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just popped in to confirm.
bit worried about the weather if i'm honest!
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What a day, the fine weather beaten only by the company. It was a late decision to join the ride, given my bike is geared more for Constitution hill than the south downs.
However a stunning route more than made up for this, Stonehedge & his Garmin leading the way, or was it the other way round on virtually trafic free roads.
In the later stages the Garmin took on a life of its' own, while promising a rolling ride to the coast, it delivered incline after incline, which took their eventual toll and I opted for a busy road to Canterbury at the 70 mile point, and missed the swim in the sea. -
a proper end of summer ride - the second half was spectacular, with the night ride back under the low moon becoming the pinnacle. topping it off with some late-night boozing now before i pass out.
many thanks to the stellar leadership, and glad to have seen everyone - familiar and new faces alike.
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What a day! By far the most enjoyable ride of my summer. Thanks all for the company, was great to have you all along. Has anybody else here been on a ride with a over 100% turn out before?
I have no qualms with admitting that I found the hills to be brutal. The temperature didn't help much either. This took me right to the limit of what was achievable for me.
Sorry for the wrong turns...I had no chance to recce the route.
Truly one to remember. This route is a new benchmark for me to test myself against. Those hills were, well, hilly.
No calls from my main man Abs yet.
You can add another 500ft of climbing and 5mi for the trip back to the train station. Shame we couldn't have a few more in the Roebuck afterwards.
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too hilly for my tastes, can't see myself coming on the next one. thanks a lot to Dan for leading an unfamiliar route, and John for deputising. chapeau to Bill - man's got the endurance of i don't know what.
i bailed at Dover because i had a party to get to in Fulham, i had no lights with me and i hadn't had any fun since the top of Wye. got train back on a groupsave with a couple of kiwi roadies. had a powerade on the rocks(!) when i got home.
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Again thanks to Stonehenge, Munch and Dropout for guiding/providing backup. And thanks to Skive too who - though he wasn't there for it - still set it up and found a new leader so we could do it.
And boy did we ever. Loveliest route I've done on I don't know how long on one of Englands finest days. There was some serious exercise on this ride, but was happy to climb those hills as the woodsmoke, autumn leaves, harvesters, quiet lanes and low but strong sunlight made it all so damn beautiful.
Similar to OLC I bailed at Dover to make it back for a party. Would have loved to see the beach proper...maybe (definitely!) next time.
Great pics btw Fox
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Wouldn't have been climbing no hills had you not been leading. Cheers again Dan
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A very memorable ride. The bipolar nature of the route somehow reminded me of this video: http://www.vimeo.com/5531123
In hindsight, 74 GI was too high for the day, but I just about managed all but one hill (excluding the hipster walk away from St Margarets) - chapeau to youramericanlover for climbing that other killer hill. The climbs were hard, at times I was probably serially trackstanding rather than ascending, but they were worth it for the ensuing views and long descents that allowed us to spin like Alistair Campbell on acid.
The night ride back to Dover Priory in the moonlight was also good fun and brought back memories of Dunwich.
Big thanks to Stonehedge for his good-natured leading of this ride and imparting his superior knowledge of faecal transactions. Thanks to everybody else for being a really enjoyable group to ride with.
@OLC, you could have borrowed a spare front light off me. Sorry about that, I completely forgot I packed two lights until after you had departed.
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No calls from my main man Abs yet....
I told him you were up for space docking so I'm sure he'll be in touch after lunch.
Can only really echo the thanks handed out already above - particularly to Dan. This ride was epic in so many ways - turn-out, weather, route, company, pain, laughs, moonlight, beers - all superb.
Cheers for taking the pics too Pete.
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@OLC, you could have borrowed a spare front light off me. Sorry about that, I completely forgot I packed two lights until after you had departed.
no i needed to leave anyway, i wouldn't have made it to this party otherwise. as it was i still didn't get there til 10.45, and i'd rather catch half a party than extend a ride i've stopped enjoying.
just rode for a stint today with our american lover dan hillslayer, on chelsea embankment, when our paths converged.
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I really enjoyed that, thanks Dan. It was definitely a challenging (but lovely) route, especially with the heat. I was flagging a bit before Dover. Thanks John for the much needed water, that and the supermarket stop really perked me up & I was ready for the climb out. The sunset was lovely & for me watching the ships lights on the channel as we went along the coast road was really special.
There were some lovely lanes and the Pilgrim's Way was great. Riding above the vineyards in 30 degree heat didn't feel like Britain.
Chapeau to your American Dan for the non-stop hill climbing action.
This post brought to you from a Ryanair plane full of small Spanish children...
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told you it was hilly!
looks like an amazing ride, photos look ace.
well done to everyone who rode it.i spent the weekend away in a yurt, went swimming in the sea today.
i am planning a late autumnal jaunt that i will be able to ride!
might be a cambridge re-run.
will keep you posted on that.
Rod_Munch
deleted
OneLessCardigan
conker
Rossi75
BermondseyBill
anton
Fox
youramericanlover
Amygdala-
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2011-10-01 - London to St Margarets
Posted by
@skive
As an act of solidarity with my fixed bretheren I decided to keep my heavy TT wheels on for this ride. NOT for hills.