Nigel182
Guru
- Location
- Chafford Hundred,Essex
Straight to town then the Starting point .....drinks in the morning then
Friday Night Ride To Whitstable. 19th Aug 2016
- Thread starter Trickedem
- Start date
-
- Tags
- fnrttc night ride
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StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
On my way, made the 2138 train. Will go direct to the start.
slowmotion
Quite dreadful
- Location
- lost somewhere
I wish you all a great ride. Have fun.
robjh
Legendary Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire - almost Essex
Nice moon out there, breeze not too wild - had a good ride down from Cambs and am just enjoying pre-ride food on Lea Bridge Road
Flying Dodo
It'll soon be summer
Arrived at the Hall exactly as scheduled at 4am. Everything going like clockwork and a very nice new route, linking some well established roads. And a surprisingly flat route. All courtesy of Mr Tim "No Hills" Decker.
Flying Dodo
It'll soon be summer
Alas and alack. We seem to be besmirched by punctures! First a loud blowout that a rider suffered just after leaving the Hall in Strood and some on the way to Upchurch.
Still, it's a nice sunny morning.
Still, it's a nice sunny morning.
Flying Dodo
It'll soon be summer
Waiting in Faversham.....
Flying Dodo
It'll soon be summer
Arrived in Whitstable!
Flying Dodo
It'll soon be summer
And so it begins......
This is the reason we ride (well, one of them).
This is the reason we ride (well, one of them).
redfalo
known as Olaf in real life
- Location
- Brexit Boomtown
Cheer up, @Gordon P !
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
How was the ride?
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
EltonFrog
Legendary Member
Brilliant, really good fun, weather was fine, a little cool. Full report later.
Flying Dodo
It'll soon be summer
Well, that was absolutely brill! After arriving in the golden metropolis at Blackfriars, it was a short ride to Potters Field, although the bike contraflow on Tooley Street was a surprise. Of course 5 years ago, they wouldn't have even bothered doing that, so we should be grateful for small signs of progress and enlightenment. There were already a small number of cyclists lounging outside the (shut) bar, and numbers gradually grew. I fielded a couple of calls from people wanting to know how to get there, and then as if by osmosis we ended up with a quorum of Friday Nighters.
After the safety briefing, we were off. And then I had the nice realisation that as I had not been asked to be a TEC at the back, and not being the Ride Leader (after having led the last 3 London rides) meant I could do what I liked. And so I did. I did a lot of waymarking which I haven't really done on a FNRttC for years and years. So I got to stand on deserted street corners and point, and then zoom back to the front to do it all again! Which was even nicer as I've just fitted a nice shiny set of light wheels & tyres which I definitely noticed gave improved acceleration and handling. Yes, I know - boys and their toys......
Something else I noticed was the intriguing route that Tim was using, weaving us across south-east London and new roads going near Bexley Heath and Crayford and then zooming along the bus lane past Greenhithe Station which we've only used once before I think. In fact we used a number of bus lanes which were all for buses only as cyclists were supposed to use the shared use path, which seemed rather shocking and discriminatory. Although of course at 2am there aren't any buses. In fact generally there seemed to be less traffic overall. Had everyone ditched their cars and jumped on the 24 hour tube? Who knows. Another plus (for some people) was that the new route also bypassed some little climbs. After a bit of zig-zagging around Gravesend (always a good policy) we then ended up along the canal path. No frogs or nightingales though, although someone ended up with a puncture. We then popped out at Higham, joining the traditional route to then drop down into Stood and the bountiful piles of rolls and cakes.
Setting off again just before 5, unfortunately another person got a puncture, so there was time for some people to see the Soviet navy submarine - which is flagged as one of the top things to see in Strood. Which is a sad thing in more ways than one. After a diversion for the Royal Engineers Museum, we pedalled on, across the bleak Rainham Marshes, to then climb a bit of a hill, to then endure the journey across Sittingbourne. There is no good way of avoiding this place. At one point a driver stopped at the lights (yes, I know it's unusual) and asked why we weren't using the cycle lanes specially built for us. I pointed out the glass conveniently strewn across the adjacent path and said that's why not, which he said "Fair enough" although others had possibly better explanations as to why not, but my answer seemed to satisfy him, and soon we were back into the countryside. Time was marching on, as we sped along the lanes and suddenly we were in Faversham, with the opportunity to go past the brewery and inhale, which is always a nice treat.
