2010-07-03 - London to Norwich Ride

Sorry guys, not been keeping tabs on this. Out for this one, hopefully see/meet some of you at the DD.

1. Hippy
   
2. Schick
   
3. Waitrose Eddie
   
4. Pissed up Pista
   
5. Object
   
6. Soul
   
7. Spenceey
   
8. Dancing Jimmy
   
9. Benjaminbunny
   
10. rounce
    
11. Jimbojones
    
12. dimi3
    
13. Sparky
    
14. 
    
15. TheBrick(Tommy) date pending
    
16. 
    
17. wools
    
18. machineisbored
    
19. JacktheHat
    
20. JAMIE - date dependent, prob geared
    
21. 
    
22. Velocet - 3rd July, geared
    
23. Tiswas, geared
    
24. 
    
25. 
    
26. braker
    27: wesley7 +1
    28: Marco
    

Only just built up a replacement bike, and 100miles+ is not ideal for a maiden voyage.

Will confirm later, but it's likely i'm out.

Only just built up a replacement bike, and 100miles+ is not ideal for a maiden voyage.

Will confirm later, but it's likely i'm out.

You can doo eeet!!!

Right, it's not looking as if I'll make this tomorrow--I'll be there if I manage not to be sensible. I'd absolutely love to do a long ride, but I don't think my arm is up for it.

I've been playing around with route options.

These two were proposed earlier in the thread.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=London&daddr=52.550471,0.679779+to:A147/Queens+Rd&hl=en&geocode=FXjUEQMd5BL-_yl13iGvC6DYRzGZKtXdWjqWUg;;FUT6IgMdDLMTAA&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=10&via=1&dirflg=w&sll=52.491979,0.992889&sspn=0.297673,1.211243&ie=UTF8&ll=52.072754,2.230225&spn=2.404132,9.689941&z=7

That is probably fine most of the way, but the A1065 past RAF Lakenheath is really awful. Bad road surface and lots of HGV traffic--even on a Saturday. I went along that once last year.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Norwich-to-Hitchin-Preston-village-nearby

This looks better.

I've just played around with a route based on the DD route up to Sudbury:

http://www.bikemap.net/route/571218#lat=51.45401&lng=-0.06592&zoom=7&type=0

This is completely untested, though, and may only serve to confuse people at this stage. ;)

Thanks Oliver... unless some people start confirming, i have a feeling this maybe wasted energy anyway.

So far, 11 of the 22 still on the list, have cancelled; including you.

Only me and MarcosMarcos have "confirmed".

I thought hippy was definite?

As I said, if I manage to be non-sensible tomorrow morning, I may turn up (if only to ride at least a bit of the way with you). It's a case of 'don't wait for me' if I'm not there at 9:45am. I wish I was. I hope I will be.

Hopefully a few more will confirm but i was only in Norwich on Tuesday. Don't want to go all the way there again just by myself :)

Popularity for Norwich has certainly waned.
What happened to all those DDers looking for daylight training? Unless there's a sudden influx of riders I know, I'm out.
I really don't fancy rolling into Norwich at 10pm after far too long on the road.

I thought hippy was definite?

I was until the 100 TT and then that was cancelled so I was back in but it's all gone to pot.

Hopefully a few more will confirm but i was only in Norwich on Tuesday. Don't want to go all the way there again just by myself :)

Once in a lifetime is more than enough, let alone twice in one week! I feel your pain.

I'm out. Completely forgot about this. Cheers for the prod though, Tim.

Yeah I'm going to bail too - pity as looks like would have been perfect weather for it tomorrow - but aforementioned Tri takes precedence.

if I will wake up on time tomorrow - will ride some distance with you and then turn around go back the same way.

As stated in my PM reply, I'M IN!

Need to do some training for the dd but this is a bit far for me just now, anyone up for something shorter on Sunday am?

I saw them off a bit earlier--still gutted I couldn't go on such a perfect day for it. Soul, marcomarcos, and rounce are riding. Well done to Soul for seizing the reins of organisation at the last minute. I'm definitely riding to Norwich at some point, even if I have to wait until next year.

got back home at 6 in the morning and woke up in the afternoon with a hangover
next time
hope you had a good one

Not the most successful ride i have ever done....

Flying along nicely out of London, we stopped for water at a pub just outside Chipping Ongar. Marcomarcos went to get back on his bike only to notice the the drive side bb cup was halfway out of the frame giving nearly an inch of play to the crankset!

We cycled the next 3 miles to Chipping Ongar only to discover that it didn't have a bike shop. No matter! On to Chelmsford... 14 ish miles later of very careful and scrapy [sic] sounding cycling and we arrived at a very well hidden and very nice bike shop opposite a pub.

A very worried looking bike shop owner said he thought the shell was stripped and that was that. An later and a dismantle and re-mantle by the mechanic and the bike was back and working again. Unfortunately, by that time, it was 3pm and we had 80 odd miles to go (having done roughly 40 with the detour).

We trudged along to the train station and begrudgingly parted ways; myself and Marco to Stratford and Rounce to Norwich.

It was a lovely day for a bike ride but it's a shame we were cut short at 40.

Ah, what a shame. Still, at least you had a nice ride as far as it went! Hope rounce got to Norwich all right. It was great that you attempted it and that you seized the initiative, as there was very nearly no ride!

Shame it ended the way it did, sorry guys, was great while it lasted.

Nevermind fellas. It's better than doing boring chores all day. At least you got out into the sun for a bit.

Gutted, was well up for it but would have had to get funds to travel to the big smoke first. Did 60 the night before and watched machineisbored get mowed down 10 miles outta Norwich! He was fine, gravel rash a plenty and ego bruised we heAded back reet slow!

Shall arrange something else soon you guys!