Northampton ride to London Saturday 24th March

[StuAff]

Provisionally in, BUT, it's going to depend on whether the new toy is built and up and running or not…

And the new toy is......?

 

[StuAff]

Oh, and as you might have guessed, I'm in....

 

[rb58]

I'd love to have done this, but it's the same weekend as the Man O'Kent 200, which I'm already entered. Sorry Adam. I'll look out for other ones though.

 

[srw]

Would you mind an intercept somewhere in North Bucks, and a peeling off somewhere near St Albans? That would give us a loop without having to fight a tandem onto the train.
And it would avoid the ugly parts of Northamptonshire and London.

I haven't run this past my best beloved yet, so she may already have other plans

 

[wanda2010]

Pardon? It's 10.30 from Northampton...I can get a train just before 7!! And Balham's only 7 miles from Euston, even pootling that's well under an hour's ride...

Sorry Stu, I was referring to the Don't Do Hills ride.

 

[CharlieB]

And the new toy is......?

…a Colnago CLX3 frame, with a mid-range Campag groupset to be decided yet. Sorry, I'm one of the few people who like Campag shifters, as opposed to the Shimano/SRAM arrangements.
Did look at a few (mainly Italian) alternatives, including that lovely Viner you ride, but then I found a fab LBS in Covent Garden who have thus far provided some good personalised advice. But it doesn't look as though delivery will be until the far end of March.

 

[User10571]

…a Colnago CLX3 frame, with a mid-range Campag groupset to be decided yet. Sorry, I'm one of the few people who like Campag shifters, as opposed to the Shimano/SRAM arrangements.
Did look at a few (mainly Italian) alternatives, including that lovely Viner you ride, but then I found a fab LBS in Covent Garden who have thus far provided some good personalised advice. But it doesn't look as though delivery will be until the far end of March.

I think you'll find that this year March is, for you, an unusually long month.....

 

[Aperitif]

I think you'll find that this year March is, for you, an unusually long month.....

Unlike the long March of everyman...
I can lend you a "racing" bike Charlie, if you want to keep up with the Joneses Stuaffs (actually, your MTB will do... hello Stu - I'm only teasing) The Veneto in alu = Campag Centaur etc will probably squish a bit to fit you. Or the Look in carbonhydrate - that's got Chorus stuff I think, or, pure steel in the shape of a Colnago - but it is a tight machine with 7 speed block (all new + chain) 53/39 and a quill stem. This has 105 brakes though as I am too idle to change them for a pair of Centaurs.Yet. Wouldn't want you not being able to get to the tobacconist on a Sunday morning!

 

[Flying Dodo]

Would you mind an intercept somewhere in North Bucks, and a peeling off somewhere near St Albans? That would give us a loop without having to fight a tandem onto the train.
And it would avoid the ugly parts of Northamptonshire and London.

I haven't run this past my best beloved yet, so she may already have other plans

Absolutely fine!

 

[ianmac62]

Thanks for orgnising this. As a Northampton dweller, I shall meet you at the station. Mainly to say hello as I don't really know many of you and I've signed up to be the main van-driver of the LonJoG trip. I can only ride with you for an hour or so because ...

... I'm also a Northampton Town season-ticket holder and on that Saturday the mighty Cobblers (currently 91st in the Football League) are at home to Plymouth Argyle (currently 89th in the Football League) so, in terms of whether either of them will be League clubs next season, it's a very important game. (For all you Londoners, I reckon Dagenham are doomed.)

In terms oftrain companies, not only are London Midland much cheaper than Virgin, but London Midland rolling stock carry bikes pretty much willy-nilly. There is quite a bit of floor space in the disabled / toilets part of the train (usually towards the middle) but you can put your bike anywhere. Most people put them by the doors and other passenger are accustomed to this. Watch out for the BMXers on the trains who often travel to Milton Keynes to play there on Saturdays.

 

[StuAff]

Sorry Stu, I was referring to the Don't Do Hills ride.

Whoops!

 

[StuAff]

Unlike the long March of everyman...
I can lend you a "racing" bike Charlie, if you want to keep up with the Joneses Stuaffs (actually, your MTB will do... hello Stu - I'm only teasing)

No change there then...

 

[StuAff]

…a Colnago CLX3 frame, with a mid-range Campag groupset to be decided yet. Sorry, I'm one of the few people who like Campag shifters, as opposed to the Shimano/SRAM arrangements.
Did look at a few (mainly Italian) alternatives, including that lovely Viner you ride, but then I found a fab LBS in Covent Garden who have thus far provided some good personalised advice. But it doesn't look as though delivery will be until the far end of March.

Nice (seen the one my LBS have one in stock).
As for the group: Athena. Works great, by far better value for money than Chorus, let alone the ££££ stuff, and it goes up to 11

 

[CharlieB]

Nice (seen the one my LBS have one in stock).
As for the group: Athena. Works great, by far better value for money than Chorus, let alone the ££££ stuff, and it goes up to 11

Spoken like a man who's just seen Rammstein. Were they good? I saw them a couple of years back at Wembley Arena, and could feel the heat from ten rows back.

 

[StuAff]

Spoken like a man who's just seen Rammstein. Were they good? I saw them a couple of years back at Wembley Arena, and could feel the heat from ten rows back.

Even better than Wembley...that was the fifth time I've seen them and they've still managed to raise their game further.