After another re-group, Tim repeated a comment he'd made in the hall, that a bit further on would be "The Turn", when people could then go blasting ahead to Whitstable, and that Tim would way mark that point. Unfortunately there were some eager young things at the front, meaning Tim, who was laboured down by his pannier full of uneaten rolls and cakes, was in fact falling behind. So I sped on ahead, and got the "The Turn" first to then way mark whilst a number of riders zoomed past me, with the scent of breakfast in the air pulling them forwards to Whitstable, before Tim arrived to take over. That's when I decided to go fast as well, so sorry everyone for blasting past.
My GPS showed I reached the giddy speed of 32.3 mph at one point, meaning I got the the Waterfront first! Although of course it wasn't a race.
Anyway, breakfasts were delivered with their usual speedy service, and eaten almost as fast.
So in all, a brilliant night ride. Thank you to Tim for coming up with some great alternative roads, and thanks to Ross and Adrian for being at the back, so I could have a good time zooming around, and for everyone else for being there.
After the safety briefing, we were off. And then I had the nice realisation that as I had not been asked to be a TEC at the back, and not being the Ride Leader (after having led the last 3 London rides) meant I could do what I liked. And so I did. I did a lot of waymarking which I haven't really done on a FNRttC for years and years. So I got to stand on deserted street corners and point, and then zoom back to the front to do it all again! Which was even nicer as I've just fitted a nice shiny set of light wheels & tyres which I definitely noticed gave improved acceleration and handling. Yes, I know - boys and their toys......
Something else I noticed was the intriguing route that Tim was using, weaving us across south-east London and new roads going near Bexley Heath and Crayford and then zooming along the bus lane past Greenhithe Station which we've only used once before I think. In fact we used a number of bus lanes which were all for buses only as cyclists were supposed to use the shared use path, which seemed rather shocking and discriminatory. Although of course at 2am there aren't any buses. In fact generally there seemed to be less traffic overall. Had everyone ditched their cars and jumped on the 24 hour tube? Who knows. Another plus (for some people) was that the new route also bypassed some little climbs. After a bit of zig-zagging around Gravesend (always a good policy) we then ended up along the canal path. No frogs or nightingales though, although someone ended up with a puncture. We then popped out at Higham, joining the traditional route to then drop down into Stood and the bountiful piles of rolls and cakes.
Setting off again just before 5, unfortunately another person got a puncture, so there was time for some people to see the Soviet navy submarine - which is flagged as one of the top things to see in Strood. Which is a sad thing in more ways than one. After a diversion for the Royal Engineers Museum, we pedalled on, across the bleak Rainham Marshes, to then climb a bit of a hill, to then endure the journey across Sittingbourne. There is no good way of avoiding this place. At one point a driver stopped at the lights (yes, I know it's unusual) and asked why we weren't using the cycle lanes specially built for us. I pointed out the glass conveniently strewn across the adjacent path and said that's why not, which he said "Fair enough" although others had possibly better explanations as to why not, but my answer seemed to satisfy him, and soon we were back into the countryside. Time was marching on, as we sped along the lanes and suddenly we were in Faversham, with the opportunity to go past the brewery and inhale, which is always a nice treat.
After another re-group, Tim repeated a comment he'd made in the hall, that a bit further on would be "The Turn", when people could then go blasting ahead to Whitstable, and that Tim would way mark that point. Unfortunately there were some eager young things at the front, meaning Tim, who was laboured down by his pannier full of uneaten rolls and cakes, was in fact falling behind. So I sped on ahead, and got the "The Turn" first to then way mark whilst a number of riders zoomed past me, with the scent of breakfast in the air pulling them forwards to Whitstable, before Tim arrived to take over. That's when I decided to go fast as well, so sorry everyone for blasting past.
My GPS showed I reached the giddy speed of 32.3 mph at one point, meaning I got the the Waterfront first! Although of course it wasn't a race.
Anyway, breakfasts were delivered with their usual speedy service, and eaten almost as fast.
So in all, a brilliant night ride. Thank you to Tim for coming up with some great alternative roads, and thanks to Ross and Adrian for being at the back, so I could have a good time zooming around, and for everyone else for being there.
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