Manchester - Llandudno 25 April 2015 featuring the Inaugural Hill Climb Sausage Challenge

[DiddlyDodds]

What's a 'floppy disk'?

 

[middleagecyclist]

Oh. I've seen them in films but didn't know that's what they were called!

 

[Ootini]

@nickyboy what time do you want me to cone round and take your pants off ?

 

[mike3121]

I forgot to ask, when you had your 'moment' outside the chippy, whether you rather nice new bike was unscathed?

My shinny new bike came out of it unscathed, it had a nice soft landing on top of me, my elbow came off the worst, nice scar to remind me in the future of this eventful day

 

[srw]

Oh. I've seen them in films but didn't know that's what they were called!

Call yourself middle aged?

The real middle aged talk about DOS, 8.3 filenames and BSODs. Or, if they were really cutting edge, WIMP interfaces and 4MB RAM.

 

[mike3121]

@Cubist didn't get to meet you as I was a Eureka starter but GWS

 

[subaqua]

well i tried to find the coverage of manchester- llan on all the usual channels. but failed who won the mountain sausage

 

[Crackle]

In the end a great ride amongst good company. Didn't get to meet a few people I wanted to meet, including Cubist but joining at Eureka meant the ride had already fragmented and by the time we left Eureka some groups were just arriving and some had left. In fact we were sitting in Eureka waiting for familiar faces without realizing that 4 or 5 riders were already there.

In the end I left with a group that included Origamist, Rich p, pubrunner, Rickshaw Phil and Mike3121. They all mistakenly thought I knew the way, hah! I vaguely did but my pre-programmed Garmin with turn instructions decided it wasn't going to work so once we got past Hawarden Bridge it was guesswork and a Keen eye by Phil that eventually got us on to the A548 but not where I thought. We were about to have a conflab about which way to go when in the distance we spotted a peloton of different coloured waterproofs coming our way and as they went past Skolly shouted, get on, which we did.

The A548 isn't the prettiest of roads so I don't recall much about it but we eventually reached the rdbt to turn off for the seafront path and stopped to wait for Nick for confirmation, who quickly ascertained that he had the only programmed Garmin with the route. We all looked suitably sheepish, stared at our feet and mumbled and then jumped on his wheel quick sharp. There was no one on the seafront besides us, the odd dog walker and seagulls being skittered past at high speed but despite that it was a pleasant ride with an opportunity to ride next to people and chat.

The Orme appeared in the distance and it wasn't that long before we were into Llandudno with one final climb up that bastard hill before a swoop down along the seafront and to the chippy which had happily stayed open for us. There were only about 6 of us left for that, as again the group had fragmented with some riders finishing at Rhyl.

I didn't stay beyond the chippy as I'd not booked anything for this trip not being certain my knee rehab would hold up for it. In the end it did and one of the reasons for keeping up with the comeback after last year off was this trip, so double thanks to Nick for that personal motivation. All's good today, bit stiff and I couldn't cycle again but it should be fine in a few days.

Excellent day, which will live in the memory a bit longer for the epic weather Nick ordered for us!

 

[DiddlyDodds]

well i tried to find the coverage of manchester- llan on all the usual channels. but failed who won the mountain sausage

It wasn't on the terrestrial or Satellite, its being held back for exclusive DVD rights.
I left before the sausage challenge, but no one looked like they were even capable of even trying to attempt a go on the hill.

 

[doughnut]

Well that was one to remember, great route, not so great weather, i think its the only ride i have been on where i got sun burn on the top of my baldy napper and soaked through all within the same hour
Had a long chat with @BRounsley who dragged me along the last 25 miles or so before i finally gave up and pottered along to the finish.
Great route Nick , that "little" hill up the "welcome to Landudno" was a real lung stretcher, and at that point it all came flooding back the total lack of any training rides before tackling this 100 miler.
I wondered why i was so cold sat outside the pub eating my fish and chips, at that point i was not sure if it was my hand shaking so much or the fish was still alive, the answer became apparent when i got back to the car for the temperature on the dash to announced a full 3 degrees, and it was around Chester that i noticed i was not actually shaking inside any more, and was fully warmed up with the car heater on full belt.
I am not sure the new name of Pete the egg announced by @Tail End Charlie is what i will change to, as most would just think it was because of my egg shaped baldy head, rather than my dinner time eating choice.
Great to see so many faces, although having the memory capacity of less than a 1980's floppy disk , i was still tying to put names to faces even at the end.

Same again next year ? , but less of the A548, and nip over Snowdon instead.

Congratulations, @DiddlyDodds , first to arrive at the chip shop. It was definitely your hand shaking and not the fish - and I think your hand was shaking because it was attached to the rest of your body which was also shaking badly

Picture is a bit blurry, but I think for once it was the subject shaking and not the photographer!

 

[DiddlyDodds]

Only the first to arrive due to Brian going to the hotel to get changed rather than to the chippy

 

[mike3121]

It wasn't on the terrestrial or Satellite, its being held back for exclusive DVD rights.
I left before the sausage challenge, but no one looked like they were even capable of even trying to attempt a go on the hill.

I didn't even make it up tiny last bit of a hill a few feet before the chippy before I fell off, if the tram was still running I don't think I would of had the energy to get on that

 

[mike3121]

@Crackle thanks now I know the name of the ones I was riding with who gave me encouragement to make it to the end

its not easy to recognise people from their profile pics on here, including me

 

[Cubist]

Well, been fettled. Feeling a bit sleepy now, had a Sunday lunch and ice cream.... Yayy!
They've just taken xrays to confirm the meccano is all in the right place, and Mrs Cube can fetch me at six, all being well.

 

[StuAff]

Call yourself middle aged?

The real middle aged talk about DOS, 8.3 filenames and BSODs. Or, if they were really cutting edge, WIMP interfaces and 4MB RAM.

DOS? Floppies? Try cassettes and ROM cartridges for really, really middle-aged (as on my Vic-20, 1982). That Vic had 3.5kb built in RAM, and I later got a 16kb RAM expansion pack (just the one slot, so it was a case of picking instant loading of software or extra RAM). Apple hadn't launched the Lisa back then (1983), let alone the first Mac (1984), which had a whole 128kb of RAM....
(Bit Nerd Four Yorkshiremen, isn't it? ).