airport station at 9.35, three minutes before the train left. If I'd missed it I'd still have got to HPC in time with the 2208 service. As it was, even with the train being held at Waterloo for five minutes, still plenty of time to go to Victoria first. Late predictions of rain proved sadly accurate. I set off from Waterloo and I'd barely got onto York Road before the heavens opened. I'd got my rain trousers (as it was a wet commute to and from the stations to work) but I hadn't put them on. Nicely soaked before I got to Victoria...Gear dried out quickly enough once the rain cleared....
I went for the Viner not anticipating extended need for mudguards. And it was about time it did a FNR. It was the right decision for most of the conditions, just not the bit where it tipped down for hours on end. Oops. Never mind, there will be cleaning in the morning. The Litespeed would have been only slightly better off dealing with all the grot anyway..Second oops of the night was when I was unable to help the lad with the B' Twin (second ride I think, don't know his name) who needed some AAA batteries for his front light. I had charged four spares ready for the night (on top of the four in my two rear lights). And then left them, along with all the the spare AAs, in their bag at home. Good job I didn't need them myself...
Some interesting alterations to the route. Farthing Downs was pleasant, nice view too, though I can certainly see
@User13710's point about the extended dogleg to make Faygate. The Gatwick Surprise would have cut that out, though I for one prefer the Cabin's catering (in
@ianrauk's absence I hoovered up some left over bread pudding. Calories put to good use!). I inadvertently caused a slight delay to a few riders when I took the trousers off (that really was it, not a mechanical or health issue!). Ditchling as challenging as always (just challenging enough in my case, I still had the 34x27 gear to hand if I'd needed it). Red lights coming down the hill were indeed a complete pain, and down to the Madeira somewhat later than ride leader planned, by 8.30 or so.
One large breakfast and a bit of a natter later, self and
@User482 set off westward. Even if I hadn't planned to ride, yet more disruption to Southern services, as noted by others, forced my hand. Steve had asked for route advice with the intention of riding as far as Cosham & getting his own century in, and with a few on-the-day tweaks (the route I did was quickly cobbled together, so didn't correspond to what I'd usually use) we followed that for the most part. Fortunately, the weather was rather more favourable than for Shoreham. A crosswind, but one that didn't impede progress too much. We stuck together as far as Chidham, when Steve pulled away to make absolutely sure he'd make his booked train, our pace to that point being probably OK for that rather than definitely. Given that I'd now hit the ton, I gave some thought to taking a train for the last stretch. Southern had other ideas. Went to Nutbourne station, half a mile down the road. Next train in an hour. So I carry on. Emsworth next decent bet, I thought, two or three miles down the road. Well, ticket machine was out of order and ticket office was closed. On I went again, and once I got to Havant, a mere five and a bit miles from home, it wasn't worth getting a train anyway. Back about 1.30, the second ton for the month done, 113.7 miles since HPC. Bed not long afterwards.
Thanks everyone. Cardiff next Friday, hurrah!
