A Hard Day in January

Let's hope the weather clears up a bit for the 2nd (or 51st!) anniversary ride...

I was just thinking about this

i might well be into this... probababably on gears

If I can get the day off from work I'll be on this as I missed it last year.

Good to see some of us awakening from our winter slumber!

I'm not unduly worried about the weather yet, but if it's really impossible we'll have to postpone. I was due to ride to Oxford today, but chickened out. Let's hope we're all full of enthusiasm after the enforced idleness.

A note to Mr. Smith: If you really feel you need to use gears then do so, and you're still welcome to come along. However I really don't think it will be necessary because my experience is that a group riding fixed generally finds the pace which suits the conditions and this means there is no significant saving in effort with variable gears. I know it sometime happens that if you are the only fixed rider in a group where all the others are using gears you may have a hard time chasing downhill and then fighting to get back up the next climb, but I don't think it works the other way round because a fixed wheel group has a different rhythm which means your modern road bike won't give you much help.

I'd like to stress this ride is intended to be more like a club run than a road race.

^ whenever I've been out in a group (as the only fixed rider) I've found the downhill bits are a real problem keeping up but going uphill I have to wait for the pack to catch up! Mind you, if it were really hilly I probably wouldn't go fixed.

Might be interested in joining in - I'll decide a bit nearer the time - though I'm not sure if I'd drive to Staines from Finchley.

Fixed it is then :-)

Didn't read the opening post properly.

The weather forecast for next Wednesday (20th Jan) makes it look as though the proposed ride should be possible although not specially pleasant.

I want to go on that day if it's possible, so let's assume it's still on.

I suggest we review the forecast on Sunday evening.

^

Might be interested in joining in - I'll decide a bit nearer the time - though I'm not sure if I'd drive to Staines from Finchley.

I'm starting from Willesden, and I'm certainly going to drive to Staines. Apart from anything else, if you rode all the way you'd probably be doing the last part in the dark.

Yes, good thinking. The car it is then.

OK, illy has talked me into this. Aiming to do it fixed. The main problem for me is to get to the start, as I'm in Hackney, so it'll have to be a train from Waterloo. I need to start getting the miles in, as I'm currently officially fat and lardy. I'll be a liability uphill and in sketchy conditions, but here's hoping that conditions will be OK. Already looking forward to it!

Just looked at the weather forecast for Wednesday. Depending on whose providing the forecast it seems to vary from light showers and sleet to heavy snow!

I have been looking forward to this but not enough to endure too much wet stuff. Unless the weather turns around I'm bailing out.

Yes, I have just looked at the forecast and I agree it looks too bad to go ahead this week.
I assume that most of you need to arrange time off work, and leaving a decision later than this might create difficulties.

Therefore:

I propose that we postpone the ride for 1 week and go on 27th Jan.

27th sounds good to me (weather permitting)

Is this ride still on for Wednesday 27th? Weather looks reasonable.

Yes, everything looks OK for this Wednesday.

I have just been called away from the computer - I will post fully, with meeting place, in a couple of hours time.

Great! Looking forward to it.

Shit. I'm gona miss this again. Have a good ride lads. I'll make it next time.

Sorry about the interruption - the rest of the family said they were very hungry and had to go out to eat IMMEDIATELY!

The meeting point for Wednesday morning will be the South side of Staines Bridge, on the corner of 'The Hythe'.

I will try to get there for 9am and I hope we'll be ready to go by 9.15. I'm keen to be back before dark, which shouldn't be difficult, but we need to be reasonably prompt.

Make a note of my mobile no. - 0796 3636 784. Use it for any difficulty on the day, or beforehand if you need a lift. I can't guarantee to be able to help, but I'll do my best.

The weather looks as though it should be suitable for the north westerly route mentioned above.

Looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday.

Yeah, I'm out too for this wed.

Have a good one guys.

blimey!
Just got back from 90 miles from Staines out toward Oxford. There were six of us and I think it fair to say that we all enjoyed it. We set off about 9.30 at a good steady pace, only going wrong once! This lead to an additional 8 miles or so which was great 'cos it rounded the miles up to 90! We had lunch at a 'traditional' transport cafe, who's other patrons were all bikers (the leather clad, motorcycle type) and left about an hour later suitably fed and watered. However, about 5 miles into the return journey I bonked on the first hill and never really recovered. I have to appologise to the other five who had to wait for me to catch up on several occasions on the way back. That said, it was a great day out and the worst bit by far was the awful drive back through the commuting traffic. Hats off to Clubman for all the organisation!

Yes, that was lovely. I rounded it out to a nice century and a bit by riding to Willesden in the morning to meet clubman and back in the evening. Thanks for the great organisation involving a much-appreciated lift and crashing space for participants. Superb riders and a pleasure to ride with you all! And thanks to illy for talking me into it!

Ian, I don't think anyone minded that you fell back a bit; if anything, we should have slowed down more to give you more of a sheltered ride!

And yes, of course we didn't really get lost, as it was all a deliberate ploy to come out of it on an even number of miles, like the metric martyrs we are.

Favourite comedy moments--Geoff dropping everyone and carrying on for miles, strangely enough continuing to point out potholes as he went, and when Chris and I had finally caught him, it became clear that he wasn't aware there was nobody there: 'Oh, I thought if no-one's coming past, I can maintain it.' Chris' analysis was succinct: 'Geoff is basically undroppable and probably thought everybody else is like him.'

And then being asked, quite tersely, by the barman to take off our hats indoors in the pubposh hotel in Staines. I had to do a double take as I couldn't believe that he was being serious.

Good times. A perfect start to the season. See you all on the road soon!

OK, this is my reconstruction of the route--let me know if there are mistakes:

http://www.bikemap.net/route/383343#lt=51.43261&ln=-0.94482&z=10&t=0

Another thoroughly enjoyable ride, a less epic route this year than last time, but a bit more manageable I think. It certainly kick-starts the year with 100 miles in the legs so this definitely should be an annual event.

Glad you came along Oliver, the pint of ESB at the end finished it off perfectly.

Bravo to Clubman for inspiring his second anniversary January fixed wheel marathon. 50 x20 was OK.even on the 'conks' Nearly unscrewed me legs on the big descents though. It was a cold day for an old git to tackle 90 miles but despite the freezing wind the route was good on the outward journey and the roads for once were dry. Potholes a constant hazard of course. I reckon 'Conkers' big bonk bag and big gear did not make it easy for him. I am mystified by contents of said bag as I did not see anything come out of it all day! Did you really need it ConKer.?
The tail wind and main roads and Paul in a hurry made the ride back very quick tho'
Been a bit knackered and dehydrated since. Thanks to Oliver and Illy for your company
Old Git