FNRttC Friday Night Ride to......Brighton on Friday 17th June

[Tim Hall]

No worries. A bit behind you was a third rider who I hurled past and simply shouted 'Turn back' at. I'm not sure who that was but I think it might have been one of my three newbies.

It was. She was a bit, umm, overcome by the directness of the instruction.

 

[TimO]

We've had a few occasions of waymarkers leaving unexpectedly, people travelling in advance of the ride leader, and hence missing a turn, and occasionally waymarkers being left stranded. I almost suffered this, marking prior to Faygate, when I didn't hear the "All Up", but luckily one of the TECs came back to look for me!

It's all part of the fun!

 

[User482]

We've had a few occasions of waymarkers leaving unexpectedly, people travelling in advance of the ride leader, and hence missing a turn, and occasionally waymarkers being left stranded. I almost suffered this, marking prior to Faygate, when I didn't hear the "All Up", but luckily one of the TECs came back to look for me!

It's all part of the fun!

Rob: "Did I call All Up?"
Me: "Not sure"
Rob "Tim's still not appeared"
Me: "I'd better check"

 

[hatler]

It was. She was a bit, umm, overcome by the directness of the instruction.

Woops. I'd better apologise. I didn't want to hang around too long explaining for fear of the other two getting too far away. I also wanted to make sure she understood the instruction so she didn't continue going the wrong way.

 

[hatler]

And I don't think I swore ...

 

[robjh]

(And a huge vote of thanks to the dedication shown by the waymarkers who did wait for us. I clocked @robjh and Tim O, but there were a couple of others as well, so thank you all.)

That particular waymark near Lambs Green was a real pleasure. I sat on the bike for about 20 minutes from about 4.30 in that early morning light with the dawn chorus in full song all around me. No other noise, no cars, and no people save the very occasional cyclist who nodded in my direction as they passed. I would happily have waited there another 20 minutes if it wasn't for the nagging fear that all the bread pudding was being eaten a few miles away.

 

[robjh]

Don't worry Rob, next time you can have my portion of bread pudding, as it settled onto my stomach like a lump of fatty, acid, sugary lead.

Thanks, I'll remind you of that offer before we get to the Cabin next time.

 

[slowmotion]

That particular waymark near Lambs Green was a real pleasure. I sat on the bike for about 20 minutes from about 4.30 in that early morning light with the dawn chorus in full song all around me. No other noise, no cars, and no people save the very occasional cyclist who nodded in my direction as they passed. I would happily have waited there another 20 minutes if it wasn't for the nagging fear that all the bread pudding was being eaten a few miles away.

I think I was probably responsible for quite a few waymakers "enjoying the dawn chorus" and other nocturnal delights. I felt rather guilty about it. I'm glad you made good use of the down time.

 

[ianmac62]

Don't worry Rob, next time you can have my portion of bread pudding, as it settled onto my stomach like a lump of fatty, acid, sugary lead.

Melts like butter, sets like concrete! What's not to like?

 

[hatler]

OK. Not strictly relevant to this thread, but here goes anyway. I'll keep it to the bare bones of the itinerary.

Friday
4.45pm - Car, two bikes, little miss h and I set off from home for Streat (near Ditchling). Hideous traffic. Pissing rain.
6.30pm - Arrive at Blackberry Wood. Leave LMH in capable hands of Timbo. Set off for Hassocks on my bike.
7.30pm - Catch train from Hassocks towards London and change at Clapham for train home.
9pm - Eat, lie down. Miss alarm.
10.50pm - Catch train to Waterloo for meeting under the clock.
Rain.
Midnight - Ride (see above)

Saturday
9.30am - To LMH's friend's to see the kittens.
10am - Ride to Brighton station for train to Hassocks and then ride to Blackberry Wood
3.30pm - Ride back to Hassocks to meet mini-hatler and ride back to van
Bike fettle, eat and prepare for Sunday
10pm - To bed after watching the footie

Sunday
7am - Mrs hatler sets off from home for Clapham Junction and the start of the BHF L2B
10am - Me, bike and car around the hill to Brighton (via Lewes) to deposit car
11am - Cycle back off road over the Downs
12am - Get back to van. Prepare lunch for kids and two more friends (father and son)
1pm - Cycle to Haywards Heath to intercept Mrs h and friends
2.30pm - Meet up at the top of Fox Hill, all head for Brighton
4pm ish - Coldean Lane. LMH gets a tannoy call to slow down !
4.30pm ish - Arrive on the front. Race mini-hatler and two others up the ramp from Madeira Drive to the upper road. Lose. Shagged out.
5pm - Tea and cake with friends (with the kittens). Plan hatched as to how to get seven people and seven bikes back to Blackberry Wood in just one car with room for only five people and four bikes. It involves me and one other riding back over the hill, Mrs h driving back and leaving one bike behind.
6pm - Walk outside and it's distinctly damp and murky, but with a Southerly wind. We rip up Ditchling Road as fast as I can go and make it back to the 'van in 50 minutes. Very soggy. Wait for Mrs h. Unload bikes. Re-load different set of bikes. Sort out 'van. Head home. Back at 10pm, still in my soggy cycling gear.
11pm - Crash into bed.

 

[hatler]

And that was Mrs hatler's longest ride ever by some margin. She was well-chuffed.

Her biggest concern was that despite numerous successful ascents of the Beacon that she wouldn't be able to do it after having cycled down from London. But no, all done in one hit. I was however told to bugger off when I tried to accompany her.

 

[mmmmartin]

Shagged out

Not surprised. And I thought The Tour was complicated. Not sure my brain would have worked out the logistics in the first place, let alone achieved them without mishap!
Chapeau!
(Do you still want to borrow that French IGN map for your summer tour? BTW)

 

[topcat1]

Here's the first set of pics all from the front mounted cam

https://flic.kr/s/aHskBYWgcK

 

[lazybloke]

Having at last dried out, it's time to add my thanks to Adam and to everyone else involved, whether they organised, recce'd, way-marked, TEC'd, encouraged, or anything else that made a great success out of an extremely wet evening.

After a late arrival at HPC already soaked to the skin, the first few miles of the ride were an exercise of 'getting into the mindset'. Sweary taxi drivers didn't enhance the experience, but the turning point was Ditches Lane over Farthing Downs. 10 out of 10 for that choice of route - much better than carrying on up Marlpit Lane.

Some impressive floods near the M25/M23 gave my spokes a bath, but the deluge was now a distant memory and I was finally drying out. Still, Faygate was a long time coming.

Everyone seemed uplifted for the 2nd half of the ride, and Ditchling arrived quickly. Lovely red poppies in the fields at the top of the Beacon. Not so lovely red traffic lights all the way into Brighton.

Breakfast and a quick stroll on the beach before making my way home via Hove station. Then only 20 minutes snooze at home before having to take my daughter to a 7th birthday party - and getting roped into helping out with the activities. At bed time, I managed an unbroken 11 hours of sleep. Bliss.


In all, my 2nd FNRttC was a fantastic ride. And doing it in that weather? Makes me feel like a proper cyclist.

 

[hatler]

Staying up for the whole of Saturday after one of these has to be the way to go. It guarantees a really solid chunk of sleep on the Saturday night and you wake up on Sunday morning fully refreshed.